• Some users have recently had their accounts hijacked. It seems that the now defunct EVGA forums might have compromised your password there and seems many are using the same PW here. We would suggest you UPDATE YOUR PASSWORD and TURN ON 2FA for your account here to further secure it. None of the compromised accounts had 2FA turned on.
    Once you have enabled 2FA, your account will be updated soon to show a badge, letting other members know that you use 2FA to protect your account. This should be beneficial for everyone that uses FSFT.

The best netbook?

This belongs in the Mobile Computing section where there are ongoing threads in it.

For the record, NC10 hands down. This is coming from a EEE 1000HA, MSI Wind owner and of course NC10 owner.
 
I'm not so sure. Possibly the Samsung NC10, possibly the Acer Aspire One (AAO), possibly the Lenovo IdeaPad S10, possibly the ASUS EeePC 1000HA.

For me personally... I couldn't deal with any of them. I finally picked up a HP Compaq 2510p ($700 shipped, $525 after cashback, 2 years remaining on the warranty via Ebay) and couldn't be happier. It's everything the netbooks weren't, and I still get an average of 6 hours of bettery life with the 6 cell battery. There's even a 9 cell that would give me close to 10, if I went that route.

Yes, it's a little heavier than the netbooks at 3.56lbs with the 6 cell, and a little larger at 12.1", but it makes up for this with a better screen (1280x800 LED backlit) and a keyboard that's so far separated from anything I've ever seen in a netbook as to be in a different class entirely. A real, full sized keyboard with proper feedback that I can touchtype on without worry or constant correction, with the shift keys in the proper positions (god I hated this on most netbooks!).

It also has an optical drive, VGA out, 2 USB 2.0 ports, a firewire port, 802x11a/b/g/n wifi, and bluetooth 2.0. The 1.2Ghz Core2Duo ULV CPU is worlds faster than any Atom, and combined with the onboard Intel X3100 GPU can handle 1080p content (via VGA out, obviously) without issue.

Of course, in the configuration I got my machine in, it should've been about $1800, so it's not really fair to compare the two... but then again, I got it for $525 after Microsoft cashback, so that puts it within $100 of many of the netbooks, some even closer... and it destroys them all, on every front.
 
I can say I had an Aspire One for a total of 6 days, and though I at first liked it, it soon frustrated me greatly. The touchpad buttons were way too stiff, so it made it extremely difficult to use the touchpad with only one hand. Then, I found that the SD card slot allowed the SD card to stick out way farther than it would like, and I was worried about it breaking off. On top of all this, the entire thing just felt really plasticky, cheap, and very fragile. I ended up taking it back, and decided to save my money for a little while longer, and see what else shows up that strikes my fancy.
 
Why post something unrelated to netbooks in a netbook thread? Does there really have to be that guy in every one of these? As we all say, here we go again :eek::rolleyes::eek::rolleyes:
 
lowteckh said:
Why post something unrelated to netbooks in a netbook thread? Does there really have to be that guy in every one of these? As we all say, here we go again :eek::rolleyes::eek::rolleyes:
Click to expand...

It's almost a netbook, it's not much more expensive, netbooks have definite drawbacks, I'm sharing my experience... explain where I 'strayed' here, exactly?
 
The best should differ for different people. Personally, I can't type well on any of the netbooks, lol.

A netbook is a subset of notebooks, IMO. A 12" notebook is probably the best "netbook" you can get, and was probably the most popular until recently. :p
 
the op couldnt be more vague. the best what ? best bargain ? most attractive ? what features are you looking for?

some people want to use netbooks for everything other than their intended design, other people just want to check email from the couch without having a 10 pound space heater on their lap. Maybe you want one with wireless N, maybe that doesn t matter to you. Some people like bluetooth, others don t want to pay extra for it. it really comes down to what you want vs what you are willing to pay.

and congrats to that guy who got an $1800 laptop for pennies or w/e, doesn t really help the OP tho. This reminds me of those guys on car forums that recommend an E30 BMW M3 for everything from towing a boat to transporting executives to and from the airport.
 
burnin8r said:
the op couldnt be more vague. the best what ? best bargain ? most attractive ? what features are you looking for?
Click to expand...
Exactly.
burnin8r said:
... and congrats to that guy who got an $1800 laptop for pennies or w/e, doesn t really help the OP tho.
Click to expand...

The fact that he got the notebook for so cheap doesn't help, but the experience sharing and end result does, IMO. Thats about all we can offer here (experience/opinion), aside from sharing knowledge of our own research.
 
enginurd said:
The fact that he got the notebook for so cheap doesn't help, but the experience sharing and end result does, IMO. Thats about all we can offer here (experience/opinion), aside from sharing knowledge of our own research.
Click to expand...

That, I wouldn't have mentioned it if they weren't still being sold on Ebay for about the same price even now. So for less than $600 after cashback, likely closer to $550, you can get a 2510p today. So, it really does help the OP, since numerous "netbooks" are getting in to that range anymore.
 
Ok but you're kinda missing the point of what netbooks are.
1. Max out at 10"
2. Light as hell, 3.56 lbs of a 12" is 1 lb (which is quite a difference, really; it's the difference between having to think of lugging it around and just lugging it around w/o thought because of the weight [and size]. Imagine wearing a pair of shoes 1 lb heavier.) heavier than most netbooks and over 1 lb for sub 10" netbooks
3. "Sweet" price range maxing at $500, usually $350 before cashback (and CB is now 8% btw). $200 not a lot of difference to you? Well that number is what drives people to go with MSI Wind, EeePC, S10, etc., and to also choose between those brands and models ($100 difference between a MSI Wind and a NC10 after rebate and cashback is why my gf chose the MSI despite lacking some features)
4. Many people (which is to say many people) don't need anymore than the features of a netbook, just look at the sales chart. This isn't a main computer, this isn't something you're going to be relying on for intense use. Blarg, hard to express the thoughts.

I just don't think you understand this category, esp. since you haven't owned one. I've had 12" tx1000, 14", (many) 15", 17" laptops and you just cannot compare the portability of a netbook against them. The audience of a netbook is also not aimed at people who are comparing specs like they do with their desktops. I won't argue your 12" pwns netbooks, but even if the difference in weight, price, size seem subtle and trivial to you, for the audience of the netbook segment it means a whole lot. Seriously, that 1 inch or 2 inches difference in width or whatever is a major drawing point for netbooks, along with above stated factors. If the OP titled his thread in a more clear manner that invited laptop owners to share their views (most likely turning into a debate like this one) then yea, please share. So we should just all blame the OP :D
 
Posting this from a XP flavored Aspire One, and I love the lil bugger. I fly twice a week, and its just so much easier to lug this around airports and shit than a full size laptop. The thing is fast enough for web browsing/movie watching, only played around with avi's though, dont know about 264 encodes. It can be upgraded too, can fit any 2.5 inch sata drive and you can upgrade the ram to 1.5 gigs.
 
Why isnt anyone mentioning the Dell mini9? 2 of my friends just got one, and im getting one here soon. I got ot use my friends, and it is amazing. 16g SSD 1gig ram. ubuntu. for $350.
 
Because it sucks, and sucks even more for the money is why it's not mentioned. That wtf keyboard alone is enough to scare away people who care about their boards. No F keys, accessible only with Fn key. Because pressing Fn-Alt-4 is convenient ....

16GB, linux.. for $350? A 10" MSI Wind with 120GB and XP costs that much and even less after rebate. Or consider that a 9" Acer One costs $350 at Newegg with 120GB and XP. If Dell priced it way lower, it might stand a chance. Since when did Dell become boutique anyways? Paying the same but getting less is how the Mini 9 seems.
 
I'm getting a Samsung NC10 soon. Among other things, it's going to be my portable Good Old Games (gog.com) machine. :D
 
My wife bought the ASUS EEE 1000HA after we spent a bunch of time looking at different models in stores and reading reviews. You can find it new for $315 on ebay after the 25% Live/Ebay discount.

It's got a 10" screen, a 98% full size keyboard, Intel Atom processor, A 160GB Harddrive, Windows XP Home, and a 7 hour six cell battery (that really only lasts about five hours when wifi is on)

I really like her little PC -- she does as well. In my opinion the 9" models are too small to type on. The 7" models are a complete loss because the keyboard is a peck only manner of typing. The 1000HA model is quite speedy too. Works perfectly fine for web-browsing.
 
lowteckh said:
Because it sucks, and sucks even more for the money is why it's not mentioned. That wtf keyboard alone is enough to scare away people who care about their boards. No F keys, accessible only with Fn key. Because pressing Fn-Alt-4 is convenient ....

16GB, linux.. for $350? A 10" MSI Wind with 120GB and XP costs that much and even less after rebate. Or consider that a 9" Acer One costs $350 at Newegg with 120GB and XP. If Dell priced it way lower, it might stand a chance. Since when did Dell become boutique anyways? Paying the same but getting less is how the Mini 9 seems.
Click to expand...

The Mini does suck in a few ways, primarily the keyboard, but I don't think you can make an argument about the hard drive. I don't think the people who buy a Mini are people who want alot of hard drive space. These people are people who are buying a netbook to use as a netbook. I personally have a 8gb Mini and have zero gripes about lack of hard drive space and enjoy the insanely fast boot up times. I bought a 16gb SDHC card for extra storage and I think with that and the 8gb SSD, I have more than enough storage.

Yeah the keyboard isn't great. The placement of the right shift key and also the apostrophe key suck, but I've used the F keys less times than I could count on one hand.

Personally, the Dell serves me very well. I use my netbook as a netbook as in surfing the web and occasionally chatting. I don't need to stuff it full of MP3s or movies. To me it's like a backback. If I know I'll need to use it, I'll put whatever stuff I'll need in it (music and movies) prior to leaving the house.

The Mini was a good buy IMHO, especially at $281. It's served me how I expected it to and has never let me down for frustrated me. Alot of people keep on saying how the Mini is a total POS and should not even be looked at and I think that is very untrue.
 
lowteckh said:
I just don't think you understand this category, esp. since you haven't owned one.
Click to expand...

I love how you made this assumption.

I've owned an ASUS EeePC 900a, a MSI Wind, a Dell Mini 9, and an Acer Aspire One. I said (perhaps I wasn't clear enough here) that I couldn't stand any of them -- which is to say, I returned or sold them all within a few weeks of purchase. This was due to a variety of reasons, from abysmal SSD performance to horrible keyboard layout, keyboards that registered less than half my key presses, minute plus startup times from a machine where the goal is near instant on, etc.

I've got absolutely no idea why you're so upset, but you come off as a ranting lunatic. Calm down a bit, take a few steps back. It's an internet forum -- a couple more posts in a given topic, which might be argued as on or off topic and simply don't fit your personal opinion of what's being discussed... that's not worth getting bent out of shape over. You'll notice no one else launching in to tirades or attacking me because of my post. Here's why: no one else cares. No one else is offended. It's just you.
 
I think the Wind is still the best when you look at everything. The keyboard and bettery life are great. Sure, it's not as great as the Samsung NC10, but its not as expensive either. I wouldn't pay $500 for a mobile internet computer/powerpoint machine.

If you need more than what the Wind offers you might as well look at a 13" notebook. The 13" Dell Inspiron starts at $649, $799 with an Nvidia 8400 and a 2 GHz Core 2 Duo. That would blow away any Atom based machine. It doesn't look half-bad either.
 
silent-circuit said:
I love how you made this assumption.

I've owned an ASUS EeePC 900a, a MSI Wind, a Dell Mini 9, and an Acer Aspire One. I said (perhaps I wasn't clear enough here) that I couldn't stand any of them -- which is to say, I returned or sold them all within a few weeks of purchase.
Click to expand...

Yea whoops, thought you had said you didn't own any of them, not stand them. How did you manage to pull tiraides into this? My view is that when I'm/you're presented with a category to discuss around, discuss around that particular topic (netbook in the case...). It's like say, we're on gen[h] discussing a gaming build around around duos, and next thing as it happens so often someone pops in with the required "quad imo" comment. You see where I'm coming from - the stay on topic aspect(that everyone wanders from :D)?

@ Juggafat, I think the point is that the alternatives to the Mini 9 overwhelm it on a considerable level; it's not priced to compete and in this category there is just quite a bit else to choose from.
 
I just picked up a Samsung NC10 and it's been the most fun toy I think I've ever owned.

Granted, the touchpad is kinda iffy and I make more typing mistakes than I do with my old Dell 14" E1405 but that's trivial. It's a very tiny machine that's very easy to lug around.

Not to mention, the girlfriend doesn't mind holding it when I datalog my vehicle. She used to HATE the heavy hot running E1405 (Core2)
 
Some great options have already been mentioned. Let me introduce a few more...

Asus Eee 1002HA- More stylish and better built than other Eee models (except the S series. More on that in a moment). This is at least on par with the NC10.

Asus Eee S101 - This is designed to be the "MacBook Air" of the Eee line. It is more expensive at $600+, but quite a bit thinner then other 10" macbooks. The SSD is of higher quality. Very well built. If you want the lightest/thinnest/best looking 10.2" netbook, this is it.

Asus N10j - I own this model. It is what one could call a bridge between cheap netbooks and expensive "executoys". The biggest difference in this model is that it includes a discrete graphics card - GeForce 9300 GS 256mb. You can actually game on this little machine if you're careful (WoW runs at HIGH settings, and I've seen video of Fallout 3 running on it pretty well!), and it has HDMI out for high def video watching. Comes with a 160gb HDD for the A1 version or 320 for A2. Goes for roughly $650, but its quite a deal if you're comparing it to executoys with very similar specs (better processor, similar or lesser graphics card) for $2000 or more.
 
Is there any other netbook besides the HP 2133 that has Gigabit Ethernet?
 
Use it as a server.. or not >.>"

A problem I have with ASUS' is their line of netbooks 9"+ are all lined with glossy surfaces - it's what made me ditch my 1000HA after finding the constant stream of smudge marks unbearable, ughhhhh.

If they somehow managed to move up to something like the 4500 line of integrated graphics, I'd be more than uber happy. GMA950 is good enough for really old stuff, but who can stand repeat sessions of AOE (don't answer..)? The N10J's 9300 is a nice point, but I immediately close the window after seeing the price tag of ~$700.
 
lowteckh said:
Use it as a server.. or not >.>"

A problem I have with ASUS' is their line of netbooks 9"+ are all lined with glossy surfaces - it's what made me ditch my 1000HA after finding the constant stream of smudge marks unbearable, ughhhhh.

If they somehow managed to move up to something like the 4500 line of integrated graphics, I'd be more than uber happy. GMA950 is good enough for really old stuff, but who can stand repeat sessions of AOE (don't answer..)? The N10J's 9300 is a nice point, but I immediately close the window after seeing the price tag of ~$700.
Click to expand...

seriously, <3 to have the gaming capabilities...but that price tag is :eek:
 
I picked up an Asus EEE 1000HA a couple of weeks ago nad I've really enjoyed the unit. Keyboard isn't an issue (except for the right shift key). Screen is crisp and clear, keyboard has a good response. I've never been found of touchpads (a touch of RSI doesn't help) but its workable for me. The glossy casing isn't much of an issue either - its a tool not a piece of art.
 
I also have a n10J
i think it is the most powerful Netbook

depend on what you looking for...
the best can be...
the lightest
the cheapest
the most powerful
the longest battery life..


to me i want power. and resonable size and battery life.. and price..
this is why i picked the N10J
 
I ended out getting the HP Mini 1010NR because of its gorgeous screen and the keyboard is superb. It's huge, full row of F-keys, the speakers are very loud and sounds pretty nice, and the trackpad can be turned off with a button right next to it. The weird side-touch buttons for clicking took a little getting used to, but other than that its super small (I can put it in one of my coat pockets, its thinner than the Asus 700 though a bit longer.
Its drawbacks are a max of a 16gb SSD, I believe the LCD is NOT LED backlight as it has a warning on it that says the lamp has mercury, and 3-cell only (battery is in the dead center of the computer).
Just got it last night but it has lasted a touch over 3 hours on its battery, 50% bright w/ wifi on all the time, should get a bit better after the battery has a few cycles on it.
If keyboard is paramount, give the HP a look-see, it really is awesome.
 
thanks for all the info everyone. i was purposefully vague in the OP because this is a new market to me and i don't really know what all the options are. i was looking at the Asus EEE 1000 which seems like a good deal on eBay, but now i have a lot more to look at :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top