advice on laptop/netbook

[Kazilan]

I'm looking to purchase a new basic laptop or netbook and am wondering if anyone here has tried a netbook. I want something small with long battery life for word processing, music, and internet use, but have read that some people don't like the netbooks as they have limited functionality and can't be customized - I read that some even limit the number of applications you can run at once. Curious if anyone has used one and can offer recommendations/criticism. Should I just pay a little extra for a 'normal' laptop? Are netbooks targeted more at people who know little to nothing about computers?

[Variol (Farseer) Elmwood]

Hey Kaz,
I don't have a clue about what those are, but I'm just looking for some prices on both...

Hmm, they definitely cost less. I see them at staples.com for $299 up. It give the battery run time, and with the Dell model I was looking at, you can also extend that with a flash drive. Since it comes with Win XP home, I would think it can do anything a regular laptop, with the same OC can do.

I know that Staples has a 14 day return policy on everything and free delivery over $50. You can always give one a try? Just keep all the packaging etc.

[ElfBane]

You want to pay a little more and get a full-featured laptop. The netbook I bought my nephew only had a 16GB HDD. If you are heavy into music, 16GB will be used up quickly.

Now, about batteries. I don't care what they say, I have never seen a laptop battery last much beyond 1 to 1.5 hours. Usually less if you are doing anything even remotely demanding, such as playing music thru speakers.

Netbooks don't come with an optical drive either. So anything you want to load on it will have to be DL'ed or via flash drive. Or you could buy an external optical drive.

[Chewbacca]

Laptops have way more features and start, in some cases, cheaper than netbooks.

I found a refurb IBM laptop at tigerdirect for $300 with 80 GB HD, XP Pro and a 15" screen. They usually have similiar deals in the $350-$500 range with even more features.

[ocellis]

While i don't have a netbook myself, a workmate has a Samsung NC10 and it is awesome.
The battery lasts for 4-5 hours, the CPU is fast enough for all work related activities, there is enough memory to multitask, and the harddrive has plenty of space.
It takes some time to get used to the small display, but with the right window manager, it is possible to be quite productive on it. At work or at home, you can connect a proper monitor (and peripherals).

When it's time to replace my desktop and notebook, i'll definitely get a single netbook instead.

[Stratos]

I was in the exact same position as you are in two months ago. The graphics card in my old Acer is probably about to give up the ghost, so I had to find a cheap replacement to the laptop (I'm a student and short of cash.)

After some checking out different laptops, I eventually bought an MSI Wind U100 and haven't regretted it.

My specs:

Processor: Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz Processor
RAM: 2GB DDR2
Graphics: Intel UMA 950
HDD: SATA 160 GB
Screen 10.2'' WSVGA 1024x600
Misc: 10/100 LAN, 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, 6-cell battery, Webcam, WinXP Home

The specs are rather standard for netbooks of this price range, except for the 2 GB RAM where 1 GB is more common. There might also be smaller variations, like Bluetooth or not, built-in 3G modem or not etc.

You can also overclock the processor on the Wind by 8%, 12%, or 24% with the latest BIOS version by pressing Fn+F10 (you have to turn on the feature in the system options first.) Apparently covered by the warranty too.

[Stratos]

Originally Posted by Kazilan I'm looking to purchase a new basic laptop or netbook and am wondering if anyone here has tried a netbook. I want something small with long battery life for word processing, music, and internet use, but have read that some people don't like the netbooks as they have limited functionality and can't be customized - I read that some even limit the number of applications you can run at once.

For word processing, music and internet a netbook works just fine. However, portability should be an issue if you consider one; if you never intend to leave the house with you laptop you probably don't need a netbook.

When it comes to functionality and applications; a netbook is just a downsized laptop. There are no other limitations than hardware ones. I haven't tried to push my netbook to it's limits, but I've heard people using it for Photoshop without any major problem. I can't vouch for movie editing, though. Juding from what I've seen on YouTube, you can play games like Half-Life 2 and FarCry on the MSI WInd.

As for customizing, you can replace the RAM, harddrive and network card easily. Replacing the processor is probably doable, but there really aren't many options for processors to put in. Intel has their Atom 270, their new Atom 280, and some Atom Celeron version. IIRC, VIA has one or to processors as well, but that's pretty much it.

Another thing, it might be a good idea to get a netbook with a 6-cell battery. 3-cell batteries are just to low for a portablie computer like a netbook. 6-cell batteries can be bought seperately but cost more than $100.

Curious if anyone has used one and can offer recommendations/criticism. Should I just pay a little extra for a 'normal' laptop? Are netbooks targeted more at people who know little to nothing about computers?

If portability is a non-issue, while most-bang-for-the-buck hardware-wise is, then a normal laptop will do.

As for whom netbooks are aimed for, I suppose marketing-wise it's teenagers, women and students.

[Kazilan]

Thanks for the info everybody. I went into Best Buy and practised typing with the various sizes and I definitely can't use a 8.9 display. 12" seemed like the best compromise, although a 10" could work. I should have mentioned above that Im heavy on the word processing, as I write a lot.

Stratos, how much did you end up paying for the laptop above? the specs look to be about what I'm looking for, and I'm actully looking for a laptop to replace an acer (no complaints about the brand) as well.

I haven't bought anything yet, but am keeping an eye on various 'deal' sites for a good offer.

[Stratos]

About $500 but you can probably find them cheaper. Isn't it a sh*t when they start with special offers and the likes just after you bought your own?

The specs tend to be similar so you'll probably want to go after design, features (Bluetooth, screen size etc). Keep in mind that seperate batteries are rather expensive, so even if you buy a cheap one you might have to pay a good portion more to get a better battery.