Of course netbooks are here to stay. It's some kind of weird reality distortion field that anyone is taken seriously in thinking that somehow Moore's Law had stopped. The weird thing is that laptop prices stayed high while technology raged, but smaller is always sexy in technology, up to the limit of the size of our hands, until we figure out another way to express ourselves without using fingers. Of course laptops should get small and cheap. If Apple wants to sit it out they will eventually see their sales drop to zero. Why would anyone spend a thousand dollars to get what they can get for two hundred, even when the economy is raging. I bought Macs until I had no more room in my life for more Macs. Then netbooks came along, and this is what I'm buying now. If Apple wants to stay out, it's okay with me. I found that XP is a pretty good OS after all. Maybe that was something Apple didn't want me to find out?? - Dave Winer

I agree with you, but bear in mind: XP is on the way out. - Kevin C. Tofel

Kevin I wondered about that. That would be a bad mistake on Microsoft's part. XP has been on its way out for a long time. Why oh why won't they kick back and let the market drive this. Clueless. Microsoft is not a company, it's a charity run for the benefit of its programmers. God forbid they should actually have to do something the users want them to do. - Dave Winer

And again... I agree with you. ;) - Kevin C. Tofel

Windows 7 will also give you a pony. - Bill Seitz

I would love a pony with my netbook for the Holidays. ;-) - Mathew A. Koeneker

I doubt Apple will make a netbook. I posted a few reasons here: http://friendfeed.com/e... - Rodfather

Mark, I've been running Windows 7 on my MSI Wind netbook since the test / beta version came out. Runs better than Vista, but XP seems a little lighter. Bear in mind: it's just a test version. - Kevin C. Tofel

As far as your comment on Moore´s Law, of course component prices will fall and components physically will shrink. But I for one do not want a full-fledged mac with less than 12" screen or less space between keys than my fingers (considering today´s technology), and I´ll take a slim 13" laptop which is readable and easily slip between items in my case, over a 7" brick any day. For simpler tasks I use something even smaller without a keyboard altogether; my smartphone. - ɯɥøq sɐɯoɥʇ

If they do, I doubt it will be a 10" device with an Atom processor. Maybe a 12" but then, it would be a subnotebook, not a netbook. Or a bigger iPod with a Moorestown or possibly Snapdragon chip. - Rodfather

I work in a production environment, so I need a huge tower with peripherals and tons of software. I run both systems because the client is always right. I find XP fairly stable and our IT guys know it well enough to keep it running. Nonetheless, not one of them wants to get into Vista or even W7. As for the Macs, no IT support, Never needed it. They just work. When I retire, I hope there's a netbook to go with the Pro Tower I will purchase. I plan to do a little traveling. But I am not a nomad and the idea of an inferior machine that's only advantage is size doesn't interest me. I can carry an extra few ounces for the performance that extra weight offers. - Phil Boiarski

Mark, here are my initial thoughts back in October of how Win7 worked out on the Wind: http://www.jkontherun.com/2008... I agree: the next 6 months will be interesting: XP gets closer to going away, Vista gains SP2 and Windows 7 info should be more accessible. - Kevin C. Tofel

Here's the simple reason I want an Apple netbook: I'm a Mac user. I love Mac OS and the Mac apps I'm used to. But I also love having a small computer with great battery life that I can carry in a small bag. And I HATE having to switch between apps, OS, and keyboard shortcuts when I go between my Mac and my Eee PC. I want consistency! - Josh Bancroft

Possible News about Mac Netbook: http://tinyurl.com/6jy4kd - Phil Boiarski

Phil, you just got me going in circles. The linked analyst report is one side of the debate from my original post that kicked off this conversation. ;) - Kevin C. Tofel

My guess for Apple's 'netbook'. Snapdragon based device with instant on. Interface similar to the iPhone. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13... - Rodfather