David M Williams
Monday, 26 January 2009 18:26
Opinion and Analysis
Page 2 of 3
Netbooks were and are attractive because they were relatively low-cost. Part of the cost saving was because Linux had no licensing fees. Yet, consumers showed they'd rather pay extra to get an operating system they were more comfortable with, in particular Windows XP.
Ironically, even though many buyers decided they preferred a familiar Microsoft environment, it wasn't Windows Vista which could cut it.
Vista, considered by many the bastard child of Windows ME, has a raft of defects. Not least of these as far as netbooks are concerned is the heft of hardware muscle needed to run it effectively. And for that you're talking about regular laptops, not teensy tiny netbooks.
So from both sides of the camp there's clearly been a beauty problem. Whether you use the getting-on-to-a-decade old Windows XP, or a Fisher Price windows manager slapped on to a random Linux distro, it's clear your netbook probably isn't really showing off its best assets.
Think about it: a netbook is tiny. It's light. It is low-powered. It's not going to run World of Warcraft or AutoCAD. Yet, it will let you surf the web, read the headlines on iTWire, check Gmail, buy and sell on eBay.
What's more, with a modern trend by companies towards web-delivered applications and storage – increasingly known as “cloud computing” - the netbook really is uniquely positioned to be something totally special.
You won't store all your family photos on it. You probably won't write your novel on it. But you will take it wherever you go with ease.
There's another device which has taken advantage of the concept of being always connected. Well, ok, there's a few – the BlackBerry, the Hiptop/Sidekick and others – but I'm thinking specifically of Apple's iPhone.
So just what is Jolicloud and what does it look like?
I'm glad you asked! Read on!
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