PC Makers Fight the Netbook Dilemma

SAN FRANCISCO -- Take away the marketing hype about innovation, and the computer business looks strikingly staid. For decades, customers have had two flavors to choose from: desktop PCs and laptop PCs.

That menu is now set for a major revamp.

In the past year, virtually every big PC maker has introduced or announced plans for a so-called netbook, a shrunken, laptop-like wireless gadget designed for email and Web browsing -- but not much else -- and priced significantly cheaper than a traditional laptop. ...