Choosing a netbook - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

sureLoss · 06-09-2009, 09:50 AM

Thinking of buying a netbook in the next little while. Been looking at the Dell Mini 10. I like the fact it has an HDMI out, but kinda disappointed it has no SD/media reader.

Any model recommendations/features that I should look for or avoid?

photon · 06-09-2009, 10:20 AM

I have an HP Mini and I really like it.

If I was buying today I'd really look at the ASUS 1008HA if 3 hours of battery is ok, or the 1000HE if really long battery life was more desired.

I read somewhere that they're coming out with a new video chipset that's supposed to allow HD video on netbooks, so if that's important you might want to look into that and see how long a wait is necessary.

jeremywilhelm · 06-09-2009, 10:28 AM

Supposedly the new 15 inch Apples have 6 hours of battery life!

I-Hate-Hulse · 06-09-2009, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeremywilhelm

Supposedly the new 15 inch Apples have 6 hours of battery life!

A $1,999 price doesn't make it a netbook. That's a fullblown notebook.

That said, make sure you try the keyboard of whatever you try. Depending on how fat your fingers are you may find some more cramped than others. The Asus and HP's supposedly have great keyboards, and the Dell mini 10 and up seem to have upsized enough that it's comfortable enough to type. I did find the old mini 9 a bit too cramped for my liking.

ken0042 · 06-09-2009, 12:01 PM

I have an Acer 8.9" netbook. I often suffer from fat finger syndrome, but it didn't take me long to get used to the keyboard.

I also bought a 6 cell battery off eBay from somebody in China. It's been through a number of charge cycles and still gives 6-7 hours of life.

mykalberta · 06-09-2009, 12:09 PM

I bought my sisiter the 1000HE from MemX ~$500ish with a 2GB ram upgrade.

It ran very smoothly. It had roughly 7 hours 20 minutes of battery life on a full charge of surfing the web, watching Youtube Vids, surfing CP during the Band of Brothers History Marathon on Sunday.

Its sluggish when doing full virus scans which is predictable with such a low end processor. Other than that it worked find. If I didnt have a HP 2510p from work for home use I would definately buy one myself.

FurnaceFace · 06-09-2009, 03:15 PM

Agree with Photon. There are new processors coming out and new graphic controllers which make it pretty compelling to hold off for as long as possible. I would also think there would be a big push of the new gear in August for back to school.

Another option is to look at some of the smaller laptops. There are a number of ~ 13 inch laptops which have more processing power, better graphics, etc, but are still light weight. Cost on many of these is within reach of the higher end/more expense netbooks. Downside on these is battery life usually suffers.

ken0042 · 06-09-2009, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FurnaceFace

Agree with Photon. There are new processors coming out and new graphic controllers which make it pretty compelling to hold off for as long as possible. I would also think there would be a big push of the new gear in August for back to school.

It all depends on why you are buying a netbook. The purpose of mine is to be a glorified media player. So as long as it plays movies, MP3s, and allows web browsing (and lets me use plugins as needed) then I'm good.

For me it was a matter of making a choice- you can continue to upgrade your netbook all the way up to being a laptop again.

FurnaceFace · 06-10-2009, 08:23 AM

If you can wait that long a new processor is out the end of the year. Via Engadget:

Quote:

Get ready to say goodbye to the N270 processor and 945GSE graphics team slow-dancing with your netbook right now, Intel's single-core Atom N450 "Pineview" processor is rumored for a possible October release, at the earliest. The Atom N450 is part of Intel's "Pine Trail" platform architecture that moves the GPU and memory controller onto the CPU die for a smaller package that consumes less power (or the same if Intel jacks the clock speed) when coupled with intel's NM10 "Tigerpoint" chipset. Expect to see Atom N450-based netbooks elbowing for space against Snapdragon- and Tegra-flavored smartbooks everywhere by the end of the year.

Bobblehead · 06-10-2009, 08:35 AM

Netbooks are undergoing a bit of a revolution right now, too. There have been a few announced that are going to used Google's Android operating system. Google initially developed that for smart phones, but there is no reason why it won't work for netbooks.

I-Hate-Hulse · 06-10-2009, 10:37 AM

It might be worth it to wait until the new Windows 7 is available in October. A new OS with a much smaller footprint than Vista would be a welcome advance over XP.

Or Hackintosh it.

Bobblehead · 06-10-2009, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I-Hate-Hulse

It might be worth it to wait until the new Windows 7 is available in October. A new OS with a much smaller footprint than Vista would be a welcome advance over XP.

Or Hackintosh it.

Do they even make netbooks with Vista? I read somewhere that MS admitted they dropped the ball with the Vista footprint and that is why they still license XP on netbooks. All Dell's Minis are XP or Ubuntu.

photon · 06-10-2009, 01:10 PM

Yeah I've seen some with Vista, not too common though.

http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/1...-compatib.html

Seems like Dell is the best bet for hackintosh, lots of info in the comments.

sureLoss · 06-10-2009, 02:14 PM

Thanks for the info guys... i think I might wait for the new updates

sureLoss · 11-18-2009, 06:18 PM

Bump!

I am now thinking about getting this one:
http://blog.laptopmag.com/asus-eee-pc-1201n

But I also heard some good things about CULV laptops which will be in the same size and almost the same price range.

Any opinions?

The Ditch · 11-18-2009, 06:49 PM

I've had an HP mini and an Eee PC, I would most definitely go with the Eee PC the battery life was much longer than on my mini, and I liked the keyboard a bit better (even though all netbook keyboards kind of suck).

ken0042 · 11-18-2009, 07:24 PM

One big thing I didn't know before buying mine- upgrading the RAM is next to impossible. Mine came with 1 GB, and by taking it all apart I could upgrade it to 1.5 GB.

I was thinking it would be good to bump it up to 2 GB; and maybe throw on Windows 7. Looks like that won't happen now.

tripin_billie · 11-18-2009, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Bump!

I am now thinking about getting this one:
http://blog.laptopmag.com/asus-eee-pc-1201n

But I also heard some good things about CULV laptops which will be in the same size and almost the same price range.

Any opinions?

I have been tracking this one for a few months now.

I was totally sold on it until I saw the new UL30VT.

But, I think I will still get the 1201n instead. I just love the form factor, the dual core atom, and the Ion takes the cake.

Edit: I see you too must have been following it as that hands on went up tonight.