Netbooks? They Still Aren’t Enterprise Grade
Can you tell the difference between an ultraportable and a netbook? Don Reisinger can’t either – but he knows that netbooks are not yet good enough for serious enterprise use
Business users want the ability to handle several software packages at once. They want to be able to work in Word, while heading to the Cloud to input some information into a CRM. They need their computers to process graphics. And most importantly, they require security. They need to know that the data they’re transmitting from one point to another is safe and secure.
Netbooks or ultraportables don’t provide all those features. Yes, they are portable. Yes, many of them have the ability to connect to the Web from practically anywhere. Some are even capable of multitasking. But they don’t have the graphical prowess so many companies require. And worst of all, they don’t have the processing power to handle the local applications that companies are still employing in their operations. Simply put, they’re still not ready for the enterprise.
Can it run your tax programs?
Just last week, I had a business meeting with a top-level exec at a prominent accounting firm. The exec told me that he purchased a couple of netbooks for his employees and was pleasantly surprised by how useful they were. The only problem, he said, is that they couldn’t quite handle the needs of the company’s tax programs. Either way, he said that he planned to keep an eye on netbooks as they become more powerful.
I’m willing to bet that he isn’t alone. There are undoubtedly more executives that are wondering if the low-cost alternatives we know as netbooks are worth deploying instead of bulky, expensive notebooks. At this point, that answer is “no” for the vast majority of firms.
But as the line between ultraportable notebooks and netbooks continues to blur and vendors push the limits with what they can pack into netbooks, that might change. Companies might find more use for the technology. And soon, it could be notebooks, not just ultraportable notebooks, that will need to worry about netbooks.
But until then, companies should stick to notebooks and worry about netbooks when they become more capable of satisfying their desires. They’re just not there yet.
