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Home » NetBook, UMPC

The term for netbook is not good

Posted by ctitanic on June 3, 2009 – 5:49 am  Share
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According to Microsoft the term netbook is not good. 

Guggenheimer pointed out on June 2 in Taipei during Computex 2009 that since some of the mini-notebooks already feature capabilities more than just purely Internet browsing – which is the main purpose of the netbook – therefore the term netbook should be abandoned.

And I’m fully agree with that, even the term MID which was stamped by Intel initially for devices purely designed just for Internet now is being used to call what was before called UMPC. That’s completely crazy. Why to name them by one of it’s functions when these devices can do more than that? How I would call them? Ultra Small PCs (USPC) perhaps? Small Factor PCs (SFPC)? or just keep calling them UMPC? Probably the best thing to do is to keep using the old term UMPC instead of creating a new one and as result more confusion.

Via:  DigiTimes

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ctitanic (735 Posts) - Website | Twitter | Facebook

Working as IT Professional since 1994. IT Manager since 1999. Microsoft Most Valuable Professional in Tablet PC/UMPC since 2007. Owner/writer of www.ultramobilepc-tips.com . Published many articles in todoUMPC Magazine, www.todoUMPCmagazine.com, the first online magazine all about UMPCs. Maker of Tweaks2K2, a registry hacking tool for Pocket PC devices (www.tweaks2k2.com).


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  • I'm thinking the word "laptop" fits them.
  • Me too. UMPC, Netbook, MID, damn... just call em laptops :) Some big, some small.
  • We don't just call cars "cars". They are compact, mid-size, full-size, sports, etc. I think people want similar distinctions for their PCs. If they didn't, we'd just call them all PCs and be done with it.

    The problem with "netbook" is that it really doesn't give an indication of size. "Notebook" and "laptop" both do. Yes, you can assume "netbook" is a play on "notebook", but somebody unfamiliar with netbooks would likely assume it was the same size as a notebook with functionality reduced to just browing the network, which obviously isn't the case.

    I don't like calling them UMPCs (or USPCs), either. To me, UMPCs are flat, non-notebook form factor devices. Mini-notebook, mini-laptop, USN (ultra small notebook) all work better for me. (Some people used to call older handheld PCs "palm tops". That was a good name because it gave an indication of size.)

    Steve
  • ScottMGS
    netbook - two syllables, pronounceable, word-like, play on "notebook"
    UMPC - four syllables, not pronounceable, not word-like
  • I never understood why we cant just call them "Notebooks or Laptops without the good stuff".
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