TechCrunch is a blog which hosts hundreds of conversations at any given instant.  With so many people passionate about technology it’s easy for things to escalate.  This is what’s going on at TechCruch’s site because they have a story about netbooks.  1.4 million read the blog through Feedburner which gives you an idea of their size, so when they publish a story it’s sure to get picked up around the web.

This time the site is just plain incorrect.  It’s easy to take any new development in technology whether it be HDTV, or cell phones, or operating systems and point and laugh.  I’m sure Qualcomm didn’t envision millions of people using CDMA technologies to power wireless phones.  That those same phones would help connect people all over the world and help them view internet content, live television, GPS and more.  The same is true of netbooks.

It’s true that the processors, screen and keyword are underwhelming for now but the point of a first generation product is to give people an idea of where things could go and let adoption help drive innovation to get there.

-Intel is preparing dual-core Atom processors.  This will make them fast, maybe not as fast as a Core2Duo but the point is to keep price down and the Atom helps do that.  When a premium line of netbooks is ready there will be several lines of processors to help get the job done.

-The web will fit on netbooks.  Netbooks don’t need to fit the web.  It was only a few years ago when the optimal screen was 15″ and the optimal screen resolution was 800×600.  With 19″+ screens available it’s possible to enjoy the web at 1600×1200 or an even higher resolution.  Sites have changed their appearance to compensate for the additonal screen real estate with more content, and ads.  The same way mobile content has been optimized for iPhone and other cell phone, it can be optimized for netbooks.  When a site realizes the screen resolution is 1024×600 they can decide to render the content differently or show them an entirely different site.  It has been done before, and with so many users it will make sense for it to be done again.

- Keyboards? seriously? In another time and in another place I worked in retail at an electronics store.  This was when Pocket PCs were picking up and RIM was just starting to introduce their BlackBerry into the market.  There were some who love it, and others who couldn’t ever imagine using a smaller keyword to input information.  I can’t imagine we got along with using a stylus for so long.  Much in the same way, it took time to get up to 60 WPM on a handheld, the same is true for netbooks.

In the end there are always tradeoffs, but to draw a line in the sand is just an abuse of an audience.  Secretly netbooks should be killed off, they aren’t making anyone money with their low price points but everyone from students to road warriors is going to love them for all of their pluses.  Instead of ignoring the opportunity to get more product in the hands of consumers netbooks are taking off.  At some point, they may become a niche in the same way that UMPCs, tablet PCs, and other ultra portable computers have.  It appears that bundling these products with internet service makes the most sense.  XOHM allows you to get service for as little as $20/month.  People would kill to pay $40/month to get a “free” computer and access wherever service is available.  This allows for carriers to be the front line of distrubition and the recurring revenue model to be the gateway to allow other parts of the supply chain (manufacturers, retailers, carriers) to all get paid.

1. 5 Reasons Why Faster Phones Won’t Replace Netbooks

2. AMD Market Share Increases Due To Netbook Chip Sales

3. Error 619 Code With Acer 3G Connection Manager

4. Intel: Atom Processors Are Fast Enough

5. Carrier Subsidized Netbooks?