Cheapest netbooks discussion

doberryfirkin

Another question. What is the impact of getting a netbook without WiFi 802.11 N

doberryfirkin

RussJK wrote: »

Alternatively, you can get the 12" MSI U230 for $256:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MSI-WIND-U230-NETBOOK-WHITE-REFURB-/360258998549?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Computing_Laptops_EH&hash=item53e11c1115

Only drawback is the low battery life.

Thanks to RussJK :beer:for this info, I bit the bullet and, with trepidation, ordered from Argos clearance. Ordered Sat and delivered Mon am - wow! U230 in very good nick with all bits and bobs, looked 'as new'. Got the 2gb RAM. Performance so far very good and graphics are superb. Battery life seems to be in the 2-3 hour area but that may be due to initial heavy usage and not sure how many cells it is. Only criticism is it seems to run quite hot - fan running quite a lot but then I have been loading lots of stuff. Overall very impressed with this channel and hope that the pc continues to delight.:j

doberryfirkin

RussJK wrote: »

Nice one - how is the white finish? I noticed the fan comes on less when I leave the port at the side open to the air.

Thanks RussJK. Actually I got a black one (I couldn't stand the white). Thanks also for the advice - will follow that up. Yes agree with the Avira tip. Norton was the first thing to go...:rotfl:. I am using Online Armour as FW, thoughts? I was thinking of the Acer Ferrari but, as question above posed, couldn't find for £320. I am also thinking of loading ubuntu as I would like to play with a dual boot into linux:eek:.

doberryfirkin

RussJK wrote: »

Lastly, I uninstalled the touchpad and resinstalled with new Synaptic drivers (http://www.synaptics.com/support/drivers) so enable horizontal and vertical scrolling, and the reduce sensitivity to accidental brushing with my palm while typing.

RussJK, two ques. Which driver do I download and how do I remove the current one?
Cheers. D

RussJK

doberryfirkin wrote: »

RussJK, two ques. Which driver do I download and how do I remove the current one?
Cheers. D

Actually I didn't use that driver just realising, I used the one from MSI. Just tracked it down again for you:
http://eu.msi.com/index.php?func=nbdriverfile&driver_no=213

It'll be easier if you have a spare USB mouse, so you're not without a mouse while you do this. Certainly possible to use a keyboard, but easier.

To remove the existing touchpad, then same as any device:
Control Panel > Device Manager

and look for the touchpad. Should be under 'Mice and other pointing devices'. Right click on it, and select uninstall.

After you install the new drivers, you can then set it up.

snowqueen555

a month ago i bought the zoostorm netbook for £200 on offer at argos, its ok but for £30 i shold've bought the samsung version.

before this i had the eee 1000h which is two years older but superior in terms of what it offered

jackieblack

Hi
I've been looking at loads of netbooks on different websites and have totally confused myself.
Could someone please advise me, what are the basic differences that are actually relevant, that I should be looking out for?
I want a netbook mainly to take with me when travelling so I want it to be light.
I will use it mainly for emails/internet, but probably also for storing photos & possibly some music.
Are all netbooks wi-fi enabled? Can they be connected to the internet by plugging in a cable if needed?
Is 1GB RAM enough to run Windows7 and also run other tasks efficiently? I have no experience of Windows7, my home PC is Windows XP, I notice some netbooks still available with Windows XP (and are a bit cheaper) what ae the advantages/disadvantages?

I would be grateful for any advice, I have scanned through this thread but my brain appears to have turned to scrambled egg!

esslee

Hi jackieblack. I can only speak from personal experience. I have had an MSI U100 for over 1 year now and use it every day. I got mine refurbished for over £200 so the £150 offer is very good. It has 3 usb ports and an ethernet point. It has extremely good wireless capabilities and the graphics are fine. I even play an MMORPG called Guild Wars on mine wirelessly ! It plays tv from BBC iplayer etc very smoothly and sharply. If you want you can very easily add another 1gb of RAM (module cost about £10.00) as I did but the 1gb should be fine for what you want to use it for. You can also get a replacement battery these days if battery life is an issue. I got one on ebay and swapped it out about 2 months ago - now get 6hrs+ battery time so I can surf in front of the tv without trailing power cords etc ! The hard drive is likely to be 80gb which is big enough for you I'm sure. It has a built in webcam which I use in conjunction with Skype to talk to/see my mate in the USA most days. I LOVE my netbook. It is very rugged and the keys are very firm .. and a nice size. When I got my U100 I recommended the Asus eee PC netbook to a friend as it was/is in my opinion the best out there, but I couldn't afford the extra £150 it cost. Now that I have added the extra RAM and the longer life battery it is exactly the same spec as hers. Woo Hoo !!
Oh..the £150 mentioned is from Martin's newsletter today 19/5 .... £150 refurb netbooks from Argos - mega bargain !
Hope this helps you decide!

machofairy

jackieblack wrote: »

Hi
I've been looking at loads of netbooks on different websites and have totally confused myself.
Could someone please advise me, what are the basic differences that are actually relevant, that I should be looking out for?
I want a netbook mainly to take with me when travelling so I want it to be light.
I will use it mainly for emails/internet, but probably also for storing photos & possibly some music.
Are all netbooks wi-fi enabled? Can they be connected to the internet by plugging in a cable if needed?
Is 1GB RAM enough to run Windows7 and also run other tasks efficiently? I have no experience of Windows7, my home PC is Windows XP, I notice some netbooks still available with Windows XP (and are a bit cheaper) what ae the advantages/disadvantages?

I would be grateful for any advice, I have scanned through this thread but my brain appears to have turned to scrambled egg!

Most average netbooks are wifi enabled, 1.6ghz cpu, 1gb ram, 10in screen and 120 - 160 gb hard drive. For these specs, expect to pay about £200 - £250 new, depending on the brand. Most will also have a LAN port to plug in a cable to connect to the net.
For your needs, these specs are enough and the U100 on Argos Clearance will suffice. However, I did find that MSIE was a bit slow with 1gb, but switching over to Opera browser resolved this.

In HUKD, they are reporting that Argos are sending out U130s instead of U100s. This is actually a slightly better specced machine but many did not like it because its not hackable (to turn it to a Mac). However, I myself ordered a U130 and got a U130. Very happy with it. It came in a battered box but the machine was like new. The U130 comes with Win7 starter, which runs more or less at same speed as XP.

jewelie_2

machofairy wrote: »

However, I myself ordered a U130 and got a U130. Very happy with it. It came in a battered box but the machine was like new. The U130 comes with Win7 starter, which runs more or less at same speed as XP.

Hello!

Any ideas if it'll run Portal - the game that's advertised elsewhere in the current newsletter that's currently going free for this week?

Do you know if the U130 is genuinely any more powerful than the U100? Reading up on benchmarks, I can't see any indication that there's any significant difference?

J
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