Jim Tonkins asked:




If you have been shopping for a netbook recently, you may be surprised that a lot of the specifications are remarkably similar between the different units. The great majority of netbooks have a 10 inch screen, come with 1 GB of memory and 160 GB of hard drive storage. They usually come with Microsoft Windows XP, and have a built-in Wifi card. They almost never have a built-in CD or DVD drive, though you can add one on externally using USB.

THe reason for the uniformity of these specs is the constraints imposed by Intel and Microsoft. Intel provides the Atom chips that power most Netbooks. These are a less powerful (though energy saving) chip with a single core that are found in most models of netbooks. Intel has provided discount Atom chips in exchange for Netbook manufacturers agreeing to only use them in portable computers with 10.1 inch screens or less. Microsoft has a similar licensing arrangement: In order to get Windows XP licenses affordably, a netbook must not have a screen bigger than 10 inches, most not have more than 1 GB of RAM, and must not have a hard drive greater than 160 GB in size.

Since Intel and Microsoft are nearly the only choices for processors and operating systems, manufacturers are forced to agree to these guidelines. They enforce these guidelines in order to protect the profit margins of larger, more powerful and more expensive laptop computers. The good news for computer buyers is that you can get around many of these restrictions. Typically you are stuck with the smaller screen, but you can upgrade to 2 GB of RAM and a larger hard drive in most netbooks fairly easily and inexpensively.

Ida

Troy Richards asked:




Specifications: The ASUS Eee PC 1005PE is the company’s latest netbook model and was just released a couple of weeks ago. Looking at its new set of specs, this new model is setting a new benchmark for other netbook models for this year. For one, it now comes with the new 1.66Ghz Intel Atom N450 processor. It has 1GB of DDR2 RAM and now has a larger 250GB hard drive. Another jaw-dropping feature on this new netbook model is its battery life. This little netbook can last up to 14 hours on one charge. This means that you can easily work the whole day on this little machine without plugging it in.

Design: The ASUS Eee PC 1005PE 10.1-inch netbook retains the sleek seashell design found on its predecessors. This model measures at about 10.31 x 7.01 x 1.3 inches and weighs just 2.8 pounds with the battery. It comes in black, blue and white. They keyboard is 92% the size of a full-sized keyboard and feels very comfortable (the full-sized shift key really helps). All in all, this model is one sleek looking netbook.

Features & Performance: The new Intel Atom N450 processor used on the ASUS Eee PC 1005PE is more energy efficient, allowing for the extended battery life. Personally, I feel that the 14 hours battery life is enough of a reason for me to buy one of these. The LED back-lit screen (1024 x 600 resolution) did a pretty good at displaying videos and images but I wished that this new model came with a HD screen. Despite all the improvements and upgrades made on this netbook, the price tag remains very affordable. At the moment, the ASUS Eee PC 1005PE is retailing for just around $368 each!

Vincent

Amy Yang asked:




The HP Mini 1137NR 10.1 Inch Netbook can be a good ultra portable solution. It only weighs in at 2.45 pounds! Very lightweight. And with a thickness of less than an inch, it really is easy to carry around.

It has a lot of pros. One, it comes equipped with an HP

Tim Pecunia asked:




Netbooks today come in a wide array of colors. Still, manufacturers tend to shy away from more adventurous shades such as purple, green and brown. Those of us who wish to decorate our netbooks with more unique colors would usually need to resolve to netbook skins that have to be purchased separately.

Toshiba’s late entry into the netbook market is marked by the release of the Toshiba Mini Netbook. It comes in 5 colors, namely black, white, pink blue and brown. Yes, Brown! You may think that it is a strange color for a netbook, but the Toshiba designers did a wonderful job in putting together a great-looking netbook.

The Toshiba Mini has an Intel Atom N280 processor, 1GB of RAM and a 160 GB hard drive. It has an impressive combination of some of the best specs and features in the market including an amazing 9 hours of battery life and the ability to charge USB enabled devices even when the machine is off.

The brown Toshiba mini has a matte external brown casing that is highlighted by a copper/gold hinge that gives it a really elegant look. It looks like something from the Louis Vuitton store. On the inside, the comfortable keyboard and the huge track pad is decorated in a shade of silver. The only two drawbacks in this model’s design is the thick frame around the screen and the protruding battery back on the back. Other than then, I personally think that the brown Toshiba looks slimmer and better than any other competing models in the market. It also helps to know that this model has been given the editor’s choice award by many prominent tech publications.

Andrea

Troy Richards asked:




Specifications: I just can’t remember the last I was so exciting over anything. I think the best netbook of 2009 has just been released! When I heard that the Asus Eee PC 1005HA netbook was released, I wasted no time in getting my hands on one of those. Asus netbooks has always been my favorite but I had always wished that they had a more stylish design. Then they released the 1008HA, which was very stylish but somehow expensive. The Asus Eee PC 1005HA netbook is not only cheaper but sports the almost identical stylish design of the 1008HA!

The 1005HA has the specs of the latest netbooks in the market. It runs on Intel’s Atom N280 1.66GHz processor and comes with 1GB of RAM. It has a 160GB (5400 rpm) hard drive and a 10.1-inch LED back-lit screen. You can also use its built in 1.3MP web-cam for video conferences. It is Bluetooth 2.1 and wi-fi enabled (802.11b/g/n).

Design: Due to the 6-cell battery, the Asus Eee PC 1005HA netbook is a little heavier than usual, but nevertheless still very portable. It weighs at just 2.8 pounds and measures at 10.3 x 7 x 1.5 inches. It sports the same tapered ‘seashell’ design as the 1008HA, with a glossy surface. The Asus Eee PC 1005HA netbook now looks just as stylish, if not more, than Acer and Samsung models.

Features & Performance: The keyboard Asus Eee PC 1005HA netbook is extremely easy to use, with a full sized Shift key. The 1005HA fared very well in terms of performance too. Its multitasking speed, and iTunes encoding speed was pretty impressive. The most amazing feature of this netbook is its battery lifespan. Asus claims that it can lasts up to 10.5 hours on a single charged. To test its battery life, I play the movie Transformers on it over and over again till the battery drained. It lasted almost 7 hours of non-stop video playback. I think if you were just to use it to surf the net, chat, music or word processing, it can easily reach 9 or 10 hours.

Lucille

Troy Richards asked:




The new Toshiba Mini (NB205-N230) has arrived and it comes with a whole variety of upgrades and improvements. Since its launch this year, the Toshiba Mini has been touted as one of the best netbook models in the market. If you are planning to get a netbook for a loved one this Christmas, this model will be an excellent choice.

First of all, the new Toshiba Mini now comes with the new Windows 7 Starter OS (32-bit). It retained the Intel Atom N280 1.66Ghz processor and the 1GB in DDR2 RAM (expandable to 2GB). The size of its hard drive on the other hand, has been upgraded. This new model now comes with a spacious 250GB hard drive. Then there are 3 USB ports, an Ethernet port, a web cam, 802.11b.g wi fi connectivity and a SD memory card reader. The 6-cell battery on this netbook model can last up to 9 hours on one full charge.

Design wise, this netbook model is a sight for sore eyes. Instead of the usual curvy lines and edges found on other netbook models, it sports a slim and flat profile, giving it a very sleek look. It measures at 10.4 x 7.6 x 1.27 inches in dimensions and weighs just 2.93 pounds. It also comes in a variety of colors, namely black, blue, white, brown and even pink! I especially like the Black Onyx model. Despite all the upgrades, the Toshiba Mini netbook has remained very affordable. It currently retails for just around $348 each.

Arlene

Wilson Teo asked:




The new Samsung NC10 netbook is a 10.2″ netbook powered by Intel Atom N270 processor. It comes with 1024 MB RAM of memory plus a 160 GB of hard drive. The NC10 is considered as one of the best netbook Samsung has ever produced. The overall design looks solid, elegant and neat. It also comes with 3 distinct colours to choose from, that is white, black and blue.

The elegant look of Samsung NC10 does not imply that it didn’t come without imperfection. Based on our observation, there is a design weakness in the hinges that could somehow weaken in the long run. It is not advisable to rotate the LCD display screen for more than 45-degree. There is a tendency of possible snapping and separating of the display screen if forces were applied beyond the point.

Another disadvantage of Samsung NC10 we realized is that, the netbook battery is attached out of the base by an extra 5mm to the netbook depth. The overall dimension of the battery measured at 260 x 170 x 30mm, and it weighed 1.3kg. So there is a noticeable issue associated with the balance of the netbook, as the rear is heavier than the front.

The primary use of Samsung NC10 is mainly as a second computer while you are on the move or travelling. The overall performance of this netbook is good and can operate any kinds of daily tasks without too much of problem. Do not expect too much out from it, as this is best for only simple word processing and surfing the net.

When you buy the new Samsung NC10, it will come pre-installed with Windows XP operating system as standard. On top of that, it also installed with some addition applications such as the Samsung Battery Manager and Recovery Solution III to help users manage their task more efficiently. If you are a keen online surfer, you will definitely like this Samsung netbook more. It provides users with additional online protection by pre-installed McAfee Internet Security as part of their package. This is certainly an additional bonus compared to other rival netbook brands when come to make the purchasing decisions.

As a verdict, there are two main aspects that make Samsung NC10 stand out to other rival netbooks – the display screen and keyboard. It has a 10.2″ display screen with 1024 x 600 pixel resolution. With such specification, users will expect a reasonable size of display image. Overall, the new Samsung NC10 is one of the world’s lightest netbook and the best buy netbook in the UK.

Dawn

Jim Tonkins asked:




For many of us who use Netbooks, we value our sense of portability and are often using our computers in places where it’s not easy just to plug in the AC power adapter. There are a few simple strategies that you can use to get the most time out of your batteries in order to maximize your portable productivity. First, configure the software settings in your netbook to maximize battery longevity over performance. This will mean making the screen a bit more dim and spinning down the hard drive when not in use. While the machine will probably feel a bit slower, this is better than trying to work with a dead laptop!

If your netbook allows exchanging batteries, that also gives you a few more options. (Some netbooks have a permanent built in battery which you cannot remove or change. Most do have normal removable batteries.) First, if you are currently using a 3 cell battery which is the most common type, you can look into buying a 6 cell battery instead which can almost double the battery life.

Keep in mind that these are usually a bit bigger and may cause your netbook to be a bit thicker and heavier. The other option is to buy a second battery and keep both charged so that when one runs down, you can swap in the other one. Be being strategic about your battery life, you can dramatically improve the amount of time you can use your computer without access to a power plug!

Melvin

Kristen Burgess asked:




A netbook is a very useful little purchase. It makes even a regular notebook computer look huge and it truly has the ability to go anywhere. Today’s netbooks are tiny little machines packed with a reasonable amount of power. You’ll most likely get one gigabyte of RAM and a hard drive anywhere from 150 gigabytes to 300 gigabytes.

This is a perfect package for being on the go. With wireless hotspots popping up everywhere you can pull your netbook out of your bag and browse the internet, type a quick email, read an ebook, or even listen to a little music. How can you get the most out of your tiny computer?

First, remember that a netbook, though powerful for the small package it comes wrapped in, is not your typical home computer. It’s meant to be portable and light weight – both in the literal sense that it weighs very little, and that it doesn’t have the capacity to run heavy duty programs.

So you’ll want to use your netbook for what it’s meant for – simple things like you’ve learned above. Most netbooks come with one gigabyte of RAM, but almost all of those can easily be upgraded to two gigabytes, which will give you a little more power.

The next thing you’re going to want to do is get your netbook even leaner. Computer manufactures are notorious for loading new computers down with a whole bunch of programs you’ll never use. These programs are affectionately called “bloatware” because they literally bloat your computer. You want to get rid of them.

Take off what you’re not going to use. Make sure you use the program’s uninstall option or use the “Add/Remove Programs” in your Windows control panel so you uninstall the program cleanly. You can also use a small utility called “PC Decrapifier” to remove these programs. It’s free for home use and once you’re done with it, you just delete its file. I’ve used it on several new computers and I’ve found it works quickly and it works well.

As you remove applications you’ll never use, consider which applications you will use. Try and select lighter-weight programs that won’t take up a lot of resources as you run them. Firefox is a good web browser. It’s very secure and it doesn’t use a lot of resources – as long as you don’t load it down with a lot of add-ins! Save the plugins and other effects for your home computer. Keep your netbook clean and efficient.

You want a web browser and you’ll probably also want an office suite. Consider a minimal install that covers the basics – word processing, a spreadsheet, and possibly an email/calendar client. The Microsoft Office suite is a good one to try. It comes with these basics as well as a nice note-taking application that can be especially useful if you’re using your netbook in classes or meetings. Open Office is an open-source application that costs nothing and can be customized to the programs you need. Microsoft Office and Open Office are completely compatible with one another, so you can move files between programs.

A final tip for your netbook is to take advantage of the full screen mode offered by most programs. Netbook screens are tiny, so maximizing your program to take up the full window can make a big difference. The F11 key puts many programs into full screen mode, so give it a try and see if it helps you get more from your netbook’s beautiful, but tiny, screen!

Arthur

Alison Brundle asked:




For a busy population that’s always on the move but still wants to be connected to the rest of the globe via the World Wide Web, portability and functionality are key in any piece of technology. Laptops have the market cornered – each one that comes out is lighter, has better battery life and more functions. But the rise of the Netbook has been a serious challenge to laptop manufacturers. So which is better? And why should you still come down on the side of the laptop?

Weighing up the options

The obvious advantage that a Netbook has over a laptop is the size. Netbook displays usually range from seven to 10 inches, whereas laptops normally start at between 13 and 14 inches. While this inevitably makes the Netbook smaller and more compact, it does restrict the size of the screen, making it limited in its ability to show applications such as films, pictures or games. They also have limited resolution, currently a maximum of 1024×600. Anything below this maximum level of screen resolution doesn’t allow you to view the whole width of a web page at once. So the user has to resort to scrolling across the screen to read an entire line of text. A laptop has a larger screen and higher resolution, allowing you to view the entire web page in comfort.

When it comes to power and battery life, the Netbook wins. Their smaller size makes them much more power efficient than a laptop, giving them a battery lifespan of about three times longer than an average laptop. However, the latest generation of laptops are addressing this issue, and some of the best are now comparable with Netbooks.

Where the laptop beats the Netbook hands down is in the performance. Netbooks may have the advantage of being much smaller and lighter than a laptop, but that strength is also a weakness when it comes to performance. Because a laptop has a larger internal hard drive, it is capable of running a far greater variety of applications than a Netbook. You could, of course, upgrade your Netbook with an additional external hard drive bolt-on, but that really detracts from the point of having a Netbook in the first place. A laptop gives you greater hard drive capacity, higher processor speeds (particularly if you have a dual core processor) and greater graphics memory, making them a far more versatile tool.

Netbooks are also lacking in one major department – they don’t have optical disc drives, so you cannot use CDs or DVDs as you can with a laptop. Yes, they do have Wi-Fi connectivity built in, but that doesn’t make up for the lack of a CD-ROM drive, particularly if you do a lot of work with programmes like Auto-CAD, or have to re-install Windows in the event of a crash!

Smaller isn’t always better

One of the commonest complaints about Netbooks is the size of the keyboard. If you have large fingers, you’ll probably spend as much time correcting typing errors as actually typing out your work. This makes them impractical for exercises such as note taking, for example. The limited processing power in a Netbook means that running any kind of processor-heavy application will also slow the Netbook down considerably – not the most desirable situation if you are trying to watch a download from the Internet or even play a game.

Finally, that clincher – the price. Netbooks are cheaper than top of the range laptops, but even a cheaper, entry-level laptop will have more processing power than a Netbook, and will only be slightly more expensive. So if you want a piece of technology that will do everything you ask it to, the choice has to be a laptop every time.

Dolores