Re:Not surprising (Score 0)

"Marginally more portable than a laptop"

It's a big difference to me. I've got 13", 15", and 17" laptops I can take with me, but I frequently travel light. My 9" netbook will fit in a carry on, backpack, and even my small dSLR sling.

"They were very cheap, but since the original EeeeeeeeeeeeeePC they've gradually crept up in price and now they're just too expensive for what they are."

Now you're just making stuff up. The original Eee PC was $399 with a 7" screen. Two and a half years later they hover around the $300 mark with a 10" screen and much better specs.

I don't see what's so strange about them. I gave $230 netbooks to both my mother and my sister (neither computer whizzes) for Christmas and they think they're the best thing ever. Batteries that last forever, enough power for basic tasks (they both have other laptops), easy to carry around, light enough and cool enough they're not uncomfortable to have on your lap... what's not to like?

Hell, even with a full powered laptop sitting right next to my netbook on the coffee table I'll normally grab the latter if all I'm doing is chatting or basic surfing. Sure, it's not for everybody, but I don't see what's so mystical about why so many people love them.