Netbooks

[mom2kazkids]

Can anyone tell me the good, the bad and the ugly on netbooks? I am thinking that I would like to get one for vacations and such.

Barb

 

[DVCLiz]

Can anyone tell me the good, the bad and the ugly on netbooks? I am thinking that I would like to get one for vacations and such.

Barb

I did a little research (mostly on the DIS!) and I ended up buying the Lenovo S10 netbook. It's been great for traveling - if I can get Wifi in a hotel I am totally satisfied with the things I can do - check email, surf the web, etc. It was about $400 total - I upgraded to the red color but had a 10% online coupon. I think it was a great investment - I have really enjoyed knowing I won't lose or damage my expensive laptop while on vacation.

I rarely use it at home, though - I have a desktop and a laptop that I use then. But I will also let my daughters use the netbook when they are away from home, instead of taking their own laptops. It's just a really useful machine for not that much money, in my opinion.

 

[FireDancer]

The key to netbooks is knowing what they can do well and can't. The main use of a netbook is for cloud computing. This is using remote processing instead of local (Google docs instead of MS Office for example). The processors and RAM of a netbook are a lower spec than a laptop or PC. They are very good at tasks that are not processor intensive like surfing the net and using net based applications (hence the net in netbook).

If you are going to be doing photo editing with Photoshop, music editing, or even a lot of application based computing you may find that a netbook is lacking in power. This is especially true with a lot of applications opened.

The biggest mistake is thinking a netbook is just a small laptop, that would be an ultra portable. They are great machines and I am not trying to talk you out of one but it is important to get the right tool for the job. If the netbook isn't the right tool the cheap price won't make up for it.

As for specific models the three factors are size, price, and the OS. I like Linux so I would go Ubuntu. If you are not comfortable with Linux I would wait for the Windows 7 netbooks to ship this fall. XP, while decent, is shoe horned into netbooks where Windows 7 has versions designed for them. Price speaks for itself but size can be an issue. A small keyboard could be a problem if you have larger hands or a condition like arthritis. Go try out a netbook like the one you are looking at to make sure you don't cramp up on your second line of text.

 

[thatslygirl]

I have the Acer Aspire One (in pink!). Mine comes with XP and it runs swell. I get lots of random comments on it when I'm in cafes and stuff.

Pros
1. Lightweight, can toss (gently) into my big bag
2. Long battery life. I have the 6-cell and can do about 5 hours on a full charge without the AC adapter
3. Picks up wifi signals easily
4. Doubles as a DVD player*

Cons
1. Not meant for hours of computing/eye strain
2. Heats up very quickly
3. No CD/DVD drive but you can use your flash drive to load .avi files and other video files to put into the netbook... I watch TV shows on mine*
4. Not very good sound but with earbuds this isn't an issue

They are so portable that the other day I was on a crowded bus and this girl boards with her netbook. She was standing precariously in these heels, IMing her friend on her netbook the whole ride home! I know they're portable, but come on now...

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I have a (white) Acer Aspire One also that I use primarily for storing photos and doing email, internet on the road/vacation. I rarely use it at home. I like it a lot, no complaints.