NETBOOK Question
- Thread starter PolrBear
- Start date
A netbook IS a laptop, just with a slower processor, ~1-2 gig of RAM, and no optical drive. I guess you mean USB ports ("docks"); nebooks usually have at least 2.
As long as your powerpoint runs on Windows XP (which is usually on Netbooks), you should be OK.
Some of the newer netbooks have Windows 7 Starter Edition.
As long as your powerpoint runs on Windows XP (which is usually on Netbooks), you should be OK.
Some of the newer netbooks have Windows 7 Starter Edition.
If you love the small form factor of a netbook but want more horsepower, consider looking at laptops that are between 11.6" to 12" using ULV processors such as Intel SU7300 or SU4100.
Seriously netbooks with Intel Atom processors eg. N270, N280 and the new N450 have more than adequate performance for the usual office suites (including Powerpoint), email and general internet surfing. There is another Atom Z series processors (eg. Z510/520/530/540 etc), which is more power saving but expensive. You probably don't need those in a 10" netbook because many newer model N series netbooks can provide 5+ hour of battery life.
The only downside is the integrated Intel graphic chip used with these Atom processors, which is not good enough for High Definition video particularly internet flash video. The main reason is they are designed for low power consumption (longer battery life) at the expense of performance. I live in the Stone Ages and all these HD stuff doesn't interest me. Plus, why would I want to see HD youtube or vimeo on a tiny 10" or smaller screen of a netbook anyway??
The best bang for the buck now is the Atom N450 netbooks (bargains if you can find clearance N280 netbooks). Asus and Acer are the frontrunners of netbooks, but the three giants (Dell, HP and Lenovo) are also getting into the market. 10 inch screen is very good for general use and they are cheaper than 12"+ screen models. The smaller 7 and 8.9 inch screen models are disappearing (or being rendered into "tablet UMPC" (ultramobile PC) or "MID" (mobile internet device)), cuz most people find the screen too small for full screen webpage surfing (eg. at 1024 x 600 resolution, everything is too small to read unless you boost the fonts and screen DPI, but that distorts some of the displayed items).
One important thing - you can get the best performance on such a netbook with Windows XP and at least 1 GB of RAM (2GB is plenty). It is difficult to add RAM to most netbooks, but some if not many allows up to 2GB RAM if you know how to take it apart to replace it. I dunno about Win7 but at least many people find the older model netbooks struggle with Vista and 1GB of RAM.
The only downside is the integrated Intel graphic chip used with these Atom processors, which is not good enough for High Definition video particularly internet flash video. The main reason is they are designed for low power consumption (longer battery life) at the expense of performance. I live in the Stone Ages and all these HD stuff doesn't interest me. Plus, why would I want to see HD youtube or vimeo on a tiny 10" or smaller screen of a netbook anyway??
The best bang for the buck now is the Atom N450 netbooks (bargains if you can find clearance N280 netbooks). Asus and Acer are the frontrunners of netbooks, but the three giants (Dell, HP and Lenovo) are also getting into the market. 10 inch screen is very good for general use and they are cheaper than 12"+ screen models. The smaller 7 and 8.9 inch screen models are disappearing (or being rendered into "tablet UMPC" (ultramobile PC) or "MID" (mobile internet device)), cuz most people find the screen too small for full screen webpage surfing (eg. at 1024 x 600 resolution, everything is too small to read unless you boost the fonts and screen DPI, but that distorts some of the displayed items).
One important thing - you can get the best performance on such a netbook with Windows XP and at least 1 GB of RAM (2GB is plenty). It is difficult to add RAM to most netbooks, but some if not many allows up to 2GB RAM if you know how to take it apart to replace it. I dunno about Win7 but at least many people find the older model netbooks struggle with Vista and 1GB of RAM.
Another option is to run Linux on netbooks. A full Ubuntu OS runs great on these atom CPUs since it is less of a resource hog than M$.
Agree WoodPeckr, but ....
[WHINE] Linux is sooooo much work!!. I'd rather pay for M$ Windows to get everything served up to me on a silver platter.
Yes I have tried, I really tried hard .... and I gave up!
(Story: My first netbook was the Asus eeepc 4G with its own version of Linux. The modified Linux is not as "comprehensive" as the major full Linux versions out there such as ubuntu. I have never used Linux before and I thought I "knew enough" (I don't have computing background and I learned everything computer from the web) and could learn about the OS as I went.
Remember I said it is a Linux version modified by the manufacturer, so "tweaking" is limited. It was soooo frustrating just to do a really simple task such as adding and removing a desktop icon eg. when you install and uninstall a program. Everything "minor" stuff needs its own little program (eg. desktop environment, menus). Updating was a nightmare - I dunno how many time I screwed up somewhere, I could not fix it or restore it to previous, and had to reimage it and start from scratch. Finally I bit the bullet and bought a WinXP copy (about 2/5 of the price of the Asus))
Linux is good for knowledgeable people, or people who knows nothing about computers and are content with all the pre-loaded programs and functions.
I find that the major problem is NOT the Linux OS itself, but the modification / customisation made by the notebook manufacturers to make it "unique" for their machine. The problem is, it also make it less tweakable (unless you have a lot of background knowledge about Linux). It is understandable because the majority of people buying computers are not computer-savvy (in any OS) and they are content with relying on what the manufacturer offers pre-loaded - many people don't even know that you can update the software, or that the manufacturers included a special update agent program for this purpose.
[WHINE] Linux is sooooo much work!!. I'd rather pay for M$ Windows to get everything served up to me on a silver platter.
Yes I have tried, I really tried hard .... and I gave up!
(Story: My first netbook was the Asus eeepc 4G with its own version of Linux. The modified Linux is not as "comprehensive" as the major full Linux versions out there such as ubuntu. I have never used Linux before and I thought I "knew enough" (I don't have computing background and I learned everything computer from the web) and could learn about the OS as I went.
Remember I said it is a Linux version modified by the manufacturer, so "tweaking" is limited. It was soooo frustrating just to do a really simple task such as adding and removing a desktop icon eg. when you install and uninstall a program. Everything "minor" stuff needs its own little program (eg. desktop environment, menus). Updating was a nightmare - I dunno how many time I screwed up somewhere, I could not fix it or restore it to previous, and had to reimage it and start from scratch. Finally I bit the bullet and bought a WinXP copy (about 2/5 of the price of the Asus))
Linux is good for knowledgeable people, or people who knows nothing about computers and are content with all the pre-loaded programs and functions.
I find that the major problem is NOT the Linux OS itself, but the modification / customisation made by the notebook manufacturers to make it "unique" for their machine. The problem is, it also make it less tweakable (unless you have a lot of background knowledge about Linux). It is understandable because the majority of people buying computers are not computer-savvy (in any OS) and they are content with relying on what the manufacturer offers pre-loaded - many people don't even know that you can update the software, or that the manufacturers included a special update agent program for this purpose.
Yeah, don't know why they do this. I've played around with some of these custom Linux distros and they work good but can be a pain to tweak, which after using Linux for over 3 yrs is part of the fun of using Linux IMHO.
They should just put Damn Small Linux on the netbooks. DSL works great as a Linux OS and is < 50 MBs in size! DSL is very easy to use and master, with no need to modify.
The real issue is folks are soooooooo used to XP they don't want to try and learn something different.
This leads to an analogy with SO vs. SP:
SO is maybe like Linux - you need to know her every single little detail and quirk to keep her happy. To some it is fun, to others it is PITA ("pain in the ....").
SP is maybe like Windows - you get pampered with everything served up on a silver platter, but you BETTER DAMN PAY FOR IT
P.S: Wow two hobbying analogies in the same forum in one day, I AM HAPPY!!
LOL!
In more ways than you know!!!
And like an SP you BETTER BE PROTECTED because with Windows if you DON'T have a good AV you may get a virus (STD) on your PC!.....
Something you don't have to worry about with your SO or Linux!
not mentioned here but I think it's important to note... what you buy is pretty much what you buy with a netbook. you aren't gonna do any processor or video card upgrades so make sure it's enough to do the job... imo, I love them. sure beats hauling around a 17" laptop that was 'trendy' 4 years ago!
also, the processors are ample to do presentations, surfing is faster than any phone, and it handles documents etc. with ease. wouldn't use it at all for video or gaming, but it handles mp3s fine. I liken it to a desktop from 2003 that runs smoother as you'll have less programs opened at once then you did on the old pentiums.
my major complaint with so many netbooks is =- why do most come with glossy screens? I mean the whole reason to have them small is portability, which may mean opening it up outside or in the car or at the window of a cafe... you can't see anything on glossy screens unless you are in the shade. big messup, imo... and all the brands make mostly glossy screens.
also, the processors are ample to do presentations, surfing is faster than any phone, and it handles documents etc. with ease. wouldn't use it at all for video or gaming, but it handles mp3s fine. I liken it to a desktop from 2003 that runs smoother as you'll have less programs opened at once then you did on the old pentiums.
my major complaint with so many netbooks is =- why do most come with glossy screens? I mean the whole reason to have them small is portability, which may mean opening it up outside or in the car or at the window of a cafe... you can't see anything on glossy screens unless you are in the shade. big messup, imo... and all the brands make mostly glossy screens.
