One of the most common questions that I get asked as a computer consultant is; “should I buy a netbook?” Now that almost every major computer manufacturer produces netbooks, and with prices starting as low as $199, it’s easy to see how these compact computers have become increasingly popular with consumers. I too eventually broke down and purchased a netbook and would like to take the opportunity to share my netbook experiences with you in order to help you determine if buying a netbook is right for you.
What is a netbook?
Before we go any further, I should probably describe what a netbook is. A netbook is a compact laptop-like device that is intended primarily for Internet access and light application usage. I have emphasized the word ‘light’ in bold because although a netbook can run Microsoft Office and iTunes acceptably, I would perish the thought of attempting to run a more robust application such as Adobe Photoshop or Visual Studio on a netbook. A netbook will typically have a 7-12 inch screen, and will ship with Windows XP Home, Windows 7 Starter Edition, or Linux as the installed operating system. Of note, netbooks do not ship with DVD drives due to the ultra-compact nature of the product. Since netbook hardware is very similar from model to model, I will not take the time to review one netbook model over another. See below for a list of hardware found on most netbook models;
- Processor – Intel Atom 1.33 or 1.66 GHz
- RAM – 1 or 2 GB
- Hard drive – 160 GB, although some netbooks may have 8 to 32 GB solid state drives.
- Screen – 7 to 12 inch, 1024×600 resolution
- Battery – 3 to 9 cell
- Operating System – Windows XP Home, Windows 7 Starter Edition, or Linux
- 802.11g wireless card
- 100 MB Ethernet
- VGA Out
- USB 2.0
- Integrated Web Camera
My netbook purchase, what I bought and why I bought it.
As I had said before, I too eventually broke down and purchased a netbook. I ended up finding a really good deal on eBay for a gently used Acer Aspire One with an 8.9 inch screen. This netbook was in fact being sold because the former owner didn’t understand the limitations of a netbook at the time that she made her purchase. This unit came shipped with Windows XP Home as the installed operating system and had hardware specs that are very similar to those listed above. I chose to get a netbook with an 8.9 inch screen because I wanted something that was ultra-portable. I already own a loaded Macbook that has a 13.3 inch screen so I figured that it would be silly to purchase a netbook with a larger screen because at that point I might as well just stick to using the far superior MacBook. I also opted for the 3 cell battery, again, for the purpose of remaining ultra-portable. Netbooks with 6 or 9 cell batteries sticking out from the back of the unit look weird and of course weigh more.
Since my netbook came with Windows XP Home pre-installed I promptly upgraded it to Windows 7. Windows XP was great when it came out 8 years ago, but when it comes to safety and security Windows 7 is a must. I used a USB DVD drive to perform the upgrade since netbooks don’t come with DVD drives. Unless you work on computers, you probably don’t have a USB DVD drive just lying around your house. The Windows 7 upgrade went flawlessly so I proceeded to load all of the software that I needed. I again used the USB DVD drive to load Office 2007 and other DVD software that I needed. I chose Norton Antivirus 2010 as my antivirus product since Norton Antivirus 2010 is incredibly efficient when it comes to resource utilization. After I was safe and secure I ventured out on to the Internet for the very first time using Firefox as my web browser of choice. Pages loaded quickly and I was happy with the quality of a test call that I made to a friend using Skype.
So, in summary…
Overall, I was pleased with the performance of my netbook although performance did suffer if I was surfing the web with several Firefox tabs opened at once. The smaller keyboard and touch pad took some getting used to but I eventually got the hang of it. This netbook will in no way ever replace my MacBook… The MacBook is far superior in power and is actually thinner than most netbooks! This is not however, pardon the pun, a fair apples to apples comparison as netbooks just weren’t built to replace full featured laptops. They make great second laptops and I actually tend to use mine in places such as the kitchen where there is just no way that I would put a $1500 laptop in an environment where something could get spilled on it i.e., when I am looking online for my latest and greatest recipe concoction. So in summary, I could not see myself using a netbook as a primary computer. A netbook does however make a great second computer and can come in handy for use in situations where accidents are more likely to happen.
No related posts.
Written by | Mike Steben
Mike enjoys computers and technology, playing the piano, selling stuff on eBay, playing video games, cooking, and eating at Teddy's Pizza. He started CompuNoodle in 2009 and loves to hear from his readers.