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Minicomputers Try to Fill Mobile Niche

Posted on: Thursday, 5 June 2008, 09:00 CDT

By Eric A. Taub

Lugging around a big-screen MacBook Pro or other large laptop to the local wireless hot spot may give you a great visual experience on the road, but it is so heavy it could also give you a bad back.

Enough people feel that way that computer makers are sensing a market opening for smaller laptops. A number have jumped in with what they are calling ultraminiature PCs or mininotebooks.

Their creators are hoping to carve out a niche between full-size laptops, which offer much more screen real estate, and smartphones, which are small and convenient but lack many features. Ultraminis can do what any laptop or desktop can do, but they have screens that are not much bigger than a paperback book.

They first gained serious attention last year after Asus began selling its Eee computer. Thanks to that success, several other manufacturers, including Everex, Fujitsu and Hewlett-Packard, have jumped in, selling mininotebooks ranging in price from $300 to more than $1,000.

Industry analysts expect mininotebooks to remain a niche category, especially in the United States and Western Europe, where many people can afford to spend a few hundred dollars more for a bigger and speedier laptop, while using a smartphone or other device as an adequate substitute when they don't have the full-size machine with them.

"This is for people who would have bought a desktop but buy this to save money," said Leslie Fiering, a vice president at the research firm Gartner.

Indeed, the availability of ultraminis in the United States has left some analysts scratching their heads. "Why would you want a PC with stripped-down features that make it harder to do your work?" said Benjamin Reitzes, a computer industry analyst at Lehman Brothers.

That raises a question: Is cost the only reason to buy this neither-fish-nor-fowl device?

Some people may focus on the weight as an important issue. Others may be concerned that smartphones store less data and run out of power much faster than a laptop. But the deciding factor in whether you want to buy one of the ultraminis may be how well you can type on it.

Anyone who has tried using the Internet on a smartphone knows how much of an effort it is compared with getting to the same Web site from a computer with a full-size keyboard and mouse. Like smartphones, some of the minis can be difficult for the sausage- fingered. While it isn't arduous to type in the name of restaurant while searching a Google map or dashing off a series of text messages, creating a whole document may not be as easy as it is on a laptop or desktop.

That is one reason that Hewlett-Packard began with the keyboard when it designed its offering in this category: the HP 2133 Mini- Note. Bucking the trend to fit the keys to the screen size, Hewlett- Packard designed the keyboard so users would not have to type on tiny keys.

"We found the smallest-sized keyboard that would still let you touch-type and not feel cramped," said Robert Baker, business notebook product marketing manager at HP. "It is one of the Mini- Note's killer apps."

The Mini-Note, priced from $499 to $749, operates under either Linux or Windows. The least expensive model offers four gigabytes of flash memory storage instead of a hard drive, while the top-of-the- line version comes with a 120-gigabyte hard drive. All versions feature a built-in camera and wireless functionality.

But at 2.8 pounds, or 1.2 kilograms, the Mini-Note is almost 30 percent heavier than the Asus Eee. Featuring a screen with a diagonal of 8.9 inches, or 22 centimeters, the Mini-Note can still easily fit in a backpack or large handbag, and the extra real estate on the crisp screen makes it comparable to its full-size laptop cousins.

Fujitsu went for a much smaller screen - 5.6 inches - with its tiny U810 mininotebook, which weighs just 1.56 pounds. The $999 machine features a touch screen that swivels to operate as a tablet PC. It also has built-in wireless, a camera and biometric fingerprint security, all running under the Windows Vista operating system. The company says its mini will run five and a half hours on a single battery charge.

Geared toward salespeople and students, "the U810 is a 1.5-pound notebook alternative with notebook functionality," said Paul Moore, senior director for mobile marketing at Fujitsu. "You cannot get the Wintel experience on lower-cost machines."

But you cannot get a true typing experience on the Fujitsu. The keyboard is so small - Moore says it is about 55 percent of normal - that typing accurately on it with all fingers proves impossible. Moore recommended that users type with only their thumbs - like text messaging on a cellphone - for best results.

Those who do not mind that approach should also consider the new $399 CloudBook from Everex. Matched with a seven-inch screen, the unit's keyboard is by necessity small. "People balk when they first touch it," said Paul Kim, an Everex spokesman. "It's a little bit difficult and cramped, but it can get the job done."

Still, the Eee from Asus is the one machine that has captured the hearts of minicomputer fans. In the United States, it costs $300 to $500, comes with a seven-inch screen and is available in a variety of colors.

"This is the world's first disposable notebook," said Bob O'Donnell, a vice president at IDC, a computer industry research firm.

"This has a value as a kids' computer," O'Donnell said. "At $299, it's a toy."

To keep costs down, storage capacity is severely limited, ranging up to just eight gigabytes of flash memory, compared with the 120- gigabyte hard drives in typical full-size laptops. The Eee runs under Linux (although Windows can be installed) and comes with free, open-source software like OpenOffice instead of paid software like Microsoft Office.

More minis are coming.

Asus will introduce a larger model with an 8.9-inch screen this month and eventually will offer even larger options, said Jackie Hsu, president of Asus North America.

This summer, Acer will introduce its 2.8-pound Aspire One. With an 8.9-inch screen and running under Linux, the $379 Aspire One just sneaks in under the definition of an ultramini.

Later this month, MSI Computer will offer its Wind notebook. With its 10-inch screen, the $499 Windows-equipped Wind is a bit bigger than an ultramini; a $399 version loaded with Linux will be sold later this summer. Both models come with a Web cam, Bluetooth connectivity and Intel's new Atom processor.

Dell also plans to introduce a mini model soon, and industry analysts believe that Apple is likely to introduce a mini as well.

After using a number of ultraminis for several weeks, I found that their utility remained elusive. While there is no question that their small size makes them easier to carry than standard laptops, the smaller screens and reduced-size keyboards left me cold. On the road, I would rather use a standard-size laptop and switch to a smartphone when I need to make a call, read my e-mail in a rush or check in for a flight when I am nowhere near a wireless hot spot.

For now, at least, my shoulders can handle the extra weight.

Source: International Herald Tribune

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