Netbooks

[vess]

My Dell B130 is slowly dying (battery crapping, hard drive full), so instead of spending almost $100 on a new battery, I would like to get a mini laptop- something to access the net mostly, be portable to move around freely, etc. Does anyone have any experience with these yet? I like the looks of the Asus EEE and Acer, as well as the Dell Mini that just came out. I am thinking that solid state drive is the way to go, along with Linux (I don't NEED Windoze, necessarily). Just looking for some input from anyone of you that has tried one or another, or maybe knows somebody that has one. I like my laptop, though it is so heavy to carry, and I don't always need the DVD in it. Seems like the mini stuff is the wave of the future. Any thoughts?

 

[Nandy]

Re: Netbooks

I never used one of those but i have a palm tungsten that I used at work for accessing the intranet and ito worked great. The only problem I had is that since the system is so specific it was not as easy to find software for it. I bet those notebooks are more like a laptop and you can find software easy. Just make sure of that.

 

[tomatolord]

Re: Netbooks

yes. My iPhone works great as a browser the only issue is Internet access where there are no hot spots

I would upgrade your phone instead

Tomatolord

 

[mthieme]

Re: Netbooks

I was looking at the minis last week. Everyone is coming out with them.
They are too cool. I might order one if I can make up my mind which one to get.
The price point is $500 (so they all run $499).
My biggest concern is I'm used to more horsepower...might not like the adjustment. Intel's new Atom chip is bleeding edge. Some of the units use other chips.
The small form factor is very enticing though. I don't really need a lot of power, but I manage a network and I have a lot of tools. A lot is manufacturer specific so Linux availability might be an issue...this gap is closing all the time though.
We have a contract with Dell, so that would be an easy one to get. But it looks like they have a 16GB max drive. I've seen 64GB on other units.
This is just the first round which is still incomplete.

 

[vess]

Re: Netbooks

Thanks for the comments. I ended up ordering the 16G Dell. It is difficult to weigh all the different issues. I really wanted to go with Linux, but because we have to access work remotely through IE, I don't have much choice. The ASUS looks nice, but more expensive, and I really wanted to get the solid state drive, even if it is so small. I think using this as a connection to work/web/etc is a great idea. I don't think I need the extra heft of the optical drive, and the size and portability or the unit is very appealing. heck- it is difficult to move my 15 in laptop from room to room, let alone in a bag. I have a PDA, and that thing is nice, but SO difficult to look at for long periods. Not to mention a pain to type on! I am hoping that the smaller keyboard will be big enough to use, but small enough to make portable. Will let you know.

 

[mthieme]

Re: Netbooks

Dell looks as good as any of them. It would nice if they offered a 64GB SSD as some others do.
I want to run SUSE on mine. The XP is the Home Edition which would be useless for me at work.
The competition is really heating up. I might wait a couple/few months to see if anything breaks loose.
Hope you enjoy it.

 

[vess]

Re: Netbooks

I kind of wanted the Ubuntu, but it only has 4G drive, and that scared me. Though the 16G windoze isn't a whole lot bigger. I can always load Linux later, I suppose. I just really like the size of the units. I move my laptop all over the house, depending on need, and lugging this old one around is a pain, especially now as I need the power cord. After flying with it recently (something I don't do very often), I realized how heavy this thing is, and there must be a better alternative. I really believe the manufacturers are afraid of losing their market for high-end laptops if they start offering bare-bones units.

 

[mthieme]

Re: Netbooks

The market has always had a good, better best selection.
In recent years, the <$500 student models have become popular too. I think this is where the manufacturers should beware. I'd get one of these in a heartbeat for school versus a bigger unit.
I think this addition will enhance the manufacturers lineups.
It could turn out to be a fad though like hand held PCs.

I have a fairly beefy one for work. When I replace it, it will probably be with one that's in the workstation class, supporting Windows 64-bit as I'm stating to get servers running that now. Granted this is usually out of the average home budget since we're talking over $3,500. The need is there. Could be the high prices are partially due to lower sales, but I don;t see them going away.

One major thing holding me up getting one is that I use a Verizon EVDO card that is PCMCIA.