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Issue #222 January 2009
'Net-Centric Computing
by Steve Ciarcia
Technology being what it is, PC evolution has resulted in so many permutations and adaptations that it’s hard keeping a scorecard. From the simple beginnings as an immovable doorstop on top of the desk, computer manufacturers now sell us portable laptops, notebooks, subnotebooks, mini-notebooks, ultraportables, ULPCs, and UMPCs.
Everybody in business these days relies on computers. For many engineers and professionals, that usually means different computers for different tasks—typically a desktop at the office, a laptop for travel or home, and either a PDA or enhanced cell phone to fill in the blanks.
For many years, I’ve followed this three-tier computing strategy like a religion. The office desktop has morphed into a 17² Sager NP9262 “laptop” and is no longer strictly a giant doorstop. Of course, at 13.5 lbs and with a quad processor, calling it a “laptop” certainly stretches the definition. (Know any other laptops with a 300-W power supply?) ;-) Basically, the purpose of having a “transportable” like this is so it can be packed in the trunk when I go to the cottage. At least my travel laptop is more traditional. Thanks to a helpful reader’s discount connections, my travel system is a super-capable 14.1² T9300-based Lenovo T61. Both use XP Pro.
After that, it gets murky. Typically, the third configuration people want is something to provide mobile communications for e-mail, light computing/scheduling tasks, and simple web browsing when they aren’t at the office. Depending on your threshold of pain for paying cell phone subscriptions or constantly searching for Wi-Fi access, solutions range from hyper-function cell phones and PDAs to ultra-mobile PCs. Now, you can add netbooks to the equation.
Netbooks are small low-cost notebook computers typically with 7² to 10² screens and limited processor capability. They are primarily designed for mobile users who need access to the Internet, need to respond to e-mails, and need to write a few documents. They have no optical drive, less memory, a lower screen resolution, and a lower cost than regular notebooks. They are not intended for gaming, Adobe Photoshop, or lots of multitasking. The first netbooks came with Linux and a small solid-state drive. Ultimately, Microsoft’s disdain for losing market share to Linux and a return rate of 35% by people who bought netbooks but couldn’t handle Linux gives us today’s more familiar configuration.
A low-cost netbook is the perfect answer for a guy like me who doesn’t like PDAs, steroid-stuffed cell phones, or getting cardiac arrest when he loses a laptop (like the 600,000 laptops left behind at U.S. airports each year). The Acer Aspire One that I bought this week for less than $400 has Windows XP Home, an 8.9² 1024 × 600 TFT display (LED backlight), a 1.6-GHz Intel Atom processor, 1-GB RAM, a 160-GB 5,400-RPM hard drive, an SD card reader, three USB ports, 802.11b/g WLAN, 10/100 LAN, and a six-cell Li battery that’s good for about 5.5 to 6 hours. Finally, a Sprint EV-DO USB broadband card ends the frustration of never finding convenient free Wi-Fi in tourist traps like Newport, RI, or hotels where I am just out of range.
However, be careful about trying to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, even if the specs suggest the possibilities (since most engineers can’t keep their fingers out of the pie). First, don’t blame the manufacturer. Cost defines some component choices, but Microsoft is the culprit behind the real modification difficulties. To allow using XP, apparently they’ve defined a limit on maximum graphics and processor capability and no more than 1 GB of installed RAM. Short of resoldering everything, what you buy is what you get.
Then, we should discuss efficiency. The Atom processor consumes only 4 W compared to about 65 W for a Core 2 Duo. (Atom has 47 million transistors versus 274 million in a Core 2 Duo.) If processor consumption was the only factor, then batteries would last days, not just a few hours. Unfortunately, the reality is that current netbooks have this 4-W processor still attached to four-year-old power-sucking graphics processors and memory-management devices. Four watts quickly becomes 25 to 30 W of total power dissipation when the Atom processor becomes an Atom-based “Motherboard.” When it comes to performance per watt, if you need more processing capability, it is often better to stay with a regular notebook because an Atom taking forever to chug through a difficult program versus something like an E7200 Core 2 Duo doing it 10 to 15 times faster and going back to idle uses about the same power.
A cheap 9² computer with limited functionality is just that, but it fills a very specific gap in the computing tier for me. However, the consequence of solving one problem is that it usually creates another. Whatever the mix of configurations and devices, our reality today is that computers are designed so we work at the office, continue to work as we commute back and forth, stay available and tuned in when we’re home, and then facilitate taking the office with us when we travel. With netbooks, even the bathroom isn’t safe these days.
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