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Netbooks are not news anymore but still, as surprising as it seems, there is a debate whether they are useful or not. While the arguments of netbook opponents certainly are not groundless, claiming that netbooks are just one more piece of machinery few people only will make use of, is far from the truth.
The moment I saw a netbook, I knew that I will get one as soon as I manage to decide which of the models is the one for me. Well, it took me a couple of months till I got the netbook (an Asus EEEPC 100) because I wanted to get something really nice and I was prepared to wait till there were more 2GB RAM offers but finally I decided that I will get the EEEPC even though it had only 1GB RAM and if I desperately need more RAM, I can always upgrade it in the authorized service shop.
I have been using my netbook for a couple of months now and I can say that definitely this is a very useful machine. I run my netbook on Linux, so if you are going to ask me if there are problems with XP or Vista, I am afraid I will not be able to speak from experience. However, Linux has always been my preferred operating system and that is why it is quite natural to run it on my netbook as well.
Know What You Need a Netbook For
One of the first things you must know before you buy a netbook is what you need it for. Netbooks are great for many purposes but if you expect that a netbook fits everywhere a laptop, not to mention a desktop, fits in, you might be a bit disappointed.
Actually, my netbook covers 90% of my needs and some of the tasks I can't use it for are Web design (it is a bit uncomfortable to design on such a small screen), CPU/RAM-heavy activities (i.e. running a couple of virtualized operating systems one a top the other just to see how it feels), and burning CDs/DVDs (because as most netbooks, Asus EEEPC 100 doesn't have a CD/DVD device, which is not a problem because all my other computers have plenty of them).
I knew all these limitations in advance and I can't say I was disappointed. But if you are unaware of the limitations of a netbook, then don't say that you were tricked into buying one. A netbook is great but if you believe that a netbook is the perfect desktop replacement, think again.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Netbooks
I am not going to describe the advantages of disadvantages of netbooks in details. If you are interested to know them in more detail, there are a lot of resources on the advantages and disadvantages of netbooks on the Net.
I think it is enough to say that a netbook is compact and light, yet at the same time it sports decent technical parameters. Some of the earlier models come with 512RAM and 8GB hard disk, which is pretty low but more recent models are quite powerful.
In addition to the lack of CD/DVD drive I have already mentioned, small screens and low resolutions are another problem. 10” monitors are not that small but if you are used to a 24” or larger monitor, your first reaction will be: “What's that?!”. Still, the screen of a 10” netbook is big enough to accommodate a lot of stuff.
I use my netbook to write articles, read books, watch movies, browse the Net, etc. I can't say that I don't notice how small the screen is but certainly it is not something that depresses me a lot.
Unlike many other people, I don't travel frequently but always when I do, I take my netbook with me. I am not fond of tons of baggage and I really appreciate that a netbook is light and doesn't take as much space as a laptop. For everybody who travels a lot (or is out of the office a lot), the portability of a netbook is a bliss.
Which Netbook Is the Best?
Now, this is a tough question! There are so many offers now that it really takes a lot of research till you find what you want. There are many factors to take into account when you are trying to find the One and Only (I mean a netbook, not the love of your life :)) but generally I agree with the recommendations of Lifehacker.com that the top 5 netbooks (as of early June 2009) are: Samsung NC10, Dell Mini 10, ASUS EEEPC 1000HE, Acer Aspire One, and MSI Wind.
Each of the top 5 picks has its advantages and disadvantages and if you plan to buy a netbook, you must really take the time and compare their features one by one. Don't complain – for every geek this task is a very pleasant one! |
