what hardware/software features do you want

What hardware or software features do you want in netbooks?

[ThisIsNot]

These are the features that I require out of netbooks:

• Use an OS that allows for full compatibility with day-to-day programs such as iTunes, MS Office, etc. This means that I want Windows, sorry Linux but you just can't run iTunes.
• Have a 10-11.6" screen. Anything bigger and I might as well just carry around my tablet as it has a 13" screen.
• Real world battery usage of about 5 hours. This is with the screen backlight set to 50-60%, bluetooth turned off, and wi-fi turned on.
• Enough hardware to at least watch standard definition content.
• Be sturdy enough so that I can throw the netbook in a slipcase and put that in a backpack with some books.
• Have video conferencing software that actually works along with a built-in webcam that produces decent results. I hate sitting down to do a video conference only for the camera to produce grainy results or for the software the really compress the video stream so that everything is pixelated.

These are the features that I actually want:

• Be able to fully playback 1080p mpeg-2, mpeg-4, mpeg-4 AVC, and VC-1 content without issues.
• Have enough hard drive space to carry around my lossless archive of CDs (this means that it would need to have a 1TB hard drive).
• Digital optical audio output.
• HDMI video output.
• A multi-gesture trackpad that uses an LCD that contains quick-launch icons for applications such as iTunes, FireFox, MS Word, etc.
• 24 hour real world battery usage.
• Support for 4GB of RAM so that I can run AutoCAD.
• Come with an external Blu-ray ROM that matches the computer's casing.
• Fingerprint reader.

ThisIsNot, the tasks that you listed are iTunes/music, MS Office/word processing, SD and want 1080p/video, video conferencing and AutoCAD design. Good jobs.

The hardware you want includes 10-11.6"/screen size, long battery life, video/digital audio output, trackpad and 4GB RAM with Blu-Ray accessory. Everything you mention is currently available in hardware bins somewhere and could be assembled as a netbook.

Where do you do your netbooking; home, office, school, in the field, on the road?

Is the netbook your only computer? If you have a desktop, how do you mix the computing tasks? What does your desktop do?

My main computers are desktops in various offices where I consistently work along with a MacBook that travels with me. A lot of my work is stored online. Some I carry on an external hard drive.

My netbook is a standalone computer as a personal electronic assistant. It has limited interaction with the desktops/MB except I might transfer some pictures or video clips. I carry it with an iPod Touch. They work well together.

I use my netbook for language study, health record keeping, personal continuing education, some iPod video viewing and, rarely, some office work. Several of my programs are Windows only. I run Linux on a SD card for the card games and just as a backup OS.

While I get by with USB, I prefer Firewire and would really like an eSATA port. The Atom can easily handle USB but for more bit/byte moving with the faster ports a faster CPU/chipset/FSB/RAM set would be needed on, I think, a separate computer. I don't feel the need to push the netbook to more robust hardware at higher cost. I'm not prepared to move to HD video. I'm still shooting SD and editing SD.

I find VGA-out limiting. I'd like something like Apple's mini-DisplayPort that with a simple adaptor could connect to a variety of screen types. I don't actually share my netbook data with anyone so in effect VGA doesn't get used.

My take. Just saying.

[ThisIsNot]

Originally Posted by netbooking

Everything you mention is currently available in hardware bins somewhere and could be assembled as a netbook.

Not really. That is why I listed them as things that I wanted. We won't see those things, in netbooks, for at least another year. Notebooks have barely reached that point now and don't require a $3000 purchase. Give netbooks another year before that type of functionality gets to them and another year before it becomes readily affordable.

Originally Posted by netbooking

Where do you do your netbooking; home, office, school, in the field, on the road?

Is the netbook your only computer? If you have a desktop, how do you mix the computing tasks? What does your desktop do?

I use my netbook in a variety of environments. I currently don't really use one at home as I have three different computers: a single-core tablet PC, a dual-core tablet PC, and a 8-core desktop. I use my desktop for everything that is media related. It can playback any HD video that I throw at it. I mainly use it to edit HD video. I have this handy little camcorder that shoots 1080p video onto a couple 32GB SDHC cards. Not the highest quality solution but it works. Plus those 32GB SDHC cards hold more than enough 1080p mpeg-4 AVC video with 5.1 AAC audio. My desktop lets me directly work with the SDHC cards. I then copy the videos off of the cards and import them into Sony Vegas. I edit the movies, store them on a couple USB 2.0 backup hard drives, and burn them to AVC HD DVDs (it is basically a dual-layer 8GB DVD burned using high definition videos to fit Blu-ray standards). I can fit quite a bit of content on those discs (about 30 minutes) and they work on every Blu-ray player out there. I can pop the videos into my PS3 and play them.

Anyway, I plan on using my new netbook (when it gets here next week) to playback this HD content. Right now, I use my netbook at the office, on campus, on airplanes, and in cars. I have a nice auto to AC adapter that allows me to plug a netbook into it. Other people will drive while I work on a Word Document, quickly edit an AutoCAD file (using a much older version of AutoCAD), or play a SD movie through the car's sound system. My HP netbook will now allow me to play HD video content while on the go. I won't be able to edit HD videos, just play them back. That is still a big step in the right direction. I also use a netbook a lot in the field. In fact, we have a reverse osmosis system that is currently hooked up an an Asus Eee PC 1000HE. The RO system goes into a data box and that sends tons of information to the computer. Everything from pressure in 40 different areas, the flowrate of water in 30 different areas, and so on. The N280 processor is more than fast enough to handle that.

I do wish that hardware manufacturers would sit down and all decide to use the same video out standards. I like HDMI but VGA is still king. Nearly every single PC display out there has VGA input, so do most HDTVs. It is an older connection but it has been mastered by now so that it can produce the same quality as newer connections such as DVI or HDMI. I wouldn't mind having a mini display port but I would hate to have to buy a $30 adapter to output HDMI, another $30 adapter to output VGA, and another $30 adapter to output DVI. I like having an all-in-one connection that works with everything but I know how manufacturers are and they will nickel and dime customers for every sort of adapter. HP's Mini 1000 netbook had a small display port (I don't know if it was a mini display port or some sort of in-house connection). Well, they charged customers $35 for a VGA adapter. Apple does the same exact thing with their notebooks. That is why I kind of wish that they would just have VGA and HDMI out built-in.

However, due to the lack of hardware acceleration in most netbook models, I can understand why they want to use VGA over HDMI.

[netkid]

Software wise, I am very pleased with Windows 7 and hope it comes pre-installed in future netbooks. I am a fan of how apple ties in the productivity suite with their OS and so I hope somehow Microsoft issue a light version of their Office suite with the OS, preferably free access to their online version that is about to be released. It would be cool to edit docs, add events and check your mail on the go without needing office. I know google docs currently does this well enough, but I'd like to see Microsoft take a stab at cloud computing.

Hardware wise, lift those limitations to include at least 2gb ram and 2.0GHZ cpu atom or ion which ever saves the most battery power.

The screen could be a cool 11 inches with less bezel.

No glossy screen or lid or anything. Fingerprints drives me nuts.

Slimmer design is great. I liked the feel of the Asus seashell and it was lighter than my 1000he. A step in the right direction.

I am also interested in a tablet netbook. Hopefully windows 7 is touch friendly and intuitive. Again make the specs right and the price as well.

Most importantly a netbook should not cost more than $500

Am I asking for too much?

[cokids]

What are you using to edit your video? I just bought a Zi6 and the software that comes with it isn't complete enough. I need a decent video editing program. Recommendations?

One I can download from the internet for my netbook would be best!

Beth

Beth, I have Adobe Master Collection 3 and use Premiere for video editing in Windows and Final Cut Express plus iMovie for editing on a Mac. Unfortunately they are not suitable for download or free use. Here is a wiki of video editing software to help you find something suitable for you. I haven't used any of the free stuff in several years.

Originally Posted by cokids

What are you using to edit your video? I just bought a Zi6 and the software that comes with it isn't complete enough. I need a decent video editing program. Recommendations?

One I can download from the internet for my netbook would be best!

[ThisIsNot]

Originally Posted by netkid

Most importantly a netbook should not cost more than $500

Am I asking for too much?

Yes you are, please go away until you realize what a netbook is. Then come back and inform me because I obviously have no idea.

I do agree with you though. Netbooks should have a maximum price of $499 and those should be the 11.6" models packing hardware that can playback HD video along with a 250GB hard drive, 2GB of RAM, and get a battery life of at least 10 hours. They should not be Sony's 2.5 hour failure of a netbook.

Originally Posted by ThisIsNot

Yes you are, please go away until you realize what a netbook is. Then come back and inform me because I obviously have no idea.

Perhaps I could interest you in the thread define a netbook on this site.

Maybe I should ask what you want a netbook to be. I'll agree to it and then we can tell everybody to netbook with our definition or else. (That's a joke EIB )