What is a netbook and do I need one?

October, 2009

Is a NetBook right for you?

The NetBook has been around for a while but only recently has been taken seriously as a product being manufactured for the business sector. I've eyed them for several years and finally broke down last month when HP came out with a top shelf business-grade model. I love it, wish I had bought one years ago, and am glad I waited till now. But people either wax poetic about them or don't understand their appeal. If you remember where they best fit, in my opinion you can't go wrong.

Perhaps prospective buyers would be less disillusioned if the name changed from NetBook to Micro-Mini Internet Laptop. If you want to quickly spend time on several websites, instant message co-workers, respond to too many emails to keep ahead of your work day, or write a quick note while you are sitting in/on your car/sofa/Starbucks, a NetBook is perfect. It weighs virtually nothing, is very compact, doesn't get hot, and is nearly as easy to manhandle as a large Smart Phone or PDA but with a better keyboard and bigger screen. But notice - all of the tasks and programs I mentioned are Internet based. I don't presume to use my NetBook to run my corporate applications - I don't start Microsoft Excel and compile a spreadsheet or run Adobe Dreamweaver to touch up a corporate brochure or web page. I don't mean to imply my NetBook can't do these things, I just wouldn't be happy with the performance. With several fast computers at my disposal, any NetBook comparison to my desktops would fall flat. This is a no-nonsense device that connects you to the world fast.

So what did I look out for when I bought my NetBook? There were three deal-breakers for me and two luxury items that I added because I am a geek at heart. Keyboard was number one. If it was too small, with odd positions for the keys I use all the time, I knew I wouldn't use it. Second was the screen. The original NetBooks had screens as small as 4-5 inches. I'm not that young anymore. The new models are bright, flat, not shiny, and at least 10 inches. This I can work with. Last was the battery. If I had to constantly be on the lookout for an electric plug to keep the thing running, I might as well stay with my oversized laptop. The 6-volt unit I bought gives me well over 6 hours of life.

And the two luxuries I spent extra for: I went Windows-based. Yes, the Linux versions are faster and cheaper, but Windows guaranteed me that every program I use would run. I bought more memory (RAM) for the unit. With the extra 1 GB of memory, I gave myself the best speed the processor could muster.

You want to know which one I bought - right? For that you will have to call me...