Netbooks are helping boost the PC market as it continues to slide with the economy, but it's only a matter of time before something precipitates a market upturn.
Thanks to the announcement of the Archos 9 PC Tablet on Wednesday, there's even more evidence helping fuel speculation that touch screens can transform the Netbook experience from basic computing into multitouch bliss.
Touch screens are undoubtedly popular in the mobile market, but they have yet to break through in the computing space. Will they be as revolutionary for PCs as they have thus far been for smartphones?
Some Netbooks already have a touch screen. At the Demo conference this year, CNET's Rafe Needleman got an early preview of Always Innovating's Touch Book. It sports a detachable keyboard, runs Linux, and features 10 to 15 hours of battery life. The product will retail for $299 without the keyboard, or $399 with a keyboard, when it ships later this month.
Asus also offers a Netbook with a touch screen, called the Eee PC T91. It delivers the touch technology through its TouchSuite software. It runs Windows XP, has a 9-inch display, and enables up to five hours of battery life.
Advantages
Without a doubt, there are some advantages to a touch-screen Netbook. For one, it's more intuitive. Users can simply drag their fingers around the display, making tasks simpler.
Just a few years ago, touch technology was practically nonexistent in the smartphone space. Most folks didn't consider it an option. And then, with the help of the iPhone's instant popularity, using touch-screen technology practically became a requirement for any company wanting to perform relatively well in the mobile-phone space.
Some might believe that the technology is a fad, but based on my experience with touch-screen mobile devices, it's anything but.
... Read more
No comments:
Post a Comment