Netbooks?

[versatastic]

Does anyone have or has anyone used one of those new tiny little laptops? How well do they handle? I'm thinking of getting one becaused they seem to be so portable and convenient, but the specs are kind of abysmal. My seven year old desktop has a better processor and ram than they do, and it runs at a snail's pace. Then again, I'd only use it for basic stuff like JUB, email, and maybe some simple word docs. It would be a lot easier to carry it nonchalantly in my hand as I walk around campus rather than needing some kind of carrying case like I do for my 15" laptop. So far the pro is ultraportability and the con is severe downgraded performance compared to my current laptop.

 

[harryaoi]

i have 1, 10", well yeah it's very slim and light, but too bad there's no dvd driver.

 

[Persian89]

You mean asus EEE?
Well an Asus EEE with Linux is a good choice.
But also.... if you just want to send email, chat on msn/IRC and check websites.... and Ipod Touch would be sufficent

 

[Paws]

I tested the EEE, I can't stand the small keys of the keyboard.

 

[hummer7979]

I've considered getting a thinkpad x61s as a traveling laptop to supplement a desktop computer at home. It's not the cheapest option though as far as ultra portables, but the weight and keyboard size are nice. Also, it sacrifices the touch pad for a touch point, which I prefer.

I haven't gotten it yet because I don't have money. I'm on an old thinkpad right now and it's still going strong after more than 5 years of use. Some people say they're kind of ugly, but I like them a lot. They're durable and reliable.

 

[hummer7979]

As far as the tiny netbooks, there's also the MSI Wind, which directly competes with the EEEPC. That computer looks very pretty.

 

[ace3316]

Dell computer is also coming out with a Inspiron Mini, but so far the Asus Eee is making netbooks popular.

Versatastic - the specs may appear abysmal compared to current or even dated notebook computers, but netbooks are designed to be portable and allow someone to check and answer email, view webpages, post blogs, and work on word processing documents. Basically, a netbook is a larger smartphone without the built-in phone, for its focus is on portability, online connections, and simple processing. With most netbooks you'll need to carrry a flash drive to store most of your files and projects, or use a service like Google Docs.

 

[versatastic]

Dell computer is also coming out with a Inspiron Mini, but so far the Asus Eee is making netbooks popular.

Versatastic - the specs may appear abysmal compared to current or even dated notebook computers, but netbooks are designed to be portable and allow someone to check and answer email, view webpages, post blogs, and work on word processing documents. Basically, a netbook is a larger smartphone without the built-in phone, for its focus is on portability, online connections, and simple processing. With most netbooks you'll need to carrry a flash drive to store most of your files and projects, or use a service like Google Docs.

Yeah, that's why it's relatively cheap compared to the high end ultraportables. And it does come with linux/ubuntu or windows xp, so the performance will be similar or better than a similarly priced dual core laptop with vista. I just need better reasons to get one other than "I reeeeeeally really want one." I already have 3 computers, my old desktop that stores my 1.5TB of porn, my laptop that I use for everyday stuff and some work/lab stuff, and my desktop in lab that's just for lab. I have to TA all year so I'll be walking all over campus between lab and class, and walking around with a half inch binder and a netbook in one hand and a water bottle in the other would be so much more convenient (and super sexy ) than lugging around a backpack with a bulky laptop that wont even last the whole lecture.

I think my biggest concern is that there's going to be newer/better ones coming out in the future and then I'll be dissatisfied with what I have and wished I would have just waited. But then if I wait for better ones to come out, then I'll think that I should wait longer still for even better ones. The thought will also cross my mind that since I've survived without one, I don't really need one. But then again, the whole reason why I want one is because it's so convenient, not because I desperately need one. Of course I can survive without one, but I'll be much more fulfilled if I do have one, which brings me back to the beginning. Am I willing to spend $500 for unnecessary convenience?

I had this same dilema when I bought my laptop. It's convenient that I can travel with it and bring both work and play with me, but it was a little more of a must-have than a netbook is.

If I get a netbook, then would I travel with both it and my laptop?? That would seem redundant, but also convenient. I could use the netbook on the plane because it's not so bulky and it will last the whole flight. The laptop would serve as my mobile base in the hotel or my parents' house while the netbook would be the satelite/"runabout" for when I don't need the full-powered laptop.

Arrgh! This isn't getting me anywhere. I think I'll just utilize Costco's 90-day trial period to see if my life is really that much better with one.


BTW, HOLY SHIT! I bought my laptop last July for $1500, and right now Dell's inpiron 1525 is $800 and it comes with blu-ray and an HD screen. I'm not really that remorseful though, because my processor is still better and I've gotten so much great use out of it in the past year, and it's a Sony.

 

[Centurion]

I think my biggest concern is that there's going to be newer/better ones coming out in the future and then I'll be dissatisfied with what I have and wished I would have just waited. But then if I wait for better ones to come out, then I'll think that I should wait longer still for even better ones. The thought will also cross my mind that since I've survived without one, I don't really need one. But then again, the whole reason why I want one is because it's so convenient, not because I desperately need one. Of course I can survive without one, but I'll be much more fulfilled if I do have one, which brings me back to the beginning. Am I willing to spend $500 for unnecessary convenience?

I had this same dilema when I bought my laptop. It's convenient that I can travel with it and bring both work and play with me, but it was a little more of a must-have than a netbook is.

If I get a netbook, then would I travel with both it and my laptop?? That would seem redundant, but also convenient. I could use the netbook on the plane because it's not so bulky and it will last the whole flight. The laptop would serve as my mobile base in the hotel or my parents' house while the netbook would be the satelite/"runabout" for when I don't need the full-powered laptop.

Arrgh! This isn't getting me anywhere. I think I'll just utilize Costco's 90-day trial period to see if my life is really that much better with one.

I'd wait just a little bit longer. The forte of netbooks is their extreme portability. But that portability is mitigated by a lack of internet access on the go.

All of the netbooks will soon be offered with wireless 3G access built in. They will likely be sold by the wireless phone carriers in combination with 3G data plans, just as cell phones are sold now. There is even a chance that the netbook computers will be given away "free" with a two year data contract, as are many phones today.

A 3G connected netbook will be significantly more useful than just the 802.11 wireless connections of today's netbooks. While you can always plug in a USB 3G radio device to one of the USB ports, that will never be as good as a built-in connection, of course (especially for portability).

Also, ubuntu (the OS for Dell's netbook but installable on virtually any netbook available) claims to have developed a scheme whereby the OS will manage multiple wireless connections simultaneously. This will allow you to move from job to internet cafe to commuter train to home wireless network, seamlessly maintaining your internet connection throughout! They claim this will be available with ubuntu 8.10, due out October 30.



http://gizmodo.com/5012589/acer-aspire-one-also-priced-to-kick-assus-soon-to-pack-3g

http://jkkmobile.blogspot.com/2008/07/asus-eee-pc-900-with-internal-3g.html

http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/09/08/acer-aspire-one-to-bundle-3g-in-taiwan/

 

[versatastic]

What's better, the 3G system or campus-wide Wi-Fi?

 

[Persian89]

3G for connectivity
WiFi for speed.

 

[ace3316]

Oh boy, and I thought I was one to go back and forth on when and what to buy. As with any piece of technology, newer and improved models will be developed. Netbooks are a completely new development, and any future models will probably be a good improvement over current models. Yet, Netbooks are just being released and introduced to the U.S. market. The companies that make netbooks are still waiting to see if the product will take off here.

Right now, I'd probably just wait and see what develops. If you really want a netbook for its portability, then get one. If you feel it may be an additional thing to carry along with your daily use laptop, then I would wait until you can move and access most of what you need into the "cloud".

I too have been thinking about buying one, but realized that I would be buying one just because it is the latest thing and they look pretty handy to have around. Yet, I just bought a new laptop 9 months ago, and still have a desktop that is in good working order... well that is if I stop tinkering with it.

1.5 tb of porn???

 

[versatastic]

1.5 tb of porn???

HEHEHE It's taken me 10 years to amass that much porn.


I just saw one on display at Best Buy. I'm definitely going to get one now. Its performance looked pretty good, although I didn't have 10 things running at once, and there wasn't an antivirus on it yet. I'm just going to get one from Costco so I can return it in 3 months.

 

[versatastic]

MMM-kay, guys....

So I bit the bullet and bought myself an ASUS EEE with a 12gb ssd. I got it Wednesday night, and two days later I'm ready to throw it against the wall!

Well, first off the good points...
The ssd is awesome as a hard drive. It loads lightning fast. Like seriously, before you can blink twice it's up and ready to go. You don't have to wait for everything to load before starting up internet explorer.

The battery life is supposed to be up to 6-7 hours, but I've had 3 hours on its "super performance mode" with music and a couple of programs running. And of course, it's super ultra mega portable, but I think these three things are all it has going for it.

The keys on the keyboard are so small, and my friend with very tiny hands even has a hard time typing on it. I might be able to get used to it, but that'll take some time. I'm not looking forward to the carpel tunnel sydrome I'm about to cause myself. Right now I'm teaching myself to type with one hand, which saves my wrists a lot of strain.

What really sucks ass is that the "shift" key was cut in half and the "up arrow" is between it and the "?/" key. It's a fucking bitch whenever I try to hit "shift" but end up pressing the fucking up arrow and typing in the middle of the line above.

I have the same problem with the quotes/apostrophe key, which is about 2/3 the size of the other keys. I always press enter accidentally. It's such a fucking bitch to have to pause and check that I'm going to press the right key.

The touch pad doesn't have the functionality that other laptops have. You can't use the sides or bottom for scrolling, which would be invaluable with such a small screen and a laptop whose main purpose is surfing the net. Also, you can't use the corners of the touchpad as hotkeys. In my other laptop, I could use the top right corner as both back and forward buttons depending on the direction of the finger stroke.

Oh, and it doesn't help when the screen comes with a DOA pixel right out of the box.


Anyway, for some more technical issues, I'd like to ask for anyone's help regarding the way they set up the hard drive. It's only 12gb, which is alright since I don't really need too much space. However, they partitioned 3.72gb for the C drive and 7.5gb for the D drive. When I started up for the first time, there was about 200mb free in C:, but now there's only 60mb left! I have a few files saved in D:, and I installed nod32 antivirus, acrobat reader, and software that controls one of the pieces of equipment in my lab also in D:. Why is space being taken up in C: when everything should be in D??

I tried usninstalling a few of the fluff programs like Skype and some msoffice-type ASUS suite that should have freed about 900MB on C:, but it didn't change anything. Now I'm getting pop ups every other minute that say I'm running low on disk space, but there's nothing I can do to free any space. I'm only using 460mb on D: and have 7.04gb free. How can I use the space on D: and prevent any more usage of C???

Is there a way to reformat or repartition without having to comletely reinstall XP?? This thing doesn't have a disk drive and it didn't come with back up disks.

This is so disappointing, and I'm thoroughly depressed right now for dropping $500+tax on this piece of crap. Thank god I bought from Costco. I'm going to be standing in the returns line 2.5 months ahead of schedule.