Which netbook (notebook)?

[taoshum]

When does a netbook become a notebook? Or a laptop, for that matter? Is it just a matter of screen size?

IMHO, it is a combination of features, size, weight and cost... everything except an optical drive, 10" or so screen, proportional size, 2 lbs or less, under $400, running XP (if I'm going to buy it) and, BTW, if you get from CostCo they double the warranty and have some tech support.  ASUS invented netbooks; it's an interesting story... kinda of a skunks works deal... some maverick manager decided to build a pilot production run of 20,000 units and they sold out in the first few hours.  Now Acer, Dell and HP all offer some version or another.  The new models have much larger HDs or a solid state HD so they should be even less weight.  They have a pretty slow, low power processor so big graphics files will not run or will run slowly.  thx, G.

 

[Ned]

None of the netbooks will run a 64 bit OS to my knowledge.  Most are based on the Atom processor but there are some showing up now with low power Intel X86 chips.  The line between netbook and notebook is getting blurry, but a netbook will have no more than a 12" display, usually less vertical resolution than a corresponding notebook, no optical drive, but pretty much the same other features of any portable computer.  They do run Windows 7 for the most part, and even the Linux distros have drivers for the hardware.  I run both Windows 7 Home Premium and Ubuntu 9.10 on my Wind.

I'm partial to the MSI models, my Wind U-100 was the only one available last year with 802.11n but even that's becoming more common.  Today I would look at Asus as well as MSI, they seem to have the best bang for the buck.

 

[Tom]

Picked up an Acer Aspire at Costco today. That gives me 90 days to play with it and decide if it's something I want to keep. I'm currently installing my basic must-have apps.

Not much to report yet, but the keyboard seems to suit my 1-finger hunt-and-peck typing.

 

[Tom]

Took the Aspire on our recent trip to the UK, rather than tote a laptop, which I've done for more years than I want to remember. Because of pre-announced carry-on restrictions, I went with a very small carry-on bag, and the Aspire fitted perfectly.

Battery life appears to be close to the claimed 6 hours, although I don't have any measured data.

I don't care for the trackpad, although it has gestures software; I prefer a mouse or trackball, and took along a Logitek mini mouse that I've had for a number of years but haven't used much. The mini mouse didn't work too well, sometimes requiring multiple clicks instead of one. Not an Acer problem.

The keyboard seemed OK for my 2-finger typing style, but I was experiencing lots of typos. So, I guess it really wasn't OK.

The small screen worked OK for my limited use; I was picking up email and visiting multiple forums, but not much else.

Wireless worked quite well, and I was hooked to a wireless hub (DSL modem & router) for 3 weeks. However, the DSL line had lots of problems, affecting both the Aspire and a desktop. Again, not an Acer problem.

I did manage to wipe out a thumb drive containing 5GB of must-have backup data. I still haven't figured out exactly how it happened, but I believe it was a combination of the trackpad and the mini mouse.

In retrospect, I wished I'd taken along a 'regular' laptop and a full-size trackball. Carry-on restrictions were a lot less than I'd anticipated. But the Aspire served a purpose. Still haven't decided if I'll keep it.

 

[seilerbird]

You might be able to restore the lost data on the track drive. Ned could probably recommend a program.

 

[Tom]

Don't know what a track drive is, but the lost data on the thumb drive was already the subject of a separate discussion. My point was that I could easily have failed to correctly eject the drive, given the loss of accuracy on the keyboard, the intermittent mini mouse, and the lousy trackpad.

 

[Ned]

I use the Logitech Nano mouse with my netbook as I also don't like the trackpad.  I usually turn it off so I don't accidentally bump it.  The Nano mouse is small and uses a very small USB receiver that can be stored inside the mouse for travel.

 

[Tom]

Ned, I might need to look at the nano mouse. I thought mine was small (the term 'mini mouse' was mine, and I don't recall what the real name was); It measures 3" x 1.5" at the largest dimensions, and stores with the USB cable in a small pouch. Until now, I thought it was the same as yours, but realize it's not. I suspect I didn't lock the trackpad, which undoubtedly accounted for some accidental stuff.

 

[Ned]

The Nano is about 3.5"x2.25" and is wireless.  Runs forever on 2 AAA batteries.  I think the model is V550.

 

[Tom]

Thanks Ned. One clarification .... your earlier message mentioned the Nano "uses a very small USB receiver that can be stored inside the mouse for  travel". Is that a receiver that is plugged into a USB port on the PC? If so, wouldn't the built-in wireless function on the PC do the same thing?

 

[Ned]

Yes, it's call the Unifying receiver and is used by most of the newer Logitech keyboards and mice.  It's not a WiFi or Bluetooth receiver, it's a proprietary radio.  It only sticks out about 1/2" or less.

 

[Tom]

Ah, thanks. I'll go investigate.

 

[Bob Buchanan]

Ah, thanks. I'll go investigate.

I use USB receiver wireless keyboards and mice on all three of my computers -- 2 desktops and one laptop. I tried a bluetooth mouse about a year or so ago on my laptop and wasn't very pleased with the results. The main problem was that it died after about a month -- plus the up front cost was much higher than a USB received unit.

If the price is better now, I may again consider going w/BT. The USB receivers "are" getting much smaller, but they are still a protrusion - so each time the machine is stowed, it should be removed. Once the BT mouse and/or keyboard is paired, it is always ready to go when you boot that machine.

Am considering a netbook, Tom, so am interested in your posts here and the responses. I would want 2gig of ram plus Win7 Home Premium so one part of my comparison is whether upgrading myself would be less expensive than buying a unit that included both.

 

[carson]

Just a bit more info on a W/L mouse.

  When my wired mouse died, I opted for a wireless one. Bought a Microsoft mouse with a USB receiver. The receiver, at the time 2 years ago, is 3" long. It is designed to slip into the bottom of the mouse to kill any power usage during off-time or storage/transit.

  Trouble was that the distance from the mouse to the computer was about 3'. It was intermittent at that distance even at line of sight. I solved the problem by running an USB extension cable closer the where the mouse is in use.... Perfect. The single AA cell (alkaline) lasts about 2 months continuously powered up . I am happy.
  FWIW, carson FL



 

 

[Tom]

I've used wireless mice, trackballs and keyboards for a number of years. First bought a w/l trackball to use at the helm of the boat when at sea, and that worked quite well. However, they were all larger units and the R/T either had a wired USB connection, or was a thumb-sized USB 'stick'

 

[Tom]

[quote author=Bob Buchanan]I would want 2gig of ram plus Win7 Home Premium so one part of my comparison is whether upgrading myself would be less expensive than buying a unit that included both.[/quote]

That would be an interesting comparison Bob. In retrospect, I'm not sure I'd have bothered to buy the netbook, having had the benefit of using it exclusively for several weeks. My primary laptop actually weighs less than the Aspire.

 

[Ned]

My keyboard is still Bluetooth as Logitech doesn't have a standalone keyboard that works with the Unifying receiver, so I have 2 USB ports dedicated to the KB and mouse.  As soon as I can get a Unify compatible KB, I'll be switching.  The BT receiver is much larger than the Unifying receiver too.  And the SetPoint software keeps losing track of my keyboard.

 

[Bob Buchanan]

The BT receiver is much larger than the Unifying receiver too.

My thoughts on a BT mouse/keyboard were concerned with my Fujitsu Laptop that is BT ready without the need for a USB receiver.  The downside is that too many BT devices can get confusing at times as to which one is paring with other devices. For example, I couldn't figure out one evening why my stereo headset wouldn't pair with my smartphone only to discover that my laptop was ready to broadcast music to me instead. 

 

[Bob Buchanan]

That would be an interesting comparison Bob.

Have only started checking prices, but for now -- it appears that netbook memory goes for about $34 per 1gb module and $65 for 2gb. The question becomes whether netbooks have one or two slots. If only one, I would have to  replace the 1gb module with a 2 vs. just adding a 1gb module to the empty slot. If the later, the incremental cost would be around $110. to add the OS upgrade and up the ram to 2gb.

It appears that none of the netbooks address higher than 2gb, so wouldn't be able to load both slots with 2gb. However, I'm running Vista Home Premium now on my 2gb laptop and it does OK.

 

[Ned]

Bob, I understand the problem with the built in BT in the laptop.  You only want to pair a device with one receiver at a time or you'll have problems   That's why I prefer the Unifying receiver for KB and mouse.