Dell has retired their 12-inch Intel Atom-powered netbooks, they said today. The official reason – “It really boils down to this: for a lot of customers, 10-inch displays are the sweet spot for netbooks…Larger notebooks require a little more horsepower to be really useful.”
That makes absolutely no sense, since it requires no additional hardware horsepower to power a 12-inch netbook v. a 10-inch netbook. The only difference is power usage from the bigger screen. And the two extra inches more than makes up for the shorter battery life or slightly heavier device from packing in more batteries. It only costs a few more dollars to build a 12-inch v. a 10-inch netbook, and users get a bigger screen with the same performance.
In fact, Intel’s official position on 10-inch netbooks is almost exactly the opposite of Dell’s. Intel says “If you’ve ever used a Netbook and used a 10-inch screen size–it’s fine for an hour. It’s not something you’re going to use day in and day out.”
So why is Dell really discontinuing 12-inch netbooks?
Probably a couple of reasons. First, Intel doesn’t like 12-inch netbooks because they are deep into dual core territory, where Intel has much healthier profit margins. For casual users a 12-inch netbook with an Atom chip works just fine, and they are buying these devices instead of more expensive dual core machines. Intel has put pressure on OEMs to build netbooks that have 10 inch or smaller screens.
This includes direct pricing pressure – Intel prices Atom chips based on the size of the device screen. Anything over 10 inches is priced higher than devices with 10 inch or smaller screens. We think this is an inappropriate way to price Atom chips.
Dell may also be seeing customers who would otherwise buy a dual-core 13-inch or 14-inch Inspiron choosing the lower priced (and less profitable) 12 inch netbook instead. That’s something they aren’t going to be happy about.
Netbooks should be getting bigger, not smaller. That’s what users want.
I don’t think it’s performance on a technical basis, but what’s needed from customers.
Maybe people try and do more on a 12″ than a 10″, and so it can’t handle the demand with the same components?
I’m not a netbook user, but I bet if I had one, the 10″ would just be something I used to check my email, maybe read an article or two, etc. With a 12″, I’d be tempted to do more, like watch videos, have multiple applications running, etc.
OTOH, the pressure from Intel and cannibalizing their own sales are valid concerns, but that is what the Innovator’s Dilemma covered, and I don’t really expect Intel and Dell to try and skip out on a new market even if it doesn’t live up to the business standards of the previous one.
Notebooks should have swivel screen. Currently and in past misconception that only touchscreen tablets should have a swivel screen.
By the way more resolution needs better graphics processor, other than just a bigger screen.
I meant bigger screen needs higher resolution, higher res in turn needs better graphics processor. That means larger screen needs more hardware horsepower. So basic argument of Mike is flawed.
To be precise, from 10 to 12 inch, graphics processor needs gets squared, that is 144 – 100, or 44% more powerful.
I want a 386sx with a stretchy screen.
Just hook up a widescreen to it.
Agreed. Michael, I think the paradox explains itself from the two statements :
“…Larger notebooks require a little more horsepower to be really useful” Dell
“If you’ve ever used a Netbook and used a 10-inch screen size–it’s fine for an hour. It’s not something you’re going to use day in and day out” Intel.
So, that seems to justify Intel’s position and Dell’s argument. Now, the domino effect has to be watched out on other players in this segment, who jumped head first in the growing fad of “minis”, “netbooks” and the likes.
Agreed. I don’t see a contradiction.
Same here – I totally agree.
HollyM
http://www.thessayist.com
I was going to make the same comment. Spot on.
You misinterpreted the comment:
Dell was saying, that your demand is higher if the screen is bigger. A 10 inch screen hinders itself due to screen space, while a bigger screen invites to work more and therefore the Atom platform soon touches its borders -> you will want a more powerful CPU.
Thats’s the sense you missed.
Because the cost to market 2 products is more than the cost to market 1 product.
hmm on a 10″ or 12″, the productivity is not gonna matter, for those buying netbooks are not buying them for the big screens. They are buying them for the light weight, easy to carry, high performance, and same functionality as their home computers. The price is the kicker…..cheaper than other laptop class computers and same functionality.
What is happening, is a manufacturer is manipulating the market instead of doing marketing. They are basically cutting off their toes to sell their hands or another part. So, another chip maker will come in and fill the gap.
For me, the screen size would be the last option that would influence my purchase…I can also plug it into a base unit and have my 19″ or larger LCD at hand. For me, the weight, size, and power (CPU, Memory, HDD) would be the key options.
No. The reason people buy netbooks is because they are optimised for Internet access (it’s a portmanteau of “Internet” and “notebook”). Since when does portability have anything to do with Internet access – if anything a larger screen is more useful.
Netbooks are cheaper because they can be – they don’t need to do graphics intensive tasks, run local bloatware like Office, store heaps of data, etc. That’s why the chipmakers and OEMs hate them, and Microsoft too given $200 of hardware can’t sustain $200 of software in the same way $2000 of hardware could a decade ago.
Don’t allow yourselves to be screwed people – netbooks are about Internet, cost is a side effect and size is irrelevant.
Sam
Dead wrong. Netbooks are about PORTABLE internet and the PORTABLE part is capitalized for a reason. 12″ is not as portable as 10″. If they can squeeze a 12″ screen into a 10″ case, then everyone is delighted. Otherwise, we want the 10″ case OVER the 12″ screen.
Dead wrong. Netbooks are about PORTABLE internet and the PORTABLE part is capitalized for a reason. 12″ is not as portable as 10″. If they can squeeze a 12″ screen into a 10″ case, then everyone is delighted. Otherwise, we want the 10″ case OVER the 12″ screen.
I agree, this is market politics BS not user demand driven. I find a 10″ screen on a notebook (with keyboard etc – even if one now calls it a netbook) a joke. Interesting to see how the tablets will play into this ‘void’.
Well I don’t. When I look at a Netbook, I want it to be really portable, so 10 inch is the sweet spot.
Since a Netbook is what it is, an auxillary notebook, I will have a more powerful “laptop” to do my heavy duty work. For that I want a bigger screen. I find that 13.3 works best.
So I see this as perfectly logical. I would NEVER get a 12″ Netbook as my primary computer since its under powered.
All this fuss for nothing.
There are plenty of people who can’t afford a notebook who are reliant on these devices for Internet access, education, etc. (especially in this economic climate).
What the manufacturers are doing here is wrong and I hope it bites them on the ass (as I suspect will be the case when an army of “linarm” devices marches in from the east).
Sam
I just bought entry level Toshiba for $350 at Office Depot. It has a dual core Pentium, 2GB RAM and 160 GB hard drive, Vista home premium, and a 15″ screen. I initially looked at netbooks to save some money, but found that they were about the same price as the one I bought. So I don’t think that any one will be priced out by Dells decision.
Basically, to me, having used 15 different netbooks ranging from 5.5 inch to 12.8 inch screens, it makes sense to discontinue these 12 inch+ screen based netbooks.
I would never want a netbook to be above 10 inches in size. that’s the best and most comfortable. Bigger does not always translate to better!…
Most people do not realize the difference between netbook and a notebook. They think, netbook = notebook – cost i.e. CHEAPNOTEBOOK!. Most people demand higher processing power for a bigger screen. Sales of 12 inch notebook will obviously be less, perhaps more people return these so called ‘12 inch netbooks’.
Ideal netbook according to me is the one that has
1) 10 inch screen 1376 x 768 (HD)
2) 2GB RAM
3) 160 GB HDD + 8 GB flash disk (hybrid storage)
4) 8+ hours of battery life
5) lighter than 1.25kg (HP Mini 2140 Form actor is perfect)
6) The processor could be any of those newer Intel lineup
7) inbuilt Graphics (to play) HD 720p could be good deal too.
and that’s about it. nothing more nothing less.
Quite a few netbooks come close to my specifications. Hope e-PC / HP mini might be upcoming with one that that meets these spec.
Oh, almost forgot, a Matte finish screen is a must. You don’t wanna strain your eyes and see your own face at the airport.
Just before I started college again after 15 years, I bought a new Dell notebook with a 15.6″ screen. Big mistake.
The notebook is great (except for the glossy screen, a matte finish would be far better), and every computer in the house except one (2 desktops and 4 laptops) are Dell. The mistake was the bigger laptop isn’t nearly as portable as I would like. I should have bought a 10″ netbook. The smaller machine wouldn’t be so heavy to lug around and would be big enough for what they are for. If someone insists on using a netbook for a notebook they deserve to be unhappy. I have used my new notebook to surf the web, write a paper (I use MS Office, but I could have used WordPad), and watch a movie (hard to do on a netbook without a DVD drive). Other than the movie, which I watched only to avoid work, I could have done everything just as easily on a netbook. As far as power-per-dollar, a notebook is superior; netbooks don’t offer the same bang for the buck. However, power is not the reason for buying a netbook. For my new college career, a smaller machine would have been better. Also, my college now uses skinny tables which are hardly an improvement over the individual desks it used to use as far as using a computer is concerned, so a netbook would again be easier.
Let’s not forget that DVD players are sold with 7″ and even 5″ screens. If I could get a netbook with a fold-out keyboard, I’d go for a 7″. 10″ seems to be a fair compromise for both minimal usable power and keyboard size.
I don’t use a Volkswagon Beetle as a tow truck because it isn’t big enough or powerful enough. Netbook users shouldn’t be trying to use them at notebook or desktop substitutes.
Michael,
Dell has joined the Qualcomm/Google alliance and will unveil their first Smartbook this Fall/Winter —
http://www.pcma...,2351046,00.asp
Why hasn’t TechCrunch discussed this 800lb gorilla (SmartBooks)? —
great reporting with respect to real-time and John Borthwick, Twitter and other VC happenings, etc — but for some reason you leave out the BIG upcoming technology — SmartBooks
http://www.MeetSmartBook.com
I waited on the sidelines for a netbook for ages until the introduction of the Mini12. This was the real deal for netbooks. 12″, 1280 x 800 resolution. If its about the web, all netbooks should be with 12″ screen. Alas, dell woke up and eliminated this segment………. well, at least I own a “limited edition” dell…….. well, I paid SGD 999, but in went as low as 699 which works out to be < USD 500.
Now, how can I get my hands on an extra 6 cell battery……
I’m with everyone else here, you completely missed it Arrington!
If someone wants a 12″ netbook/laptop, they are buying it to use like a normal notebook/laptop, “most people”. So, the power of the 12″ does not meed the demands of people buying them. Makes 100% sense to me. The 10″ netbook is the perfect size for the majority of people and the biggest difference here is the portability factor.
Power has two meanings… electrical current power, and processing power
Jacob, quiet down before you embarrass yourself. I hope you aren’t a product manager.
Also, don’t criticize a guy who likely has data on netbook user habits and annual shipments and briefs with Intel and Dell. I doubt you are as close as Arrington is to any of this.
Anyway, thanks for the good article Arrington. Glad you got to the bottom of this Intel/Dell netbook thing. I have been wondering about each of their roles in this as well. I can’t be sure until I confirm it myself, but I am guessing Microsoft behind all this.
I think Windows 7 Starter still has the 10.2in screen size and 15W CPU (basically Atom-only) requirements. That basically railroads Dell into producing only these form factors. However, as soon as Google’s Chrome OS is and AMD starts competing with Intel, we will probably see larger netbooks again.
When I pick up a 12″ laptop I want it to be able to run all the programs a normal computer can run. When I pick up a 10″ netbook I expect less from it. The screen isn’t even big enough to consider Photoshop.
You can’t discount what I feel, and I don’t think you can claim nobody else feels that, just because I’m not Arrington either.
Don’t be so arrogant.
There is an enormous market for 12-13″ netbook devices – that is, machines that are tailored for Internet access with decent (eg big, high resolution) screens, good (eg 3G/WiFi) connectivity, long (eg 6-8hr) battery life etc.
As a result of keeping everything online it is no longer necessary to have a huge hard drive and overpowered CPU so the price drops and the life increases (fewer/no moving parts). Netbooks are not about portability and the price is a side effect – they are “Internet notebooks” and they are perfect for people who can’t afford (or don’t want) a “real” laptop.
I’d love for this MacBook to be the size of an Air, inside $1,000 and run for a day on a charge – that’s what netbooks are capable of (expect the Apple iPad or whatever it’s called to be something like this – an overgrown iPhone appliance with no moving parts rather than a fragile, complex machine).
Sam
You can stop writing unrelated articles in the comment space here.
Arrington doesn’t have any data to back up this… He just formed an opinion then pulled one supporting fact out of the air. Sure Intel makes more money on their core2duo chips than the atom, but what your missing here is the commoditization of the atom chip and the netbook as a whole. While I agree that a 12″ is a nice size, Jim and Suzy, the morons that go to best buy to buy their laptop, just look at it as a cheap laptop… They don’t “get” that its a netbook. So, when they get it home and its slow as shit and their experience sucks, they will curse Dell and probably return the thing.
I think what most of you hear do not realize is that everyone here is in the minority, as in, really understanding how the tech works. Think of all the dumbasses and maybe you’ll see the real picture.
What is it that Jim and Suzy the morons would want to do with their laptop that would require a 2.x ghz c2d processor? If they’re like most non-tech people I know they’d spend most of their time on their computer typing up letters in word, using e-mail on gmail or hotmail, listening to music or syncing their ipods, using facebook and youtube and organizing their photos.
None of that stuff requires a fast processor and could easily be done using Atom.
The reason why the Dell Mini 12 sucked more than it had to is that both intel and Microsoft enforce restrictions on which devices can use the N-series Atom chips so it was stuck with a crappy z-series processor intended for MIDs and Windows Vista.
I actually have the Mini 12 with Ubuntu and…no I would want it with all the “extras”. It’s one of the few netbooks with a higher screen resolution that is “readable”. The problem I have with full featured light weight notebooks in the 12-14 inch range is the battery life. The low powered Mini 12 with a battery life near 6 hours was a winner and I have no regrets with the purchase.
That should read “wouldn’t want it with all the extras”.
I have a Samsung NC10, which is a 10″ netbook. I can easily say it is one of the devices I use most. It performs quite well, runs Windows 7 like a dream and is well-suited for browsing, chatting, and even some programming (Visual Studio, anyone?).
Recently I’ve been on a few trips – Berlin, Seattle, Paris – and it’s the only machine I’ve taken with me, as it is lightweight, convenient, but works pretty well.
The screen resolution might be higher, 1280×800 would be appreciated, but 1024×600 isn’t bad either.
I agree with reasoning, as reason given by dell is totally baseless. They want to make Atom powered “small tops or better tube tops
”, accessory to the powerful laptops.Its only market placement and nothing else.
I had a Samsung NC10. Piece of crap. I can do 85 percent of what I did on it on my iPhone.
I feel like a 10 inch screen is just too small for more than a small amount of use per day.
I actually have an HP 2140 netbook right now. I use it mostly for web browsing, writing blog posts, watching video, listening to music.
The reason I use it? — it’s small compared to a 12-inch notebook. A lot lighter to carry around. I have been really waiting for the day that KEYBOARDLESS TABLETS would be the norm!
I think a 12-inch tablet with a 11 or 10 inch screen and a resolution of at least 1280 x 800 (1024 would be great) would be the sweet spot.
If you use it in portrait mode — you can easily browse sites made for an 800 width, if you use it in landscape mode, you can browse other sites.
It will also be a great platform to read ebooks without having to bring along a kindle or sony reader.
>That makes absolutely no sense
Dell is saying that customers buying 12 inch devices want higher specs. Customers going for netbooks want less specs and smaller size.
Hi Mike and everyone…
Dell is still selling the Mini 12, just not under their “Home” section. I spotted it, and wrote about it because I couldn’t believe it – http://www.netb...ust-not-to-you/
I believe it says horsepower as in processor power and not the power supply. I think what they said actually does make sense. As the screen size increases people usually expect the computer to be more powerful.
Glad that readers actually got the meaning of the extremely simple statement.
This article is a big “much-ado-about-nothing”.
Don’t forget to blame Microsoft, too. With a 12-inch screen, this netbook will not qualify for Windows 7 Starter Edition, and would be forced into using Home Premium. The associated extra licensing cost can easily push a netbook’s price out of traditional netbook territory.
This is just tiered pricing and eliminating products to streamline and take cost out of their system. Dell has way to many products to be profitable. Compare to Apple with just a few – marketing dollars can be more focused and successful.
However, Intel and Dell should be careful. The chip systems in smart phones (like ARM) are subject to the same physics and economics that traditional computers are. They will be gaining computational power and will jump to the netbook market quickly and successfully. Open source operating systems like Linux can be lean and run applications quickly on these machines.
Consumers want portability and price. Any other shenanigans will drive them into competitor machines.
It’s a shame AMD does not have a equivalent offering so Intel couldn’t price based on end device specs.
Seems to me that Via is (or is about to be) on the market with a solid direct competitor to the Atom chip (they’ve been doing thin client x86 chips for a long time now).
With the competition heating up between Intel and Via in that space, if consumers want a 12″ netbook, consumers are going to get a 12″ netbook — and if Intel and Dell don’t want to play, you can bet Asus, HP, Acer, and the lot sure will.
Isn’t the open market cool?
Ever thought the reason might be because it uses a crappy slow PATA drive instead of SATA like just about every other netbook already uses. If Dell had used a SATA drive instead I would have already bought one….. and yes, you can feel the difference even in a netbook. PATA should have been gone away already
there are actually a few 11 inch models out there but they have the lower 1.3 Intel Atom chip in them which shows that Intel is dissuading computer companies from building bigger computers
I bought a Dell netbook thinking I would take it with me when I stayed over at my girlfriend’s place. Let me tell you, the thing is beyond worthless. Since the keyboard is a good deal smaller I spent most of my time looking at the keyboard to figure out what I was typing. Except for the fact that thing is silent, given that it has no fan, I ended up lugging my full size laptop with me everywhere (but then again I’m a developer so my tools require more horsepower than an Atom processor can deliver.)
a 12″ netbook, means I would do more on it and might use it more regularly. To be honest netbooks are good while you are on the move and doing the most basic of things, email, write a document, etc but set it up for mulitasking, it almost falls flat. A 12″ netbook is definitely enticing users to do more. Plus the cost of marketing plays a major role too, why have two varieties of the same machines with the Screen size being the only factor? Knowing that they won’t pull off much when it comes to doing heavier tasks
I love my 9 inch… yes Dell Mini 9… netbook. I use for way more than going on the internet. I can have 3 programs running on it at the same time and it’s no problem (even though I have 1GB ram, the
maximum you could get at the time).
I think what Dell is saying makes some sense though. While there statement is probably bogus, I do think that a 12 inch netbook may not make too much sense when it comes to the casual user.
I just wish they still had the Dell Mini 9 because I would by a spare for just in case the other was in the repair shop
My opinion is that users just expect a 12″ size machine to be able to do things that Atom processors simply can’t do. The performance isn’t there so why pay for a larger machine with a larger screen for such poor performance. Those processors are in my opinion only a good value proposition in a smaller package.
For me it’s not just size, atom machines run much cooler and are lighter. I hate Dell, but I almost picked up one of their 12-inch models. And yes, it would have replaced my ‘regular’ laptop for most things.
was this supposed to be a rhetoric questions mike?
the answer is:
wintel i mean microsoft+intel
As someone looking for a good 11-12″ netbook/notebook I understand Dell’s reasoning. I considered the Mini 12 but once it came out and I read how slow it was, not to mention that you could not upgrade the RAM I quickly stopped considering it.
The sad truth is that Atoms simply can’t handle resolutions greater than 1024×600 comfortably. Sure most things will run ok but people buying a notebook/netbook with a higher resolution are probably thinking they’ll use it for more (mainly videos). Atom’s start to have trouble with higher resolution videos.
I think what people really want is a cheap, small and powerful netbook. Unfortunately for now that does not exist and the 12″ form just exposes the Atom’s low performance.
This is why we have started to see the new CULV processors being used in notebooks over 10″. Unfortunately it seems the CULV processors aren’t much better than the Atoms.
I personally think Flash is largely to blame for people’s perceptions because Flash video is processor based and does not use the graphics chip to help with video performance suffers badly.
As usual, this is my opinion and I’m not from a sales background but I’d imagine that if Dell was selling tons of them, they wouldn’t have discontinued them.
Sure Intel can pressure all they want but Dell is in the top 3 PC companies so Intel can threaten but raising prices on Dell would affect Dell’s sales overall.
Honestly, I am going to get a 10″ because if I was going to get a 12, why not get a 13 and enjoy even more comforts and a faster processor for a very small increase in price.
The 10″ is a 92% keyboard, fast enough and pretty affordable. they’re right and I would expect more power from a 12″ screen, at least a 2Ghz Core2Duo but that’s just me.
Supposedly they wouldn’t make that much money on 12″ netbooks because of how Intel prices the chips (according to screen size). But I haven’t verified that.
intel does charge more for atoms being put into 12 inch devices or larger. But what I really want to know is if Intel threatened to charge more for all the Atoms they sell to Dell unless they discontinued the 12 inch models.
I’m going to have to go with Adam on this one – it’s more than likely that the Mini 12 just isn’t selling very well compared to the other models. No-one in their right mind cancels a product that’s selling well, regardless of whether or not the margins are slimmer.
i think what Dell means is that people tend to use a 12″ netbook as a real notebook, as many already have a 13″ notebook.
So with buying a 12″ netbook they might think that they dont need another, more powerful notebook, which than renders the netbook not powerful enough to handle all the tasks.
intel is smart. sucks, but it makes complete sense. good business men there.
What the customer wants and what the corporation wants are by definition not the same thing. Sure, it would be “appropriate” for a corporation to serve some useful function for society at large, not just for it’s shareholders and/or it’s management/leadership/bureaucracy. Open source/free software is the _only_ way to achieve this reliably for software, and it is also the _only_ way to achieve this reliably for hardware.
Well if you use Windows XP or Linux and know how to use a window manager properly, you might already be running many applications on a 10″ netbook. But 12″ lets you see what you are doing more clearly, so you can program, edit images, do stuff more easily. Not everyone needs a high performance machine.
There are enough gamers, graphics programmers, and people who happen to run processor intensive applications to sell 12″ netbooks without destroying sales of higher end machines. But the economy is bad and Intel hopes that when grandma goes to Best Buy, she buys a more expensive machine that doesn’t benefit her any more than a 12″ netbook would. That seems plausible to me.
Actually this is partly the fault of consumers who don’t take the time to understand what they are buying and why.
Yup right, If people conduct small research before buying products, it could really help!
true. i never thought i would be getting anything with a bigger screen but we got one for the pc, and got a new toshiba with a big screen, and i’m actually greatful. was going to get one of those minis, but reneged because i would rather just use money to buy something else…like mbp…but i can’t get over apple. i think it’s up to people to decide what they want. i always thought 10 was a pretty sweet spot, then went larger, then larger, and i don’t mind hauling it all.
I’m not buying into this whole netbook phenomenon. I have a regular notebook for my intensive computing needs. For casual browsing/email/traveling etc. I have the best netbook in the world, the iPod Touch. The amount of frustration reduced due to boot times, crashes, low battery, portability etc. is unimaginable. It has amazing specs and can do everything an average netbook can. Not to mention I can carry it in my pocket.
I agree with the last point of StevenG. If there is a profit to be made in the 12″ Netbook ’space’ others will quickly fill that need but I have read that 1/3 of all Netbooks are returned and my guess is this is a profitability issue.
My theory: somehow, someway this issue is related to the expectation of the Apple iTablet which hopefully will have the much higher specs and be a more convenient design for checking e-mail from where ever, watching videos and playing games. I.e. before making any more investment in Netbooks or mini-notebooks, they are waiting to see where the demand is after seeing the initial sales of the iTablet.
Here’s an interesting read, don’t miss it!! – http://bit.ly/n6HuE You have to admit http://www.thessayist.com is a revolutionary service.
A couple of months ago I was buying a netbook. Of cause, I checked all the makers.
The first look of Dell design caught my eyes… but after seeing it closely… frankly, Dell material is the worst of all.
My point is that, sales volume is in fact the actual reason for discontinue. Technical designs and everything else is just kinda like an excuse.
No one likes to look at those tiny screens.
I’m a bit of a minimalist. I enjoy using my Aspire One (8.9″). Runs XP, O2k7, Arduino and VLC.
I get about 5.5 hours on a charge and I have a full-size notebook if I need it.
Netbooks are all about portable, unobtrusive computing.
netbooks , readers etc are worthless and of no use…even they are somewhat cheap..I would rather use that money to buy something else..and will be happy with the traditional pc and notebook etc…
this is just a fad…and Dell took the right decision …after all they are the one who know what user wants and what needs to be bigger or smaller.
this is what i did. bought a laptop.
“Netbooks should be getting bigger, not smaller. That’s what Arrington want.”
there, fixed that for you…
i keep seeing opinion pieces like this one and end up repeatedly being left with the suspicion that what its really about is the writers wishes that his beloved ultra-portable workhorse should become cheaper.
basically one is seeing a small “elite” that would really like a 12″ ultra-portable, but cant justify the cost either to oneself or the corporation one is working for, and tries to use the netbook as a replacement.
but at the same time they do not want to loose any benefit, and so wants their netbooks to become ultra-portables at netbook cost.
the masses could not care less, as long as the screen can show facebook without horizontal scrolling…
the geeks are driving the screen growth, not the masses…
As other ppl have noted, a 12″ netbook is going to have problems supporting hi res video display not to mention the normal problems running full-powered apps.
When the average, non tech user buys a 12″ netbook, do they understand all those limitations before powering it up? Because if not, Dell is going to have a huge return rate from unsatisfied customers- or even worse, have to deal with buyers who didn’t realize that a 12″ netbook is different than a 12″ notebook. A high return rate would zero out Dell’s profits on this product line, as the profit margin is thin to begin with. This scenario seems just as likely a reason for Dell killing it off.
wow, they charge the processor based on the size of the screen? now that’s a novelty
Personally, it makes sense to me:
If I’m buying a 10 inch its not to work for hours, its to trawl around when traveling.
If I’m buying a 12 inch and getting the increased size and weight, I’d prefer to have some horsepower. That said if I bought a 12 inch I’d also buy an 8 inch for traveling.
I just think its a simple price point. The user buying a netbook will only pay so much and the 12 inch is at a point where those buyer’s will probably just buy a cheap laptop. For many its not about the size of the screen but the price on the box. Those that truly need a small form laptop are looking at more powerful ones and not a netbook. I have a 10.2″ netbook and can definitely say that I do not want to spend a lot of time on it. But I don’t think It would be any different with a 12″ because the resolution would be higher and that would cause the same complaints. small is small.
Oh NO! Don’t tell us Dell is discontinuing those. That will make alot of people cry
I’ve got a 9″ netbook and among the other less serious things I’m using it for programming on trains. Granted, I’m a little less productive because it has less horsepower and screen estate but I made 3 hours working sessions with it and had no problems.
On the other side I’d never buy a 12″ netbook or notebook because it’s a gray area: not small enough to be truly portable and no large enough to be really comfortable.
Maybe Dell is discontinuing those products because they’ve listened to me.
Yeah, I’m kidding
Great marketing survey, Mike…
So…what size will the CrunchPad to be?
I for one am not surprised by this. I bought the Dell 12″ and was shocked to see how big it was! It’s not a netbook as far as I’m concerned. It didn’t fit into any netbook case.
I then ordered the 10″ with the higher resolution screen which is the main reason I bought the 12″.
Unfortunately the 10″ did doesn’t support my SIM card the way the 12″ does. Hopefully they plan to get it all into the 10″