Designer Netbooks for Technology Divas
Fashion Meets Function With Hot Mini Laptop Computers
Sep 15, 2009
Netbooks are quite the rage, running about 20% of all laptop computer sales. Women make up 60% of the netbook market according to professionals at the Intel Developer Forum in Beijing, so expect to see lots of girly mini computers.
Why Do Women Love Netbooks?
Many guys do not “get it” when it comes to netbooks. Little laptops do not have the size and power of full-sized laptops. And, that’s just the point. Size does matter to women, and in the case of computers, many women love the grab-and-go size of netbooks. Mini computers fit neatly in purses, totes, and backpacks, and that is a real selling point for many women.
While males make up a higher percentage of the computer game playing market, women rock the social sites like Facebook, edging out men in every age group according to company statistics. This means that females can get by with scaled down computer units without giving up usability. It simply doesn’t take a lot of power or storage to surf the internet, email friends, instant message, Skype, post to forums, and update at Twitter.
What Do Women Look For In A Netbook?
When it comes to netbooks, it’s the outside that matters with the girl crowd say Intel Forum participants. While there are certainly exceptions, most females value a solid netbook that is easy to use and looks hot.
Hot is in the eye of the beholder, but traditional black and white don’t rock it with all of the netbook divas. Computer companies have responded with a variety of color options in the netbook lines. Acer Aspire, for example, is a budget friendly $300 netbook offered in blue, red, and pink. Samsung, priced about $50 higher, also offers a pink option in a smaller footprint with the battery sitting flush instead of being offset slightly like the Acer netbook.
HP teams up with designer Vivienne Tam, for high fashion netbooks offered in red and violet with peony blooms and a follow up second edition featuring butterflies with an Asian theme. The fashion netbooks run $600 and up and have matching accessory items including a theme coordinated mouse. HP also has a HP Imprint 3D netbook designed by Studio Tord Boontje with endangered plants and animals in a white on white print over. That one starts at around $400.
Women who want to jazz up a netbook without taking out a second mortgage can purchase netbook skins which are similar to cell phone skins or covers and create unique netbook fashion looks generally running under $25.
Under the Netbook Hood
Most of the netbooks are pretty similar under the hood. There’s only so much that can be packed into a mini laptop. A full-size laptop or a desktop are better for bigger projects and playing games or watching DVDs. In fact, most netbooks do not even have DVD or CDs drives, but external drives can be purchased and attached through a USB port.
Screen sizes on netbooks run around 10 inches and 11 inches with females preferring the 10 inch size. Most of the 9 inch screens are set in the same housing but with more plastic versus screen space, so it makes sense to buy a 10 inch rather than a 9 inch.
Keyboards are compressed. Expect the size to be about 85% of a full-sized laptop, although Samsung offers some larger keyboards in the 92% to 95% range and the company has announced a full-sized keyboard in the N120.
Touchpads are smaller on netbooks – about 80% the size of touchpads on full-sized laptops, and some netbooks have toggle bars rather than buttons which can take some getting used to.
Batteries run in 3 and 6 cell sizes with usage time ranging from around 3 hours up to 8 or 10 hours depending on the battery size and computer usage. Running a DVD on a USB port drive would sap the battery much faster than surfing the internet, for instance.
RAM tends to run around 1 GB on netbooks and hard disk space checks in around 160 GB with a little more space on some of the higher end and higher priced models. This is plenty of space for surfing and for modest data storage. An external hard drive (running about the size of a deck of cards) can be connected to the USB port to export data and clear out space as needed.
Most netbooks have Windows XP as the operating system, although some have Vista. Vista is a large and buggy program and should be avoided. Miscrosoft is updating to Windows 7 in 2009, so new netbooks may be operating on that system in the future.
Connecting to the World with a Netbook
Netbooks include Wi-Fi and some (usually in the higher price range) have Bluetooth. Wi-Fi provides connection to the Internet in areas with signals (coffee shops, internet cafes, colleges, hotels) while Bluetooth eliminates the need to use cables to connect various devices like printers.
Some netbooks are offered at greatly reduced prices with wireless provider plans (similar to cell phone plans). Typically, the “great deal” netbooks require a two year plan commitment with the service specific to the single netbook. A second option is to get a USB modem or wireless internet card, usually through a cell phone provider. These small devices or cards provide mobile internet for a monthly fee with some providing network access to more than one computer simultaneously.
Styling with a Netbook
No one really expected netbook sales to take off as they have, but women have driven sales to record highs. Between 2008 and 2009, sales doubled on mini laptop computers. And, the trend continues. As companies compete for consumer dollars, expect to see even more options in terms of colors and patterns on the netbooks of the future.
After all, it’s not just a netbook; it’s a fashion statement.
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