Netbook?

[mrs.chappie]

Has anyone got a netbook computer? Do you find it okay to use? Any down-side to using one?

My OH said he'd like one, but I would have thought the keyboard would be very small, and he has fat fingers, so I wonder if that would be a problem.

Many thanks for any replies.

xxxx

[fo3nix]

I have the EEE 1000H.

It has a 10" screen, so a touch larger than most of the others. But still far more portable than my 15" laptop.

It's very good. It comes with Windows XP (which you may prefer to GNU/Linux), but most GNU/Linux distributions work well with it too --- I use Ubuntu on mine with no hassle.

I'd suggest going to a computer store and trying them out. Then probably buy online --- usually a fair bit cheaper. ebuyer.com and amazon.co.uk usually have good prices.

Final note: look at the battery capacity and number of cells inside it. The cheaper netbooks only have 3 cells or so, some of the others have 6 cells (like the 1000H I have). This gives a far better battery life, which is the whole point of a netbook.

[mrs.chappie]

Thanks very much fo3nix. I will do some further searching.

[mrs.chappie]

Thanks Knobbs.

[fo3nix]

Yes, some do come supplied with GNU/Linux.

Here are some quick facts:

- There are different versions of GNU/Linux (or just Linux usually). Some are better than others. For some reason, most of the netbook manufacturers including Linux supply poor quality versions. Others, like Ubuntu and Fedora, are better.

- It is difficult to learn, depending on what you want to do. This is simply because most people are used to Windows; Linux is different, and so in that sense is 'hard'.

- It has a 'man in his shed' ethos about it, meaning that sometimes you have to get your hands dirty and think about the nitty gritty stuff (i.e., it's not always Windows point-and-click, but usually is).

- Most versions supplied with Netbooks are deliberately scaled down, with simple large icons for your web browser, word processor, spreadsheet application, etc. This makes it easy to just use, even for a regular Windows user.

- Again, it's best to try it out in a shop and see if you think you can live with the size of the keyboard and screen, and the system itself.