Netbooks
Listen to this week's Tips & Tricks segment as broadcasted on JQ99.
Thinking about buying a netbook? While netbooks have an attractive price tag, they are not a replacement for a standard laptop computer and not for everyone. There are, however, some great uses for a netbook that might be right for you.
-
What are your objectives for this netbook? The processor is powerful enough to do basic word processing, e-mail, and internet, but will not be powerful enough to do much more than that.
-
In order to make these netbooks compact, they have to make the keyboards smaller. If you always fat finger on a normal size keyboard, then a netbook might not be right for you!
-
Again, due to it being compact, the trackpad is smaller and not the same as on a normal laptop. Some can be difficult to use, so make sure it works well for you. You can connect up a mouse if needed.
-
If you often use a DVD or CD, you will need to purchase an external drive since there is no room in a netbook for a DVD/CD drive.
-
The screens are much smaller on netbook, so is the resolution. It may not display everything on the page you normal see. This may require you to scroll up and down or left and right. The screen resolution will also not be suitable for gamers.
-
All netbooks have built-in wireless so you can connect to a wireless network at home or the coffee shop. Additionally, you can get a cellular card to get Internet access when there is not any WIFI available. These require a monthly fee and usually a 2 year contract.
-
Take a look at the battery life of the netbook, too. Some may come with a 3-cell or 6-cell battery. The 6-cell will give you a longer battery life.
-
The processor and the RAM are going to be basic. Usually an Intel Atom processor with 1GB RAM.
-
While many netbooks come with Windows XP, there are some out there that have Linux. Unless you are specifically looking for a Linux operating system, most should stick with a Windows XP or Windows 7 operating system.
-
Lastly, you will either find that the netbook comes with a small hard drive of around 16GB or an average 120GB hard drive. The smaller hard drives are usually solid state hard drive that are similar to flash drives and contain no moving parts. Most people opt for traditional SATA hard drives with more storage.