Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

We haven’t heard from Dospara for a while, so perhaps you were wondering what they have been up to.  Well don’t worry, they have been doing exactly the same as everybody else: making a netbook.
I’m sure you could recite these specifications blindfolded, but in the interest of comparison I will tell you.  It has a 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor, a 120GB hard drive, 1GB RAM, 1,024 x 600 screen, 802.11b/g WiFi, Linux and a reasonable battery.  To be honest, it is exactly the same as loads of other netbooks, and that is the point that I want to make.
Coming in at $413 it has an average price, with average spec and average looks: the netbook market is most definitely stagnating.  As if to prove my point I discovered Epson’s Endeavor Na01 which I was not astonished to find that they were incredibly similar.  Processor?  Same.  Operating system?  Same.  RAM?  Same.  USB ports?  Same.  Resolution?  Same!  They even share the same drab black color which means that if it wasn’t for the manufacturer’s name on them, you would be hard pushed to tell them apart.

They also come within $50 of each other and it would appear that within a year of this craze all the manufacturers are getting in on the act with their own branded monotonous netbooks (apart from the Dell, Acer, Asus, and HP editions).  Yes, there is a possibility that this is driving prices down, and it does give you more choice, but it is getting to the point that one is overwhelmed.

This may seem like a bit of a rant (and that is probably because it is) but I think the way in which these companies follow the pioneers in the field like a pet, waiting till they are successful before putting their neck out, is really bad for the industry.  Where is the excitement?  Where is the color?  The problem with netbooks is that people accept that they are only really for going on the web, so there are no real improvements on the old netbooks.  No new colors, no more RAM or storage, no interesting designs, just the same old, same old.

So please, can all you manufacturers out there, can you please use your imagination and get back to where computing should be: the pinnacle of design?  Brave new design, controversy, the thrill that comes when you are in suspense to see which laptop has the best graphics, the excitement as you pre-order the best that a handhold gadget can offer and the crushing blow as your mate gets a better one a week later.

This is my pre-Christmas wish: can someone make netbooks exiting again?