How do you guys like Netbooks, and who makes the best? (DVD, laptop)

[marc515]

I was thinking of getting a Netbook just for surfing, etc. But I also understand you can get MS Office loaded onto them now.

I figure a netbook will also save on the use of our laptop.

So, who makes the best Netbook, with the best battery lfe and usefulness.

Thank you.

[Bo]

I've owned two Asus netbooks, the 4G Surf XP and the 1005HA. AFAIK, Asus was the brand that introduced netbooks to the world back in 2007. IMO, Asus netbooks offer an excellent balance of price/performance.

The longer the battery life, the heavier the battery. I know a guy who has an aftermarket battery that lets his netbook run 12 hours of normal use, but it also makes the netbook stick up about an inch from the table. I prefer to keep my netbooks small and light, so I consider the 3 hours of battery life that I get on mine to be adequate.

[swagger]

They're great if you need something that's very portable. There are caveats, however.

#1 - The keyboards are small. Don't expect to do any significant amount of touch typing without pulling your hair out after a while. My girlfriend got around this by getting a small/cheap USB keyboard that she sets in front of the netbook, and that works great, but having an external keyboard plugged in may not fit your situation.

#2 - The displays are small. Plan on doing a lot of scrolling.

#3 - No optical drive. This usually isn't much of a problem for everyday use, but loading up your favorite apps could be problematic if you don't have an external CD/DVD drive or a home network setup so that you can install stuff from a disc in another machine.

#4 - Lack of horsepower. These aren't high-end gaming machines - or even close. Some even have Atom processors. Doesn't sound like a problem for you based on your OP, but I thought I'd throw it in there for others that might be reading.

If those are all limitations that you can deal with, then they're great. The main thing is the keyboard. Most people don't realize just how small they are, and they expect that they're going to replace their full size laptop with the netbook - and quickly change their mind.

[pcbuilder]

You should probably go to a couple different stores that have netbooks on display and try them out. Try different models, try typing and other things you might be doing on a netbook. Read up on the processors that are available in netbooks. Then find a netbook that suits you best.

[Narfcake]

Originally Posted by swagger

They're great if you need something that's very portable. There are caveats, however.

#1 - The keyboards are small. Don't expect to do any significant amount of touch typing without pulling your hair out after a while. My girlfriend got around this by getting a small/cheap USB keyboard that she sets in front of the netbook, and that works great, but having an external keyboard plugged in may not fit your situation.

...

#4 - Lack of horsepower. These aren't high-end gaming machines - or even close. Some even have Atom processors. Doesn't sound like a problem for you based on your OP, but I thought I'd throw it in there for others that might be reading.

The keyboard was the biggest reason for me. I tried ... and just couldn't live with a less-than-standard-spaced keyboard. Some manufacturer's odd key placements don't help either ...

As for processing power ... an Atom compares with a 7 year old 1GHz Pentium M (Banias). It's not fast by any means - it's purpose is power conservation.

FWIW, instead of a netbook, I bought an off-lease Dell D620 instead. A bit heavier at 5 lbs., but 14" widescreen, dual core (Merom), and a 100-day warranty (from Dell) for $235. Remove the DVD burner and plop in a second battery - 7+ hours away from the plug.