Finally the Time to Buy a Netbook?

I've wanted a netbook since the release of the very first 7 inch Asus Eee PC. Who does not like the idea of a cheap, super mobile, PC? Without official Windows operation system support at release though, I decided to wait and see if Asus would continue to explore the idea. They did.. and so did the everyone else thus the netbook was officially born. As companies consistently decided to release new netbooks, I consistently decided to extend my wait. Up until now though, all netbooks have essentially been the same systems housed in different chassis. The very standard Atom 270, Intel's staple netbook processor, paired with their GMA 950 integrated graphics chipset, and a 1024 x 600 resolution screen has been the basis of every netbook so far released. Certainly frills such as bluetooth, card readers, basic SSDs, better or worse touchpads, speakers, or keyboards differentiate them, but the real product remains essentially the same. The HP mini has stood out being the first to house a higher resolution screen but was disproportionately more expensive. The Asus Eee PC Seashell 1008HA was alluring with its super slim and curvy form factor but in the end it was still no different from the existing netbooks.

It seems my long wait has finally paid off. Is it finally time to buy a netbook? I think so. Afterall Intel has finally released a new Atom processor, the Atom 280, Nvidia has release the Ion platform which grants Atom platforms the capabilities of a full Geforce 9400M, and producers are finally moving to higher resolution 1366 x 768 resolution screens. Many are even moving to AMD platforms. Netbooks set to be released soon will practically be fully fledged notbooks. The notable choices that have peaked my interest are the Acer Timeline 1810T rumored to be armed with a Core 2 Solo ULV SU3500 and GMA 4500 integrated graphics, the Lenovo S12 armed with an Atom 270 but paired with a Geforce 9400M, Gateway's LT3103U armed with AMD's Athlon 64 L110 and Radeon X1270 graphics, and Medion's Akoya Mini E1312 with its AMD Sempron 210U processor and Radeon X1250 graphics. Of particular interest is Asrock's G22 which they've stated packs an amazing Atom 330 dual core processor, Geforce 9400M, and a full, real DVD burner! That would be the first netbook ever to have an optical drive. The future looks bright for netbooks and though some would argue the fact that they are getting bigger is defeating their purpose, I for one would gladly lug the extra weight for the increased productivity provided by a REAL screen resolution and a REAL graphics processor. Gone will be the days of squinting at tiny screens and cramping on impractically small keyboards.

Sources: Hexus, Gizmodo