Best netbooks

I just bought a brand new Dell Mini 9 netbook and love it. It's very small and compact with a 9-inch screen, and only about two pounds. You have a choice of Linux or XP (I wnet with XP). Overall it's about as big as paperback book, and easily fits in a purse or a jacket pocket. Most netbooks use SSD drives instead "mechanical" hard drives, so they make no noise and the battery lasts longer as well. With the wifi turned off and the screen dimmed I can watch video for about 3.5 hours. It's a good all-in-one device: I can use it read ebooks, watch video, listen to music, store travel documents, make calls with Skype, use it as an alarm clock, and transfer photos from my camera. So in theory it could actually free up space in your luggage. I just returned from a trip to China and Hong Kong, and it worked-out great. In fact, people were constantly coming up to me as I was using it, and were amazed at how small it was.

I just received my new Consumer Reports in the mail today, and they had some ratings on Netbooks. Despite the size, some can be fitted with 160GB Hard Drives and that's probably the option I'd choose.

Regarding the Dell Mini 9 and HP Mini 1000 the report stated "both are very light, thanks to solid-state drives. But those drives are very small at 8 to 16 gigabytes each and slowed the computer noticeably". The Lenovo IdeaPad S10 and the MSI Wind U100-016US both seemed to get reasonably favourable ratings.

The report is more of a brief summary than a full review. It's on page 41 of the March 2009 edition.

Cheers!

I read that review prior to my purchase (it was posted on Yahoo a couple of months ago). 160GB Hard Drives only come in the "mechanical" variety, so you do get more space, but the trade-off is that battery life is less and the unit weighed more. In terms of speed SSD drives are a bit slower, but it's really not that noticeable. At the factory the drives are set on the "compress" mode. By unchecking the compress box on the drive settings all of that slow performance instantly goes away. The Dell XP Mini-9 comes with a 16gb SSD drive and I found it to be more than enough space for my needs. By buying a 16GB SD memory card you can double storage space for about $50. Some of the other competing netbook brands had better specs on paper, but what pushed me to purchase the Dell, was the solid construction. Other brands like Asus and HP seemed a bit fragile. Since I was using this for travel, it felt like the Dell could handle minor drops or bangs better than the others.

Michael,

Thanks for the additional information on your experiences with the Dell Netbook. Very informative!

Although I'm a devout Mac user, I've been considering a Netbook for travel so any information I can get is very useful. While I could travel with my Macbook Pro, it's larger and heavier than a Netbook and considerably more expensive so it would really "hurt" if it was lost, stolen or damaged.

One question about the memory - even with an extra 16 GB card, have you found a total of 32GB to be adequate? There's no way I could use it for photo storage, as I have far more capacity than that in CF Cards. However, for journalling trips, E-mail and web use a Netbook might be just what I need.

Cheers!

Ken,
There are actually quite a few folks out there who are buying the Mini 9, erasing the drive and installing the Mac OS on it. From what I've read it runs pretty good like that. Also, I forgot to mention, if you purchase a Mini 9 with Linux installed, Dell will put in bigger SSD drives; up to 64 GB. Dell can only put 16GB on the XP models because of licensing limitations imposed by Microsoft. In terms of picture storage, I typically don't take a lot of pictures on vacations, so I can't really say if the increased storage would be okay for your purposes.

As someone who has taken a laptop to Europe for seven trips in the last eight years, I am fully convinced that having a computer with you can be a great advantage. I think that any of these "sub-notebooks" have their advantages - inexpensive (less than $400), small, and lightweight.

As for the operating system, Windows XP works just fine for me. In fact, I would prefer Win2k, in my opinion, the best OS ever, but (sigh) they don't make it anymore.

I have a 100GB+ hard drive, but I put in a 2 GB flash card for my data. Far more memory than I need for the important files, and isolated from the system should I want to back up just my data.

With more and more hotels and Gasthaus(es) putting in WLAN, and cypercafes going the way of the Dodo, a small notebook is essential for keeping in touch with back home, saving pictures, keeping expense report, etc.

As for the Acer Aspire One (which I have and like), I have to say that, IMO, Acer has the worst customer service organaization I have ever encountered. When CS people don't even understand their own system, and I have to explain basic computer concepts to them, there is something wrong.

Michael,

Thanks very much for the information! I'm somewhat "technically literate", but not sure I'd have the ability to erase drives and load OS-X Leopard (hence one of the reasons I use a Mac). Also, Apple are quite strict about the licensing so if I'd have to buy Leopard at a cost of several hundred dollars, it would negate the price advantage of a Netbook.

In order to do any journalling or word processing I'd need an application such as I-Works or MS Office (or at least Word & Excel), none of which would probably fit into 16GB memory on a Netbook while still leaving room for files.

I recently took a short trip to the south for some sun, using my I-Pod Touch for Wi-Fi access. While that method works to some extent, it's not ideal as even with loading some E-mail files the Touch is painfully SLOW and tends to "lock up" frequently. Of course the small Keyboard is only of limited use also.

As Netbooks are the fastest growing segment of the PC market at the moment (according to business analysts), I'm sure there will be more feature laden models released in the very near future.

Cheers!

Kent. I have an Asus EEE 900. At first I liked it. NOw, not so much. The keyboard is way too small, the split harddrives don't function well and fill up fast with updgrades to Java, xp, anti-virus. The only way to get any serious work done was to bring along a fold-up full size keyboard and a mouse. With all that, the "smallness" factor was diminished.

Just last week, HP came out with the 2140. I'm going to get one. The keyboard is 92% of full size, 10.1" screen, they claim the 6 cell battery will run 8 hours, wifi, cam, 160GB HD, 1MB ram upgradable to 2, weight just over 2.6 lbs., $529 plus shipping. Your choice of XP or Vista.

I tried it's predecessor and liked the feel. That, supposedly, hasn't changed.

HP Mini 2140

A year ago, in Bavaria, I tried repeatedly to use my phone card to call home from a public phone. I kept getting a message that there were no lines available. Fortunately I had my laptop and my hotel had Wifi. I could easily send and receive email.

A nice thing about using Wifi is that I can do it anytime, even at 2 AM, when I really don't want to get dressed and go out and find a public phone.

In my last 4 weeks in Germany, I stayed in 14 places. Seven had Wifi; I could find very few cybercafes.

With a sub-notebook, I can sort my pictures on a screen I can see and run a full sized spreadsheet for my expenses. And, I know I'm somewhat unique in this respect, I maintained my website from my computer while I was over there.

Just thought I'd suggest an alternative to a netbook: an iPod Touch. It's got wi-fi, a decent browser and good email support, plus the ability to store your calendar, photos, videos, music, podcasts , etc. I took my iPod Touch to Europe with me last year and used it a lot. I had loaded it up with my detailed itinerary and with the Rick Steves free audio tours. And when I got back from my trip, I used it to show everyone my travel photos.

I too travel with my notebook most of the time and as several of you mentioned: while WiFi is increasingly common place in hotels, B&Bs, many trains and airports, the Cyber Cafes are becoming outdated. WiFi hotspots are becoming harder to find because of the nature of secured networks in Europe.
Another reason is the price, availabilty and popularity of USB stick modems and SIM cards, which are also available as Prepaid without contract.
The provider YESSS for example, offers a USB modem for €69 and a 2 GB Sim Card for €19 here in Austria. When you need to ''reload'', you just buy another SIM card from that provider, just like you would do with a ''Handy'' (cell phone).
The trend in Europe is definitely towards personal, portable Internet.

Ken, MS office will easily fit on a 16GB drive- it takes up less than 1 GB. Louis mentioned the I-Touch. I was using a an old Dell Axim PDA in my travels; it does everything I-Touch does and it's the same size. But I switched over to a netbook because I got sick of the small screen. It was causing eye strain and reading documents and e-books became problematic.

Anyone with Verizon in the U.S. might be interested in the Blackberry Storm....

Quad Band phone (still expensive to make calls),

unlimited web browsing and email ($20/month and no need for a wifi hotspot), (Full HTML Browser) (Global service can be turned off when in the U.S. so you don't get charged.)

mp3 player,

3.2 megapixel camera,

International VZ Navigator (basically international GPS on the Storm for $20/month) (coming soon)

View & Revise MS Word, Excel & Powerpoint files

Instant Messaging

Bluetooth

voice Recorder.

Yes, the screen is small for heavy duty reading and the typing isn't the quickest. (you could get a folding bluetooth keyboard if you did heavy typing.)

But it weighs less than six ounces.

Hi Kent,
We travel with a MSI Wind netbook--it's small, lightweight (about 3 pounds), has good battery life, a 10 inch screen, and a good-sized keyboard. We just returned from a trip to France and all 4 hotels we stayed in (2 in Paris, 1 in Lyon, and 1 in Beaune) had WIFI--only 1 charged a small additional fee. Having a small computer was invaluable in getting up-to-date information about the transportation strike in France plus train schedules, weather, keeping up with news from home, etc. My husband set up a GrandCentral.com Internet phone account which sends our home voicemail to e-mail. It's hard to imagine traveling without it!

We purchase an acer apire one, for our trip to europe last september, for around 400$ can. It saved us time and money, since we used to go to internet cafés. We were able to stay in touch with our 12 years old son easily write our travel blog everyday, look up some last minute activities, train schedules, museums hours of operations. We found lots free wi-fi, most hotels have it, some b and b too, and even our appartment in munich had it. the 4 gig disk space on the acer is limited, don't plan on backing up all your pictures unless you have a spare memory card. we like that it is light and small (fits in my purse!) it has reasonnable key board size, the linux system works well and is fast the battery is also very good. the only con is the touch pad which is too/or not enough sensitive, but you can plug in a traditional mouse, if you wanted too.
overall we really like it, it does the job!

Some questions for those presently using a Netbook....

Most of these seem to use the Inten Atom processor. Have you found that it's a bit short of "horsepower" at any time during use? Does it load and display web pages (especially those with lots of graphics or whatever) fairly quickly?

Thanks for your comments.

No problems with any web sites using the Atom-pages load very fast; streaming video works great also. The Atom doesn't do well with 3D games, and video/photo editing. Increasing the ram to 2Gb helps, but performance still suffers.

Michael,

Thanks for the comments. I suspected that Netbooks with the Atom processor probably wouldn't have the same capabilities as a larger computer, but it sounds perfect for travel.

I'm off for another adventure in Europe in May/June, so will have to decide whether I'll try a Netbook on this trip. With all my photo gear, I'm not sure I want to haul around yet more technology?

One other question - are there any app's supplied with the Netbooks (ie: a basic Word Processor or Spreadsheet that will read/write Word or Excel files)?

Thanks again.

I swear by the P series Fujitsu ultralight computers instead of a netbook. You get the performance of a fullsized notebook in a netbook sized package with an excellent quality screen. Standard configuration is 2.4 pounds or you can take out the modular DVD read/write player and save a few ounces. Or, swap it out for an extra modular battery and get 10 hours on a charge. The keyboard has much better click-feel and travel than the netbooks I've seen, and it's just shy of full sized (though no separate numeric keypad, for those who like to do accounting on the go.

I originally got it for traveling (off Ebay from the fujitsucomputingstore division of Fujitsu, when they were replacing the P7230 with the P8010,) so I got a machine that had retailed for $1700 for $600--pretty sweet, though still more than a netbook. The thing is, it's as powerful and functional as a "standard" notebook, so it's now my primary laptop as well. So, if you happened to be in the market for a new computer anyway, it can actually save you from the added expense of buying a separate netbook.

Ken,

the Linux version of the Aspire One that I tried had OpenOffice pre-installed. OpenOffice claims to be able to read Word and Excel files. I found OpenOffice to be rather unfriendly, but then I have used MS Word and Excel since the mid-eighties, so maybe it was just unfamiliar.

My Aspire One came with XP and a trial version of Office 2006. Of course if you want to keep using Office, you would have to pay for it. I had an older version of Office, which I knew had all of the features I wanted, and had heard unfavorable things about 2006 through my wife, who has it at work, so I loaded Office 2000.

As for performance, I don't go to Europe to play 3D video games (or watch DVDs). I want to save and identify my digital pictures, but I can wait until I get home to edit them on my desktop. The small sacrifice you pay in performance is more than offset by the small size, light weight, and less risk from loss due to its low cost. Because of that low cost, I don't have to use it as a substitute for a powerful desktop at home, but rather as a travel accessory.

Ken, I have Open Office (free download) on my Asus and I had not trouble opening MS Word docs.

Or, if you have the MS Office discs, and get a netbook with enough HD space, just load it.

These netbooks were made for travel, light work, email, web browsing and the like. They were not designed as game machines.

JER, you got a great deal on the Fujitsu! A full featured Laptop for the price of a Netbook. I'm not in the market for a new computer at the moment, as I'm very happy with my Mac.

Lee, Thanks for the feedback regarding Open Office. I'll have to do a bit of further study on what app's would be most suitable for my use on a Netbook.

I also don't go to Europe to play 3D video games or watch DVD's, and that's why I've been reluctant to pack any computer along on my travels ( don't play video games at home either - I simply don't have the time!). The reason I wondered about the "horsepower" is that the I-Pod Touch seems to "lock up" frequently when trying to load E-mails that have a lot of graphic content. I'd like to be able to open all E-mails normally without having the computer go into "brain lock".

Unless I get a hard drive model Netbook, I won't be able to use it for digital photos. The solid-state memory models simply don't have the capacity (I normally carry over 40GB capacity in CF cards, as I prefer to shoot RAW + JPEG most of the time, so each photo can be about 12 MB).

Frank, thanks for your comments regarding Open Office. It's great to have varying opinions on that. I'll have a look at some of the Netbook sites to see what app's they might include with the various models.

I've found lately that many of the Hotels I've used have offered a free PC in the lobby for guests, so I have to wonder whether I'll even need a Netbook? Wi-Fi access has been quite good in the UK, but always seems to come with a charge in Italy (where users also have to submit their Passport and be "registered").

Thanks all!

Unless I get a hard drive model Netbook, I won't be able to use it for digital photos.

My Aspire One has a dedicated SD slot as well as one of those multicard (CF, SD, memory stick) slots. I augmented mine with a 2 GB SD card in the dedicated slot. I download pictures from my camera (MS), and save them in folders by the day, sometimes location, on the SD card. Micro center has 16 GB cards for less than $15.

In 26 nights in Germany in the last two years, I have had Wifi available in my room 17 nights, but in the hall (not lobby) only three nights. Anyway, when I'm still unable to sleep because of jetlag, I'd rather work in my room in my underwear than go down to the lobby. And, updating my website from a strange computer would have been more difficult than from my own laptop (but I imagine not many people have that concern).

The bottom line here is, no matter which netbook you prefer, there is no longer a valid reason (size, weight, cost) for leaving your laptop at home.

Lee,

Using solid-state memory Cards is still not a very workable solution for me. I travel with at least four 8GB Cards and several 4GB Cards. Backing these up to Memory Cards means I have to go out buy several 16GB SD Cards in addition to the Netbook, which still seems a bit cumbersome.

Cheers!

Question about netbooks in general: do these typically NOT come with a DVD player? I can understand that such a player would add weight and consume space, but it would be nice to have one for those occasional layovers.

They don't come with DVD players, but you can easily watch movies and TV shows on the SSD Drive or memory stick. You would have to use your regular desktop computer to rip and then compress the movies into files which you then transfer to the netbook. There's are a lot of software programs around that allow you to do this. It's the same method people use to put their movies on an IPod-Touch. My my trip to China a couple of weeks ago I was able to put every episode of the Office, Season 2 of Mad Men and about twenty movies with room to spare on one 16GB SD memory stick.

To save size and weight, these computers do not usually come with a DVD (or CD) drive. I happen to have a light weight, external USB DVD drive, which I use to install software. My Aspire One has three USB ports, which are recognized by the BIOS and can, therefore, be used to boot the computer. They can also be used to run floppy and CD/DVD drives, run a mouse, or read flash drives.

Ken....I think the fact that you're asking yourself the question, "I've found lately that many of the Hotels I've used have offered a free PC in the lobby for guests, so I have to wonder whether I'll even need a Netbook?"....probably answers the main question you've been posing....do I even NEED a computer on my trip...period. I've brought a laptop/netbook with me on holiday, and a few times I've left it at home. Frankly, I've found I can live without it...and the reasons include the one you've just listed. There are some great reviews of all the new netbooks popping up at cnet.com.

OUrpassportstamps...unfortunately, you didn't "sample" the HP machine I was suggesting. You tried the "consumer" model 1033. I was suggesting the business netbook 2140. (You won't find it at Costco.) It is much sturdier than it's Costco cousin and mean to take the rigors of travel. It comes with a choice of a 3 or 6 cell batter....has the atom processor which the 1033 doesn't...and many other upgraded features.

I haven't tried the Dell machine because no one near me has one and our local Dell Kiosk closed. (Oh, I'm not a member of Costco.)

Thanks Michael and Lee, that's useful info. I typically don't travel with my laptop due to weight, though at times I will. I have travelled with a portable DVD player, but if a netbook can combine both functions through some means, I might be tempted to buy one. On the other hand, when I've travelled without a laptop I haven't really missed it.

Thankyou all for the additional comments.

Norm, your method seems to be popular with many travellers and I suppose that's why Rick sells a Moleskine travel journal in the store. However, journalling with a spiral notebook would be an agonizing process for me and would take considerably longer than any of my existing methods.

Lee, interesting - your comments seem to mirror my travel experiences over the last few years, as I've been finding a similar situation. Some Net Cafes have disappeared entirely, possibly due to the fact that more people are travelling with Laptops, more Hotels are providing computers and many smaller B&B's etc. are now offering Wi-Fi.

Regarding the movies, actually I don't bother storing movies on a hard drive or flash drives. During flights I usually just watch the movies provided by the airline or else "doze". When I'm in Europe I'm usually either touring or photographing well into the evening, so watching movies would be a colossal waste of time after spending so much time and hard-earned money to get to Europe.

However, one exception. I do have the last Bourne movie loaded on my I-Pod Touch for "emergency use". I'm sure watching it on the small screen is going to be painful.

Frank, thanks for the information about the Apple netbook. I really must try to get on some of the Apple sites on a more regular basis (I'm usually too busy here though!). I'm also quite familiar with PC's as I have to use them at work, so buying a Windows Netbook wouldn't be a difficult adjustment.

Unfortunately, most Netbooks seem to be supplied with MS Works which apparently doesn't integrate seamlessly with Word or Excel. According to the MS website, it's a bit of a convoluted process to transfer files. I suppose they would rather encourage users to upgrade to MS Office instead.

I'll continue researching the Netbook issue.

Thanks again!

I've got the Asus 1000HA and really like it. The extra inch of screen makes a big difference not only for the display but for the keyboard as well. It also has quite a good battery - I'm averaging 6.5 hours with it.The 160gb HD is great not only for storing pictures and videos (why I bought it) but also for bringing along DVDs stored on the hard drive.

Norm,

This is definitely a decision I'm struggling with! One of my primary uses for a Netbook would be journalling, as I always keep a fairly comprehensive record of my trips (which has proven useful in offering comments here on the HelpLine). Using Hotels or Net Cafes for that is a bit "sporadic" as I'm either too busy touring and don't have time or there may be no computers available for a few days.

In the past I've used a Palm PDA (with portable Keyboard) and while that uses Word compatible documents and is easy to carry, it's a lot of work to pull a bunch of smaller documents into one file on the desktop. The other approach I've used is dictation with a small audio recorder, but that's even more time consuming to get the files into a Word document (but very easy to travel with, and much quicker for diarizing during the trip)!

On past trips there have been a few places (especially in the UK) that provided free Wi-Fi so it would have been nice to get a few quick E-mails away after I got back to the room at night (as well as diarizing the day's activities while events were still fresh in my mind).

I have a feeling that the Netbook market is going to be VERY BUSY in the next few months, with manufacturers offering a variety of new features and hopefully attractive pricing. Given the current state of the economy, I'm sure they'll be anxious to take advantage of the current interest in Netbooks to boost their "bottom lines". I wish I had some idea on whether Apple has any plans to get into this segment of the market, as that would strongly influence my purchase decision.

Cheers!

Ken....I always "journal" with a small spiral notepad I carry around. I jot down restaurants, locales, sites, and impressions with as many adjectives as I see fit....then journal them properly when I get home, following along with the photos I have taken. I've found that journalling on the road is too much like the work I do, and it hurts my head ;).....so I just flesh it out when I get back home.

As many of you know, I have my own website, and on my last trip to Germany in November, I posted a "running" log of my trip for people back home (much easier than sending individual emails).

I stayed four nights in Treis-Karden, on the Mosel. When I asked my host if there was a cybercafe in town, he said "No" but if I had a laptop, I could use his wireless connection.

Then I went to the Harz area (5 nights). The town had public internet connection in the library, but it was not open evenings. Fortunately the hotel had wireless.

So for nine days I could update the travel log on my website.

The next three days, in the Schwarzwald, the only Internet access in town was in the tourist office, but it wasn't working. The first day, I went by bus to Baden-Baden, where I found an Internet Cafe.

On my last night, in Mainz, the hotel had Wifi. So I was only out of touch for about three days on the whole trip, and I could only used a cybercafe once.

As for using the computer for worthwhile things (expense spreadsheets, organizing photos, Internet connection, or keeping my own journal) vs. watching DVDs, I would only use it for the former. However, for those who HAVE to watch DVDs, I'm sure Ken or Frank can tell you how to store movies on the hard drive or on flash drives.

Ken, Apple said they have no plans to enter the netbook market. PC World

But that was last week...things could change.

Don't ask me how to watch movies on it...I don't bother on such a small screen. I'd rather read...I have a Kindle.

Acer is another company that sells computers and laptop for much cheaper then Dell.
I can get a 9" laptop for about $400 at a local store called MicroCenter.

Bea, price for the Dell Mini 9 starts at $299. Also I put all those TV shows and and Movies on my netbook for long 15 hour flights to Asia. If I were to rely on the airline's in-flight entertainment system I'd be stuck with mostly Hannana Montana reruns; I'm not gonna let that happen:)

Michael,

I'm surprised that there's enough capacity with 8 / 16 GB solid-state memory to store a bunch of full length movies and TV shows. How do you accomplish that? Would that leave any room for files?

The movies and TV shows are compressed with the XVID codec. Since Netbooks and video I-Pods have smaller screens you don't need as large a file as is stored on a DVD meant for a giant TV screen. For example a typical movie stored on DVD is about 7-8GBs. You can easily compress that down to just 250MBs and the picture quality is still perfect. My strategy was to fill both the SSD drive and the SD memory card with movie/shows and then delete them as I watched them. Thus, after a long flight flight, and 6 hour lay-over at Beijing Airport I would get about 10GBs back.

Michael,

Thanks for the quick reply! Interesting technique for storing movies, but not one I'm familiar with. Do you require special app's to compress the movie files?

I've been looking at the Dell models, and they appear to be good quality and well built. Unfortunately the model that appeals to me is the top-end model with 16GB storage, which is considerably more expensive than the entry level $299.

I've also looked at the U100 model from Certified Data (which is the "house brand" for the London Drugs chain here in Canada) that provides a 160GB HD. It's apparently made by the same company that makes the MSI Wind (according to Wikipedia). Something like that would also be useful for large photo files, but the disadvantage is the $600 cost!

Back to the drawing board!

Ken,
Have you checked out the cost for the MSI Wind at Canada Computers? This is one at which I have been looking.

To all:
I have learned a lot. I look forward to hearing more comments.

Kent,

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll have a look and see what's available (and more importantly, the cost!).

I'd like to also add "Thanks" - I hadn't really been looking at Netbooks, but I've learned a lot too!

There are lots software programs that do the ripping and compressing for you; DVDFab is one of the most popular. They are marketed at people who own video IPods, but obviously can be used for netbooks and other devices as well.

DVDFab goes after a fairly large market... from people with iPods, PSPs, other handhelds, to those just wanting to make a copy of DVDs. I've been very happy with the $50 I spent 3 years ago on it, and have been impressed with the constant upgrades. I use it to rip for transfer onto my Asus EEE 1000HA.

I would recommend going to places where you can do a side by side comparison between netbooks... it was what bumped me from an Acer to the Asus. Quality was night and day. However, the HP and Toshiba also looked good in the comparison. I would suggest deciding what features are the most important to you, and then making a decision based upon that. For example, I needed storage (I easily use an 8 gig card in a weekend) and long battery life. That matched up with the price point of my purchase ($450). Some people prefer lighter weight over battery life.

If you don't need the storage, there's no point in getting something with a massive hard drive.

Im not very tech savey so can someone explain exactly what a netbook is?Can this take the place of a home computer?thanks

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netbook

Jack...a netbook is simply a new name for what we used to call a "sub notebook," a smaller than usual notebook computer. They have become extraordinarily popular over the past year. They have slower processors and smaller storage capacity than a regular notebook, screen sizes of about 9 inches, and small keyboards. But they're all fitted with wireless for access to the internet....hence the positioning of them as "netbooks." If your computer needs are relatively simple, and you can handle the small keyboards and screens, a netbook could replace your home computer. But at prices under $400, most are purchasing them as additional computers, mostly for travelling. If you do anything that's graphic- or processor-intensive, like playing modern computer games, a netbook's not for you.

Kent,

I had a closer look at the Certified Data U100 Netbook last night, and it looks like it would be perfect for travel. It's apparently made by MSI and is much the same as their equivalent model (although this one includes Bluetooth). Having the 160GB HD would certainly increase the functionality for me, as that would make it a viable photo storage backup. I was very tempted to buy on the spot, but got "cold feet" so figure I'll study on this a bit longer.

Cheers!

Ken,
I haven't heard of that manufacturer but I will certainly do some research on the product. Thanks

Kent,

Certified Data is the "house brand" of the London Drugs chain here in western Canada. I believe the computers are made to their spec's, so their U100 might have a few different features than other MSI models. I've dealt with LD quite a bit on computer purchases lately, and they have a great warranty & service department and knowledgeable staff, so that's something to consider in my purchase decision also.

The keys seemed to be a bit smaller than those shown in the Dell advert's, but I'm sure I could adjust to that.

Michael S,

The specs for the $299 Dell are very low. 4GB hard drive with 512 RAM.Plus it runs on Ubuntu , not Windows (not that I like Windows better then Linux).
However I can get an Acer 16GB HDD, 1Gb RAM on Windows plus 4-in-1 card reader for $349.

ourpassportstamps,

Dell doesn't have a better customer service either. The techs are pretty dumb in my opinion.
I am in IT and have to deal with Dell almost every day.
Thanks for the info anyway.

Thank you everyone and Michael for the very helpful, honest information.

This is in response to Michael: Thanks for the great feedback. I'm really tempted to buy one too for all the same reasons. Did you try the Dell out somewhere first before buying it? Handle it? The Dell kiosk in my area closed, so I just wondered how you finalized your decision. By the way, the Dell website lists it for $299.00 but the same netbook at Costco is $449.00. Am I missing something? Thanks again.

Carole,
I hadn't tried out the Dell Mini before my purchase. But I did get a look at most all the other competing brands; all had a very "flimsy" feel to them. Since most all the reviews for the Dell mentioned the sold construction, and since I've had good luck with Dell products in the past I went with the Mini. As for the price difference, all Dell computers purchased via its web site are customized to your specifications. The $299 model is the basic model; the more expensive model at Costco probably has a bigger hard drive, more memory, and XP; whereas the cheaper models run Linux.

I gather from some of the comments here that perhaps Acer would be a brand to avoid? One of the local retailers in this area is advertising an Acer One Netwook with 8GB solid-state memory for Cdn$299, or $399 with the 160 GB Hard Drive. That pricing is attractive!

They're also advertising an LG X110L Netbook with 160 GB Hard Drive, 6-cell Battery and 10" LED display for Cdn$549.99. With all that's included, that's also attractive but I don't know a lot about LG products so would need to do a bit of research first.

I could possibly "get by" with one of the less expensive solid-state drive models, as I have a portable 160 GB Hard Drive (USB connect, mounted in an enclosure). I'd rather not travel with yet more gadgets, but having a Netbook could certainly be of use at times.

One comment to mention - one of the computer sales people that I was speaking with said that solid-state memory has a finite number of read/write cycles. This will eventually stop functioning normally, so another factor to keep in mind with my purchase decision (of course as I've learned several times over the years, hard drives will fail too).

All hard drives be it SSD or the usual "mechanical" variety do have an finite lifespan. But the SSDs are built to last longer than regular memory cards, which use the same technology. Thus both kinds of drives more will last more or less the same amount time.

I ,too, have been looking at the Acer Aspire One (among others). The cost and available options are good. I am a wee concerned about the service back-up. I can put up with rudeness of service(as our passport stamps stated) but I cannot put up with incompetence. Has any one dealt directly with Acer?

Kent,

I've never called Acer, but what you can do is to google Acer customer service. I am sure taht people are talking online about that.

I was about to buy an HP 2140 when I heard about the Asus 1000he...the next generation in netbooks...new fast processor (Atom 280), 160GB HD, 92% chiclet keyboard, wifi, bluetooth, 1 GB ram,...9 1/2 hour battery life.... $374...out later this month.

Frank,

The Asus 1000HE sounds interesting. However, given the spec's I suspect it's going to be about $600.

Since Netbooks are the fastest growing segment of the "Laptop" market, I suspect we're going to see a LOT of new models in the next few months. All the manufacturers will be "jockeying" for market share, so there may be some good deals?

Cheers!

Ken, reread my info on the Asus EEE 1000he..it's on sale now for $374US. Regular retail is $399 US.

Frank,

Thanks for the clarification. I read the "out later this month" and assumed that meant it wasn't on the market yet.

Will have a look at it right now!

Ken...I need to clarify...it's on "pre-sale" now for $374 and the regular price will be $399 when it comes out later this month. (You can only pre-order it now.)

However, I have a feeling certain sites, like Amazon, will keep the price down.

Ken & Frank
That is a rather impressive battery life. Any of the short reviews have been quite positive on that machine. But I think you are correct Ken with price corrections it will be in the high $500. CDN$.. when it hits our shores. These ittle machines are getting better with each day.

Frank,

Thanks for the additional info. I'm not used to the "pre sale" method of doing business, since I'm not able to buy items like that from Amazon (they won't ship to Canada and amazon.ca doesn't sell electronics).

It will be interesting to see if they do keep the price at the pre-sale level?

I'd be interested to know if anyone here has any comments on the build quality and reliability of Asus products, or the calibre of their tech. service people?

Cheers!

I have an ASUS EEE 900. The two reasons I'm replacing it are: size of the keyboard and miniscule split HD. Other than that, I like it.

I did have one small problem just after I got it...I forgot what it was...software oriented I think...I called ASUS...their tech support was in the U.S. They couldn't help because it was software oriented and suggested I call the software company. They even sent me to secondary to get help.

Here's Asus's Canadian website:

ASus Canada

J & R, an electronic store in NY, and legitimate, looks like it may sell it for $360 US with $35 shipping to Canada

J & R Music

Frank,

Thanks again for the great info!

I assume you'll be buying a 1000HE as soon as they're released? They have an 1000HA on the website also, but not sure what the difference is?

I'll have a look at the J&R website (wonder if there would be any "warranty issues" buying from the U.S.?)

Cheers!

I already placed an order for the HE...the HA has the slower processor, (270 vs 280), smaller keyboard, less battery life, and so on.

Rumors say it will be out on the 16th of this month.

To Michael: You are right. The $449.00 model at Costco comes with mobile broadband. Thanks to your excellent feedback, I've just ordered the Dell Mini 9 (only need the $299.00 model) and feel really comfortable about it.

To everyone: Thank you very much for super-helpful information and feedback.

Just curious: How do you secure your laptop or netbook during your trips? Do you just haul it everywhere even if you know you won't be using it? Lock it in the in-room safe if there's one? Cable lock it around a piece of heavy furniture?

And what's your favorite anti-virus software?

Many thanks again.

Carole, Another great feature of netbooks is that they will easily fit in the older-style hotel room safes. I also own this Pacsafe portable safe and the Mini 9 just barely fits into it. So even if the hotel room doesn't have a safe, the Pacsafe works as well.
For virus protection download the free AVG software available at download.com --it's #1 on the most popular list.

Frank,
I hope you will put an evaluation on here of your new "play toy" when you receive it.

Kent, this is a family board, I don't know if I can write those things here.......oh, you meant the computer. No problem. Probably won't have it for a few weeks.

Frank,
Too much information.....I'll await for your computer report. I need one by mid-May. It will probably take that long to get to Canada. As for the other play toy, you can always PM me. 8-)

Michael, again I thank you for the very helpful information. I will definitely look into that Pacsafe and anti-virus software. They are just what I need.

Now I'm going to stop bothering you...at least for now! :)

For Security, you might also want to look at the good ol' "Kensington Lock." Just make sure your netbook has a slot for it.

re:Asus Eee 1000HE
Canadian update...This should be in the stores by the end of the month. Canada Computers are ordering thewm in Black and Blue and should retail for $469.00

Kent, I just ordered the new Dell Mini 10". It was a first time offering yesterday on QVC and is not even on the Dell site yet. Higher than the 9" mini but has more on it and more powerful. Does have a full size keyboard which is also nice. Lots of people interested as they sold over 13,000 over the weekend on QVC. Might be something to look into if you are interested. QVC.com

Kent, just got word my Asus 1000HE has been shipped to me and I should have it by the end of the week.

I'll give it a test drive and let you know.

FYI, everyone, today ONLY Dell is having a sale on the Mini 9--$199.

http://www.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/mini_laptop_deals?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

I upgraded the heck out of mine and only spent $300, so this is a great deal. This is the Linux version rather than the XP version :)

Amanda, the Dell site says that price is good until 3-5-09.

Wired Magazine has an article in this month's issue regarding the recent explosion of netbook sales. It's an interesting read: http://tinyurl.com/cs4coc

Oops, sorry Nancy...I got an email that said it was today only :) Didn't mean to mislead anyone!

I also noticed that Dell Mini 9 sale today, it's basically $50 off. Good price, but I personally would feel more comfortable with a Windows XP machine. I wonder whether they're clearing out some inventory in prepration for the rollout of the Dell Mini 10, which is now available for pre-order on their site. I'm in no hurry, so I may wait to see the reviews on that model before I take the plunge.

BTW, if you miss out on today's sale, there are also quite a few refurbished Dell Mini 9s available at the "Dell outlet" website. You can get a moderately eqipped one (WinXP, 1GB RAM) for $259, about $65 off retail if my math is correct.

Dell Inspiron Mini 9" Netbook 8GB SSD, 8.9" LCD w/windows xp, is available from Sams Club for $245, including shipping.

If this reply is redundant, I apologize, but this is getting to be a long thread. :)

I just purchased a Samsung NC10 Netbook for upcoming trip to Europe. It hasn't arrived yet, so I haven't tried it out. It was recommended by several friends b/c of 93% keyboard, size(10 1/2"), and weight (2.8 lbs). Anyone know anything about this one?

The Lonely Planet forum talked about the Samsung netbook and it seemed that it was talked about very favorably. I can't seem to find the Samsung here in Winnipeg though. I have been looking at the LG model that they have at Futureshop as I like that it has the 10 inch screen and the 6 cell battery. The new Dell 10 mini is drawing my attention as well.

The first have arrived here in Canada too. The best price at the moment seems to be from the following website. I have the previous model (battery lasts 7+ hours, no bluetooth) and am very happy with it. I wouldn't trade the 160gb hard drive for anything. What's the point of schlepping 3 pounds around if it can't be used for storage? You might as well just have an iPod Touch.

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=36240&vpn=EPC1000HE-BLK005X&manufacture=ASUS&promoid=1044

I see now that Sony has a new VAIO netbook with an 8" screen that weighs just under 1.5 pounds.
Has anyone tried this one yet?

My ASus 1000HE has arrive with the newer, faster Atom 280 processor.

So far, I like it. I had the 900 with the smaller keyboard and hated it. This keyboard on the 1000HE is 92% and I've already gotten used to it and can touch type fairly well.

The 160GB HD is split into two sepratate drives (I didn't know this) but it comes with a 6 cell battery, keys similar to the ones on a Macbook Air, Starsuite (similar to MS OFFice), wifi, bluetooth, 1GB Ram and goes for $374 with free shipping. The only downside is that is weighs just over 3 lbs. I'll take that just for the larger keyboard.

To those thinking of getting the smaller netbooks...8 & 9 " screens....I'd suggest trying them out before buying if you plan to do any serious typing.

That sounds right down my alley, Frank> We are still awaiting the arrival in our stores but I am tols they will arrive any day. Also notice the ram can be increased very simply. Thanks for the update.

The hard drive is split into two different partitions to make it easy for the owner to install another operating system. A lot of people like to install a windows based OS so they can network with their corporate or home networks. With Linux it's difficult to network with a Windows based system because of all the security features.

Frank,

Could you elaborate on the Hard Drive being "split" into two drives? What's the reason for that? Also, any comments on how well Starsuite interfaces with MS Office files?

I have no idea why the HD is split...but when I checked ther was a "C" drive with about 70GB and a "D" drive with about 80GB.

From what I have been told, Starsuite is interchangable with MS Office. I haven't tried it yet.

Perhaps others here more tech savvy than I am will know the answers.

I would sure have liked a split drive on my Acer. Well, it is split in a way. It comes with the first drive (partition) hidden, with all of the restore stuff on it. But, I like to have two other partitions, one for system and applications, one for data. That way when you want to back up data, you just back up the drive, and it takes less backup space because you don't have all of the sys/app stuff. You can keep a separate backup for just the sys/app drive and you don't have to back it up again until you add software.

Frank,

A few questions I forgot in my last post....

Is the display matte or glossy, and what's your impression of the quality? Have you tried it in brighter (sunlight) conditions yet? Was it supplied with a sleeve or other protective case? Would you recommend an anti-virus application with this model?

I'm really tempted to try one out on my next trip, but of course reluctant to spend the money. I've been using my IPod Touch around home lately, and now that I'm a bit more familiar with it, I could probably get by with that for E-mail.

After reading your last post, it occurred to me that the "D" drive would be perfect for photo storage, and the "C" for trip diaries, E-mails, etc. Although I use PC's at work, I'm not familiar enough with Windows to be able to deal with "problems" that might occur, so hopefully it would be fairly reliable (the IT department takes care of things like that).

Decisions, decisions.....

Michael, the ASUS EEE 1000HE comes with Windows XP.....

Ken...you can adjust the backlight. There is a separate button for this next to the screen. (I haven't taken it outside). It came with a very basic sleeve. I downloaded the free AVG anti-virus (I now use this on all my computers.)

I'm using the computer for work. I'm going to also get a Blackberry Storm to use overseas for emails, basic web surfing, mp3 player, and a Palm for wifi should I not be able to connect via Blackberry.

I chose this computer because due to the included specs and the low price.

Michael,

Is it possible (or desirable?) to format the HD into one partition. I'd probably just use XP as I'm reasonably familiar with that as that's what my "work" PC's use. I see no reason (for my uses) to load Linux as well.

Frank,

Thanks for the additional information. Based on your reply, I'm assuming you won't be taking the Asus Netbook overseas but will use the Storm and Palm PDA combination for "travel purposes"?

I'm still wrestling with the concept of "travelling light" with a Pack that seems to be getting heavier with each trip, due to the technology that seems to be "essential" these days. I already have to haul my dSLR and associated kit around and that's bad enough. If it came down to a question of travelling with either a Computer or my Camera gear, the Computer would be dropped in an instant!! Many Hotels now provide a PC in the lobby for guests and some provide free Wi-Fi, so I could probably get by with the IPod Touch for the most part.

The Storm isn't available on GSM networks here yet, but I'm sure it will be in the near future (after all, the GSM radios are already built into the device). However, as cellular technology will be significantly changing in the next year or two, I won't be making any large purchases until the new LTE technology is introduced.

Cheers!

It's possible to reformat and create one partition. But to do that you will need reinstall XP. Since netbooks don't have DVD drives, you will have to either purchase or borrow a portable drive to do it.

Michael,

Thanks for your quick reply. Re-formatting the disk and re-installing Windows sounds like it might be a bit beyond my ability (that's why I use a MAC at home). I'd probably have to take it to a shop to get that done. Is Windows XP provided on a disk with the Asus Netbook, or would it be necessary to order a copy?

Cheers!

With the Dell Mini, Dell gives you a full copy of XP on DVD in case you need to reinstall. I've heard reports that Asus handles this differently. Instead a backup copy of XP is contained on a small hidden partition on the hard drive-but I'm not 100% certain of this. Come to think of it, if you reformat your HD you will probably erase this partition, so maybe you're better off leaving the HD as is. Just to be clear, as is you will still be able to access both partitions with XP, it's kind of like having two "virtual" hard drives.

Little did I know that this question would produce such a response.

Thanks to all who added their perspective.

I have just ordered an ASUS Eee PC 1000HE Blue. I should be able to report back in a week on how this machine works.

Best price I was able to find in Canada and items were in stock was through Direct-Canada out of B.C.
(486 C$/380US$)including s/h/taxes/insurance.

I delayed looking athis thread until today and I want to thank all of you who have posted. I too have pondered whether to buy a netbook (a new term to me as I'm no longer technical savvy since retirement). I have always had a Dell, HP or Gateway de4stop. I have looked at Costco laptops so many times and have been turned off because they all have Windows Vista. Pricing out a PC online ran the price up so much but I'm sure I didn't know what I really needed or do need. It is all so very confusing. On my last trip to Europe, I did find many hotels with guest computers. Internet cafes were expensive and had to deal with non QWERTY keyboards. So again thanks to all who commented as I have learned a lot from you and I will still be looking . . . probably still stick with Dell or HP. I may post another question regarding specs I'm looking at and you can advise me. :D

The 1000HE has been getting some great reviews on amazon.com (except for the Wi-Fi issue). Asus seems to have caught the other manufacturers "off guard", as there doesn't appear to be any other models available with the same features in that price range.

It's very tempting! Still thinking about it.....

Got my Asus 1000HE on Friday afternoon. (Great delivery from B.C. to rural Ontario...ordered noon on Wed.)(Fabulous service from Direct Canada throughout sale.)
What a great little machine!The reviews have been great. It come with minimal software for those of us who are set in our ways when it comes to software we use. It is responsive. While I haven't used it much, I have found the touch pad quite responsive. I also have a laptop mouse.It started working online immediately with my in-home network.
So far so good. 8-)

There are so many options, prices are falling and specs are increasing. You can buy good netbooks starting from around $150 >> http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/search/index.php?searchFields=t&searchPhrase=netbook&catid%5B%5D=18

Hi, I am getting educated on netbooks here. What is the difference from laptop to these? Is it weight and how much it holds in menory?
Thanks for helping with a stupid question. Also what does it cost for wireless card?

Think of a netbook as a "baby" laptop. They are usually smaller and some are less powerful.

Almost all, and I can't think of any, that don't come with buil in wi-fi. Is that what you meant by a wireless card or do you mean the ones used with cellphone carriers? They vary in price.

Helene,for a quick education in Netbooks check this out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netbook

I too have an Aspire one(160GIG HD 1GIG RAM Windows XP Home)- bought in 2008(AUD 500) we needed it for e-mail as it was necessary for us to be in touch with Aussie family while travelling round the world for 9 weeks - but it was ALSO useful for reading Aussie newspapers AND making travel arrangements while we were away!
It has performed PERFECTLY since then, and since getting a "mobile wireless" Internet connection when we got back to OZ has been THE BEST computer buy we have ever had until now :)
I would recommend this computer for a "netbook" computer as it's small LIGHT and does the job it's designed to do :)

Kent, this reply is from my new Dell mini 10 that I just got in the mail today. Keyboard is about 90% of full size and everything seems to be as advertised. Sure looking forward to working with this as this is my first notebook. Have already set up a new g-mail account for my upcoming trip and per other posts, will also add skype to this.

I got my Asus 1000 HE today and I love it so far!!

Hello! As a non-techie, I have a few more questions, as I am considering getting a netbook this week. Any help you can provided is appreciated, since I don't know much about technology.

(1) Do I need to load a internet 'program' onto a netbook? What I mean is, here at home on my laptop, I have Verizon Wireless, so I had to download Verizon onto my laptop. Do I do this with the netbook too, or can I just click on the 'Internet Explorer' icon anywhere there is [free] wi-fi?

(2) How much space and memory should I have if I also want to load Mic. Word on the computer? At least 1 GB?

(3) If I get a Windows-based netbook, how do I upload my pictures onto the netbook - is there a picture/photo program included with the Windows XP? I just want to save them to the netbook until I get home from my trip.

I apologize if these questions were already answered - I read through the previous posts, but there are some things I didn't quite understand or see the answers to.

THANKS for all your help.

(1) With a WiFi conntection you simply launch Internet Explorer to surf the web. It's built into XP.
(2) MS Word doesn't take up a lot of space...less than 500MB
(3) XP has a picture viewing program built into it. If your camera and your netbook use the same type of memory card all you have to do is take the card out of the camera and insert it into the netbook to upload the pictures. If they don't use the same card, you will have to use a cord to do the transfer.

Thanks Michael! :)

I have just got an HP2140 - one of the ones recommended in an early part of this thread. I am very happy with it, but do have one concern. I discovered it has a 3-prong plug. The Sony that I have used for the past 5 years only had a 2-prong plug. All my adaptors for Europe only have receptacles for 2 prongs. The 3 will fit in the 2 (except the UK one) with the ground unconnected, but my recollection is that many of the European recetacles are recessed and I am concerned it will not fit in. Has anyone else had this problem and how did you solve it?

Purchased a Samsung NC10 last week from Costco -- delivered to me the next day. Have really been enjoying it. My husband purchased a new camera bag to take on this trip (before we bought the computer) and the netbook fits neatly into one of the pockets easily, even with the bag loaded with camera gear. I have downloaded OpenOffice on it without any problems. I think we're set to go!

In the past I have taken my laptop with me to Europe, but this time around I have decided to combine my Acer Aspire netbook and my Verizon Storm. Both will fit in my purse and will do all that I need.

Iain - buy new grounded plugs. I have one grounded and one not, just in case. They cost a few more dollars than ungrounded, but still come in at less than $10. Decent travel stores will have them, or you can order them online. I bought mine online from a Quebec retailer and they arrived promptly.

This has been an interesting thread as I have also been looking at getting a netbook. I've decided to wait till this fall when windows 7 comes out as after using Vista I don't want to buy a new pc with an outdated and obsolete operating system on it like XP (or Vista). Plus the new ones coming out in the fall will have better graphics chips and operating chips and 320 gig hard drives. Just my 2 cents.

Actually, I don't think you're going to see many netbooks with those specs. Netbooks by nature are meant to be simple and affordable. Compact, does what you need it to do. Many people dump the Windows OS and switch to something like Linux. The larger the harddrive, the better the graphics card, the more the cost goes up. Same thing for the OS.

XP runs well and reliably for the features needed on a netbook. I haven't commonly seen Vista installed on any netbooks as it just isn't needed. Netbooks aren't intensive gaming machines, it's just not their market.

Now longer battery life while staying at the same weight... that would be worth waiting for. On the plus side of waiting, usually as something newer comes out the price of the older reliable can drop. :) There will always be something "better" down the road, but each person has to decide if the cost of that better really suits their needs.

Now, do I really NEED a new cell phone? ;)

Actually they will be coming out with those specs, it just depends on how much you are willing to pay. There are all ready netbooks out there that are blurring the lines between netbook and ultraportable as many professional want a system that is small but maybe more powerful than some of the older netbooks.

Thanks, Jumpinbug. I already bought a UK one, not a problem. However, I have not seen one for the rest of Europe, and from my memory, I do not recall seeing grounded receptacles in mainland Europe. Did I miss something there? Where does the ground pin fall in the configuration?

Take a look at one here, as it has views you can see.

http://www.amazon.com/SIMRAN-PLUG-ADAPTER-CONVERTS-PLUG-GERMAN/dp/B000WFYUGI/ref=pd_bxgy_e_img_b

It just has the space so that your ground doesn't get in the way when using the adapter. I'm guessing this means that you use the device as though it isn't grounded, but at least it allows it to be properly seated into a plug, as opposed to dealing with a prong sticking out. Or, perhaps it does truly take the ground and make it a part of the two prongs.

Any electricians out there?

My netbook turned out not even to have a ground prong which was a surprise. It seems like a lot of modern portable electronics are doing away with it.

Thanks again, JumpinBug. As you say it looks as though it is not gronded. My old Sony had only a 2-pin plug. I have the flat 2-pin adapters also shown on that website and they fit with the groound exposed which would appear to give the same result. My concern was the recessed recepticles that I recall from past visits and whether the plug would fit in. I suppose if the round adapter pictured on that site fits, then the exposed pin should not be a problem. Thanks for your help.

Hi Guys,
I usually bring my macbook air but this year I am traveling by myself and using trains, etc. as well as only bringing carryon so I decided to purchase a netbook (even if they weren't Mac LOL). I picked up an Acer Aspire 1 8.9" with 8GB SSD the other day but hated it. Even after tweaking the settings, it ran extremely slow and my download speed was less than 2MBPS on average. So yesterday I returned it and picked up an HP Mini 1035NR and I LOVE it. It's very compact and stylish (a very important feature :) and it has a 60GB HD (NOT SSD--they are supposedly good for travel because there are no moving parts but I find them extremely slow). It has a large, easy to use keyboard too without the weird key placement of many netbooks and it weighs just over 2 lbs. Fortunately, all my hotels have free Wifi/Internet included so I think I'm set. I also downloaded Skype so I can call home and will bring a little USB headset with me as well.

So that's my 2cents :) Thanks to everyone who participated in this thread by the way, it helped me in doing my research.

D-

Ken, I've been wanting a net book for a while, too.
Like you, we have a MacBook Pro.
Fine to take to resorts, but we're going to seven countries in July.
It's not coming with us.

I'm hoping that this fall, Apple will release it's iPod Touch HD with a 7 or 9 inch screen.

It MIGHT be the perfect net book.

Here's a link: http://www.businessinsider.com/2008/12/our-ipod-touch-hd-on-the-way-techcrunch-says-aapl

My dilemma: buy a net book now for Europe in July or wait to see what Apple has in store this fall!

By the way, here is a link on a pretty good net book at a pretty good price: http://www.amazon.com/8-9-Inch-Netbook-Processor-Storage-Battery/dp/B001BYB61G/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=pc&qid=1239152670&sr=1-8

I've had the ASUS 1000H For about a year and love it having no problems and fantastic battery life. The larger keyboard than my previous 9 really makes typing easier. My wife is getting the 1000He for the longer battery life and added power.

Anyone know if you can add more than 1 gig ram?

I know you can for sure on the Asus 1000HE. I just bought one a month ago and will take it in to add an extra gig. I think most netbooks you can upgrade the RAM. By the way I love my Asus! The battery life is amazing, but is still not 9.5 hours like they state. But I have been able to get 8 hours which is still better than most. The only gripe I have is the touch pad is very sensitive, all though I use a mouse most of the time.

Mary,

Thanks for the information and links on a "possible" Apple Netbook. I asked them recently if they had any plans to introduce a product of that type, but they said there were no plans in the foreseeable future. I was considering buying an ASUS 1000HE, but maybe I should wait?

Cheers!

Ken, a Mac guru friend wrote to me recently, "The larger iPod touch has been rumored for some time. There are solid reports that Apple has contracted for a large number of 7” touch screens. However, it is never a good idea to guess what or when Apple is going to do something. I do expect something soon."

IF there is going to be an iPod touch 7 inch "net book", it will be just the thing for Mac users like us!

Wish Apple wasn't so tight lipped! (grumble, grumble)

I would love a net book for my trip in July!

So, a net book NOW or wait for a possible Apple net book later...

I debated reviving a zombie thread vs. starting a new one...but given the pace of technology I thought it would be nice to get the latest input.

Does anyone have a HP mini?

Most important question of all, I can't justify a netbook purchase for any kind of travel if I can't run powerpoint presentations on it. Would even the best netbooks preclude this option?

FYI;

Apple is supposed to be coming out with a deal-changing netbook-like product in the spring. Though unofficial at this point, it is supposed to be similar in style to the iPod Touch, but about the size of a DVD movie case - all touch activated, including a near-full size touch keyboard.

I assume it will be a powerful little beast, able to do much of what a laptop does, including internet viewing with a full page, readable display.

No doubt, it will be twice the cost of the products it will be competing with, but I'll bet it will be five times as cool...

If cost were the primary factor, I would just buy the cheapest craptop computer out there and take it along. There are many craptops to choose from for under $400.

I have an HP mini. Took it to Europe (UK, Baltic, Norway) this past Summer, then all over Western Canada. WOrks well, never had any problem with it. Mine has 2 gig memory and came with trial version of Microsoft Office which includes Powerpoint, though I personally do not use it, but assume it must work since it came with it. Publisher, Excel and Word all work as usual. So far have not found any programs that do not work. Great for downloading photos then uploading them to my website.

Netbook features seem to have improved a lot over the last six months or so. I believe I saw one unit advertised recently with a dual-core Atom processor, 3GB RAM, a 250 GB HD and Windows 7. That's a long way from the original models with 8GB solid-state memory!

I'm still waiting for "the right" unit for my needs, and since I won't need it until next spring, there's no hurry to buy now.

I'm definitely interested in the rumoured MAC tablet, however I'm not sure that will be robust enough for travel and I suspect it's going to be considerably more expensive than a Netbook (and therefore more of a problem if it was lost, damaged or stolen during travels).

There is still no way to beat a netbook. I've made two trips to Europe with my Acer Aspire, and it has done absolutely everything I needed it to do. I don't understand what "5x as cool" would be good for, but I do understand twice as expensive :(.

I have the Toshiba NB205-210 netbook and really like it. I've travelled with a "full" laptop before and got tired of the weight.

Realize that, if internet access is important to you, it may or may not be available depending on where you travel. In October, we spent two weeks in Ireland, renting two different houses for a week each. Neither had internet access. The only time I used my netbook on the entire trip was at the Shannon airport which provided free internet access. Other than that, I went to internet cafes to check email.

Realize also that a netbook does not have an optical reader - therefore, no CD or DVD capability unless you buy an external drive and pack that along. I bought such a drive - it's very lightweight and runs off the computer's power via a USB connection (two USB connections, actually). But still, it's an extra piece to bring along.

All in all, I really like my netbook. But it ain't a cure-all.

I've never found that not having a DVD/CD drive built into my netbook to be a drawback. I simply store any videos might want to watch on the hard drive or memory card. I have a 16GB memory card that has most every episode of The Office on it.

Mike,

Thanks for the feedback on the Toshiba NB-205! That's a model I've been looking at closely and is my current favourite. According to the reviews, it's a good performer with long battery life. The only drawback stated in the reviews was the poor design for the speakers and placing them on the bottom of the chassis. Was your Netbook supplied with Windows 7 Starter edition?

Photo storage and the ability to work with both Photoshop Elements and the Canon dSLR applications will be important criteria in my selection, so hopefully a Netbook will have the "horsepower" for that.

I won't repeat my full post on another similar thread in this forum, but also consider a tablet pc. I've taken a netbook to Europe (and used a netbook for work), but I've totally switched to a UMPC or MID. Much smaller and lighter than a netbook and better battery life. It is similar to the rumored Apple tablet described a few posts above.

The thread with my longer description is in the General Europe sub-forum and is titled "Smartphone or Netbook?"