I'm considering picking up a new netbook after the recent launch of Windows 7. I thought the best place to ask for some quick advice might be here on my favorite forums. Asus has launched a few new models with Windows 7, but the OS isnt that big of a deal for me because my father receives several extra copies of Windows 7 business for his work on servers. I'll primarily be using the netbook for word processing, the occasional TouchArcade youtube videos, and internet browsing. While I'm sure all netbooks these days can handle all of these things fine, I'm a sucker for the best value. I've seen many boasting battery life of 7+ hours, but they all seem to run 1 gig of ram but upgradable to 2gig. Does increasing ram improve battery performance? How about SSD compared to HDD, is there a difference in battery performance? A lot of reviews on Amazon really seem to enjoy the Acer's, especially the Aspire One, but the new models don't seem to have much more except for Windows 7 (Starter). I'd appreciate if you have one pointing out the things you dont really like about it. I really want to wait a little longer for them to take full advantage of Windows 7, but I must admit my patience is wearing thin. So, I'd appreciate any suggestions you all could provide on finding the perfect netbook.
I understand the purpose of ram. My question is does increasing ram decrease the power used by the processor, improving battery life? Correct me if I'm wrong, but ram doesn't use power/energy, does it?
not the RAM itself, but multi tasking can put a strain on the battery. im not too sure though, cause mine has a 6 cell battery, so excellent battery life
I think I speak for him in saying, it is extremely mature for a complete stranger who obviously never took grammar to tell him to get a life. I am sure he will strongly consider your insightful request.
So does no one have netbooks? Is there convincing reasons not to get one? It seems the Atom processor is pretty standard across every manufacturers netbook lines, is there a particular processor I should make sure it has?
The most convincing reason not to get one is the fact they simply don't last as long as desktop PCs. That said, I've had mine about 5 years and it's still running beautifully... Oh, and for the price you spend on a netbook you could build a PC with almost double the specs. Just make sure you really need to be portable rather than buying one for the novelty.
The biggest incentive for me Is being able to work on homework assignments while watching television. Since my desktop is hooked up to my TV, I have to choose one or the other, and unfortunatly I usually choose the TV. I also want to use it for doing school work anywhere I want at school. When I'm in the library there are always people talking or they have their headphones turned up too high. I think it seems practical for it's lightweight and without a whole lot of power I won't be distracting myself with other things while on it. I think the novelty aspect is the smallest reason to get one, even though they do look pretty cool.
Asus Eee PC 1005HA-PU17 It's $375, a little more than I really want to spend on a netbook, but has the 1.66Ghz atom, and the long battery life. All the netbooks have 1GB of RAM, so I might try it out and I'll upgrade if a need to. Is it worth it? That's always a tough question. Maybe I should wait until Black Friday?
I've got a Dell Mini 9, and it's kind of cool, but ultimately I quit using it for most things because the keyboard is a pain to do anything more than short IM conversations and it's just barely fast enough to have the lowest bitrate YouTube stuff work. So since it's essentially too slow for flash to work, even using a real browser feels just as limited as using an iPhone... So I just use my iPhone instead. I suppose if you don't have a laptop at all a netbook is better than nothing, but you're much better off just getting a 13" MacBook Pro or a regular MacBook if you want a portable machine. At least you'd be able to watch videos on it.
If I could afford a Macbook, I'd buy one in a heartbeat. Too bad my parents dont buy that nice of christmas present. I guess the most important thing I need to do is find one of these suckers at a local store and type a nice little report on it and see how it feels. I thought about going ahead and getting just a cheap full-fledged laptop, but they are so heavy and big. I'm at the Community College, so I'm usually walking around with a book bag full of books cause the parking is so far away. I was thinking the netbook would be a little more back & shoulder friendly. I don't really need a full fledged laptop. I have a beastly Desktop, but its not very accessible when the girlfriend wants to watch TV and I want to write a paper. Only one of us is going to win.
If you want to use it to actually write things, make sure you get one with as close to a full sized keyboard as possible. HP's line of netbooks have phenomenal keyboards and honestly the few millimeters of key size difference seems insignificant when you're looking at spec sheets, but in the real world changes the whole experience from "wow this is annoying" to "this isn't that bad".
iono if this is a noob question...what exactly is a 'netbook'? how is it different form other notebooks...is it smaller lighter?
Netbooks are very small and light computers that use extremely energy efficient (and often slow) processors like the Intel Atom to maximize battery life. My Mini 9 can get 5 hours on a bad day.
It's smaller and less functional notebook used mainly for web, email, light applications, etc. They have less memory and sport specifically made Intel Atom processors
I did it. I bought the Asus Eee 1005HA-PU17, all the reviews seemed legit, and I played around on one at best buy and the keyboard seemed adequate for my hunt-&-peck typing style. $372 w/ free 2 day shipping (free trial of amazon prime), a little more than I wanted to spend but it seemed to accomplish all the tasks I would want from a laptop. I'm pretty excited.
"OMG OMG OMG I IZ TOO" typed the spoiled, white, rich kid as he typed on his MacBook Pro... speaking of which, why do I even have one (knock on wood)?
