Cheapest netbooks discussion

nikopol

DietRx wrote: »

Thanks i'll do some searching

I did that with my Acer Aspire One which came with Linpus (a minimalistic Linux). Wiped it on the day I bought it and installed Ubuntu Netbook Remix from a usb key (you nend around 2Gb to instally with IIRC).

Now one thing is changing quite soon - the latest release of Ubuntu (Jaunty) is due out in the next few days and the support for netbooks is integrated into the system so it may be a case of keeping your powder dry until the official release is out and running with that. It is by far more advanced than the previous releases and is altogether a very swish piece of software. If you can't wait until then, I would recommend that you try the release candidate which is quite likely to be very similar to the final.

Leopard

skylight wrote: »

Can I ask a stupid question? No?? Well, I am going to ask anyway.

Now, dumb and dumber here (me!) is thinking of a netbook for college. Small, light and easy to carry and less hassle for notes than a pen and paper. I haven't decided on a free mobile broadband one or buy one outright (for less money overall).

I want to access the internet and email which I am well aware that is what they are designed for. But my daft question is, can you put other software like Open Office or Windows Office and run happily Word and Excel??? And not many are described as having a USB port - do most not come with one then???

I'm writing and posting this on a 10" MSI Wind, travelling at some 120 mph on a train from London to Edinburgh. Both Word & Excel are open in other windows, as is my email client - plus, of course, my Internet browser. (All of this is running under Mac OS X.)

I did give it a second 1 GB of RAM but it's handling all those applications simultaneously and briskly, with no problems. For tasks such as those, it can most certainly be regarded (and used) as a small laptop and it's certainly more convenient on a train than a 15" MacBook Pro - which previously I took on such journeys.

I prefer the Wind to the Samsung NC10, personally. It has a matte screen and (to me) a nicer keyboard. It has three USB2 ports, an Ethernet port (100-T), an SD card slot, Bluetooth and wi-fi.

It also has a VGA port and supports a 19" external monitor (in extended desktop mode) at home.

I don't like trackpads and I use a Bluetooth mouse with mine

Some might scoff at netbooks but I love mine: it really does feel like a baby Apple laptop for simple tasks such as these.

I hope that helps you with your deliberations.

focus888

Hi i wanted to look for a netbook which lets me download flash player. ive seen a cheap netbook on play but it uses linux and from the reveiws you cant download much applications is it only linux which this is a problem for?

Sami_Bee

focus888 wrote: »

Hi i wanted to look for a netbook which lets me download flash player. ive seen a cheap netbook on play but it uses linux and from the reveiws you cant download much applications is it only linux which this is a problem for?

unless you are super techy stear clear of linux if you want to download any programs/applications. You shouldn't have any problems with a windows or mac one tho

focus888

Sami_Bee wrote: »

unless you are super techy stear clear of linux if you want to download any programs/applications. You shouldn't have any problems with a windows or mac one tho

but arent they more expensive with windows? the ones with linux are around 150-200.

does anyone know if the dell mini 9 is good? what does that run with? thanks

Sami_Bee

yes it is more expensive with windows, its coz windows are evil money grabbing wotsits who charge way too much for everything

Why do u need flash player to be on it?

Does anyone know of a site that requires flash? I could visit it and let you know if it works on my linux using webby (that I'm using now)

Sami_Bee

dell mini 9 comes with linux OR windows according to this (£199 for linux, £299 for windows)
http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/laptop-inspiron-9?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&ref=lthp&s=dhs

uktyler

focus888 wrote: »

Hi i wanted to look for a netbook which lets me download flash player. ive seen a cheap netbook on play but it uses linux and from the reveiws you cant download much applications is it only linux which this is a problem for?

My netbook runs linux, and I can play flash videos from website, the browser is firefox, which many people use already.

The media player on mine plays XVID/DIVX movies, mp3/mp4 and just about every other format you can think of.

There are lots of applications for linux, but some are not as easy to install, but most of them are free.

focus888

I was looking at this netbook from play http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/-/655/862/-/9292170/EPC-MiniBook-X-Burst-400MHz-128MB-2GB-7-Linux-Netbook/Product.html?searchtype=genre but from the review from the buyer he was making it out that linux is really difficult to install anything on?

Uktyler was your netbook about 300 or above? i wanted one that was around 200 but not if it cant be used to play xvid/divx for 300 i might aswel buy a laptop and not risk it.

Sami_Bee

focus888 wrote: »

I was looking at this netbook from play http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/-/655/862/-/9292170/EPC-MiniBook-X-Burst-400MHz-128MB-2GB-7-Linux-Netbook/Product.html?searchtype=genre but from the review from the buyer he was making it out that linux is really difficult to install anything on?

Uktyler was your netbook about 300 or above? i wanted one that was around 200 but not if it cant be used to play xvid/divx for 300 i might aswel buy a laptop and not risk it.

I think the review you mention is very well written as that is what I have found.
If you haven't used Linux before and aren't VERY techy then I'd stay away!
I think I'm pretty good with tech stuff and can usually work stuff out from online help etc and my OH is even better but neither of us can get anywhere with installing downloads on my linux webby
Unfortunately Microsoft like to be rip off merchants so generally you'll find a webby with XP is £100 more than the same model running Linux:rolleyes: