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General discussion

Small Laptops for Word Processing only?

by wordtop Aug 3, 2006 4:36PM PDT

I wonder if any company has ever thought of developing small notebooks which are very cheap, to cater for a specific group of computer users - those who use laptops mostly for WORD PROCESSING ONLY.

I know there are small notebooks around, such as Fijitsu's P series, which have screens of roughly 8-10 inches wide. But they are too expensive. They come with all sorts of functionality - DVD drive, sophisticated sound and video display etc.

For many computer users, these features are seldom used, and therefore unnecessary, honestly. People like college students, journalists, lawyers, and those who primarily use their laptops for word processing only would seldom use their laptops for viewing DVD (they can do it on their desktops) or listening to music (they have MP3 for that). But these functionalities add to the costs of the laptops (especially if small laptops) tremendously, making it very expensive to have small size notebooks.

For this group of users, it is too expensive for them to buy a tiny notebook, not least because they dont need most of the expensive features. So, it's simply not worth it to buy an expensive small laptop for word processing alone. (In fact, if you ask me, it's not just about small laptops - ALL laptops are a waste of money for this group of users.)

So, why not develop a kind of tiny notebook just/primarily for word processing (or MS Office + Internet) functionalities only, which will be much cheaper than conventional notebooks but a bit more expensive than pocket PC, and is half the size of a A4 size paper (when folded; full A4 size when unfolded) which would be very convenient and relevant to this group of users?

Discussion is locked

31 - 60 of 44 Posts
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Good Idea
by biznitches Aug 21, 2006 3:36PM PDT

It would easily work and be highly popular if marketed right. Simply put, stack these cheap laptops on school supply shelfs in all major stores. Simple processor, office pack, internet capable, 1 usb, small hard drive, develope some cheap operating system. Something like that....., Since they're mass produced for each of the same edition that would drive down the cost aswell. If they were decent, schools would be all over them.

Perhaps the goverment could provide incentives for the companies involved in their production, since they will be sold for educational purposes.

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ya, i thought so
by wordtop Aug 21, 2006 7:19PM PDT

but why is it so hard for the manufacturers to turn their heads around and pay attention to what we really NEED??
good day...

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How about the IBM Thinkpad 240?
by steve293000 Aug 22, 2006 11:48AM PDT

The 240 came out in 2000 and cost over $3000. I just bought one on ebay for $85, and just resold it recently. It has a 10" format, I believe, and a 12" screeen. The keys are 95% of regular size. Browsing the internet wasn't so great for the page was bigger than the screen and I couldn't find any way to change that (although there could be a way). It only had a Celeron 300mhz processor (and no internal CDROM or floppy), but it didn't really seem slow, which was surprising and was just fine for word processing, too. It even ran XP quite well! Anyway, if you want a great subnotebook that is great for word processing you can find them on ebay for around $100. They're a little tricky to get up and running if they don't come with an OS, especially if you don't get the external CDROM and floppy like I did. Even then it was pretty tough.

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guess if i have2, i'll just have to find a used one for now
by wordtop Aug 22, 2006 6:29PM PDT

thanks for the suggestion steve293000. if i really need one now, i'll look at the used market as u've suggested.

but actually, this has evolved into more like an indictment against the computer industry as a whole. i'm only throwing ideas around, not really trying to find anything in the current market.

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Small Laptops for Word Processing only?
by mrjameschin Aug 22, 2006 3:04PM PDT

In India we have a basic hand held computer called Simputer, now manufactured by a number of companies. Visit http://www.amidasimputer.com/notebook/ which will explain how to use it in your classroom and later transfer the file to your desktop.
A Google search for Simputer will throw up a number of other manufacturers.
Most of these cost about USD 200 only. Surely nothing can get cheaper than that!

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kind of like a PDA?
by wordtop Aug 22, 2006 6:35PM PDT

thanks ravipad. it looks like another PDA to me, but i'll take a closer look.

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Is it only the screen
by jelgert Aug 23, 2006 3:26AM PDT

That holds you off on a PDA because I'm sure you could probably find a way to output it to a larger screen although that to would cost you in addition to paying for the pda but maybe cheaper than the whole laptop. I mean even outdated hardware for a laptop cost more than 100 dollars unless your going back to the very early days. For example take it part by part start with the processor say the retired pentium M it will cost alone 100 dollars at least after that you have that's going to be at least 60 bucks and that is with integrated graphics. Go to the screen which I think you said you could get on ebay for around 30 dollars or so true enough but you also pay at least 15 bucks more in shipping so assume 45. Even a small hardrive here is going to cost you in the neighborhood of about 20 more dollars. Now for the case around the laptop and its keyboard thats going to cost you about 40 dollars more. The last piece of hardware that you'd need is your power supply well there's more but this is the major stuff a power supply is going to cost you around 10 bucks more not counting a battery just a AC hookup. Now for software you could go with linux and try a web-based word processor which would basically cost you nothing but for most people they need to run something on windows and even stepping back as far as I think you can go windows 98SE your going to get a price of about 45 dollars. I mean I do think it would be nice to have a very basic laptop in the 100 dollar range but add all that up and you'll quickly see why even the 100 dollar laptops have had to up their pricerange to around 120. Now this isn't because any company is trying to particulary gouge you on the price its just they also have to pay their employees that come up with this technology even if it doesn't cost them that much to make development does cost money. As a final note I used newegg and ebay for the prices and if your looking for a cheap laptop you might check amazon or something for a dell right now since their recent bad press despite sony making the batteries has led to some ditching their dells and you maybe able to pick one up for cheap.

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it's just an IDEA...
by wordtop Aug 23, 2006 12:05PM PDT

hi, i agree with what u said about mixing all the items together will cost me close to the price of a laptop n in the end it's not worth it. but that's bcos i'm doing it myself.

again, just want to repeat that this is JUST AN IDEA, for the design of FUTURE products, for the manufacturers. i'm not trying to find a way to do it myself, by using CURRENTLY available components, bought piece by piece n sent back to me for self-assembly.

if some manufacturers pick up the idea, manufacture all the components themselves and assemble together, mass produce, surely it'll happen. the prices u've quoted r all CONSUMER prices, item by item.

i'm just hoping that the manufacturers will change their attitude and approach in designing their products. give us what we need, not what they think we all wish.

i'll check out the dell-ditching 'sale' if i want a laptop now. but i dont need any right now. this was just an IDEA that i had, that's all. thanks anyway.

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Conclusion - Here r the Specs for my Low Fat 'Wordtop'
by wordtop Aug 23, 2006 1:07PM PDT

hi folks, thanks for reading and responding to my posts. appreciate your ideas, suggestions n advice. (special thanks go to my dear friend Bob, for his invaluable insights, visions forward thinking...)

i want to make it clear again that this is just an IDEA i have, as a layperson who hasnt got a clue about how the computer industry works. i'm only a consumer, n i'm only trying to tell everybody what some of us REALLY NEED.

after reading all your inputs, i've got a clearer idea about what i need, n some ideas about how it can actually b done. here they r.

1, purposes/functionalities: word/work use. ms office (mainly word, excel n outlook; non-fancy power point), internet explorer, msn/yahoo messenger.

NO music (unless it can b incorporated at marginal costs - u can get a mp3 player for that), movie, or video games (except solitaire, free cell or whatever games u play in college lecture halls!!).

intended as a supplementary, 2nd computer for those who already has a desktop at home to do the beyond-word tasks like movies n games.

2, cheap (let's face it, that's most important, for all of us, especially the 'poor' college kids...), around the price of a (simple, not-so-'fat') pda. say, around $250-$400.

3, small screen size, from 8" (for those who can get used to using smaller-than-standard-size keyboards) to 10". the idea is to make it as small and portable like a hardback novel, around half of A4 size when folded, full A4 size when fully stretched.

weight: it should b light as well, around 3lbs.

4, display - colour, whatever fujitsu/sony/compaq/toshiba/dell etc was using 5 years ago for their average range laptops. doesnt have to look 'great' (not to mention fancy) bcos it's not for graphic use, mainly for documentary.

5, Intel Pentium II or III Processor, say, 500-1000 MHz (these outdated, not-so-powerful technologies shoudl b enough to run simple OS and programs, n yet cheap.)

6, OS: ideally Windows XP Professional or ME, but actually 98 will do, provided they dont take up too much system resources (unlikely...). realistically, the comparatively 'low fat' Microsoft OS currently used in pda's. or the foc linux, if there's a version which takes up only minimal OS like pda's.

7, main software programs: word related, so it has to be ms office (low fat version, Bill?), adobe/pdf reader, plus internet explorer.

(note: if surfing sites with videos/fancy graphics on takes up much more system resourcces, then i'm happy with disabling the IE from playing all these videos/graphics. after all, IE is just supplementary. i can surf the net at home.)

Generally on software - whatever the tiny pda's (with much less system resources, motherboard, weaker processors) could do, there's no reason why this 'low fat' laptop could not.

8, 256 MB. should b very cheap now, right? otherwise, 128 should do, or even 64.

9, 2-5 GB hard drive, just enough for the softwares. b sure to have 2-4 usb ports for pen-drives, but that's already more than enough - after all, it's only for storing word/pdf documents or webpages currently used while on the move. always remember that u can store bigger files with your 200 GB desktop at home!

10, cd-rw drive and floppy drive: mainly for installing software n reading files stored on cd-roms. (again, heavy duty works could b done on the desktop at home.) built in if it's not too crammed, otherwise use 1 or 2 of the usb ports for external. dvd drives r ok, if marginal costs is low, but it's kind of useless anyway bcos the machine is mainly for word/work use.

11, simple modem, LAN. broadband is ideal but less is fine too, bcos we're not surfing music/video/graphic sites.

12, Bluetooth - optional.

13, battery: rechargeable, 2-4 hours.

14, audio: rudimentary, for alert/alarm sounds made by windows or whatever software u r using. anything better is optional, depending on costs.

15, fancy leather carrying case: NO NEED. just put it in the bag with all my books and files.

how does that sound??

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Great Idea!
by archer6 Aug 24, 2006 6:29AM PDT

This is a great idea. Basic small laptops would sell in very large numbers. Perhaps larger numbers that may be expected. Priced in the $250 - $450 range, these would be ideal for many people. For use as a primary laptop for those who only do basic computing. As a secondary laptop for those who would prefer not to take their main, expensive laptop out in certain circumstances such as traveling in areas of high theft (airports) etc. Used laptops are just to risky and expensive to repair. Especially for those with little in the way of computer knowledge. This is a great idea.

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Re: Small laptops for word processing only?
by jetreader Aug 26, 2006 12:22AM PDT

>For many computer users, these features are seldom >used, and therefore unnecessary, honestly. People like >college students, journalists, lawyers, and those who >primarily use their laptops for word processing only >would seldom use their laptops for viewing DVD (they >can do it on their desktops) or listening to music >(they have MP3 for that).

I heartily agree. I _am_ a college student, and am looking for a fairly basic laptop, maybe 40GB, 512 RAM, etc. I don't care much whether it runs Windows or Mac. I could even go with a used (still working, of course) laptop. It just needs to be under about $500. The only problem is, I don't know _if_ anything's out there, and if there is, I don't know where to go to compare it.

James

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Asus Eee PC 701
by wordtop Jan 25, 2008 9:54AM PST

THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT:

Asus Eee PC 701
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/133848/asus-eee-pc-701.html
"The Eee PC defies all expectations, particularly for a device that's nominally aimed at children. *****We all know that the smaller the laptop, the more expensive it is. But the Eee costs *****less***** than any full-blown laptop we've ever seen.***** It's less than half the price of the outgoing A-listed budget laptop, the

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beautiful
by gepis1976 Jan 28, 2009 4:09PM PST

Long story short... have been caught up in the netbook concept the past couple of months.. periodically slogging through google searches... tonight i hit this thread... and i get hooked by the clear vision of your '06 posts... the clarity of foresight combined with early responder bob's position had me along for the ride... and i was hoping against hope that the thread lasted a couple of years, as i went through the posts... very pleased to see your continuation 17 months after the thread petered out... what a triumph. Until I got to the end, I kept wondering if you had something to do with the advent of these long lived little wonders. Ole!

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Is this the 'birthplace' of Netbook? Hahaha...
by wordtop Jul 9, 2009 3:51AM PDT

hey gepis1976,

i'm shopping for my 2nd Netbook, and was feeling a little nostalgic. so, searched for this thread, and - like bumping into an old friend again - the thread is still here!

'vision', 'triumph'... u had me thinking i was a little 'steve job' there for a while... i was tempted to title this page as "I'm the Father of Netbooks?" hahaha!! ;P

well, as a matter of fact, i DID email a summary of my comments in this post to a few computer manufacturers, including ACER, HP, Sony, Fujitsu etc. (a list of people i've sent my ideas to are listed at the bottom of this post, a little 'history' there)

i'm just glad that someone thought of it, and made the product. was it because of my ideas, directly or indirectly? that's something which can never be verified - nor does it matter anyway, so long as i've seen the product becoming a reality and success (and proven Bob wrong!!), and that they came up with a more catchy name for it than the clumsy 'wordtop'...

during my college days i always envied those who could afford to buy a laptop, especially those stylish, tiny ones (e.g. fujitsu's range). though i could afford to buy 1 for myself during grad school, it was almost as huge as the size of the tables in the lecture room... a hassle to carry around and i dont need half of the functions anyway (such as the CD-Rom) when i'm outside home.

now, with netbooks, it's not only convenient for me but i also see many people give them as affordable, stylish and practically beneficial gifts to their children, nephews and nieces who r just beginning college/even high school. it has really 'empowered' (perhaps a little strong) many younger people, especially lower-income college students.

but your superlative words do remind me of what i felt when i first saw a wide range of netbooks on display in the shopping mall last year... though it came later than i wished for, i told myself, "is this really happenning??"

yeah, i'll always wonder whether i had something to do with this, especially when i read stuff like this:

"The bottom line:
******Asus practically invented****** the Netbook market, and the Eee PC 1000HE is an overdue overhaul that offers a new CPU and great battery life, but misses some of the competition's bells and whistles."
http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/asus-eee-pc-1000he/4505-3121_7-33522069.html?tag=mncol;txt

*************************************

people to whom i've emailed my ideas in 2006, and the relevant info of my emails/their replies (mostly automated) to my emails (somehow they r still in my inbox. i know this is over-the-top but i just thought of sharing a little piece of 'computer history' here?? ole ole...):

Re: Product Idea - WordtopFriday, August 4, 2006 11:04 AM
"Alan Stafford" <Alan_Stafford@pcworld.com>

Fujitsu PC Asia Request Confirmation (00264255)Saturday, July 29, 2006 5:00 AM
"e.crm@fujitsu-pcap.com.sg" <e.crm@fujitsu-pcap.com.sg>

Re: VGN-X505ZP (KMM16189291I21924L0KM)Friday, August 4, 2006 8:42 AM
"SOS" <sos@info.sel.sony.com>

RE: Feedback to CEO and President Mark Hurd from J LMonday, August 7, 2006 1:01 PM
"External ceo-communication" <external.ceo-communication@hp.com>

RE: Dell Support Request: Other Question not listed #AutoReply# (KMM34701603I57L0KM)Tuesday, August 8, 2006 12:40 AM
"US_CAG_Customer_Care" <US_CAG_Customer_Care@dell.com>

Suggestions (KMM5117917I9552L0KM)Tuesday, August 8, 2006 12:42 AM
"Circuit City Email Response" <customercare@cc.circuitcity.com>

'Need-Based' Computing - 'Wordtop'?Tuesday, August 8, 2006 12:41 AM
AIWebMaster@acer.com.tw, Acer_care_webmaster@acer.com.tw, support@xnbs.com, sonystyle@custhelp.com, feedback@web.cdw.com, qci.agm@quantatw.com, kevin-yu@quantatw.com, "BestBuy.com Customer Care" <onlinestore@bestbuy.com>, "TigerDirect Comments & Suggestions" <autoreply@help.tigerdirect.com>,

can't remember if i had posted to Asus, though...


*************************************

and the 'typical' content of my emails to these people:

"Maybe it's time the computer manufacturers start
revolutionising their approach to design and
production: Dont just produce what you think are the
best 'package' and expect the consumers to just accept
them. Start asking what kind of 'unfulfilled needs'
are there out there and then aim to fulfil them.

Ask not what you think is good for the consumers but
what the consumers really need from you. Stop
patronising us.

-------------------------------------

I wonder if any company has ever thought of developing
small notebooks which are very cheap, to cater for a
specific group of computer users - those who use
laptops mostly for WORD PROCESSING ONLY/MAINLY.

I know there are small/micro notebooks around, (such
as Fijitsu's P series, which have screens of roughly
8-10 inches wide) but they are too expensive. They
come with all sorts of functionality - DVD drive,
sophisticated sound and video display etc.

For many computer users, these features are seldom
used, and therefore unnecessary, honestly. People like
college students, journalists, lawyers, and those who
primarily use their laptops for word processing only
would seldom use their laptops for viewing DVD (they
can do it on their desktops) or listening to music
(they have MP3 for that). But these functionalities
add to the costs of the laptops (especially if small
laptops) tremendously, making it very expensive to
have small size notebooks.

For this group of users, it is too expensive for them
to buy a tiny notebook, not least because they dont
need most of the expensive features. So, it's simply
not worth it to buy an expensive small laptop for word
processing alone. (In fact, if you ask me, it's not
just about small laptops - ALL laptops are a waste of
money for this group of users.)

Some have suggested PDAs. But you cant see much in a
PDA. It's difficult when you are reading large
documents with many pages. Plus, the keyboard is
clumsy, you have to fold etc - an open-and-shut laptop
would be much more convenient.

Plus, PDAs nowadays are way too complicated, and
suffering from the same kind of 'excessiveness' as
full-funcion laptop - they have games, phone and even
camera, which are totally useless to a word-oriented
user.

But PDA is the closet thing available: MS Office (plus
reading Pdf, and all the word-related programs you
need for paper-oriented jobs) + Internet browsing
would do for me, and I dont need phone, music or movie
functions. Again, I have home desktop (or home DVD
Theatre, for some) and portable mp3 player for those.

Actually, if PDA is feasible, why not just enlarge the
monitor a bit (into a half-A4 size) plus a complete
keyboard?? PDA proves that you can have:
- a small motherboard;
- windows OS and graphic display;
- a size smaller than the 'micro size' laptops;
- not-so-powerful processor and RAM;
- all at a much lower cost than a full-blown laptop!!

I'm sure if someone just buy some fairly out-dated
laptop technologies (e.g. barely 1G Hz processor, +
256 RAM would be more than enough for powerful,
efficient word-processing) and mix them into a
package, and then sell it at the price of less than
the medium range PDA, it sure can create a new niche
market.

In fact, it could even be cheaper than a PDA, so long
as the FOCUS is direct, simple and not fancy, not
'distracted' (like PDA): A Need-Based/Specific
product, the need here being a very common one: WORD
processing/MS Office + internet. Keep the costs low,
so that even third world high school/college kids can
afford it.

Perhaps you can add an external CD ROM drive too,
solely for reading programs (for repairing OS, MS
Office, and installing miscellaneous word-related
programs).
- Although, it is not for movie and music (because
adding them would blow the costs out of proportion for
Word Processing needs; but if you can do either one
(like music) for only a tiny increase in costs, why
not?)
- and it won't require you to make the motherboard
smaller (hence cheaper) to accomodate the CD ROM Drive
within the space allocated for the motherboard.

As for storage, a detachable 2GB easy drive would be
more than enough for word proccessing purposes. For
good measure, let's have 3-4 USB ports.

I honestly think that this product would cater for a
fairly common, specific need. Any takers?"

*************************************

"as they say, the rest is history"??

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