Net books?

[java]

I have a soon to be 12 year old and I am thinking of getting her a netbook for her birthday but I need a little more guidance.
She would use it mostly for email and webkinz- no games more involved than that.*can you even play that on a netbook? And some windows programs for school- like word ect.

Any tips or what I should be looking for? Or should I just get her a laptop instead? Price and size are obviously the reasons I was thinking Netbook.
So what can you do on your netbook?

 

[FireDancer]

Netbooks are designed for remote processing. When you are using cloud based services like web browsing or Google docs, all of the processing (well, most of the processing) is being done remotely, on the web server. This is what netbooks excel at.

When you start doing photo processing or music editing the processor in the netbook just can't handle it. From what you are describing it sounds like a netbook will work just fine.

I would look at an alternative to MS Office though. Look at Google docs or sign up for a free Windows Live account and use their Office 2010 online applications. You can probably do simple word documents but having 2 browser windows open, music playing, and excel running will slow down most netbooks.

I would also make sure to get either a Linux based netbook (perferably Ubuntu) or get the upgrade to Windows 7. Any netbook coming with Windows XP should offer you an upgrade to Windows 7 that you can install once it comes out in October.

 

[GeorgiaPeach8]

Great pp and great advice from second poster. I've been looking at a netbook. I primarily use my computer for email, shopping, disboard and research. My question goes along with op...can netbooks be used with microsoft office. I teach and I need to create some powerpoints and worksheets. I wondered if I would work with that.

 

[jel0511]

I don't know any of the technical answers asked here, but did go through the same thing when getting my 11YO DD one for her birthday. After pricing it out, I went for an entry level laptop. It cost me 360 + tax, which wasn't much more than what some of the netbooks were going for. She gets a bigger screen, better processor and the ability to use microsoft office. I figured this way, she can use this for school work as well and should last us a few years before she needs something more powerful. It was well worth the extra $$$ I spent over a netbook, IMO.

 

[java]

First off THANK YOU Firedancer! Great info.

And I was thinking Netbook as it's smaller and easier for her to carry around. *plus they are cute! She can use office on the netbook I was looking at. And now the processors are actually pretty good from what I have looked at. Price wise I'm thinking I'll get actually more for my money Netbook wise vs. laptop. But I might be wrong.

 

[HOGFAN]

We bought DS16 an HP one. He loves it.

 

[Papa Deuce]

I'm typing on an XP notebook right now, an Acer with a 10.1" screen. I absolutely love it. Only downside is that MAYBE you might need to get an external USB CD / DVD burner. Plus you will want a USB mouse, IMO.

Mine has 3 USB ports. The speakers on this are actually much nicer than my $800 HP laptop. I paid $298 for this one.

I can, and do play some games on it, many of which are more visually intensive than Webinz.

And, BTW, See you next year.

Oh, and Word comes installed on mine as a trial, so I know you can run it just fine.

 

[diznygirl]

The kids got netbooks from the grandparents - and it's been a little hit or miss. Sure they are cute, but it's hard to play the games they are used to because of the screen size. (Webkinz, Club Penguin, Beanie World, etc). There is a fix, but they usually gravitate toward my laptop or the desktop machine anyway.