Strands #248 “Strumming Right...
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Is a Netbook a Laptop?
10 Answers
I have a laptop - but it is a few years old and is quite big and heavy to use when travelling.
I saw Netbooks that weighed about 1kg, but do these machines have the ability to write documents? I would want a machine that surfs, emails and has, maybe, MS Office. I don't play games and wouldn't be bothered about downloading music onto it or anything too complicated. Built-in wi-fi comes with most new models these days.
The lightest laptop that Comet had on display was 2kg. This is about half the weigh of the one that I have.
I saw Netbooks that weighed about 1kg, but do these machines have the ability to write documents? I would want a machine that surfs, emails and has, maybe, MS Office. I don't play games and wouldn't be bothered about downloading music onto it or anything too complicated. Built-in wi-fi comes with most new models these days.
The lightest laptop that Comet had on display was 2kg. This is about half the weigh of the one that I have.
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Most of the netbooks I've seen come with openoffice pre installed so you can write documents on them.
Keep in mind though that a 7" screen and the tiny keyboard may not the be most comfortable thing on either the eyes or for typing if your planing on writing the follow up to war and peace.
Think it's fairly safe to say that all new models of either laptop or netbook come with wireless now. (somebody is goinig to post a link to one that doesn't now, just to prove me wrong :))
Keep in mind though that a 7" screen and the tiny keyboard may not the be most comfortable thing on either the eyes or for typing if your planing on writing the follow up to war and peace.
Think it's fairly safe to say that all new models of either laptop or netbook come with wireless now. (somebody is goinig to post a link to one that doesn't now, just to prove me wrong :))
I replaced my aging laptop with a new Dell Inspiron Mini 9.
For me it's great. I personally have no problem with the smaller keys but if you have thick fingers, you may.
It has Windows XP and comes with Microsoft Works, though I've put Open Office on mine instead. WiFi, bluetooth are there and I use a mobile internet dongle (though can hook up via bluetooth to my mobile phone). But at less than �300 including delivery, it's good value in my opinion.
For me it's great. I personally have no problem with the smaller keys but if you have thick fingers, you may.
It has Windows XP and comes with Microsoft Works, though I've put Open Office on mine instead. WiFi, bluetooth are there and I use a mobile internet dongle (though can hook up via bluetooth to my mobile phone). But at less than �300 including delivery, it's good value in my opinion.
If I were travelling about I would buy a small netbook without hesitation - very light and convenient.
However, I wouldn't want one as my only pc. The hard drives are generally small, the keyboard and screen to small for extended use, usually no dvd drive and so on.
For their intended use - browsing the internet, emailing, doing short admin tasks on the move - they are fantastic.
PCs are cheap enough now to be able to buy a netbook and desktop or large laptop for the same price as a desktop two or three years ago
However, I wouldn't want one as my only pc. The hard drives are generally small, the keyboard and screen to small for extended use, usually no dvd drive and so on.
For their intended use - browsing the internet, emailing, doing short admin tasks on the move - they are fantastic.
PCs are cheap enough now to be able to buy a netbook and desktop or large laptop for the same price as a desktop two or three years ago
I have a Asus EEE 1000H.
It came with Windows XP and a suite of programs, but I put Ubuntu on it (a version of a different operating system called GNU/Linux).
Some of the other netbooks come with other versions of GNU/Linux installed, such as the Dell Mini 9 mentioned above. It functions in a very similar way to Windows, and if you just use it to browse the internet and type documents you shouldn't notice that much of a difference. But it is different, and will probably take you a few weeks to get used to.
While I'd love to push you towards a netbook with GNU/Linux installed (in many ways superior to Windows), one like my 1000H that comes with Windows XP may be better, simply because there's less new stuff for you to have to learn.
As Ethel says, they don't usually come with CD-ROM drives, or additional ports on them from the bare minimum. But if you have another computer, or can survive with the machine for surfing the web, email, some light games and general office-type use, then you'll love them!
Note the sizes of screen and keyboards. Because they're so small (as Chuck says at the top, some come with 7" screens), they're not great for writing more than a few paragraphs on. But some (like my 1000H, the Dell mini, the acer aspire one...) come with 10" screens that are far more suitable, and larger keyboards that are almost full-size laptop keyboards. Perfectly suited for typing on.
It came with Windows XP and a suite of programs, but I put Ubuntu on it (a version of a different operating system called GNU/Linux).
Some of the other netbooks come with other versions of GNU/Linux installed, such as the Dell Mini 9 mentioned above. It functions in a very similar way to Windows, and if you just use it to browse the internet and type documents you shouldn't notice that much of a difference. But it is different, and will probably take you a few weeks to get used to.
While I'd love to push you towards a netbook with GNU/Linux installed (in many ways superior to Windows), one like my 1000H that comes with Windows XP may be better, simply because there's less new stuff for you to have to learn.
As Ethel says, they don't usually come with CD-ROM drives, or additional ports on them from the bare minimum. But if you have another computer, or can survive with the machine for surfing the web, email, some light games and general office-type use, then you'll love them!
Note the sizes of screen and keyboards. Because they're so small (as Chuck says at the top, some come with 7" screens), they're not great for writing more than a few paragraphs on. But some (like my 1000H, the Dell mini, the acer aspire one...) come with 10" screens that are far more suitable, and larger keyboards that are almost full-size laptop keyboards. Perfectly suited for typing on.
Thanks to all of you.
I already have a good computer for my daily use and a laptop to use when I am having a duvet day.
However I am intending to do a bit of travelling (nowhere exciting) next year and it would be ideal if I could take a laptop so that I could work on my book - I would need to have a keyboard that would be comfortable for long-term use.
I would need to be able to transfer the work done on the new machine to my main computer. I could always email it to myself as an attachment.
Windows XP is really what I want. I am not sure whether Linux is a good software or not.
Although I am female I like gadgets and I want a tiddly laptop - I don't actually need it . I can take my dell laptop with me when I go walkabout, but it is nearly 4kg and it is quite big and unwieldy
I already have a good computer for my daily use and a laptop to use when I am having a duvet day.
However I am intending to do a bit of travelling (nowhere exciting) next year and it would be ideal if I could take a laptop so that I could work on my book - I would need to have a keyboard that would be comfortable for long-term use.
I would need to be able to transfer the work done on the new machine to my main computer. I could always email it to myself as an attachment.
Windows XP is really what I want. I am not sure whether Linux is a good software or not.
Although I am female I like gadgets and I want a tiddly laptop - I don't actually need it . I can take my dell laptop with me when I go walkabout, but it is nearly 4kg and it is quite big and unwieldy
GNU/Linux is excellent, but just like changing from Windows to Mac OS X, it's different so it takes some getting used to.
They have the Acer Aspire One's in Dixons, which have similar keyboard sizes to the EEE 1000H and Dell models. I'd definitely try it out first, and see if you think you'd be comfortable typing on it for a decent length of time.
The EEE 70x series, and other smaller netbooks, are unlikely to be suitable for you I would think.
They have the Acer Aspire One's in Dixons, which have similar keyboard sizes to the EEE 1000H and Dell models. I'd definitely try it out first, and see if you think you'd be comfortable typing on it for a decent length of time.
The EEE 70x series, and other smaller netbooks, are unlikely to be suitable for you I would think.
The Acer Aspire One is getting excellent reviews:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Acer-Aspire-One-Netboo k-Sapphire/dp/B001BZ9234
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Acer-Aspire-One-Netboo k-Sapphire/dp/B001BZ9234
I just want to note some things:
The Linux kernel is still a bit iffy with some hardware used in certain laptops. So it's best --- if you intend to install a GNU/Linux distro onto your laptop --- to buy a laptop with GNU/Linux preinstalled or a good community round running the Linux kernel on that device.
The EEE PCs match both of those requirements, hence why I chose that over others like the Aspire One.
Also, regardless of whether you choose XP or GNU/Linux, note the battery capacity.
Some of the manufacturers (I'm looking at you, Acer and Dell), skimp a bit by only putting in a 3 cell battery. The ASUS 1000H (and others), come with a 6 cell battery by default, so you can use it for a lot longer.
I find that I get over 5 hours on my 1000H, which is useful for me.
The Linux kernel is still a bit iffy with some hardware used in certain laptops. So it's best --- if you intend to install a GNU/Linux distro onto your laptop --- to buy a laptop with GNU/Linux preinstalled or a good community round running the Linux kernel on that device.
The EEE PCs match both of those requirements, hence why I chose that over others like the Aspire One.
Also, regardless of whether you choose XP or GNU/Linux, note the battery capacity.
Some of the manufacturers (I'm looking at you, Acer and Dell), skimp a bit by only putting in a 3 cell battery. The ASUS 1000H (and others), come with a 6 cell battery by default, so you can use it for a lot longer.
I find that I get over 5 hours on my 1000H, which is useful for me.
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