Best Netbook?

budhabob

Hi All,

Yet another thread seeking advice.

I'm flirting with the idea of purchasing a netbook to complement my PC at home. I'm considering doing a part time course in September and think the portability of a netbook would be great since I commute by train. I have been recommended one particular netbook and was wondering is there any others I should be looking at?

Acer Aspire One 522 10.1 inch Netbook (AMD Dual-Core Processor C-50, 1 GB RAM , 250 GB HDD, Windows 7 Starter 32-bit, up to 6 hours battery life). It works out at around 300euro delivered by amazon.

Thanks in advance,

Rob

Kavrocks

The best netbook is the one that suits your needs the best. You should forget about looking at specific netbooks until you are sure of what your needs actually are.

budhabob

Kavrocks wrote: »

The best netbook is the one that suits your needs the best. You should forget about looking at specific netbooks until you are sure of what your needs actually are.

Ya,I probably should have specified that. BAsically my needs would be :
small, light, 5-6hrs battery, windows 7, and office 2010 (probably student version as I'd only need the basics). I'd also like it to last 2years to finish the course barring accidents. I'd like a decent quality screen and not to sluggish. Obviously I know its a netbook so I don't expect amazing speed but that's the trade off for size and cost.

GarIT

If you want something to last don't go anywhere near acer or emachines, I work in laptop repair and there always breaking. There both made by the same people I think and they are both a nightmare

Dman001

While 10" Netbooks are usable, I would still go for a 12"-13" screen Netbook, or even a 11". There is much more comfort with the bigger screen.

budhabob

Dman001 wrote: »

While 10" Netbooks are usable, I would still go for a 12"-13" screen Netbook, or even a 11". There is much more comfort with the bigger screen.

So would you recommend any particular models?

Dman001

budhabob wrote: »

So would you recommend any particular models?

The Netbook you quoted in your original post is a very good spec. The processor is very good, and should be able to handle HD videos and the likes. The only problem I could see is that it runs Windows 7 Starter, which is a slightly scaled down version of Windows 7. But it's fine for basic computing. As I said above, personally I wouldn't go for a 10" Netbook. I am currently using one, and can get frustrating to use at times. I'd recommend going into the likes of Currys/PC World and playing with a few different Netbooks to see what suits you.

On a side note, I believe the Acer Netbook you mentioned is only available in the US, but I could be wrong.

budhabob

Dman001 wrote: »

The Netbook you quoted in your original post is a very good spec. The processor is very good, and should be able to handle HD videos and the likes. The only problem I could see is that it runs Windows 7 Starter, which is a slightly scaled down version of Windows 7. But it's fine for basic computing. As I said above, personally I wouldn't go for a 10" Netbook. I am currently using one, and can get frustrating to use at times. I'd recommend going into the likes of Currys/PC World and playing with a few different Netbooks to see what suits you.

On a side note, I believe the Acer Netbook you mentioned is only available in the US, but I could be wrong.

THanks man,its on amazon I think so should be ok. Think its the right choice, but I agree an 11inch screen might be better. I'll have a look around.

William Powell

budhabob wrote: »

THanks man,its on amazon I think so should be ok. Think its the right choice, but I agree an 11inch screen might be better. I'll have a look around.

That would be amazon.co.uk and not amazon.com I hope?

Edit: Allow another 25% on the price for VAT and paper work to cover inport duties if its amazon.com

budhabob

William Powell wrote: »

That would be amazon.co.uk and not amazon.com I hope?

Edit: Allow another 25% on the price for VAT and paper work to cover inport duties if its amazon.com

Cheers for this, I'm pretty sure I found it on the uk website, I'm only on my phone now so I'll double check later.

Dman001

I just came across this Netbook today, the Lenovo Ideapad S205. Has a Dual-Core AMD Fusion APU, 2Gb RAM, 250GB HDD, 11.6" Screen and Windows 7 Home Premium for €350. Great spec Netbbok for a good price. But I'd still hold out for reviews before purchasing.

http://www.dabs.ie/products/lenovo-ideapad-s205-amd-e350-2gb-250gb-11-6--w7hp-7FQQ.html?fb=600

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lenovo-Ideapad-Notebook-Windows-Premium/dp/B004TQQCAS

http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/lenovo-ideapad-s205/4505-3121_7-34467065.html

budhabob

Dman001 wrote: »

I just came across this Netbook today, the Lenovo Ideapad S205. Has a Dual-Core AMD Fusion APU, 2Gb RAM, 250GB HDD, 11.6" Screen and Windows 7 Home Premium for €350. Great spec Netbbok for a good price. But I'd still hold out for reviews before purchasing.

http://www.dabs.ie/products/lenovo-ideapad-s205-amd-e350-2gb-250gb-11-6--w7hp-7FQQ.html?fb=600

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lenovo-Ideapad-Notebook-Windows-Premium/dp/B004TQQCAS

http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/lenovo-ideapad-s205/4505-3121_7-34467065.html

Thanks for THIs Dman. It looks like a definite runner, especially with the slightly bigger screen. As you say, I'll hold off a wee while for the reviews to come in.

definitely go for 11.6 or 12 inch screen - screen will be more usable from both size and resolution (a lot of 10 inch netbooks have lower res screens) point of view and slightly bigger keyboard will be way better for typing. I use an 11.6 as my main laptop - very portable and usable overall. I have several mates who have given up on their 10 inch netbooks after a while. that lenovo looks nice - no hdmi tho which can be very handy for connecting to tv for watching video files. strange 'cos this model seems v.similar and does have hdmi...

http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/Lenovo_IdeaPad_S205_1076388.html

edit - think that amazon are wrong - it does have hdmi

Dman001

Yep it has HDMI, but Amazon don't list it for some reason. Dabs do though.

budhabob

It looks good the more I look at it. I wouldn't have had much interest in a lenovo brand before cuz I hadn't heard much of them, but I read a thread on here saying they were one of the most reliable brands.

THe specs of the netbook I posted and this seem very similar so the screen might just win it. THanks all.

Dman001

Lenovo are very reliable, my only gripe on the laptop is the colour. But it is only a minor detail, very nice Netbook apart from that.

indough

Dman001 wrote: »

I just came across this Netbook today, the Lenovo Ideapad S205. Has a Dual-Core AMD Fusion APU, 2Gb RAM, 250GB HDD, 11.6" Screen and Windows 7 Home Premium for €350. Great spec Netbbok for a good price. But I'd still hold out for reviews before purchasing.

http://www.dabs.ie/products/lenovo-ideapad-s205-amd-e350-2gb-250gb-11-6--w7hp-7FQQ.html?fb=600

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lenovo-Ideapad-Notebook-Windows-Premium/dp/B004TQQCAS

http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/lenovo-ideapad-s205/4505-3121_7-34467065.html

either this or the asus 1215B (the e-350 model, which is upgradable to 8gig ram despite the official specs, but not yet available over here)

Dman001

indough wrote: »

either this or the asus 1215B (the e-350 model, which is upgradable to 8gig ram despite the official specs, but not yet available over here)

Ya the Lenovo is the first Netbook with the E-350 (Fusion) APUs I've come across that is available here. It's a pity because they are supposed to give great performance, but the Lenovo looks very decent. Hopefully reviews will come in soon.

indough

Its on hardwareversande but its expensive and they only have the glossy model (hate glossy). Pretty much identical to the lenovo apart from design but id also prefer to support taiwanese business (asus) over chinese (lenovo), just for political reasons!

Dman001

indough wrote: »

Its on hardwareversande but its expensive and they only have the glossy model (hate glossy). Pretty much identical to the lenovo apart from design but id also prefer to support taiwanese business (asus) over chinese (lenovo), just for political reasons!

Yes the Asus 1215B is available here, for €399.99:
http://www1.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?adp=0&aid=44050&agid=877&apop=2

The only difference is the bigger screen (12.1"). I think I prefer the look of the Asus but don't know if it's worth the extra €50. Do you know how much delivery is with this crowd though?

indough

They have a 30 quid flat rate plus they charge 3% extra for paypal as they prefer to use bank transfer

I was thinking about getting one fron them but its only practical really because I'm ordering a build through them for someone else (thus saving the shipping cost). Otherwise the 30 euro is a bit of a put off

indough

I just noticed that one on hardwareversande is the c-50 version, the other one appears to be gone from their system now, it was around 450euro when it was up on there

Dman001

indough wrote: »

They have a 30 quid flat rate plus they charge 3% extra for paypal as they prefer to use bank transfer

I was thinking about getting one fron them but its only practical really because I'm ordering a build through them for someone else (thus saving the shipping cost). Otherwise the 30 euro is a bit of a put off

Yeah the Lenovo works out at around €345 delivered on Amazon, the extra €80+ for the Asus isn't worth it IMO.

Caked Karen

hey guys,

thought id jump on here as looking for a netbook aswell...only main difference with me is i am looking for one for travelling so essentially light, compact and space

this is one that i was looking at if it might help the OP (or if anyone things its brutal )

http://www.dabs.ie/products/samsung-n150---intel-atom-dual-core-n550-1gb-ram-250gb-hdd-10--windows-7-starter-netbook---blue-79N4.html

thanks
karen

Dman001

Caked Karen wrote: »

hey guys,

thought id jump on here as looking for a netbook aswell...only main difference with me is i am looking for one for travelling so essentially light, compact and space

this is one that i was looking at if it might help the OP (or if anyone things its brutal )

http://www.dabs.ie/products/samsung-n150---intel-atom-dual-core-n550-1gb-ram-250gb-hdd-10--windows-7-starter-netbook---blue-79N4.html

thanks
karen

Samsung Netbooks are very good. Majority of 10" Netbooks are the same when it comes to weight and portability. But 11"-12" models will offer bigger, more spacious keyboards. The N150 is a decent spec for light weight stuff such as browsing or creating Word Documents. But won't be able to handle anything like HD Videos.

indough

Dman001 wrote: »

Yeah the Lenovo works out at around €345 delivered on Amazon, the extra €80+ for the Asus isn't worth it IMO.

Even that isn't in stock till the 28th, id wager the prices will be pretty much the same by that stage. Hopefully anyway as ill probably be getting one and id prefer the asus

Dman001

indough wrote: »

Even that isn't in stock till the 28th, id wager the prices will be pretty much the same by that stage. Hopefully anyway as ill probably be getting one and id prefer the asus

Have you looked into the Asus 1215N, with the ION2 Graphics Card? Apparently it gives better performance than the Fusion APUs but it is pricier.

Caked Karen

thanks Dman - the main thing in my case is a netbook that is light and the battery life. after that its emails/browsing and editing photos..i would use it a good bit for movies/tv show watching while travelling so do you think it would still be fine for divx/avi?also would the 10' just drive you made trying to watch them?

sorry OP for jumping on the thread!

Dman001

Caked Karen wrote: »

thanks Dman - the main thing in my case is a netbook that is light and the battery life. after that its emails/browsing and editing photos..i would use it a good bit for movies/tv show watching while travelling so do you think it would still be fine for divx/avi?also would the 10' just drive you made trying to watch them?

sorry OP for jumping on the thread!

The N150 would be fine for playing SD Divx/AVI files, the VLC Player works great on Netbooks so would recommend downloading it to watch your films. The 10" is great for watching videos too, I think it's a perfect size. But I would still recommend going into Currys/PC World and playing around with a few to see what suits you. Have a look here too for a few of the better Netbooks around:
http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/best-netbook-top-14-in-the-world-today-699790

budhabob

Caked Karen wrote: »

sorry OP for jumping on the thread!

And so you should do!!!!

Only messing, the more info i get from differend posts the better. Thanks for all the feedback everyone.

JDPhotography

http://www.currys.ie/Product/PACKARD-BELL-DOT-SER410UK-Red-Netbook/297216/149

got this today as my 15.4" laptop is just way to heavy for carrying around all day.

got it mainly for my photography use for quick edit and quick upload.

10.1 inch screen
1gb ram/ i am going to upgrade to 2gb
250gb hdd
7.5 to 8 hours battery
windows 7 starter
full version of Adobe Photoshop Elements 8

very very light and also comes with a nice little sleeve pocket for minding and carrying around

Jamie Donnelly

spr1nt3r

Being a proud owner of few IBM and Lenovo PCs and laptops in the past I can tell you that they are very solid build laptops, perform well and are priced just right (provided you shop around).
I have ordered Lenovo Ideapad S205 for my other half, and though I know she might not be entirely happy with the color or shape of it, she will get her value in performance and reliability.
If funds are not available you can always go for ASUS. ASUS 1015px is quite a smart netbook, very good battery life, plays 1080p youtube and PC clips, costs around €50 less than Lenovo but has no dedicated GPU (Intel GPU is lightyears behind IMO).
Am waiting for more funds to come my way and thinking of getting the Lenovo Ideapad S205 for myself too. Will post if won't forget my first impressions.
Hope that helps.

p.s. HP, DELL and Acer although are cheap and better specs would not be remotely recommended by me. Unless the store you buy is next door and in case (or when) it breaks you can get a replacement immediatelly. Just my opinion. Mind you no reason they should fail (except poor build quality) if looked after properly and handled with care.

The Sparrow

spr1nt3r wrote: »

Being a proud owner of few IBM and Lenovo PCs and laptops in the past I can tell you that they are very solid build laptops, perform well and are priced just right (provided you shop around).
I have ordered Lenovo Ideapad S205 for my other half, and though I know she might not be entirely happy with the color or shape of it, she will get her value in performance and reliability.

Am waiting for more funds to come my way and thinking of getting the Lenovo Ideapad S205 for myself too. Will post if won't forget my first impressions.
Hope that helps.

Where did you order it from? I'm leaning very heavily towards getting one also so it would be fantastic if you would post your impressions of it when it arrives.

spr1nt3r

The Sparrow wrote: »

Where did you order it from? I'm leaning very heavily towards getting one also so it would be fantastic if you would post your impressions of it when it arrives.

Am getting one of Amazon.co.uk. €360, shipment free, black in colour. It should ship on Sat but am away next week so it'll be 2 weeks from now until I can review it Maybe bank holiday?

I had Lenovo G555 previously. Although not the lightest and thinest notebook, was solid build and worked flawlesly. Was priced ok too. So after reading the posts here I had a look at the S205 and liked it instantly. It looks nice and thin too compared with some ASUS ones.

If had funds would get one myself too. Check some Youtube videos of review. You can look for 'Brazos' think that's the name for the chipsets.

budhabob

Just ordered the lenovo s205 there from amazon.

Thanks for all the feedback on this thread,its been really useful.

omb0wyn5ehpij9

budhabob wrote: »

Just ordered the lenovo s205 there from amazon.

Thanks for all the feedback on this thread,its been really useful.

How much did it come to after shipping?

The Sparrow

budhabob wrote: »

Just ordered the lenovo s205 there from amazon.

Thanks for all the feedback on this thread,its been really useful.

Let us know your impressions when you get it. I'm gonna order it as soon as I see a few positive reviews.

budhabob

It came to £316.50 with postage and packaging.so not too bad. I was going to buy it on dabs but they won't have stock for 3-4 weeks.

It's been dispatched anyway,so hopefully have it Monday or Tuesday so I'll throw up my impressions then.

Kotek Besar

I own a Lenovo S205 too. The build quality is excellent, it performs perfectly and I shall never buy another HP product as long as I live.

budhabob

Kotek Besar wrote: »

I own a Lenovo S205 too. The build quality is excellent, it performs perfectly and I shall never buy another HP product as long as I live.

I agree. And with the option of upgrading to 8gb of ram if necessary, should have a few years life out of it easy enough.

spr1nt3r

budhabob wrote: »

I agree. And with the option of upgrading to 8gb of ram if necessary, should have a few years life out of it easy enough.

Don't want to sound like Bill Gates in 1980s but doubt that anyone will need 8GB of ram for this config (ever?). I had Intel i3 running at 3.00GHz, NVidia 460 GTX and 4GB RAM. Decided to add another 4GB to see the difference (was cheap enough, still is). I had a decline in some benchmarks and no difference working on everyday tasks (browsing, office, games, video decoding etc.). Atm. running 4GB on Vista (very memory hungry), all very smooth and no lag. Would not upgrade to 8GB.

Thoughts about RAM aside the Lenovo netbook is very sweet and am tempted to get another one. This time for myself

Kotek Besar

Doesn't really feel like a netbook really - just a normal laptop that's not as big as most.

budhabob

spr1nt3r wrote: »

Don't want to sound like Bill Gates in 1980s but doubt that anyone will need 8GB of ram for this config (ever?). I had Intel i3 running at 3.00GHz, NVidia 460 GTX and 4GB RAM. Decided to add another 4GB to see the difference (was cheap enough, still is). I had a decline in some benchmarks and no difference working on everyday tasks (browsing, office, games, video decoding etc.). Atm. running 4GB on Vista (very memory hungry), all very smooth and no lag. Would not upgrade to 8GB.

Thoughts about RAM aside the Lenovo netbook is very sweet and am tempted to get another one. This time for myself

I agree, to be honest I'm more than happy with the performance with the 2GB provided, its just not often you can upgrade ram to such a level on a netbook.

Caked Karen

hey guys.

just wondering what kinda battery life are ye getting outta the lenovo s205? i hd my mind set on the samsung N150 mainly cause of battery life but not so sure now with the good reviews ye are giving

budhabob

5 to 6 hours generally with lots of mixed use.decent enough I think anyway.