Remember the HTC Shift? It was HTC’s first attempt at a super-portable laptop capable of running both Windows Vista and Windows Mobile. These days, we’d be inclined to call it a “netbook” if not for its prohibitive price tag. Despite its innovative design and features, however, the HTC Shift never gained any traction in the crowded ultra-portable laptop segment. But, don’t count HTC out of the netbook game just yet. According to HTC CEO Peter Chou, the smartphone maker is still considering an entrance into the netbook market.
At the HTC HD2 launch yesterday, Chou stated that HTC was “carefully looking into [the netbook] category and how it can be part of that.” He added that HTC doesn’t want to make another “me too” netbook that will get lost in the shuffle. Instead, HTC would be looking to launch a product with “unique value” to differentiate itself from the crowd. The HTC Shift was unique in its own right. It offered instant-on access to the Windows Mobile operating system as well as Windows Vista.
How cool would it be if HTC launched a netbook with instant-on access to Android? Or, for that matter, how about an Android-powered netbook? Speculating is fun.
[Via: Cnet]