| Should your company buy netbook computers? |
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The latest next big thing in computing is the netbook, a minimally spec'd and low cost portable computer. They are smaller than a laptop but bigger than a smart-phone. Netbooks are low in price but are also slim in resources - no CD/DVD drives, small displays, low disk storage capacity, limited amounts of processing power and minimal memory. Think twice before you make a decision to purchase netbooks with the goal of saving capital expenditures on this new computer platform. They may not replace all of your current computers but they work well in the role they were designed for. Netbooks are made for a whole new world of computing. Web browsing, software applications located in the internet cloud, pictures stored on web servers, streaming media - music and video, mobile access through wireless connections, interactions with people through social networks and communication via VOIP phone services like SKYPE. If you travel, a netbook takes up very little room and some models will run up to eight hours on high capacity batteries. Equip your sales force with a netbook for PowerPoint presentations, accessing CRM or inventory systems via wireless internet connections and email from the field. Should your company go out and buy netbooks to replace the desktop and laptop computers that you are currently using? No . . . not unless you are willing to strategically place it were it will do the most good. Netbooks are part of a system and culture that you will need to have up and running in order to reap the benefits. If you aren't willing to build and support the new IT ecosystem that netbooks were made for, then their perceived value will backfire and end up costing you more than you bargained for. |
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Should your company buy netbook computers?
Should your company buy netbook computers?