Netbooks: Which one? Why?

N

Napoleon

2,500+ Posts
Ever since a Hornfan came down to visit with his Samsung netbook in ~November/December (I think), I've been considering buying one of these things. At 2lbs vs the 6lbs+ of my Thinkpad R60e, I like the idea of no back pain vs. pain.

One day I was looking at the window of a shop that sells these things in Buenos Aires (I would not buy mine here by the way) and these were the ones that looked about the right size with a good keyboard:

HP 2133
MSI U100
Acer Aspire One
LG X110
Lenovo S10e

I don't know if any of these are the "right one for me" or maybe another one. I would basically want it for taking with me around town and on trips to (1) Surf the web/emails, (2) Download photos from my digital camera while on trips, & (3) Write short stories/multiple pages of writing. (Meaning I'd want a keyboard that I could use comfortably, but I don't have fat fingers, so I can probably make do with a smaller keyboard than some.)

So I was wondering-

Which netbook should I get? And Why?

Thanks.
 
I would also consider the Dell Mini 10 or 12. Even the 12 is damn small. I suggest you go with Ubunto Linux. It'll take you a couple days to get used to... but then it is a breeze. $400 buys you a heck of a netbook these days.
 
I am waiting for the HP DV2 to hit the market (taking pre-sales I think). This is not a netbook but an ultra portable notebook (very similar to a netbook but more power).
 
My wife has the MSI Wind U100, and she is happy with it.

Pros:
Good keyboard (for a netbook)
10" screen (most netbooks are 9")
Good price
Upgradable RAM

Cons:
With the three-cell battery, only 2 1/2 hours of battery life
 
I was just looking for one of these, myself.

I'm surprised you don't list the Samsung NC10, since it's probably the one which piqued your interest in the first place. I've read good reviews of it and it has a 6-cell battery, which would last btw 6-8 hours. Amazon has it for $398.00.

I'm seriously considering this model.

All of these models run from $350-$450.
 
MGS-

Some of the netbooks have a 6, 7, 8 cell (can't remember) extended life battery as an upgrade option that supposedly stretches to close to 8 hours (at least at the start). Do you know if this was an option with your wife's computer?
 
The MSI Wind has 6- and 9-cell battery packs as options, but I chose the 3-cell because it was smaller. Battery life wasn't a big deal because this was just to use around the house.
 
I have the MSI U100 and have been quite happy with it. It has the 6 cell battery which powers it for about 6 hours. The keyboard is great for a netbook. The only problem I have is with the period and forward slash keys being half sized - it's easy to press one instead of the other. Those are the only keys that ever give me trouble.

The only thing on your list a netbook might not be suited for is "multiple pages of writing". I really start to notice the size after about an hour of continuous typing - the size is much less of a problem when surfing the internet or watching a movie.
 
At home, I have my netbook hooked up to a 19-inch monitor and full-size external keyboard.
 
I gave my wife an Acer Aspire One with a 9-cell battery for Christmas. She's accustomed to running XP so I didn't want to throw her off. Less support questions for me. The think has 8hrs of battery life!! I picked up an external DVD drive and loaded Office XP and she uses it nearly exclusively over her Inspiron laptop. It has a 120Gb hard drive which will be plenty for her needs. I was surprised by the quality of the build in camera to the point that she's using Skype now to talk to her parents. I think I picked it up for something in the neighborhood of ~$330-$350 from NewEgg.com.
 
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