Did you check what’s the primary use according to Geeks web site?

I’d expect both a netbook and an MID to have primary use as an Internet device (it’s in their names ;)). However, a netbook should have more uses, which the Alpha 400 does.

In fact, the description refers to it as an “ultralite notebook” about 5 times (including the title) and a “netbook” only 3 times (and one of those said “netbook form factor”).

Also, I doubt that you will find anything compiled for MIPS. ;)

True, but the issue isn’t how many third-party applications exist, but whether the device supports more than just Internet access (in other words, does it include additional capabilities).

Look at it another way. Suppose the device had an ARM compatible processor and ran Windows Mobile. It wouldn’t be x86 compatible and wouldn’t have a desktop OS, but would have a large number of applications available. Would that device be a Netbook? I think so.

But don’t believe me. Read the Wikipedia Netbook article. Nowhere does it say the device needs a desktop OS or an x86 processor. In fact, Psion introduced the term in 1999; Intel reintroduced it after pulling out of the OLPC group (which may be why you think an x86 compatible processor is required).

Steve

so, to you this is closer to a netbook than to a MID. And what’s a MID in your opinion?

That’s a tougher question. There’s a general and a specific answer.

The general answer is “A Mobile Internet Device (MID) is anything that allows accessing the Internet while mobile.” That could be anything from a laptop to phone. By that definition, the Alpha 400 is also a MID.

The more specific answer, if you want to make it a niche term, is “Anything fairly small whose primary function is providing wireless Internet access.” That means it probably wouldn’t be a general purpose computer (you couldn’t load your own programs, with the possible exception of browser plug-ins). (I don’t know if the Alpha 400 allows installing your own programs, but it seems to do a lot more than just provide Internet access.)

Steve

To me, this is just a MID. A Netbook uses a full Desktop Operating System and this is not the case. A MIPS processor has a completely different architecture. For those who are not familiar, a program compiled for a MIPS processor does not work in any x86 computer and the same in the other way around.

First, can you cite a definition that requires a Netbook to have a desktop OS?

Second, the ad for that says it uses Linux. Isn’t Linux a full desktop OS? Saying what the processor is doesn’t really say anything about the OS. Windows NT used to run on the DEC Alpha processor, which wasn’t compatible with x86 (as far as I know), but Windows NT on the Alpha was still a full desktop OS.

Furthermore, programs compiled for Windows won’t run directly on Linux even if the processor is x86 compatible, so I can’t really see that as part of the definition.

To me, a Netbook (compared to a notebook) has to be smaller and cheaper. A Netbook also has to provide wireless network connectivity, have a general purpose OS (with a Web browser) and have a notebook form factor.

I think the Alpha 400 meets that definition.

Steve