Netbook: The revolution, the future

Fashion, form and fit.  Everything the Apple Air was hoping to go for but ended up being much too expensive.  We may not know what the future holds for us, but let’s face it, we know that technology is getting smaller, thiner, faster and more powerful.  Each device has more packed into it and offers greater capacity and functionality.  Just a few years ago, we wouldn’t even have understood what our lives would be like without an iPhone.  Yet, today, so many people depend on it.  

I recently purchased an HP 1035NR 10.2″ notebook.  It fits nicely in my purse along with my other crap that floats around there (speaking of which, I need a new purse).  Included in my purse is my Archos, Blackberry Curve, keys, wallet, USB key, Swiss Army knife, cheque book and writing pad.  I would have never thought the day would have come where as part of my accessories, a full fledged computer could fit snuggly in my purse so that I could have SSH on a fully operational OS in the palm of my hands.  The day has come, and I’m glad it did!

So what’s so exciting in this era of computing?  The possibilities it holds for portable computing.  These massive laptops that were once so popular amounst the “desktop replaces” will die off much like the dinosaurs as we get in tune with faster processors on smaller screens reproducing HD like quality.  As well, with the technology of OLED (and it’s transparency) and thiness, we shall be seeing paper like foldable computers that will be a feather but have a full-sized keyboard.  More than that will be it’s multi-touch capabilities.  In fact, it’s so real, we’ve been promised that the ASUS Eee PC T91/T101 Multitouch Netbook will be out Q1 this year (April, May?).  

http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/06/eee-pc-t91-convertible-tablet-lives/

As well, with the promise of Windows 7 coming out by January 2010 (or even as EARLY as December 2009), we may be seeing these OS’s being sported on these new netbooks.  

I’d love to see what Apple is coming out with to compete with these little Netbooks, maybe a 7″ iPhone?  That would certainly interest me if there was some form of decent keyboard that could be an add-on.  Or if Blackberry can get it’s act together and release a more intuitive and easier on the eyes device that could do a better job than the “click touch”, it’d certainly be another choice as well.  

Regardless, I do think that we will be seeing a lot of different small and mobile devices with over 8 hours of battery life soon on the shelves.  No one wants to carry a 8 lb computer around!  Let’s keep it a 2lb and that’d be able to keep me happy!

Love to hear people’s thoughts on this.