It's very cheap, and surprisingly for a cheap Netbook, it's pretty decent.
The endlessly self-promoting Ruslan Kogan did a whistle-stop tour of Sydney media today, showing off prototypes of his upcoming Netbook offerings and revealing a very aggressive pricing strategy.
Kogan will begin selling two models of "Agora" Netbooks from next Tuesday, with a promised delivery date of "around April 10th". "We want to over-deliver on that, though, so customers would hopefully see them arrive late march or early April instead"
he told APC.
Ruslan Kogan, promoting (respectively) his Netbook (via the Netbook), his brand (via his cap) and Google (for reasons that remain unclear other than the tenuous link to the gOS Linux distro on the netbook).
The two models — the Agora Netbook and Agora Netbook Pro — will ship with Intel N270 processors onboard, 3 USB ports, WiFi and a 10" display screen. As previously reported, Kogan's shipping both units with Linux only, using gOS. Kogan admits that he was wary of that choice at first. "My biggest fear with this product is that people are scared of linux. gOS adds a layer to Linux which makes it very easy to use."
"Statistics showed us that it's less likely to sell if it has Linux, but when we queried users, we found that people use netbooks for 2 primary functions. Mostly email and web surfing, with some light 3rd party application usage. So a resource intensive machine wasn't important, but a good keyboard was."
You can have your netbook in Black. Or Black. The choice is yours.
The entry level model will ship with a 3 cell battery and sell for $499 direct from Kogan's web site. The differentiating factors in the Pro model will include a Bluetooth dongle (available for "around $10, if consumers want it" on the standard model), 2GB of RAM and a 6-cell battery. One interesting factor here is that the line between the standard and pro models is very thin indeed; that extra Bluetooth, 2GB RAM and 6-cell battery will cost you $539, only a $40 price premium. Given the typical battery difference that going from a 3-cell to a 6-cell makes, we'd say that more of the Pro system will sell, something Kogan's prepared for. "Our factory model allows us to produce around 10,000 units a day, and if we see that the Pro model is selling better, we can order more of those
", he told APC.
The all-white Kogan Netbook that you won't be able to buy. Kogan's just teasing, really.
Kogan's quite proud of the fact that he invited community consultation to the project. Bluetooth, for example, only comes as a USB plug on either model (it's bundled with the Pro and an add-on for the standard) because of user feedback.
"People say 'We want Bluetooth, but we don't use it.' People typically only use Bluetooth on a notebook every two months or so"
he told APC.
Ruslan Kogan demonstrates the Agora's "Bite sized" USB Bluetooth dongle. APCMag.com wishes to advise that it's unwise to take Bluetooth dongles internally
Check out the ports on that!
And the ports on the other side. Only 3 USB ports though, and one could be perma-filled with Bluetooth.
When asked about 3G, Kogan stated that the current model didn't have it embedded, but the shell design does have space for a 3G module directly behind the battery bay, and that it's a possibility for future models. "Right now, USB modems can fill that job if customers want to do that", he stated.
Kogan also showed off some prototypes of the finished model. He pointed out that the shell design will be slightly different on the sale model — "it'll have more of a checkered design on the back" — but it's otherwise acceptably close to what you'll be able to buy.
The back of the Netbook won't quite look like this, mind you.
Initially he'd considered two designs, with the final design winning out over a slimmer netbook that had a smaller screen bezel but a keyboard that was "too small". He also showed off some white prototypes that won't go on sale — "customers told us that they only wanted netbooks in black" — but given Kogan's general policy of selling off redundant stock on eBay, if you're savvy you might be able to spot those sometime soon.
The keyboard is reasonably spaced — for a Netbook.
We brought along something of a dark horse to the evaluation in the form of the MSI Wind U100, a generally accepted "good" Netbook option. Placing the two side by side, it's very difficult to tell the keyboards apart (although the configuration of Insert and Delete keys is flipped between the two), but in a short burst of test typing, the Kogan had slightly stiffer keys. We'd still give the award of choice for Netbook keyboards to HP's MiniNotes, but the Kogan option is very good for a system at this price point, at least on initial inspection.
Agora Netbook vs MSI Wind U100. The differences are pretty subtle.
Screen brightness in mild sunlight was acceptable, and the gOS interface undeniably gives the unit a very Mac OS X "feel", right down to the floating dock at the base. Units will come pre-loaded with Firefox, Skype, Pidgin, OpenOffice.Org and a direct Add/Remove programs link that connects to Ubuntu's own repositories for easy program installation. The overall design aesthetic is very slick. We've seen previous Kogan products that felt a bit on the cheap and tacky side, and while there's no denying this is a Netbook (and thus a low-cost computing solution), it's certainly a solid feeling unit.
The Add/Remove program function, designed to make Linux easier for novices.
For those seeking other operating systems, Kogan states that they'll be happy to point out where to find instructions on how to install other systems — he had prototypes running Windows 7 available, which he claims "runs perfectly" — but that they're not looking to sell other operating systems any time soon.