MBA - Best Netbook Money Can Buy?...apparently not...

[chrono1081]

Well I certainly think so, in fact I was quite happy to think that for the last 6 months, its been a worthy replacement to my previous Windows powered offerings from Samsung and HP. Its great, Ok you pay a premium to get the quality but then you do with any Apple device over the competition, whats new? I honestly believe that in the 11" MBA, Apple have produced a quality netbook.

Anyway, whilst I was singing the praises of my little 11" MBA netbook today today to a colleague he shot me down in rage for referring to it as a "netbook". I mean he was deeply offended like i'd just told him I'd shafted his mum, incredible really that the conversation actually ended because of it.

So tell me this, the MBA is small, it's lightweight, it performs the simple tasks well, it's got a good battery life and makes do without the luxuries (backlit keyboard, optical drive etc) in favour of lightweight and low cost. What in the world makes it not a netbook (apart from blatant snobbery)? If Ferrari made a van with 8 seats it would be called a people carrier there's no getting away from some things...right?

The Macbook air is considered an Ultraportable. A netbook is different. A netbook is generally a small cheap computer that can only do basic tasks due to hardware constraints. Ultraportables have much higher specs and can be used comfortably as a primary machine.

 

[Abstract]

A netbook simply acts as an inexpensive gateway to the internet. Its specs are lower than regular computers, but that was thought to be OK since it was really meant to be a budget way for people with simple computer needs to do simple things.....the most important of these being to access the internet, email, etc.

The 11" MBA isn't a netbook. Not every laptop that's small is a netbook. I'd do real work on an 11" MBA if I had one.

 

[s.hasan546]

Which netbook has resolution of 1366X768 Resolution with 64 GB or 128GB SSD memory as standard?

Which netbook boots up under 15 seconds?

the best netbook on the market.......

the Macbook AIR

 

[LS1]

Thanks for creating this totally pointless thread! This has been debated to death ever since the new Airs came out. Netbook or not, who cares..... enjoy your computer.

 

[Demosthenes X]

I would call the Air an "ultraportable" (or, as Wikipedia calls it, a "subnotebook").

They are also sometimes confused with netbooks which are a different category of devices that branched off from mini notebooks in general with the coming of the first of such devices, the EEE PC. Netbooks are most often much less expensive than Subnotebooks, as they are optimized for use as portable Internet capable devices and generally lack the processing power of a workstation.

The Air is a fully-featured notebook in a smaller package. A netbook is not a fully-featured notebook, since it lacks the processing/graphics power, among other compromises.

That said, I wouldn't fault anyone for calling the Air a "netbook". IMO definitions like this are pretty loose, and the Air has a lot in common with netbooks (i.e., even though it's more powerful than most Netbooks, it's certainly not as powerful as a conventional notebook).

 

[KnightWRX]

Guys, stop trying to justify it in all sorts of roundabout ways. It's easy : Atom-class processor = netbook. Laptop-class processor = laptop.

The MBA has a laptop class processor, it's an ultraportable. End of story.

 

[Psilocybin]

this thread is absurd..its a laptop end of story

 

[BlackMax]

Guys, stop trying to justify it in all sorts of roundabout ways. It's easy : Atom-class processor = netbook. Laptop-class processor = laptop.

The MBA has a laptop class processor, it's an ultraportable. End of story.

+1

Just because the 11" MBA is smaller, doesn't make it a netbook. Other than size the 11" MBA has a lot the features and capabilities of many other notebook computers. It fact, my 11" MBA performs better than most of the full sized notebook computers I've owned; including my current Lenovo T61 work notebook.

 

[Beanoir]

Yep, of course it's a netbook, size is the key aspect. Apple snobs will say otherwise.

 

[Psilocybin]

Yep, of course it's a netbook, size is the key aspect. Apple snobs will say otherwise.

wow..you are just full of useful knowledge aren't you. to bad it doesn't make any sense. I would highly suggest you do some research to assist you in distinguishing the difference between the two before you go starting a pointless thread like you have done here...your making yourself out to be a juvenile who has no idea what he/she is talking about and or lacks common knowledge of technology

 

[chrono1081]

Yep, of course it's a netbook, size is the key aspect. Apple snobs will say otherwise.

You are incorrect. Size has nothing to do with it. As for calling everyone "Apple snobs" don't you think its a little juvenile? Everyone simply gave you an explanation on what a netbook is since you clearly have no idea. People would tell you you were wrong if you called one of the Acer, Dell, Sony, etc ultraportables a netbook too. There is a difference between an ultraportable and a netbook, and its obvious you are unaware of that difference. I'll give you a hint, its not just the price.

 

[jamesryanbell]

"Netbook" means "~$300 9" plastic mini-laptap with an atom processor" to me.

 

[ZipZap]

The current 11" MBA is certainly a netbook, that's its ultimate purpose. Non-expandable memory, limited disk space, . etc

Having ports does not distinguish a laptop from netbook. Plenty of netbooks have tons on ports.

Many netbooks can even run powerful programs. Hell I ran office on a netbook.

I would say that the MBA's are on the leading edge of netbooks because they do have features more a kin to a laptop. Better video, faster cpu, and better display...

Once you pass the 11" size you are out of the netbook range.

 

[Susurs]

Can you find a word 'netbook' anywhere on manufacturers webpage?
Apple also states that it is a MacBook Notebook (same for every MacBook)...


http://www.apple.com/why-mac/compare/notebooks.html

 

[KnightWRX]

Guys, stop trying to justify it in all sorts of roundabout ways. It's easy : Atom-class processor = netbook. Laptop-class processor = laptop.

The MBA has a laptop class processor, it's an ultraportable. End of story.

Guys, this is settled. It's about the processor type. The Samsung 9 series, the MacBook Air, they have laptop class processors. They are thus not netbooks, no matter their size.

It's all about the processor.

 

[Susurs]

Yep, of course it's a netbook, size is the key aspect. Apple snobs will say otherwise.

So...Judging by your statements Alienware M11x is a netbook too...nice...

 

[Beanoir]

wow..you are just full of useful knowledge aren't you. to bad it doesn't make any sense. I would highly suggest you do some research to assist you in distinguishing the difference between the two before you go starting a pointless thread like you have done here...your making yourself out to be a juvenile who has no idea what he/she is talking about and or lacks common knowledge of technology

Well there's no need to get so agitated and making personal accusations, i'm not aiming any at you am I? I am neither a juvenile not technologically uneducated, but even if I was, would that be a problem with you??

I wanted to determine if there was a source or definitive defintion of what a netbook is or isn't so I could either prove my colleague right or wrong or at least satisfy myself on the matter. I couldn't find one, so I thought I would open it up to the forum, which so far has not yielded anything apart from opinions, no factual definition.

Take your personal bitching to forums that specialise in it, this is not that forum.

 

[Beanoir]

Guys, this is settled. It's about the processor type. The Samsung 9 series, the MacBook Air, they have laptop class processors. They are thus not netbooks, no matter their size.

It's all about the processor.

I see your point, and I can see you feel quite strongly on the matter. But then so do others feel strongly the other way buy claiming size and portability are the overriding definition. I'm still not sure.

Its not settled though is it. Perhaps we should write to Oxford and ask them to update the dictionary!

 

[Beanoir]

I see your point, and I can see you feel quite strongly on the matter. But then so do others feel strongly the other way buy claiming size and portability are the overriding definition. I'm still not sure.

Its not settled though is it. Perhaps we should write to Oxford and ask them to update the dictionary!

Scrap that, I just did, the dictionary definition probably does cover the 11" MBA actually.

 

[2IS]

It is not a netbook. Judging only by size and putting it in netbook category because of 11' is wrong. My subjective view is that a netbook is a weak windows/linux portative machine with wery limited capabilities primarily targeted @ web browsing.
AIR outperforms a lot of 'laptops' - only factor is size - and as I told before -size alone does not determine a category...

You say the size is the size is the only factor putting it in the netbook category, this is inaccurate. If anything, the performance is the only thing that is NOT indicative of a netbook, just about everything else is.

Size/weight = netbook
no optical = netbook
wifi only = netbook (and even some netbooks have ethernet)
limited usb = netbook

 

[Beanoir]

You say the size is the size is the only factor putting it in the netbook category, this is inaccurate. If anything, the performance is the only thing that is NOT indicative of a netbook, just about everything else is.

Size/weight = netbook
no optical = netbook
wifi only = netbook (and even some netbooks have ethernet)
limited usb = netbook

Which all points it it being a product designed to connect via web-based sources.

 

[chrono1081]

You keep dodging the ultraportable category. Ultraportables are separated from netbooks by performance. I don't understand why you don't realize there are two separate classifications for small and light machines. That is all people are trying to tell you. Ultraportables have been around for YEARS before netbooks.

Saying a Macbook air is like a netbook is like saying a golf cart is the same as a compact car.

 

[alan111]

Guys, this is settled. It's about the processor type. The Samsung 9 series, the MacBook Air, they have laptop class processors. They are thus not netbooks, no matter their size.

It's all about the processor.

I have to agree with this statement.
I would classify the iPad as a netbook way before I would the MBA. I've had many netbooks, they're all the same *****. They can't handle anything. My MBA handles everything I throw at it.

 

[Beanoir]

You keep dodging the ultraportable category. Ultraportables are separated from netbooks by performance. I don't understand why you don't realize there are two separate classifications for small and light machines. That is all people are trying to tell you. Ultraportables have been around for YEARS before netbooks.

Saying a Macbook air is like a netbook is like saying a golf cart is the same as a compact car.

Sorry, i'm not ignoring you or the ultraportable idea, well I am, but not in a rude way.

The question is Netbook or not, trying not to add another dimension to an already difficult discussion.

FWIW though, you could probably stick the MBA into the definition of ultraportable in a few ways, yes I agree.

I don't agree that the MBA doesn't fit into the definition of netbook, it falls into both definitions in as many ways I think so it kind of sits on the fence.

 

[Psilocybin]

Sorry, i'm not ignoring you or the ultraportable idea, well I am, but not in a rude way.

The question is Netbook or not, trying not to add another dimension to an already difficult discussion.

FWIW though, you could probably stick the MBA into the definition of ultraportable in a few ways, yes I agree.

I don't agree that the MBA doesn't fit into the definition of netbook, it falls into both definitions in as many ways I think so it kind of sits on the fence.

sorry i would like to add one more thing...the apple website states that the MBA is the next generation of notebooks..meaning that notebooks are most likely going to start to follow in its foot steps (with exception of the desktop replacements) now when most notebooks follow in its footsteps are they all considered netbooks? i dont think so