Most affordable, best value Netbook for travels in Europe

I travel with an HP 2040, but it is not the cheapest. You will probably find an Acer at Wal*Mart will be the cheapest and quite reliable if you are going to use it just for email and storing photos.

Thanks so much, everyone. That sure was quick! Wonder if I would be able to use Skype on either netbook. Wish I knew more about technology. Take care!
Ann

Ann,

I used a Toshiba NB-305 for my trip this year, and it was a fantastic travel accessory. I'm sure it will be on my packing list for all future trips.

Although Netbooks don't have the "horsepower" for processor-intensive tasks such as photo editing, they work well for E-mail, surfing the net, etc. and the battery life is great.

Good luck and happy travels!

Wonder if I would be able to use Skype on either netbook

Skype is compatible with any Netbook. Most all models have a microphone built into it, so there nothing extra you need to plug in. Also check out Dell's Mini Netbooks. I like Dell because you can customize them to suit your needs:

http://www.dell.com/home/laptops#subcats=laptop-inspiron-mini&navla=&a=

I really appreciate your advice! Thank you, Iain, Samuel, Ken, and Michael. Have a good Sunday.
Happy travels,
Ann

+1 vote for Toshiba nb305; just bought for upcoming trip, love it so far. Battery life is great, great wireless range, and hardier/sturdier than the others I looked at (Samsung, and Acer). And it has a real pair of mouse buttons instead of the integrated or shared buttons some of the others have.

Hi, Andrew. Mind if I ask the price range for the Toshiba model?
Thanks!
Ann

Ann,

Hope you don't mind if I answer your last question. Amazon has the NB-305 currently listed for $369.99, which includes 1GB RAM and a 250 GB Hard Drive. You should be able to find it at Best Buy and other stores in your area as well.

There are some less expensive models and I believe the difference in price is due to a cheaper Keyboard and using Windows XP instead of Windows 7 Starter edition. I'd suggest buying the higher-end model. I normally use a MAC at home but have found Windows 7 very easy to use. One other thing you might consider is installing an extra 1GB of RAM at the time of purchase.

I bought the Home/Student edition of MS Office at the time I purchased my Netbook (it was "on sale"). The Charger for my Netbook is designed for "world operation", but of course a Plug Adapter will be required (I use a grounded model, to match the Plug on the Charger). I'm assuming that Toshiba models sold in the U.S. will be supplied with the same Charger, but it would be a good idea to verify that before heading to Europe.

One other benefit of most Netbooks is that they have a built-in SD Card Reader, so it's easy to load photos at the end of the day.

Cheers!