Tech Blog

[#1]

Ah back to school time. The time when lots of fresh young minds get their first machine of their own. Me? Mac SE in 1987. But what today some twenty years later? Most students aren't going to get a desktop machine, something more portable is in the offing. If I were writing this last summer the answer would be simple: find a laptop that fits your needs and budget. Today? Today we have laptops and netbooks as real options. So which is right for you? Which would I pick if I were going to school today?

I was thinking about this question even before I read Brad's post--Back to school without breaking the bank - Tech Blog - Future Shop Community Forums--so I'll add budget to my thinking now too.

Netbooks are really slick little machines. I'm going to emphasize little here. They are generally limited in screen size, RAM, hard drive space and keyboard size. Yes, I have a netbook, and it's great for limited writing, but I couldn't do more than take basic notes on it.

What about adding an external keyboard and monitor? Maybe throw in an SD card or two for more storage...

Sure these are all great ideas, but the problem is now that you're adding more cost to the purchase to make it serviceable for more than note-taker.

Where does a netbook fit in then? If you have a desktop machine and just need a tote around, then I think a netbook would be something to consider, but as a primary machine ... maybe not.

Message Edited by ElizabethS on 09-10-2009 09:47 PM

[#2]

Great post! I think you've hit the nail on the head exactly when it comes to the netbook versus laptop conundrum.  I'm firmly on the side of laptops, but that's only because I use a laptop as my primary machine (perhaps this is why, although I use services like Dropbox, I can never leverage them to their full potential).  I can see the utility of a netbook if you've got a desktop back home to do the heavy lifting.

Rather than getting a netbook, I'm holding out for a smartphone (ideally I'd love to get something Android, but I won't go to Rogers for it...). I see it as a better device for something "a tote around," although I wouldn't use it for note-taking.  If I know I'm going somewhere I'll need a computer, I bring my computer; otherwise, it stays at home--and then if I get a good smartphone, I can take it along just in case....  I'm inevitably speaking on behalf of my lifestyle, in that I don't spend much time in transition; I'm either at work, school, home, or rarely, out.  Netbooks just feel like too much of a middle child to me, neither laptop nor PDA.

[#3]

I wonder if the newer netbooks with larger keyboards help. I think tiny is great, but it's really hard to do much.

[#4]

I think netbooks are great. I'm always banging on about my Samsung NC10 but the HP Mini, for example, has a fantastic keyboard and a decent battery life. I've messed around with quite a few and have found them to be fairly decent as a "main" (non gaming) PC as long as you have a mouse for long work periods. I've found them comfortable to run Word, Photoshop, Media Player and Firefox (all at the same time!)

In general I've wondered what I'd need any more power for. The benefit of having something that weighs almost nothing and can run all day without being plugged in - especially when I'm out and about - is just such a positive.

[#5]

Mathew, I stand corrected. I tried the HP Mini (Rogers version) and was really impressed with the size of the keyboard. I think I could use that one for a good period of time. Maybe what I need to do it really spend time with my Eee PC 901 and tune it.

[#6]

I'm thinking a slightly larger netbook would fit the bill. I have an eeePC 8g (aka 701 with 8GB), and find it useful for less intensive keyboarding tasks, for me the screen is too small, and the keyboard layout takes a bit to get used to, and it only has a few hours of battery life.

I have been tweaking it, and I blogged a while ago about my latest tweaks here, but I'm still not satisfied. I'm not done yet I predict more tweakage in the future.

[#7]

Yeah - you don't want to go any less than ten inches

(that's what she said)

[#8]

So not going there..

[#9]

Lol! (I'm so not going there either, especially as a girl! )

Netbooks are great, but I will agree, they are not to be used as a primary machine.  Anyone who buys one for that purpose will be sorrily disappointed.  But for a highly portable computer that is only going to be used for fairly minor uses (internet, word processing, email, etc.), they can be life savers (some days, lugging around my 16" laptop is just too much).

A few things for people to be aware of:
     1.  Small keyboard - while some netbooks have decent keyboards (like the HP Mini, which has a 92% keyboard), most netbooks do have small cramped keyboards that can be difficult to type on.  Good news though, with time, you can usually get used to it (so long as you don't get carpal tunnel first).

     2.  Battery life - most netbooks do not have very good battery life.  If you want more than 2 hours of guaranteed battery life, invest in a 6-cell battery as well, or take a look at the Asus Eeee (apparently they have a model with 10.5 hours of battery life - very impressive if true).  Good news here is that the power adapters are usually much smaller than normal laptop power adapters, and as such, they are pretty portable as well (not a killer to take along to campus).

     3.  Power - netbooks are not powerhouses, so don't expect them to be.  Just to experiment, I tried converting a 30 page document on my netbook using Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional and Windows 7 RC.  It took ~2 minutes if memory serves in order to convert it with all the tags, etc.  The same document on my main laptop took under 30 seconds (sorry, I don't remember the specific numbers).  They also do not handle multitasking all that well (not horrible, but not great either).

     4.  Size - This is both a good and bad thing.  Because they are so portable, netbooks are great to pack in your backpack or even just a small(ish) shoulder bag.  But because they are so portable, you're also more likely to damage them due to dropping, etc.  Just because they're portable, doesn't mean they're tough.

     5.  Disk drive - there is none.  So at the very least you need another computer and a flash drive for transferring the files on CD.  Ideally, I'd suggest an external disk drive.  I have one from a few years ago and it makes my life so much easier.

All of this said, as long as you know what you're getting yourself into, netbooks can be great.  Otherwise, I'd much rather recommend a 14" laptop which gives a nice blend between portability and usability. 

[#10]

Krypto, thank you for a great (as always) detailed post on the issues. I have to find good solutions and ways to use my own netbook.