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NETBOOKWATCHthe netbook designFinnish telco rolls out “Booklet 3G” device By Michael Scalisi, PC World (US)While the original intentionof the netbook form factormay have been to have athe Nokia Booklet 3G appears to begeared more for the worker on the gothan the cash strapped student. It alsois poised to create a new class of mobileworker who eschews smartphonesand uses a basic phone in tandem witha netbook instead.While Nokia isn’t yet giving us thefull details of its Booklet 3G computer, inside an aluminum chassis weighing2.75lbs, with a 10-inch screen, 12 hourbattery life and a scant 2cm thickness.It has your typical netbook features,such as a webcam, Atom processor,and SD card reader. It also includes anumber of premium features, including Given that it’s likely to be more expensivethan your typical netbook, Iwouldn’t be surprised to see the Booklet3G ship with either Windows 7of the stripped starter edition. If this isthe case, then this Nokia might surpassthe typical 1GB memory and 160GBhard disk limitations that manufacturersusing Windows 7 Starter are stuckwith. likely be packaged with a mobile dataplan and subsidized accordingly. Businesstravelers who are frustrated withtrying to use an iPhone or other smartphoneas a GPS in a foreign cityare likely to have a better experienceon the Booklet’s 10-inchscreen.Netbooks like this couldcreate a market shift awayfrom smartphones in general.Rather than pay fora separate data plan forboth a smartphone and a netbook, itmay make sense for some mobile professionalsto carry a simpler phone andpull something like the Booklet 3Gfrom their briefcases or purses whenit comes time to check a map, search this would help alleviate the frustrationthat many experience with their smartphone’sbattery life.Nokia moves intonetbook spaceSince Nokia’s intention is to bundleits Ovi services with its netbook, I thinkwe can expect to see some tie-ins withNokia mobile phones. I’m sure Nokiawould like to see mobile professionalscarrying a Nokia phone to accompanythe Booklet 3G.Nokia’s netbook certainly isn’t revolutionary,but its unique combinationof features will meet the needs of themobile professional better than the inexpensiveplastic netbooks that are cur- manager based in Alameda,California.38 Computerworld Hong Kong Sept 2009 www.cw.com.hk