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.
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.
Page: 1 2
US Supreme Court says it will hear appeal of TikTok and parent ByteDance against ban…
Japanese start-up Space One destroys Kairos rocket for second time shortly after launch, as country…
World's biggest EV battery maker CATL aims to build 1,000 battery-swap stations next year, rising…
Facebook has 'severely restricted' news content from Palestinian outlets since October 2023 amidst bias concerns,…
Amazon faces strike actions at facilities across US days before Christmas as union members authorise…
Welcome to Silicon UK: AI for Your Business Podcast. Today, we explore how AI can…
View Comments
If...
your enterprise is still locked in to closed formats and the over-weight applications that go with them;
you still use many desktop applications i.e. have yet to move to the web;
you think a portable device should be a desktop replacement;
then yes, your enterprise is not netbook grade. Ours is though, and users are forming a disorderly queue to acquire netbooks, trading in more powerful laptops for them, then having a desktop for use in the office.