Netbooks have been misunderstood. The many misconceptions of the netbook in today's new media culture need to be expanded upon and defined. While this fantastic product can open windows onto everyday portability and personal computing, it does more than its reputation conveys. The netbook enhances the ease of use for remote and lightweight computer work productivity and video and music entertainment.
But a netbook is more than just a smaller laptop, a reduced efficiency lightweight computer, or a junior echelon desktop minus the big screen. A netbook is a small footprint portable laptop machine that makes sport of previous laptop computer portability. Netbooks are so lightweight and slight in dimension compared to conventional portable laptops, entirely new product lines of computer carrying cases, laptop bags, computer backpacks, and "skins" have been manufactured to meet netbook accessory demand.
The original laptops were impressive reductions in footprint over the fairly clumsy, purposefully bulky workstations of the 1980's. Computers themselves were distrusted and companies had to strive to convince the public of their worth and use. IBM was the putative designer-manque in what was a collaborative sequence of desktop computer design efforts that coalesced for the consumer market by IBM due to its promotion savvy, "mainframe" reputation, and distribution arm.
Even IBM couldn't manufacture these new products fast enough and fabled Radio Shack back-of-the-truck point-of-sale scenarios of dawn auctions for the ungettable units are now mere computer buff nostalgia. As computers sequed from networked office accessories for the privileged to home units for the well-employed, a broad home consumer demand evolved. Monoliths of corporate business became entrenched during this period, with a smattering of tough overseas competitors.
Soon, computer companies were eager to capture the home market over the competitive office market packed with business partners and discounted trade deals. Home computers were increasingly designed with features computer companies deigned ideal for home computer use. Yet startup businesses, telecommuting, remote offices and home offices began to gain popularity during this time. Compatibility with printers became a sentitive issue and bundled sales packages became computer sales models for consumer electronics for home and office.
The first desktop volumes that went portable would have been the Compaq model with a separate processing volume running at 3.11 DOS Windows for Compaq. This early adaptation of the Microsoft operating system should emphasize for historians the early advantage Microsoft had, enabling competitors to appear on the world stage of computing on a leased pass.
