The problem is that a big screen will use more power (shortening battery life) and be much less portable than a small screen, so netbooks will tend to have smaller screens than notebooks. Under this definition, it doesn't matter what the screen size is. It is optimised for long battery life, not for performance. It is not designed to run large desktop applications, and certainly not for multi-tasking them. A netbook is a cheap portable computer that is suitable for using net-based applications such as Gmail and Zoho. The second definition of a netbook is a functional one.
However, if they want to load it with XP Home ULCPC at about a third of the price of Vista, they have to meet the ULCPC spec, just as they would for Tablet PC Edition or whatever. They can load it with any operating system they choose, if it's legally available. Of course, PC manufacturers can make any type of portable PC they like, with whatever specification they want. Allowing 13.3in screens would hit most PC manufacturers' profits, not just Microsoft's.
But this is unlikely, because most PC manufacturers charge less for netbooks than they do for notebooks, and they make less money on them. If it did, there would be a flood of 13.3in netbooks. If Microsoft decided to change the definition again – under pressure from its PC partners, perhaps - it could allow screen sizes up to 13.3 inches. It used to allow an 80GB hard drive and screen sizes up to 10 inches. This definition has changed since it first appeared. However, looking at netbooks on the market, it clearly allows for an Intel Atom processor (there are alternatives), 1GB of memory, a 160GB hard drive and a 12-inch screen. Since we're not Microsoft customers, we don't know exactly what this definition entails. And there are at least three key definitions.įirst, a netbook is a cheap portable computer that fits the definition of an ULCPC (ultra-low cost personal computer), under which Microsoft provides a cheap version called Windows XP Home Edition ULCPC, optimised for small machines. I've been asked a reasonable question: "How big a screen means you're not a netbook any more?" The answer, of course, is that it depends how you define a netbook.