[TJHUB]

My laptop died today, so I'm looking for it's replacement.  I only used the laptop to access Squeezebox Server for my Duet, surf the net, and email.  I certainly don't need anything great just to do these things, so I'm considering just getting a netbook.   The problem is that it will cost me about $300.00 and a decent laptop only seems to cost around $350-$400.00.

It's hard to not want the laptop, but I don't really want some heavy, large screen laptop on my lap while listening to music.  I honestly think I'd rather have the netbook.  I just wish the prices weren't so close.  I'm really struggling with this decision. 

Anyone use a netbook that would care to offer some advise or opinions?

Thanks. 

[cujobob]

For simple stuff like that.... websurfing, email, MS Word/Excel, and such...I love my Netbook!  I have an Asus 1005HA (I think..) and it has a battery that lasts me 6+ hours (and has for over a year now) of real-world use.  (also upgraded the RAM to 2GB manually)

The cons: Some webpages don't view perfectly with this resolution.  Newer models may have increased the screen resolution but I'm not sure.  The CPU is too slow to do graphic-intensive stuff...it can do simple stuff like stream a movie with nothing else open just fine...but even certain games on Facebook and such can be a task for it.

So for me...for the $300 I put down and the amount of battery life I get...I'm happy with it.  One of the main reasons for me to get this was due to not wanting to spend too much on a laptop as they need to be replaced frequently.

[TJHUB]

For simple stuff like that.... websurfing, email, MS Word/Excel, and such...I love my Netbook!  I have an Asus 1005HA (I think..) and it has a battery that lasts me 6+ hours (and has for over a year now) of real-world use.  (also upgraded the RAM to 2GB manually)

The cons: Some webpages don't view perfectly with this resolution.  Newer models may have increased the screen resolution but I'm not sure.  The CPU is too slow to do graphic-intensive stuff...it can do simple stuff like stream a movie with nothing else open just fine...but even certain games on Facebook and such can be a task for it.

So for me...for the $300 I put down and the amount of battery life I get...I'm happy with it.  One of the main reasons for me to get this was due to not wanting to spend too much on a laptop as they need to be replaced frequently.

I honestly NEVER play any sort of games while listening to music.  It's really just web surfing, email, and controlling Squeezebox Server.  I should have mentioned that my house if full of computers to do anything I want on, so I don't need to do anything fancy with this one.  It would be nice if it could run Room EQ Wizard, but it's not necessary. 

I have my eye on a Asus as well.  I too would love the longer battery life of a netbook vs. laptop. 

On the subject of the web pages not looking correct, I noticed that all the netbooks I'm looking at have a resolution of 1024 x 600.  Is that what yours has?

 

[Scott F.]

For me it's the netbook. I've got a pair of laptops and as you mention, they are big, heavy and hot as they sit on your lap. The netbook is great. It's light, quiet and doesn't run hot at all.

One thing you need to watch though. Pay close attention to where the SHIFT keys are on the keyboard. I ended up with a pair of netbooks unintentionally because of this. I initially bought a Eee netbook and come to find out after using it the right SHIFT key was too small and nestled in with the arrow keys. As a result of being a right SHIFT pinky guy, I couldn't type a complete sentence without hitting one of the arrow keys. It drove me nuts so I bought a second netbook (MSi) and retired the Eee to my wife (who uses it constantly). The MSi has a larger and better positioned SHIFT key.

I love mine. So much so that when I travel for work, I don't take either of my big laptops, I take the MSi. I add a little wireless mouse and a USB 10 keypad and it works perfectly. This thing is so light, thin and portable, I can zip it up inside my portfolio. I take it to places like meetings where I want to do an informal presentation, CEU seminars and classes where I want to take notes or pretty much anywhere that I want to either surf (coupled to my EVO phone) or get a little bit of work done.

Like Bob mentioned, I upgraded my RAM to 2gig. Since I run MS Office, Acrobat and AutoCAD on this thing, it runs a bit better with a little more RAM. Oh BTW, mine runs on Windows XP. I'm not sure I would want 7 or higher on it with so little ram. XP runs just fine.

[mcgsxr]

Around 18 months ago I bought a laptop for the house, as my girls were beginning to take an interest in PC's.  I bought a used Dell.  They still use it sometimes.

I would buy a netbook in a second for what you describe.  No major apps to run, just surfing and emailing etc, that is what I would go with for sure.

I sometimes use the Dell as the remote for my SB3, and I find it is very warm on my lap - it is sometimes cold in the basement though, so it nets out!

[wilbert-vanbakel]

I would look for a dual core atom based netbook, but since you focus on low cost, you might find great deals.
For example:https://www.eglobalwireless.com/c-187-netbooks.aspx?gclid=CIb317Cf56YCFSVe7AodjicVzQ

[TJHUB]

Thanks for the replies guys.  I think I'm going to go with a netbook.  I'm certain a netbook will work great for everything I want it to do.  I'm not going to focus on the price issue.  I'm just going to get the netbook that I like.  I really want the small size, cool running, and long battery life.  I'm sitting here right now with my wife's 15" widescreen Dell and it's too big and heavy.  The worst thing is the battery life.  I replaced the battery about 8 months ago and it seems to last about 2.5 hours max.  My wife loves it when I kill the battery for her.

If the weather holds out here in Wisconsin, I plan to head to a B&M store to look around and maybe buy tonight. 

Thanks.

[bregez]

I've been using a Asus Eee 1005HA for two years and have never missed my old laptop.  I travel quite a bit between Chicago and India so battery life on those long 14 hour flights is key.  I even use it for data acquisition and a few other engineering applications and it runs fine.  The only thing that it has a hard time with is streaming videos with a wireless connection when there are other applications open.  It gets real choppy.  The external power supply also gets hot when it is charging the battery and running applications on the computer.   I think Asus is on their forth generation netbook, but when you start comparing them it is like comparing apples to apples.   The cheaper netbooks use the last generation chipsets and processors and the pricier ones use the current Dual Core Atom processor and chipset.  Some have 0.3 MP webcams and others have 1.3MP webcams.   Some have chiclet keyboards some do not.  Some have a matte screen some have a glossy screen. I think Samsung has a model that has a built in subwoofer (seriously, ha-ha).

[TJHUB]

Here is my first post with my new netbook.

I went to a local store and they happened to have a few Asus 1001PX's on sale for $250.00.  They had one out of the box for people to look over.  It seemed to have everything I wanted.  Great keyboard layout, matte screen, and no shiny surfaces anywhere.  It has a 160gb HD, 1gb of RAM, and Windows 7 Starter.  I just got it up and running and I really like it thus far.  Its size is perfect for controlling Squeezebox Server.  It feels like nothing sitting on my lap and the screen size is much more tolerable than I would have thought.  I think I'll like this little guy. 

I didn't expect to buy something so quickly, but it just seems to have worked out.  Hopefully that means it was meant to be. 

Thanks again for everyone's input.

[JoshK]

I am thinking of getting a netbook.  I am leaning towards the 12" screen size for more everyday use, but haven't decided yet.  I am also considering getting a SSD for it. 

[HAL]

The ASUS 1015 series are available as refurbs.  I picked up one for $250+ shipping from NewEgg with an Atom N450, 250GB drive and 1 GB of memory.  Installed a 2GB SoDimm and have Windows 7 x64 running for my music server.  I run Squeezebox on a N270, so updating the N450 should be easy.  It has a 10.1" display that I sit next to my chair as the fan is very quiet. 

I am experimenting with using my WiFi iTouch as a remote for Foobar2000 and Squeezebox, so I can move it a bit farther away just to get rid of the small fan noise it does have, but I am in no rush.

[wdrazek]

Last year I picked up an Asus netbook... 11.6" screen. Most reliable brand, ridiculously cheap at around $300+ BB warranty which I used to get a new power cord when the first one didn't work after 2 years. Smaller screens (meaning 10.1") meant smaller keyboards and worse typing accuracy when I tested them. After having owned/ used laptops since 1992 this is the best overall one I have found when I look at all the things important to me. The previous winner was an HP that had a 386 processor, all apps loaded in ROM and a passive B/W screen that got 12+ hours on a battery that I picked up around 1994.

Overall, very light weight, outstanding battery life, little speed difference for the apps I use, never overheats and it goes into my briefcase without being noticed at about 35 ounces (that's around 1 kg for non-US folk).

In a year or 2, it will be a tablet probably but for now this one has everything I need as a web browser and a salesman who works largely on the road.