Smartbooks Vs. Netbooks
Qualcomm and Freescale just announced that they were working on a new type of mobile Internet device called a smartbook, it was assumed they meant a variation on a netbook. But new research commissioned by Freescale points to a markedly different price, shape and consumer for these lightweight, always-connected gadgets.
The Austin-based chip maker says smartbooks will be more affordable than netbooks, with prices as low as $199. Unlike netbooks, which resemble laptop computers with their hinged or “clamshell” shape, smartbooks will sport a flat, tablet shape, says Glen Burchers, Freescale’s director of global consumer segment marketing. The company believes smartbook users will be young, between 12 and 25 years of age.
low-cost and aimed at teens.
Freescale’s research focused on the future because most smartbooks have yet to hit the market. The company has collaborated on one smartbook to date: the NetWalker from Japanese manufacturer Sharp. Qualcomm has also unveiled one smartbook, made by Lenovo. Both companies expect at least a dozen smartbooks incorporating their chips to debut in early 2010.
To refine its smartbook products, Freescale recently asked Savannah College of Art & Design graduate students to identify consumer groups that would be interested in the devices. The team found that young people want “intuitive, trendy and powerful devices that become extensions of themselves” and help them “keep up with their hectic lives at a low price point.” Smartbooks filled that need, the students concluded, but would sell even better if they targeted certain user groups.
Some features were popular across the groups, such as sleekness and a high-resolution screen that could display a full Web page without scrolling back and forth. A long-lasting battery was also important, as was the ability to quickly access information and multimedia through widgets.
The research also pointed to a preference for tablet shapes. Burchers says the format is more convenient for active users, who spend most of their online time browsing or playing music, movies and casual games. “These kids don’t want to sit down to use the Internet, and if you’re just tweeting on Twitter, you don’t need a full keyboard,” he notes.
Freescale expects the research to shape future smartbooks. The company says the devices can be produced for $140, allowing retailers to sell them for less than $200.
