Laptop Vs Netbook

BaileysComet

I'm thinking of buying a laptop or a netbook. I'd really only be using it for browsing, nothing too taxing so I thought a netbook might be enough.

Does anyone have a netbook and would you recommend it or should I opt for a full size laptop? Does the smaller screen bother you after a while?

All advice appreciated.

Tom Dunne

The way I would look at it is this - will you be travelling with device?

If so, a netbook would be better, simply because of it's size. If, however, you are really only using it around the house, on the couch, in the back garden, etc., then a notebook, with it's bigger screen would be better.

I was playing around with a netbook yesterday and I simply couldn't type on the damn thing with my fat fingers . Having said that, it would be ideal for me on the train each morning, given it's size and the fact that I would only be using it for 20-30 mins to check a few mails and stuff.

BaileysComet

Thank you for your reply Tom.

I don't know if I'd be travelling with it enough for the portablity to be worth the size. But I'm mainly concerned with the features of a netbook. Can it handle the browsing and some light Word & Excel? If so, then it's really just the size that's an issue.

Alanstrainor

BaileysComet wrote: »

Thank you for your reply Tom.

I don't know if I'd be travelling with it enough for the portablity to be worth the size. But I'm mainly concerned with the features of a netbook. Can it handle the browsing and some light Word & Excel? If so, then it's really just the size that's an issue.

Yes it's handle browsing and excel/word grand. I've got a netbook, although i don't travel much, i find myself using it quite a lot around the house. And it's dead handy when i am travelling. Just make sure, if you buy a netbook, that you buy one with a 6+ hour battery life as anything less just defeats the purpose.

Tom Dunne

BaileysComet wrote: »

I don't know if I'd be travelling with it enough for the portablity to be worth the size.

Well then I think you have your answer there.

BaileysComet wrote: »

But I'm mainly concerned with the features of a netbook. Can it handle the browsing and some light Word & Excel? If so, then it's really just the size that's an issue.

While I haven't actually used Word and Excel on a netbook, I would say they could handle small documents/spreadsheets without problem. Just don't go doing your magnus opus or end of year financial results on them, and you will be fine.

Fysh

If you do go for a netbook, will you be looking for Windows on it? Because if so you'll want something with a normal hard drive, rather than a solid state disk - running Windows on an SSD will just wear it out faster due to the regularity of information being written to the disk. Personally I prefer the Linux/SSD combination because you can get faster boot times and better performance from limited hardware, but that's a choice you have to make.

The other important question is, will this be your main/only computer? If so, I wouldn't suggest a netbook unless you've already played around with one and are definitely happy with it. A lot of people convince themselves that a netbook would suit their needs, but end up thinking of it as a small laptop - when the truth is, it's anything but. It can run a browser (though anything more than about 3 tabs open at a tme will tax it), it can run open office (though again if you're using large documents or doing intensive work, it'll tax it), and you can run a few other things on them. But you won't be able to run applications, or full games, or watch DVDs - heck, even AVI files can tax them sometimes depending on how they're encoded.

I've had a Eee701 for over a year at this stage and am delighted with it; I have it in my bag whenever I leave the house and there have been several times where it's been a life-saver (looking up maps/info online, etc) and also just convenient to have (passing time with built-in games, using it to read ebooks, watch episodes of cartoons & tv shows etc). I couldn't use it as a primary computer though.

BaileysComet

Excellent advice, thank you everyone.

Fysh wrote: »

If you do go for a netbook, will you be looking for Windows on it?

I've never used Linux but if it's the better OS then I certainly wouldn't mind.

Fysh wrote: »

The other important question is, will this be your main/only computer?

No, this would be very much a secondary computer. I also have a PC.

I'm still in two minds but at least I have now seperated the two in my mind. I admit I was thinking of a netbook as being a small laptop but now I'm seeing it more like a big Nintendo DS with Internet access!

jimmycrackcorm

Probably the ideal compromise is a small laptop with a 12 or 13 inch screen.

Amalgam

Fysh wrote: »

If you do go for a netbook, will you be looking for Windows on it? Because if so you'll want something with a normal hard drive, rather than a solid state disk - running Windows on an SSD will just wear it out faster due to the regularity of information being written to the disk. Personally I prefer the Linux/SSD combination because you can get faster boot times and better performance from limited hardware, but that's a choice you have to make.

Can I disagree politely?

The SSD will wear out eventually, but not within a normal netbook's lifetime, It's not really fair putting that issue on the table, for someone that might not be too up on technology, to worry about..

An SSD has many advantages, basically, you can literally throw the netbook about, or have it swinging from your hip, or cycle with it, without any worries.

Once past the boot up, the netbook will behave normally, SSD or not, there aren't really that many issues with web browsing, as all browsers can have their cache in memory, or tweaked in other ways.

What I would encourage is a 2GB stick in a typical netbook. You can then disable the 'paging file' (System>System Properties>Advanced>Environment Variables) in XP and the netbook will be all the better for it.

Linux\Windows? Use the OS that works for you, don't worry about someone else's needs, worry about your own. If Linux suits your needs, use that, if XP suits your needs, use that.. without guilt.

Performance in netbooks between Windows and Linux can be subjective. There's not really much room to maneuver, given the hardware. I use both.

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I use an Eee 900 with XP and Linux, the keyboard is not suited to any kind of quick typing. If the OP is looking to buy, make sure the ergonomics of the netbook suit, is the screen matt or gloss, can you live with the size and shape of the keyboard keys.

I loathe the new generation of phones that 'aren't quite' a laptop. I am a happy Nokia 6230 user that carries around an Eee with a 3 dongle to get the full nine yards of browsing features.