New AMD Processors Aiming Between Laptops and Netbooks

An anonymous reader writes with an article about AMD's Conesus chip, suggesting that it is intended to compete with Intel's Atom for the netbook market. However, CNet reports that AMD is eschewing that form factor in favor of something larger, yet still more portable than a traditional laptop. Quoting: "AMD's strategy seems solid, in my opinion. Go for a segment that is bigger and better than Netbooks. The ultraportable category (the MacBook Air being the best example) is full of attractive but expensive designs. Why not work with PC makers to offer an ultrathin, ultralight, full-featured 13-inch notebook that is priced a lot less than $1,800? Why not $600 or $700? In addition to the conventional criticism of Netbooks (small screens, tiny keyboards), an underrated fact is that many users eventually get the feeling that they're stuck with an underpowered laptop."

Intel's Nano?

[A12m0v]

Doesn't anyone proofread anything anymore?

Far too many big corps are unhappy with netbooks.

[boorack]

Microsoft stroke deals with hardware vendors to limit capacities of their netbook products. Asus is trying to pull off this market and sell bigger (and a bit more expensive) products. Are they scared that too many people will learn that a netbook is enough for them ?

Not underpowered - more like underfeatured

[magarity]

an underrated fact is that many users eventually get the feeling that they're stuck with an underpowered laptop
 
I have a new netbook with Intel's Atom chip in it (Lenovo Ideapad) and it isn't underpowered so much as just underfeatured. For the screen, it isn't the size but the resolution; Fujitsu manages to put 1280x800 in their even smaller Lifebook models but that doesn't explain the 6x cost difference. It'd be nice to have a firewire port (I have a FW video camera and external drives) and a DVI instead of analog VGA. Other than that, the thing is perfect so it's close enough. Some people will want more CPU power for ... games? Who knows... I think it's the same mentality that gets dual/quad CPUs in desktops that are used for spreadsheets and browsing. More power to AMD to sell their products - just as long as it comes with a screen resolution upgrade.

Re:Far too many big corps are unhappy with netbook

[slashnot007]

Why would anyone but a bussiness person want a netbook? Just asking not stating. Presumably bussiness folks want to check e-mail, corporate calanders, catch a movie, and show power points. They will never program, do calculations on the road with them so how much power do you need. If you need to program or present calculations wou want a big screen and big KB anyhow, plus a fast CPU and battery to match. So it's gonna be bigger. Net books only need slow cpus right?

Re:Far too many big corps are unhappy with netbook

[slittle]

Why would anyone but a bussiness person want a netbook?

Anyone with ubiquitous network access? They're called netbooks for a reason.

I have plenty of storage and processing power elsewhere, I don't need battery sucking features on my portable terminal.

Netbook == PADD with a keyboard.

Re:Far too many big corps are unhappy with netbook

[MichaelSmith]

Why would anyone but a bussiness person want a netbook?

I like my eee because:

• I can chuck it in my backpack without having to make a big deal of taking a laptop
• It runs on 9 volts so a simple voltage regulator gets it running in the car
• I can use it on public transport with people piled up shoulder to shoulder around me

Re:Far too many big corps are unhappy with netbook

[MrNaz]

I've been saying this for a very long time. I bought a second hand X40 and it serves me far better than a netbook would, was cheaper than one, is more durable, has a full size excellent keyboard, full size screen and is only slightly larger.

Re:AMD - making shit no one wants, yet again

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes, no one want somethings in between notebooks and desktops.
Because AMD actually knows it's shit, it designed this Conesus chip for the market in between notebooks and _netbooks_.

Much higher prices + underfeatured == fail

[Morgaine]

You're right about the "underfeatured" angle, but that's only visible now because of the ever-rising prices of these devices.

What happened in netbooks to cause this is that Asus did a "bait and switch" on consumers. (And of course all other manufacturers followed.)

The original Eee PC was announced at a very low price, almost competing with the increased price of the OLPC, but ever since then the company has been adding features and raising model prices to the point where this product series is no longer the same thing, but is now a low-end laptop instead. And when compared against a low-end laptop, it's clearly underfeatured.

This is inevitable, because the whole point of netbooks was long battery life, low weight and low prices, and you can't have any of those when extra features suck power, add weight and raise cost!

So yes, this whole market niche is in danger of becoming a dodo, but it's entirely due to crummy marketting / product design moving the price point upwards instead of downwards. At $150 or $120, lack of features becomes irrelevant or even a bonus, since it extends battery life.

Re:Far too many big corps are unhappy with netbook

[MichaelSmith]

These are precisely the sort of computers that hikers look for.

Ummm, maybe. It depends on what you mean. I ride a bicycle to work. I could never take a full sized laptop on the bike but I sometimes take the eee. I wouldn't want to take it all the time though.

If I am camping in my van I would definitely take the eee, but if I am out in the bush walking for days on end I wouldn't take it because it still has too much weight to justify carrying.