New Netbook advise required

isplumm

Hi all,

I am looking for a cheap light weight laptop to buy ....

Need to be able access the internet & also update documents / spreadsheets.

Also need to be able to use the internet wirless & via cable ....

What do people think of the netbooks such as:

http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.203-4969.aspx

or

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/store/pcw_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0721767540.1238267777@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccfeadegldlfkjfcflgceggdhhmdgmi.0&chain=PC_World&seo=yes&int=netbook-ge&sku=526242&channel=WEB&page=Product

Or is worth buying a "real" laptop - I already have a 17inch screen one, but to be honest it is a bit big for lugging around.

Thoughts?

Mark

John_Gray

The disadvantages of netbooks are:

• small screen (especially vertically)
• small keys, close together
• no DVD/CD player built-in
• not significantly cheaper (and sometimes slightly dearer) than a small laptop
• XP Home (never Pro) or maybe a Linux variant

The advantages are:

• usually much lighter than a laptop
• street cred among the ignorant

Newer netbooks are bigger than the originals, and are becoming very similar in size to small laptops. This delights the manufacturers, because they can charge more for something with less kit inside!

totalsolutions

I have just brought a Samsung NC20 as a play thing, very nice 12.2" screen and good keyboard, just playing with it at the moment- going to wipe it and place Windows 7 on it. Not a "netbook" as such just a little bigger to qualify. The NC10 is very good better than the ones you have bookmarked, similar price range to the Compact but with 160G drive and 5-7 hrs battery life.

isplumm

Thanks everyone ... I was looking at the NC20 .... problem is I could buy a 15" laptop for that £380 price tag .... seems expensive .... maybe should just stick with 17" laptop .... at least I could watch a few films on it while sat in hotel on own ....

Mark

sloan

I got a Samsung N10 for Christmas. It is great for travelling. I prefer surfing on it in the evening as it is so light. I still have my fullsize laptop which I work on from time to time, but like to use the netbook as often as I can.

harrywexworth

the one thing that bothers me about netbooks is many of them have smaller keyboards. you might want to try typing on a model that interests you. For me, a screen less than 10" is too small too.

carol_a_3

I just bought a NC10 and the keys on the keyboard are bigger than on my Microsoft keyboard that came with my PC.

I love the lightness of it and ease of carrying it around and as long as you don't stare at the tiny screen for too long it's brilliant. the battery life is really good too, I got the blue one.

Pssst

This normal sized lappy im typing on cost about £350. Its a x2 Turion 64 with 2 gig,toshiba,very good. Against the price of a netbook,the netbook looks poor value and id hate to have to peep at the tiny screen.