Too often, the hottest technologies ride on nothing more than hot air. Don't confuse good looks, marketing hype, or even dominant market share with value. Many of the most familiar, popular, and widely used technologies cultivate cachet they just don't deserve. Here's bMighty's picks for nine overblown technologies that just don't deliver the goods for business.
Netbooks are designed for minimal Internet usage, such as Web browsing and e-mailing. But the return rate for netbooks is higher than that of regular notebook computers . Why? One reason is netbooks typically come with either a Linux or Windows-based platform, and some folks just aren't used to Linux. (Though it may be more cost-effective to take a chance on Linux.)
Averaging about $400 in price, netbooks can be seen, on the one hand, as a cheap computer, designed for technophobes who simply want to check their e-mail. And that's a fair assessment. But is it worth it to a growing company? Why not shell out the extra several hundred to a thousand dollars for a laptop that has everything a company needs -- storage, security, and power?
Besides having fewer computing capabilities, netbooks also have smaller footprints, meaning they have 7- to 10-inch screens, and their keyboards are 80% to 95% the size of average ones. Anyone who's switched from a desktop to a laptop knows smaller can translate to more difficult to use.
Netbooks don't have CD/DVD drives, PC Card slots, Bluetooth capabilities, or good versions of Ethernet or Wi-Fi. Sure, maybe a casual computer user can live with that, but can your company?
Besides, are netbooks simply on their way toward becoming personal cloud computers?
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