Rebooting the netbook

The sudden surge of tablet computers has had an impact on several areas of the technology industry, but perhaps none has been as apparent as the tablet's effect on the netbook.

Tablets and netbooks often find themselves competing for the same space. But the tablet has proven itself the more appealing machine in recent years, and as a result, waiting lines for the latest netbook are notably shorter.

Given this trend, it seems the netbook is in need of a reboot.

The most obvious advantage the netbook has over the tablet is the physical keyboard. This is perhaps the netbook's key to survival and the aspect on which manufacturers should focus. Highlighting functions that circle around the keyboard, such as taking notes and creating presentations, could respark interest in the netbook.

Additionally, manufacturers can take cues from what makes tablet computers so popular. Touchscreen capabilities, lower price tags and longer battery life could broaden the appeal of netbooks.

At this point, the future of netbooks is anything but certain. It is evident, however, that the technology needs to be refreshed if manufacturers plan to keep it around much longer.