Laptop or Netbook

I'm not sure what you mean by "slow internet connection"? The brand/operating system of your device has no bearing on how fast your wifi speed will be. While I love bringing my Dell netbook along with me in my travels, a lot depends on what things you want to use if for. Do you just need it to check email/surf the web? Would you also use it to watch movies or listen to music. Would you use it to store photos, or make skype calls?

I have a Dell Inspiron laptop and a Dell Mini 10. They have them at good prices.

http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/laptop-mini-alt?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&redirect=1

I would suggest the best wireless card for the Mini 6-cell battery, a Belkin with 4 USB ports and travel a cooling fan as laptops do overheat.

I will be taking the Mini 10 on our next vacation.

Hi,
Michael, it would just be used for checking email and updating everyone at home with our travels. JB, thank you for the weblink; I will be checking it out!

Mark and Kristy,

I've been dealing with the same situation this year, and have decided to go with a Netbook for my travels. I've just purchased a Toshiba NB-305 and so far it's been working well.

As a previous post mentioned, Netbooks don't have the horsepower for processor-intensive tasks such as photo editing, however they work just fine for E-mail, web browsing, blogging, journalling, photo storage, etc. Most of the newer models have either a 160 or 250 GB hard drive, so lots of storage capacity. Most Netbooks also have built-in Cameras and Microphones, so can be used with Skype if desired.

I've travelled with my Netbook a several times over the last few weeks, and it doesn't seem to be "slow" at all with net access. Most of the current Netbooks are being supplied with Windows 7 Starter, which is fairly easy to use even for those used to MAC OS-X. If you've used previous versions of Windows, you probably won't have any trouble with Windows 7.

One of the biggest advantage of Netbooks is that the Atom processors used in most models have been designed for low power consumption, which means they offer exceptional battery life. The model I bought claims about 10-hours of battery life, although I haven't tested it yet to determine if that's true.

I also have a MacBook Pro and while it would have been nice to use that for travel, the fact remains that it's too large, too heavy and too expensive to be practical in my situation. My Backpack has limited room and it won't fit comfortably into my Daypack. It it was lost, stolen or damaged during a trip, that would be a major problem!

I decided that it would be a much better idea to travel with a $400 Netbook rather than a $2000+ Laptop. The fact that it's also so compact and light is another benefit. I'm still evaluating the Netbook, but my opinion so far is very positive.

Good luck with your decision!

Mark and Kristy,

One comment to add to my previous post.

I've taken an IPod Touch on previous trips, and while it works fine for "light duty" applications, I don't find it to be a practical solution for travel. The small screen and keyboard work reasonably well for a device of that size, but it's somewhat slow if sending numerous E-mails.

This is one of the reasons I'll be taking a Netbook along this year.

Cheers!

I'm taking my Samsung NC-20 netbook on my trip to France. First time I've taken a laptop to Europe. Mostly for email, photo storage, local information. Now, if I could just figure out how to put DVD movies onto the hard drive, my 10 hour flight might seem a little easier.

We used an Acer Aspire netbook for our last trip It was great, and met every single need we had, and met them well. Couldn't recommend higher.

That being said, if the trip is the only reason you'd buy it - that's $350 you could use to make memories rather than share them (you can check email anywhere.)

If you want to put DVD movies on your netbook, simply purchase of the many software programs that convert movies to an Iphone/video Ipod. You can also use these programs for netbooks. The most popular program is:
dvdfab:

http://www.dvdfab.com

I bought an Acer Aspire last year. Now that I'm used to it, I'm planning to take it with me on my next trip to Europe. Wifi seems to be more available than ever, and the Acer's small size and weight make it a reasonable carry-along. Up to now, I've used internet cafes in Europe. I hate the added weight of the cord and adapter, but can't think of a way to do without. My Acer has my own security system, so I think it will be more secure than using public internet access. The small hand-held devices (Blackberry, etc) are probably more practical, but I'm reluctant to pay for one.

Took my year old Acer notebook to Turkey and Greece
last fall. Work like a charm.

I even took a mouse and the combined size and weight
of the notebook, adapter and cord still didn't make
a noticeable difference in my carry-on.

If you will only be using it for keeping in touch, think about a iPod Touch or similar wifi enabled device with a outlet adapter.
or one of these:
Music Power 0900-72 Encore Dual Port USB AC Charger with Rechargeable Extended Battery
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000QFNK6K/ref=oss_product

We had our netbook to make backup copies of our photos, and transferring video from the Flip, but for keeping in contact we usually used our iPod Touches at pubs that offered free wifi. (that was in London a few weeks ago) Without the Flip video, could have done without the netbook.

Hi Everyone,
Thank you for your feedback! It looks like I need to start investigating a netbook more seriously, so I appreciate the names you have provided of netbooks that work for you. Now I just need to find the deals! I thought there would be more out there with Apple's Ipad entering the market.

What Ken said...I totally agree and the same goes for me!