Mac fans have been working themselves into a predictable lather over yesterday’s new MacBooks and MacBook Pros. Sitting at a comfortable distance with the detachment that comes from having been there and not being particularly keen to return, it all seems slightly odd. Of course, the new Macs are exactly what one would expect: glossy, gorgeous and stylishly pricey. Such is the Apple way. Yet despite their obvious charms, I’ve never been less tempted.
The reason? I’ve got a netbook and it’s by far the best computer I’ve ever owned. Before you dash off, this isn’t a Mac vs. PC thing but more of a smaller cheaper computer vs. a bigger much more expensive one thing. The Mac is a great system and to my mind is intrinsically no worse than Windows PCs and clearly better in some respects. If the Mac is your thing, you need neither my permission nor approval but by all means go ahead and enjoy yourself. Yet for me, the sheer personal-ness and versatility of a cheap, light 10 inch laptop is such a transformative experience that it’s hard to see how a bigger computer, no matter how slick and shiny, could compete. That includes bigger Windows laptops and desktops too, of course.
Size matters. When it comes to computers, a 15 inch or even a 13 inch machine is certainly portable but it’s not really mobile. These things work according to thresholds. For every extra unit of weight and size a computer gains it becomes an unbearable burden or even literally unusable in more situations. Too often the bigger machine is more trouble than it’s worth. It’s not until you have a computer that you can comfortably balance on one knee or carry open in one hand that you realise how handy it is to be able to do these things. You may not miss them if you can’t, but it’s a revelation when you can. Being able to squeeze into smaller spaces is never a disadvantage and sometimes a requirement to be able to work.
Price matters too. While some people are richer and less price-sensitive than others, it changes the way we think about computers when we can pick up a fully-functional laptop for less than £200. With portable computers depreciating so rapidly, so vulnerable to loss and damage and so expensive to repair, spending as little as possible on one is a fairly sound strategy. At these prices, upgrading every year seems neither excessively wasteful nor is prohibitively expensive. While you wouldn’t want to abuse your computer at any price, to lose a cheap netbook (as long as it’s backed up!) is more of a nuisance than a tragedy.
None of this would matter if the netbooks themselves were too small or too limited to be of general use. I’m pleased to say that for at least my model, the Advent 4211, everything needed for serious extended use is present and correct, including a very good sized and good quality screen and keyboard. While some of the smaller models have keyboards that are really only suitable for casual and brief use, the Advent is big enough to allow comfortable touch typing for reasonably long periods. Almost the only difference between netbooks and more conventional, bigger laptops is the usual lack of an optical drive. This is so rarely a problem when out as to be irrelevant and can of course be planned around by using USB flash drives and SD cards (most netbooks have a built-in card reader) if you really need removable media. At home or in the office, a network-shared DVD drive on another computer will handle most tasks or if you really want, an external USB DVD drive can be picked up for around £30. Otherwise, the built-in 80GB hard drive can hold whatever you might reasonably want to store.
What you won’t be able to glean from spec sheets or this discussion is the emotional impact of having a really small, really useful, go-anywhere machine. More than anything I’ve ever used they’re really personal computers in that they tend to go with you rather than you going to them. If you’re in the market for a new machine, try one out and borrow one for a while if you can. I hope you’ll be pleasantly surprised.