Are mini-notebooks any good?

[Fifty]

I need a portable computer for word processing and internet... cheapness is the primary concern. Are those $300 mini-notebook thingies any good?

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Netbooks? Only if you don't plan on dropping them.

 

[Aramazd]

Yeah, they great for browsing, word processing, playing music.

Netbooks? Only if you don't plan on dropping them.

What the hell?

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Netbooks are so lightweight that they'd probably shatter (or at least get a lot of damage) from dropping them. At least the lower-quality ones. (This is at least an educated guess -- I tried to google it, but all I got was stuff on "dropping prices.")

It's just my sense of humor.

 

[Aramazd]

Netbooks are so lightweight that they'd probably shatter (or at least get a lot of damage) from dropping them. At least the lower-quality ones. (This is at least an educated guess -- I tried to google it, but all I got was stuff on "dropping prices.")

Maybe because you made it up. Stop doing that. It's annoying and it misinforms people who are looking for information. If you don't know, then don't post crap. Okay?

It's just my sense of humor.

You're not funny.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Well, if regular notebooks can get damage from dropping them (I know this because I've heard the school technician complaining about it), what's the chance that a 2 lb netbook wouldn't get any damage?

 

[Till]

They are great for both, if you connect them to an external monitor. Otherwise, make sure to get one with a 10 inch display (i think both ASUS and Samsung offer one) and don't use programmes with bloated GUIs.
A friend of mine uses one for programming and writing his thesis, but he has xmonad installed, which makes dealing with the limited screen space considerably easier. Probably not an option for a non-geek.

Edit:aimee: The damage to notebooks by trauma is not primarily determined by weight. The type of harddrive (SSD/magnetic), the material of the casing, the method of fixation for the hardware components, whether or not the display is open, and the angle of the impact, are all far more important. It's not something that should inform a purchase decision. You were speaking out of your backside. Stop doing that.

 

[Genocidicbunny]

they are good, but I seriously recommend you look into one with the most powerful CPU available. They're nice to just throw into the backpack and go to school with.

 

[Perfection]

Edit:aimee: The damage to notebooks by trauma is not primarily determined by weight. The type of harddrive (SSD/magnetic), the material of the casing, the method of fixation for the hardware components, whether or not the display is open, and the angle of the impact, are all far more important. It's not something that should inform a purchase decision. You were speaking out of your backside. Stop doing that.

And the funny thing is the part that is determined by weight is actually the opposite! Lighter things tend to take LESS damage not more. Imagine dropping your cell phone versus dropping your laptop.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I did a bit of googling, and it seems that the really cheap netbooks have durability issues, but there's good ones too. Such as this one. The only things I could find on non-durable netbooks were on forums, and as said before around here, forums are mostly ancetocal.... or however you spell that word.

 

[carmen510]

They're adequate. So long as you don't smash your laptop, it is quite fine for normal non-game school related activities.

 

[Genocidicbunny]

Aimee: I think its safe to say you're borked whether you drop a regular notebook or a netbook. Either way, its gonna get damaged ( unless you have a rugged notebook )

 

[Maniacal]

I saw several peopel with netbooks at hostels when i was in Europe last fall. They are excellent for travelling provided you can take care of them, they fit well into small bags as well and are easier to hide.

 

[Comraddict]

netbooks have very small native resolution, at best 1024x600. will be difficult for some work.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

netbooks have very small native resolution, at best 1024x600. will be difficult for some work.

wouldn't huge resolutions on a tiny screen make things impossible to see?

 

[Zelig]

I'm not a big fan of netbooks, but as you've got a desktop already, it might be a good fit for you.

They're pretty much what you'd expect from their specs, if you can, try and get to a retail store where you can mess around with one (or several) for a bit to see if they feel good to you.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

But wouldn't the screen get crowded then?

 

[Genocidicbunny]

Crowded with what? They're not exactly made for multitasking. For the purposes of reading email or surfing the net they're fine.