Sep 1, 2010 Posted by admin in Articles

Which is the Best Netbook?

Netbooks are gaining great acclamation to techie buyers because of its highly commendable qualities – portability, light weight, compact, low cost, and low power systems. No wonder it is the hottest thing to hit laptops since the touchpad. But among the countless brands and models on this device, which one really is the best netbook? This is a tricky question because every netbook maker sees to it that their product is unique and they ensure that it is the best netbook. If you are searching for help or guide on what is the best netbook, read on…

Netbooks, subnetbooks, mini laptops, whatever you call it, this device is so popular because it is less expensive than laptops and highly portable. They are good secondary computers for people who travel and people who need to stay connected. For starters who want to learn, the best netbook are great as it offers the same base features of a full-blown computer. To give you a list of the best netbook, here are some of models that will suit certain tasks or features that buyers might be looking. Here are some of the best netbook so far…

Among the best netbook that will provide great value for your money is the Dell Mini 10v 10.1 inch netbook. It costs less compared to other netbooks available in the market. This 10-inch mini netbook is built from less pricey plastics yet offers robust body and good overall mix of functions and features. These qualities are what make it among the best netbook choice of buyers. Its compact size allows maximum portability and efficiency however the 3-cell battery gives it a shorter running time. Other than that, it can be considered the best netbook. It can cost around $300.

For anyone looking for long battery life, the best netbook would be the Toshiba NB205-N210 10.1-inch. More and more netbooks now now promise an all-day computing. Of course everybody wants a device that is usable for long hours. The Toshiba NB205-N210 spans over 9 hours of total use. Its six cell battery pack will enable the user to enjoy video playback test and all other functions. What is even more impressive is its Intel Atom B280 that powers it and allows it to achieve maximum performance. This best netbook costs around $350. Other best netbook that offer long battery life are the Asus Eee PC1005HA and Samsung NP-NC10.

For the best netbook with comfy keyboards, the HP Mini 110-1050NR is a great choice. HP is known to manufacture hiogh quality keyboards with spacious keys and well engineered layouts. The HP mini 110 is one of the latest and has best netbook keyboard design that is 92% in suze and sports a full size shift key. This netbook works well when it comes to internet connectivity. Thanks to its built in WWAN adapter that functions with a CDMA cellular network or GSM. Thisbest netbook runs around $450.

There are lots of other amazing and state of the art netbooks today. You can find them at popular online stores. With the vast array, you sure will have the freedom to choose which will fit your needs.

Aug 7, 2010 Posted by admin in Articles

Be Ready to Spend for the Best Netbook

If you are an electronic geek, can you give everyone a definite answer as to what is the best netbook? Probably, you can’t give them that due to the fact that there are various netbooks out there that are designed with exceptional quality and performance. It is really hard to decide when asked what is the best netbook. There are vast selections of netbooks and laptops today in the market and choosing the right one that will suit your needs and of course your budget can be a daunting task. Choosing the best one is a matter of picking from small differences because most best netbook share similar features and they only vary in style and some add-ons.

Basically, a netbook sports an Intel Atom chip, an 8-10 inches screen, and a very lightweight built. With its compact size, anyone can possibly bring it anywhere and everywhere. The portability and usability features of a netbook are what makes it so popular to buyers. The best netbook can cost around $350 or even more. The most sophisticated model usually offers more added features like a slot for a TV tuner, etc. These added options are enough for now but the best netbook market is continuously evolving thus the latest today can be obsolete tomorrow. So why is this? Well, this is because the best netbook is initiating a revolution that might just topply the giants.

Consumers are getting wiser and wiser these days. They don’t want ultra sophisticated netbooks, but devices that will complement their working needs as well as their pockets. The budget is the prime factor to be considered when buying the best netbook. Prices of the latest netbooks can really be painful. You are lucky if you can afford even the most expensive. But if you belong to the middle-class buyers, you really need to carefully think about purchasing the best netbook. It is wise to settle for practical, decent, yet reasonably priced best netbook.

Today, netbook buyers are bombarded with a blizzard of netbook choices. They vary in size, style, and features. Some are costly while some are cheap. For buyers who are looking for netbooks that are great for business, then they should go for high-end and the best netbook. But for buyers who are simply seeking fun-time or just looking for a second computing machine, standards netbooks will do. Sizes of netbooks can range from 7-10 inches and price can go as high as $350. For the best netbook and the latest, that can really be expensive. But don’t worry because you sure will get a great deal of value on your best netbook purchase.

Most buyers today want something portable and very cheap netbooks. This makes manufacturers cry out loud! No one can possibly get a super quality netbook at very low cost. Of course if you want the best netbook, you must be ready to spend otherwise, you can’t get what you want. This is a fact. Depending on your budget, you can still get best netbook that will match your needs. If you are not concerned about using it for business or for professional use, you can always choose fairly engineered standard best netbook.

Aug 3, 2010 Posted by admin in Articles

Netbook Buying Tips

Netbook Structure: Most netbooks sport small LCD screens, 8.9-inches to 10-inches, versus an average of 15.4-inches for normal laptops. Netbooks generally weigh around 2.2 lbs (1 kilogram) each, far lighter than most laptops, and carry batteries that last up to 8 hours. They cost between US$199 and $799 and lot more benefits.

Here are useful tips for your first netbook:

1. Make sure you want a netbook and not a full-fledged laptop computer.

What do you want to use this netbook for? Do you want a lightweight device for easy Internet access? Or are you really looking for a device to carry around that you can edit video on, play games, or use for other applications that test the computing limits of a netbook?

Don’t buy a netbook if you’re really looking for a laptop, it would be a mistake.

To ensure longer battery life, some key components on a netbook, such as the microprocessor, are less powerful than common laptops. That’s why they’re good for surfing the Internet, sending e-mails, or doing homework.

2. Buy a netbook with an 8.9-inch screen or larger.

Tested an Eee PC with a 7-inch screen, the Surf, and found screen too small. I was not able to view an entire Web page on the cramped display. On a screen that small, you have to scroll left and right as well as up and down to see an entire Web page. Scrolling up and down is normal, but left and right was annoying.

That’s less of a problem on the slightly larger-sized screens and, in the 8.9-inch screen size, the weight and size of the netbook is nearly the same as devices with 7-inch screens.

The 10-inch screens are even better, yet add size and weight to the netbook.

3. Make sure you get a 6-cell battery for your netbook, although you may have to pay $50 more and the device will weigh more.

Most companies started out offering netbooks with 3-cell batteries as the standard, but that doesn’t offer a whole lot of run time, just 2-3 hours. A 6-cell battery doubles that, and in some devices designed around a 6-cell battery, such as Asustek Computer’s Eee PC 901, you can get up to 8 hours.

Another benefit of the larger battery is that it props up the back of the device, putting it on a slight angle that makes typing easier. Keyboards on netbooks are smaller than normal keyboards, and comfortable typing was one area I was not willing to compromise on.

4. Try out the keyboard and make sure it’s right for you.

None of the devices, I tested had a better typing pad than Intel’s ClassMate PC, which has a keyboard far smaller than the Eee PC 1000. Keys on the ClassMate PC’s keyboard are raised and there is a lot of space between them, making them easy to find by touch.

I really liked the keyboards on Acer’s Aspire One, Hewlett-Packard’s Mini 1000 and Everex’s CloudBook Max, but the best keyboard was on HP’s Mini-Note.

5. Software: See what comes preinstalled and consider trying the Linux OS.

There are two lessons on software.

First, some vendors have skimped on including software in their netbooks on the pretense that users can download a lot of free software on the Internet. That’s true, but it’s a bad excuse for not going the extra distance for customer satisfaction.

Who wants to spend time downloading when many netbook makers have added lots of software so users can play with their new netbook right away?

Second, it may be time to the give the Linux OS a try.

Most of the netbooks I tested with Linux booted up far faster than Windows XP or Windows Vista. Which reminds me, don’t buy a netbook with Vista — it’s just too slow.

There are also free Linux-based word processing programs and spreadsheets available on the Internet such as Open Office, Sun’s inexpensive StarOffice and Web-based software such as Google Apps.

Google also offers a nice package of free software, Google Pack, which includes several popular applications such as Adobe Reader, Skype, RealPlayer for music and video, Norton Security Scan and two browsers, Google’s Chrome and Firefox.

6. Price: if it costs more than $500, start looking at a regular notebook computer.

Companies have started promoting a wide range of netbooks at ever higher prices, but once you pass $500, netbooks start to compete with laptops, and a laptop will almost always give you more value for your money.

Laptop computers have far more powerful microprocessors and other components than netbooks, and sport DVD drives. BTW, there are no DVD drives on netbooks.

7. Look around at what’s available.

Many new netbooks have come out. There are a lot of look-alikes since newcomers have copied what the pioneers found to be the most popular configurations. The net effect is to put more good devices out there from a number of competitors. You may be able to pick up a nice machine for a very low price.

In any case, the 10-inch screen devices are a little bigger and more expensive than what I was looking for. Size is important to consider in terms of weight. Ten inch screens, hard disk drives (HDDs) and 6-cell batteries add a lot of extra weight to a netbook.

Several netbooks are now on sale with built-in 3G modules and mobile phone service providers are offering them with 3G (third generation telecommunications) contracts, so people can access the Internet from anywhere on their mobile phone network.

People can also buy add-on 3G or WiMax cards for any netbook.

Jul 23, 2010 Posted by admin in Articles

Netbook Purchase Tips

Netbook is the novel and hottest craze in portable computing, as lugging a 17“ laptop everywhere can be neatly replaced by buying an ultra portable netbook. Conversely, shopping for a netbook is best by following some buying tips.

Identifying computing needs: This is an immense factor worth considering and needs proper thinking and planning about using the netbook and the related software that you need. This depends on the fact about using it for web surfing or checking email or doing some serious jobs such as video editing or graphic designing. Netbook is appropriate for lower intensive tasks that comprises of web browsing, email checking and replying, besides office applications. A netbook with full size is recommended for jobs that are processor intensive.

Portability features: Carrying a netbook around involves comprehending the size and weight as the main factor. Netbook is available in plenty of sizes, but definitely is tiny and weights less in comparison to the bulky laptops. The portability features certainly is favorable only when the netbook is light in weight and small in size. The battery size and weight also requires to be considered as some power adaptors come heavy and large in size.

Comprehending the storage types: Types of netbook available in the market should be comprehended as it helps in selecting the desired to suit the needs and wants of the buyer. Netbook comes in SSD and HDD storage types such that SSD, the Solid State Drives boot faster, possess withstanding impact and is a bit faster in performance, but is notorious for low storage. Contrarily, HDD, the Hard Disk Drives netbook stores up to 160GB data, but are weaker withstanding impacts in comparison to their counterparts, SSD. Buying a fast netbook with less storage capacity or a netbook offering high capacity, but is slow in booting depends completely on the desire and need of the buyer.

Considering the netbook`s brand: Considering the brand before purchasing is essential as the market today is filled with numerous brands of netbooks. However, good brands such as ASUS certainly carry high repute, and are followed by many more manufacturers of netbook such as Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo and MSI. These manufacturers vary in their signatures and a buyer should know these details prior to purchase, such as ASUS have small keyboards. It is necessary to know the different brand netbooks as well as their differences, and this can be understood by researching in the internet with patience.

Operating system: Similar to the desktop computers having Mac and Windows as operating system competitors, the netbook has Windows XP and Linux for competition. The netbook models are shipped by different manufacturers with an operating system, and hence every netbook is either featured with a Windows XP or Linux version. However, Linux version netbooks are well-known for their security and stability, while the Windows XP netbooks have gained the topmost popularity. Compatibility of versions is a must and hence a buyer usually opts for Windows XP netbook, as it is tough to switch paradigms facilitating Linux.

Reading reviews: User reviews play a vital role in determining the performance of some netbooks. Manufacturers do not leave any opportunity in hyping their product so that their sales are boosted. But, reading the reviews will assist in knowing the value or the rundown of a netbook model. Reading independent reviews of products offered in online computer magazines and searching the internet for more reviews will give valuable information about a product to be purchased.

Comparison: Settling for a shopping website at the first attempt is not recommended. Comparing prices from minimum three or five netbook sellers is the best before placing the order. Comparison is required as some websites offer the netbooks cheaper as they deal on wholesale orders, while others do the same and sell second hand netbooks. If buying online, make sure the you are dealing with a trusted website.

Jul 3, 2010 Posted by admin in Articles

The Most Recommended Netbooks

We’ve reviewed the experts’ recommendations and users’ comments on a wide range of netbooks, and here we recommend 4 highly rated ones.

Firstly, what are netbooks? Like the meaning of “responsible” (as in “who really is responsible for the deep economic mire we find ourselves in – greedy bankers or incompetent ministers?”) everybody seems to have a different point of view.

For the non-techy they are small, very portable laptops which are more likely to be used for basic wordprocessing, emailing, surfing the net, and watching and listening to video, pictures and songs on the move. Later models are now able to play more sophisticated games, and even do some video editing, though this is still best left for a more powerful laptop or desktop. They are at the smaller end of the screen sizes, up to 11 inches (measured diagonally), though there are no hard and fast rules.

Don’t get confused with notebooks – notebooks a bit bigger, and less portable, lying between the netbook and the laptop; nor are they “tablets” – the most famous of which is the newly launched iPad. Tablets have no keyboard and are principally for playing media and surfing the web, not more serious multi-tasking.

The important thing is that netbooks are designed to be very portable laptops – though a recent survey of US owners found that 60% never took them out of the house! Most have inbuilt wifi to connect to wireless internet wherever you are, or have the capability to link to the internet via a 3G link (like a phone).

Why would you want one? Apart from establishing your IT revolution credentials on the 7.36 from Tring, it could perfectly adequately satisfy your general computing needs whilst on the move. Battery life of the more modern netbooks is between 6 and 8 hours.

However, the basic fact is that you trade off convenience for power – ie what the thing will do for you. For example, they are unlikely to do lots of tasks at the same time, or even a single, power hungry application such as video editing. Also, one of the key things to bear in mind is the size of the screen – its small size may mean that it’s easy to slip into a large pocket or bag, but as a result it may be less easy to see what’s on it. Nevetheless, you just have to read a few user reviews to see how popular they are, and how they fulfill most users’ computing needs.

The other thing you are unlikely to find in a netbook is an inbuilt CD/DVD player – though a reasonable solution is to buy a seperate player (or “drive”) for around £30.

So what netbooks do the experts recommend? We’ve scanned the web to find their recommendations, and have found suggested best buys listed by Cnet, PC Advisor, Netbook Review, Budget Netbooks, TechRadar, Stuff.tv, Pocket Lint, Trusted Reviews, and we’ve also reviewed user comments in Revoo, Review Centre and Amazon. We’ve aggregated the rankings, and come up with our own definitive list of best buy netbooks – ones we would happily buy ourselves.

One thing to bear in mind is that manufacturers are developing their products all the time – new versions are being released regularly. This means that reviews and recommendations may be out of date after a short while. However, where a notebook has been around a while, and there is an updated version, we’ve mentioned it as worth checking out.

We’ve looked at the budget end of the notebook spectrum – under £260. You can spend more – over £400 – and you will generally get a more powerful machine, with more features. However, we think, for general use, you can buy an excellent notebook for under £300.

Here are the 4 top recommended netbooks in priority order, best first. To get more detail and the price, click on the name of the netbook. To see a particular review, check out the full article at 1.Samsung NC10 Netbook

Possibly the most recommended netbook is the Samsung NC10. Described as “Most Popular” byBudget Netbooks, given 10/10 by Trusted Reviews, 4.5/5 by PC Advisor, 5/5 by TechRadar,  5/5 and a “Hot Buy” by Stuff.TV.

In terms of user reviews, it gets 4.5/5 (11 reviews) at the Review Centre, and 5/5 (22 reviews) at Amazon.

Unfortunately, this notebook is getting a bit old now (though still available and still getting excellent reviews), so you may also wish to consider a newer netbook from the same stable, such as the Samsung N120 (TechRadar gave it 4.5/5 ) or the Samsung N130 (TechRadar gave it 3/5 and 52 users gave it an average of 4.5/5 at Amazon). They all seem great notebooks!

2. Asus 1005HA 10-inch Netbook

This netbook is highly recommended by Netbook Review (2nd out of 5), and is considered “Good Value” by Budget Netbooks. It gets an average of 4/5 in 7 reviews at Amazon

It supercedes the highly acclaimed Asus 1000 HE. A good alternative, though more expensive, is the Asus Eee Asus PC 1008HA, which is ranked 9/10 by Trusted Reviews, and 5/5 by Stuff.TV, and rated 4.5/5 on average by 12 customer reviews at Amazon
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3. Toshiba NB200-10z 10.1-inch Netbook

Highly recommended netbook, by Netbook Review (5th out of the top 10), Cnet (8th out of the top 10), Trusted Reviews (9/10), PC Advisor (4/5), and Stuff.TV (4/5).

9 customer reviews average 4/5 at Amazon

4. Acer Aspire One D150

Whilst this notebook is getting a little long in the tooth (relatively!), and has been updated during 2009, it is still rated very highly by the experts and users. Budget Netbooks said it was “easy to use”, PC Advisor gave it 4.5/5, as did TechRadar. Stuff.TV rated it slightly lower at 4/5, but still recommended it. 33 customer reviews at Amazon rated it 4 /5 on average.

You might equally consider the Acer Aspire One Pro 531 which is rated  4/5 by Stuff.TV, and gets rated 5/5 by 1 customer at Amazon.