Monday, October 5, 2009

These Trendy New Netbooks : My Review



A few months ago, my sweetheart purchased this netbook.
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I was jealous.
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I wanted one.
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It was just so darn cute!
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Well, being the generous soul that he is, he let me borrow it a few times.
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Verdict?
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I'll pass.
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It's a personal thing, but I'll share my list of pro's and con's so that you can be more informed if you choose to purchase (or just envy a friend's purchase) of these new gadgets.
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PRO:
they are cute and trendy
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they are small and light
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the battery lasts significantly longer than a conventional laptop
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you can get them in cool colors
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they are relatively cheap (going from around $200 - $500 depending)
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CON:
unless you are a fairy with itty bitty fingers, the keyboard is a pain in the rear. It is minuscule! True, you can get them of varying sizes and I would highly recommend giving this aspect of the purchase serious thought before you decide which model to go with.
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the mouse pad is ULTRA sensitive. Tap it and you've made some weird move that will mess with your writing or searching or whatever you are doing.
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Speaking of the super sensitive mouse pad -- it is located ENTIRELY too close to the space bar. And, it is where your thumbs naturally rest. Trust me, it is a problem waiting to happen. I have erased whole sections of my WIP without even knowing how I did it because of the proximity of the pad to the space bar.
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The scroll options are also tiny and a pain in the rear to navigate. They seem to stick and I have to push the mouse pad button several times. Because of this, it seems to take me two or three times the amount of time to get anything done on the netbook.
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SUMMARY: It is an adorable computer to carry around. It's a pain in the hind end to actually use. I'd say it would be fine for occasional use (conferences, vacations) but not comfortable or worth the trouble of using on a daily basis.
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Questions: What about you? Do you have a netbook? Know anyone who does? Want one? What have you learned about them? Let's share and help each other....
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31 comments:

lisa and laura said...

They're so cute and I've sort of been pining for one. I'm really glad you did this little review. I think I'll keep carting my Mac around with me. It's not that heavy...

Jeannie Campbell, LMFT said...

they are cute. functional, even. but i'm sticking with my mac.

I really just wanted to let you know about my blog address change. *sigh* If you're following me, my posts now won't show up in your feed, dashboard, sidebar, whatever. So please forgive me, but you'll have to change the address for my main writing blog, Where Romance Meets Therapy, to http://jeanniecampbell.blogspot.com. To do this, you have to "unfollow" me and follow me again. Sorry for the confusion!

Jeannie
The Character Therapist

Abby Annis said...

I'm so glad you posted this! We've been looking into maybe getting one of these for my husband, instead of a regular laptop because of the cost. But his hands are big, so right there he would have been hating it. Thanks so much for the info!

They are really cute though. ;D

Susan R. Mills said...

Yeah, I think I'll pass. I need big keys. They are awful cute, though. Thanks for the heads up.

Anonymous said...

I love my lappy. I have little reason to want to cheat. ;)

Jody Hedlund said...

At some point when I'm dripping in cash (HA!), then I might conside one for conferences or trips. But I think functionality is so important for us as writers. The keyboard is our life! On my last lap top I had a bad mouse that would flick around and do weird things every once in a while. It drove me nuts! I wouldn't want that hassle all of the time!

Scott said...

I've been resisting the temptation to buy a Netbook. For me, it would mainly be for the few times a year I travel. The laptop isn't the lightest thing in the world, and carrying it in the backpack as I trudge through the airport is not always the most comfortable sensation in the Universe.

A friend of mine has one and . . . the screens too small, the keys are too small, and I pretty much decided I wasn't going to get one . . . at least not yet. Then again, it's lightweight, small, and wouldn't weigh me down.

S

Corey Schwartz said...

Thanks for the heads up. That definitely sounds annoying!

Linda Kage said...

I have a regular ol' lap top, but I miss using the mouse. Makes things so much simpler. And typing on a desk top is easier too.

But thanks for your pros and cons list. It's oh so helpful.

Unknown said...

I'm with you as per usual. They are cool in a pinch to check emai... but forget the writing!

I like a nice solid lap top or desk top. Someday, I'll have an office that's not my bed or kitchen island, and I will have a desk top with a huge monitor and tons of fun things all around me to give me inspiration as I write all day!!!!!

And then maybe have a notebook too... if I have to go to the library and take... notes. ;)

Wendy Paine Miller said...

I'm grateful for this review. I was considering buying one b/c they are less expensive than laptops, but now I might reconsider. Good to know!
~ Wendy

Michelle D. Argyle said...

I don't have one, but I've ALWAYS wanted one. I could deal with the cons, I think. I'd have to try it out first. I do have really small hands... :)

Jennifer Shirk said...

I'm so glad you posted this! I was debating on getting one, but couldn't decide on that or a regular laptop.
I have long fingers, so I'm thinking it's not for me.
Thanks!

The Screaming Guppy said...

I love my netbook. Affordable, light weight. One of the things I looked at most before I bought was the key pad. Some don't work for me, but I found one that I was comfortable typing.

As for the touchpad, they should all die a horrible death. But it hardly matters if you plug in a mouse. :)

lotusgirl said...

Thanks for this review. Those cons are the sort that would drive me completely insane. I think they're cute and toyed with the idea of getting one, but I'm so happy with my mac though that I'm glad to stick with it.

Lynnette Labelle said...

Thanks. I wondered about their size being an issue.

Lynnette Labelle
http://lynnettelabelle.blogspot.com

Tess said...

It's good to think about these things -- to know the pros and cons. For some, the tiny buttons and keys wouldn't be a problem. I don't have big hands per se, but just clumsy ones I guess ;)

thanks for coming over and weighing in :D

Robyn Campbell said...

UHUH, don't want one. I think I'll keep my laptop. Which I need to get to it right now. :)

Sharon K. Mayhew said...

They are adorable. If they had microsoft word on them Katherine would spend her own money to buy one. We investigated them, but ultimately she decided to wait for smaller laptops to come on the market.

Great Post!

B.J. Anderson said...

I have a little tiny one kind of like this, but I've gotten used to the keyboard and all those other things and I really like it. Mostly because I'm mobile and I can go outside with the kids and still write. But if I had more money, I'd probably buy a big one. :D

Crystal said...

Thanks so much for this review, Tess! I don't have a laptop or netbook and was weighing the pros & cons, too. So glad you got a chance to test one out. I know I definitely want a laptop now! I also heard that you can't play CDs or DVDs on a netbook . . .

Unknown said...

I've been thinking about getting a new lap top as my battery sucks, the plug port keeps moving and so the electric goes out and without a good battery everything goes out, and because it keeps breaking in general. This baby's been in the shop about every two months (for a month or two or three at a shot) since Hubby gave it to me. So I really appreciate your review to help me decide.

Thanks for visiting my blog today:

AshleyLadd

dellgirl said...

Thanks for the review, I'm researching now since my laptop died. I've had my eye on the netbook, but NO MORE. I need larger keys. The sensitivity is a real issue also as I sometimes use my daughter's laptop and the mousepad is ultra sensitive.

Happy Wednesday to you!

Sherrie Petersen said...

I use a MacBook Pro and I love it. I can't imagine using anything else!

But I have seen those cute little NetBooks and wondered about them. Thanks for setting me straight :D

Jill Kemerer said...

I've been wanting one, but now? Not so much. Thanks for helping me get over the desire!

Patti said...

Thanks for the review I was thinking of getting one, but since my hands are huge maybe I'll pass and save up for the Mac book that I really want.

Tamika: said...

Ooh, thanks for the review. My daughter has been hinting at one and I almost bought it last Christmas.

We will move on to Plan B.

Blessings to you...

Tess said...

I didn't mean to make them sound terrible. They just didn't work for me -- way to tiny and sensitive -- but I might still get one for my daughter someday (she's only 15 now) because they are so much cheaper than a conventional laptop and she is far less picky than I am when it comes to this type of stuff.

Kelly H-Y said...

I'm sticking with my laptop!! Great information, by the way!

kah said...

I know what you mean. I had one of those ultra sensitive mouse pads and I hated it. I messed up my MS all the time. I think all laptops should be test driven before purchasing.

Cate Kariaxi said...

The cons were huge when I first got my netbook, but you do adapt. At this point, I have a problem typing on my big laptop. I suddenly don't know where all the keys are. I also feel less pretentious with the little itty bitty computer when hanging out at the bookstore cafe. :)

The only real con is the lack of memory when compared to my regular laptop. No video games. And the speakers aren't loud enough when watching videos or listening to music...