GigaOM Pro

Wintel's netbook market dominance could keep leaner, power-sipping models on the permanent backburner.

I've been using netbooks since before they were called netbooks. My first one was the original ASUS Eee PC 701, which I bought back in the fall of 2007. Since then, I've had hands-on time with dozens of netbook models, and I've retired the original Eee PC (which I was able to use to cover the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show) for an MSI Wind. These devices work for me because I'm web-centric and not dependent on applications. I'll be the first to admit that I'm probably not your everyday, average mainstream consumer. I suppose that's why I'm in the minority when I get excited at hearing netbook developments that don't include Intel and Microsoft, developments like ASUS and other vendors creating netbooks that run on a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor or use Google's Android mobile operating system, for example. But there's a reason: Today's netbooks are overkill for a web-centric consumer like me.