Asus is kicking around the idea of a smartbook -- if only the manufacturer could decide between Google's Chrome OS or Android operating systems.
According to ZDNet, Asus chairman Jonney Shih is still debating whether people will sacrifice the capabilities of a Windows-based PC for a smartbook, which are thinner and lighter than netbooks, but not significantly more powerful than smartphones.
The category of smartbooks is still new. A batch of them were shown at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, including the Lenovo Skylight, but no major manufacturers are selling them yet in the United States. The Skylight is due out in April, but at $500, it's pricier than netbooks that can rival it in battery life and surpass it in performance, which kind of defeats the purpose.
The real news here is that Asus is still considering a smartbook at all. Last year, Asus chief executive Jerry Shen said it had delayed plans to develop the machines, failing to see a market for them between netbooks and smartphones. Asus still hasn't decided, but Shih seems to like the idea of an ARM-based smartbook because the ARM processor has a cost advantage over Intel processors found in most netbooks.
"This will further push the original direction of the netbook," he said, presumably referring to how netbooks were originally supposed to be simple machines used only for surfing the Web and browsing e-mail. That vision has been lost somewhat as manufacturers push the capabilities of netbooks. It's possible that smartbooks could fill a niche that netbooks once left -- especially when running on Chrome OS -- but only if they're priced the same or less. On that front, Asus could succeed where Lenovo seems likely to fail.
