Big Data. Big Decisions
 InformationWeek
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Netbook Pros Vs. Netbook Cons

Netbooks deliver ultraportable, lightweight computing at low price points. Consumers have been flocking to netbooks in droves, but do they make sense for your business?

By Lindsay Holloway InformationWeek
May 29, 2009 06:05 AM

Don't Miss: 7 Netbooks For Your Business

You've probably heard that netbooks (pint-size stripped-down notebooks) are all the rage right now -- you may even be eyeing one. From Lenovo's IdeaPad S10 to Hewlett-Packard's Mini 2140 to Dell's Inspiron Mini 9, many manufacturers are packing the typically sub-$500 devices with features fit for entrepreneurs. Aside from a low price point and compact size, what's the appeal? Here's how netbooks measure up to their predecessors:

PRO
Keep in touch and connected. "My business requires I be in touch 24/7," says Beth Shaw, 41, founder and president of Yogafit Training Systems Worldwide in Torrance, Calif. She relies on her MSI Wind U100 for "e-mails and Internet at a glance."

CON
For some, the messaging capabilities of a BlackBerry may suffice.

Don't Miss: The Choice For Your Business: Netbook Or Smartphone?

PRO
Stay productive on the road. From note-taking to loading presentations to Skyping, Pamela Gilchrist, 45, president and CEO of Cincinnati-based PR firm PR-Link, swears by her new Acer Aspire One: "It's much easier for business travel," she says. "[It's] quickly becoming my 'can't do without' item."

CON
Many netbooks come sans disc drives or the memory and speed needed to run certain programs.

PRO
Add a powerful tool to your arsenal. "Without it, I'm like a burlesque nightclub owner without a sexy dancer or a restaurateur without a fabulous steak frites," says Ivan Kane, 52, president of Ivan Kane Enterprises Inc., a Los Angeles restaurant management group. He loves his new Sony VAIO PCG-4L1L.

CON
There will always be a new must-have tech gadget; is the netbook it right now?

Don't Miss: Netbooks Vs. Smartphones And Planet Of The Apps



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By The Numbers

What Are Your Primary Concerns About Using Big Data Software?

Base: 417 respondents at organizations using or planning to deploy data analytics, BI or statistical analysis software
Data: InformationWeek 2013 Analytics, Business Intelligence and Information Management Survey of 541 business technology professionals, October 2012

What Do You Think?

What's your attitude about SQL analysis on top of Hadoop?
We want fast, standard SQL analysis capabilities on Hadoop ASAP
Hadoop is for unstructured data; SQL is for relational databases
We'll give SQL on Hadoop a try, but relational DBs will remain the mainstay
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We're not interested in Hadoop
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