The overnight emergence of the netbook or ultra light PC market
is one of the strongest statements testifying to how quickly the
computing industry responds to adapt itself to new user habits.
These low cost, super small and lightweight computers measure on
the average of 8" x 11", have an LCD panel between 7" to 9", weigh
in the range of 2 to 4 lbs, and have a QWERTY keyboard that doesn't
cramp your fingers. They are ideal for surfing the web and what has
become known as cloud or remote computing, where applications and
content reside on the web rather than locally as with traditional
computing.
Netbooks are expected to be used by just about everyone -
youngsters, teens, seniors, business types - and to be taken to
just about everywhere -the beach, the park, the cafe and on trips.
This usage model calls for rugged devices that can work for long
periods of time without being recharged.
A key enabler for this market is low cost. Since applications
and content reside on the web, cloud computing does not require
high-capacity storage. Other hardware and software computing
requirements to satisfy this web-centric usage model are also
significantly more modest than those of traditional laptops.
The cost of modular solid state drives (SSDs) at the required
low capacities makes them an ideal storage solution for netbooks.
In fact, the price of modular SSDs at low capacities is below the
floor price of hard disk drives. Now it is possible to gain all the
benefits of flash, such as ruggedness to withstand shock and
vibrations, high performance and low power consumption, all at a
competitive cost.