I’m buying a netbook and here’s why.
More and more of what I do can be done online – writing, collaboration, email, phone calls, video calls, file sharing. It used to be that you’d need dedicated desktop apps to do most of this stuff. Want to write? Buy a copy of MS Office. Want to email? Use Mail or Outlook. File share? Collaborate? You’d need to email or talk on the phone.
Software as a service or cloud computing is nothing new. It’s just gotten a heck of a lot better in the past couple of years. I can use Gmail for email, collaborate with Basecamp, conduct meetings with WebEx, and write with Google Docs. I can access my files from Box.net, stream music from Pandora… the list goes on. Most of this can be done through a browser or without having to buy any software.
But it’s not just about the web apps, it’s about reducing the physical amount of hardware I need with me on a daily basis. I use a MacBook Pro as my primary computer. It’s got all I need to run Adobe CS4, Office, iTunes, Keynote – the stuff I make money with. But, the majority of the time, it’s used for email, online collaboration and writing. Despite it being a fairly lightweight notebook, it’s still bulky. I carry it with me everyday whether I’m traveling to a client or to conferences. At work, though I have an actual desk, I find myself sitting in a conference room, on a couch or at a coffeeshop quite often. I’ve come to realize that I don’t need such a large computer any more.
I don’t see this little guy replacing my Mac as it’s clearly meant to be a second or third computer. Netbooks are a transitional technology. They attempt to fill that gap between laptops and smartphones. The laptop being too big to take with you everywhere and the smartphone being too small or not powerful enough for more than the occasional use. I realize that there are some good smartphones out there (I swear by my iPhone, have used a Blackberry and have played with a G1). But, this is about that sweet spot or portability, power, and accessibility. I’ll have my iPhone wherever I take my netbook. But I will take my netbook to many more places than I would take a laptop.
I’m exciting about attempting this lifestyle change. It feels similar to when I gave up my G4 tower for a Powerbook. I look forward to new freedoms and new opportunities to bring my digital life with me.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be writing about the challenges I encounter. Already, I’m looking for online services to write and store files. Much of what I’ll talk about will be about web services, but with a slant on increased portability, managing two computers and a balance of work and personal use. I’m curious to see what I can do well and what is not yet ready for prime time.
I’d love to hear more about your personal experiences. I’m interested in how people live and use these little devices. I’m also interested in getting one myself but that’s another point.
Follow up would be wonderful, thank you!