Intel: First Time PC Buyers Don't Get Netbooks
Apparently, netbooks aren't the real deal.
Entry level computers for first-time computer buyers are usually inexpensive, no-frills, and usually just perform basic functions. The same descriptors could be applied to netbooks, Intel says that the little machines aren't appealing to those buying his or her first PC.
"I don't think first-time buyers are going to buy netbooks," Sean Maloney, Intel's general manager of sales and marketing, Intel Technology Summit on Wednesday in San Francisco, quoted by Reuters. "The first time you buy something you want the real deal. It's consistent not just in China, but all around the world."
"Netbooks are predominantly... a second or third purchase from someone who's already got a notebook," he said, according to Engadget. "The first time you buy something, you want the real deal. It's a human behavior thing... it's [the same] all around the world."
"If you're going to spend your hard-earned money for the first time, you're going to put a computer in your house," Maloney added.
This doesn't represent any change in stance at Intel, as it always maintained that netbooks were always a supplementary purchase for those who already owned a computer.
Netbooks are adequate machines for those only looking from a computer the ability to surf the internet and email – and this represents a large portion of internet users. Regardless of whether or not netbooks are attractive or viable first PC purchases, Intel's probably going to be pleased as long as it's one of its chips.
However, Intel's analysis is focused on developed market and China. Netbooks are very hot products in India and other developing economy due to its relative reasonable performance and lower price.
Now I want to see more VIA NANO and AMD jumping into the market.
But I'm not the "first time" pc buyer. I'm like the 22nd time pc buyer.
I use the netbook for internet browsing AND Let's just say, I wanna save the environment
btw intel, I totally agree with you
Yep, my brother, and he Just bought an aspire one netbook. To be fair, he was incarcerated for the last 14 years. There are a few holdouts in the world, mostly them that grew up before the internet got big and figured they didn't need it. There are also developing countries where low power netbooks make a lot of sense for first time purchases.
They don't format web pages properly, you can't watch youtube videos without them chopping up, they are slow...
Honestly, Netbooks are a WASTE OF MONEY!!!
Not enough CPU power to run a real app (photoshop, mathmatica, DB2, etc.), not enough GPU power to run a real game, not enough screen space to watch movies (I'm sorry I like a big screen with real speakers to watch movies not a 8" microscreen), and a keyboard so small you can't properly type on it. So it's good enough to check you e-mail, watching low-res youtube clips and some web surfing (some pages don't like the small screen) ... I can do that on my phone or PDA, which cost me less. Or I can buy a real, but low end, laptop for $100 more and actually have a real machine.
P. T. Barnum must be enjoying all this.
However I did pick up a Toshiba NB-205. Upgraded it to 2gb ram, a 500gb 7200rpm hd, windows 7 Ultimate RC (Aero interfce) Photoshop Elements, Nikon Capture, Guild Wars, Wow, Second Life, Crystal Reports, SQL 2008 etc on it, and now I wish I could bump it up to 4gb of ram because of its size. It would be nice if they put the dual core atom in it and I can always connect an external display if needed.
And the battery lasts forever on it.
That is how I am using my netbook...
Notebook for programs and gaming.
My netbook (a 7" 800x480 pix, which was one of the first gen netbooks) was a little too small for many things.
The Atom powered netbooks where a little more powerful,and had a slightly better resolution.
The new pineview stuff coming up, I think it's gonna be fairly good for basic DX9 gaming, on a 600p screen, and I believe a good replacement for first laptops; as well as good battery life.
I don't see what would be so much worse between a notebook or netbook soon,save the smaller space,and the little less computing power.
Was it a Hacking crime?