Netbook recommendations?

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sbowness

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#32432 16-Apr-2009 23:10

I'm looking to get a netbook to take with me on holiday to England .

Does anyone have any recommendations, please?

Ragnor

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#207411 16-Apr-2009 23:25

I helped my sister buy one recently. In the end she chose the Acer Aspire One over a Asus Eee PC, either is a solid choice just depends on what prices / specials are on at the time. I definately recommend hitting the retailers and trying out the keyboards on at lesat a few brands to get a better feel for what brand you prefer.

All the good price/performance models in my opinion are 10" screen and Atom 270 cpu/chipset so there is very little difference between them other than casing and keyboard.

freitasm

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#207471 17-Apr-2009 09:00

I really enjoiy the HP Mini series. I had an original HP Mini Note, and now a HP Mini Mi (the one running Ubuntu Linux). They are very nice and stylish, plus the keyboard size is almost 80% of normal laptop sized keyboards, have fast CPUs (these days Intel Atom 1.6GHz) and options of OS.

sbowness

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#207490 17-Apr-2009 09:42

Thanks to you both. I'll check them out.

Has anyone had any experience with the Dell Inpiron Mini 10? The hype on Dell's site makes them look very enticing, particularly with the "Coming Soon" features of greater memory, GPS, bigger battery and TV card. Are the Atom Z520 and Z530 better chips than the Z270?

geekiegeek

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#207519 17-Apr-2009 11:14

I have a lenovo ideapad s10 which is a pretty nice machine and has a expresscard slot for adding 3G modems etc. Got mine in thailand - not sure where\how much to get one here.

magu

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#207527 17-Apr-2009 11:37

I've heard good things of both the HP Mini and Lenovo's IdeaPad. I'm actually on the market for one as well, and was considering the Lenovo as it seems it's got more bang for the buck than HP's. I couldn't actually find the Mini Mi on sale anywhere in NZ, so the only option available is the one with Windows XP.

A friend has got both the Aspire One and an MSI Wind, and the MSI looks quite cool.

It all depends on what you're going to use it for:

- Lots of typing? Look for the best sized keyboard
- Need battery life? Look for more than 3-cells (some of them have upgradeable batteries)
- Getting a Linux one saves you a little bit of money if you don't need Windows
- If you intend to do a Hackintosh, look for the best ones here: http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/12/17/osx-netbook-compatib.html

"Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads." - Doc Emmet Brown

sbiddle

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#207529 17-Apr-2009 11:43

I've been thinking of getting one myself to take on holiday around Eruope this year as well.

Having played with quite a few different models lately I'd personally recommend you go for something with a 10" screen rather than a 8.9" model. The extra screen size really is significant and IMHO 8.9" is just a wee bit too small. The only exception to this would be if you're focussed on getting the smallest possible machine available!

Battery life is also a significant issue with significant differences between different models out there. Some ship with 3 cell batteries, others 6 cell. This means there are big differences between run times. Also check out reviews with accurate run times - what manufacturers claim is typically 99% rubbish.

freitasm

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#207532 17-Apr-2009 11:51

Whatever you do, don't get the Toshiba NB100 - its keyboard is really bad and the unit is not that great. And I don't like the ASUS Eee PC because of the keyboard too.

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BigAlf

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#207564 17-Apr-2009 13:11

I bought the Eee PC 1000H not too long ago and i love it! 10" is definitely the way to go and i find the keyboard on this one really easy to get used to. The touchpad is sometimes annoying but everything else is great. I mentioned not long ago about a 9.5hr battery model which i think is called 1000he - not sure where you can get it but it might be good for you travellers!

Tockly

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#207565 17-Apr-2009 13:21

I have been using a HP Mini 2140 for the last few weeks and love it. Also my wife who doesn't really get into technology wanted to know where hers was!!

I am running Windows 7 on mine and it's sweet. Boots in about 30-40 seconds, runs all the apps I need fine and I love the small form factor. I use it almost daily on the train, and also in the plane.

It's very solidly built, but does have the worlds brightest LED's on the front.

Leggo

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#207594 17-Apr-2009 14:52

After a reasonable amount of research I've settled on the Asus EEE 1000HE. The reviews out of the States are giving it near category killer status, specifically due to the battery life, which is touted at as much as 9.5 hours!

I'm getting it purchased and hand delivered from the US by family member, (and not until June!) so I'm open to some risk around exchange rates and potential service issues if it has problems. I figure that if the worst happens I can always return it, and based on comparisons with other models a US dollar purchase is a winner with the current exchange rate.

Anyway - perhaps to fuel my sense of buyer remorse - does anybody know when the 1000HE model is due to be released in New Zealand? It's shown on the Asus NZ website, but no price is offered and no release date is listed.

I'll forward a user review just as soon as I get my hands on the little blue netbook. At this point I'm gagging for it!

freitasm

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#207595 17-Apr-2009 14:55

Leggo: After a reasonable amount of research I've settled on the Asus EEE 1000HE. The reviews out of the States are giving it near category killer status, specifically due to the battery life, which is touted at as much as 9.5 hours!

This is probably how long batteries last if the notebook is turned on and put on a table with nothing else... Start using it, WiFi on, graphics subsystem pushing hard, HDD activity and you will see this drastically reduced.

If it is too good to be true...

Ragnor

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#207704 17-Apr-2009 23:18

Yeah there's no way the battery will actually last 9 hours when "in use", most netbooks claim 6 and are actually around 2-3 max in my experience.

Lipex666

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#207722 18-Apr-2009 07:30

Just to add Im looking for a netbook to.

Whats holding me back?

NZ we seem to only get the 3 cell batteries not the longer life 6 cell

Not all netbooks stocked in NZ and will need to source from the US.

The annoying fact that from Microsoft if you run a netbook with Windows XP basic you are only allowed one GB Ram.

I waiting for July prob later for Windows 7 netbook with hopefully 2 GB ram.

Plus the newer Dell mini 10 that are supposed to be coming with more features like GPS, tv and HD support.

In fact maybe better to go 12 / 13 Notbook and get the bigger keyboard and Ram / CPU combo.

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magu

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#207740 18-Apr-2009 10:38

I don't think Windows 7 will come out before October/November.

As to Windows XP and 1Gb of RAM, some netbooks CAN be upgraded after purchase, so it's not completely out of reach to have Windows XP and 2Gb of RAM.

"Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads." - Doc Emmet Brown