Netbook Any Recommendations?

lisaj1981

Hi

I want to buy my son a netbook for Christmas, and was wondering if anyone can recommend one that is suitable for a child (10) and won't break the bank.

Many thanks

Lisa

Begize

I would seriously consider getting a normal laptop rather than a netbook.

Most netbooks are lower spec (slower) processors than a laptop, usually with no CD / DVD drive, less memory, less hard disc, smaller keyboards and smaller screens.

They may look cute but ironically, for getting less spec, you effectively pay more money! You will get better VFM looking for a laptop in the same price bracket you were thinking of spending on the netbook.

Typically, a decent entry level laptop will cost around £300 and although most netbooks will be around £200 - £300, the spec of the laptop will be much better and it will be much more versatile.

randan

I have used many different notebooks over the years and recently got a netbook after a lot of deliberation.

I got an Advent 4211 which is the same as the MSI Wind U100. It has been used more than any notebook I have ever had as it just about everything I would ever need built in and is much lighter weight if I am travelling.

Now don't get me wrong - this is not a machine for anyone who want to play high powered games but it does everything that most people would need. Possibly you might want to upgrade the memory (mine works fine with 1GB) or add a cd/dvd drive (if I ever need to use a CD/DVD drive I share the one on my PC and access it over the wifi).

I can not really find any fault with it and I believe Argos are selling the MSI Wind with the 10.1" screen for £199 at the moment Black, White or Pink. The 8.9" is £10 less but IMHO is not worth saving £10 for. They also have an Acer but as I was savaged by an Acer notebook a couple of years ago - I would stay clear if that !!

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5081880/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7COffice,+PCs+and+phones%7C14418968/Trail/searchtext%3EWIND.htm

Intel Atom N270 processor.
1.6GHz processor speed.
512MB cache.
1GB DDR2 RAM.
160GB SATA hard drive.
10in screen size.
Resolution 1024 x 600 pixels.
UMA graphics.
1 Ethernet port.
Wireless/Wi-Fi enabled - b/g.
3 x USB ports.
Media card reader.
Bluetooth.
Integrated 1.3MP webcam.
Windows XP Home operating system installed.
3.5 hours battery life.
Size (H)3, (W)26, (D)18.cm.
Weight 1.1kg.

EMJ2

I've got a Samsung NC10 and love it! You may be able to pick it up for a good price as it's an older model!

Em xXx

adviceforall

I'm sure we had a leaflet through the door that maplins had 2 for under £150 not sure if it the exact thing your looking for might be worth a quick look

TehJumpingJawa

I'm still very happy with both of my Acer Aspire Ones that I picked up a while back when they were cheap at ASDA and Tesco (£150 & £130 respectively).

Most of the popular netbooks are near identical in terms of specifications;
Intel Atom N270 (1.6ghz, 533mhz bus), or N280 (1.66ghz, 667mhz bus)
8.9" or 10.1" display,
Anywhere between 1/2gb and 2gb of RAM
variable HDD or SSD sizes, (the former being preferable in most scenarios)
Wireless G or N,
possibly integrated 3G modem,
etc etc.

When buying for a 10 year old I think the most important consideration should be what Operating System is installed.
You can get any of the main stream OS's running on netbooks; Windows XP, Vista, 7, various Linux distributions, and even Mac OSX (if you are willing to go down the hackintosh route!)
What do you antisipate your son using the machine for?

[Deleted User]

I can strongly recommend the Dell Minis - about £140-170 from https://www.dell.co.uk/outlet

anguk

I got my daughter an Acer Aspire One last Christmas and she loves it (she's 16). She doesn't play games on it, it's mainly used for homework, internet, youtube etc.

mcclim

I have used many different notebooks over the years and recently got a netbook after a lot of deliberation.

I got an Advent 4211 which is the same as the MSI Wind U100. It has been used more than any notebook I have ever had as it just about everything I would ever need built in and is much lighter weight if I am travelling.

Now don't get me wrong - this is not a machine for anyone who want to play high powered games but it does everything that most people would need. Possibly you might want to upgrade the memory (mine works fine with 1GB) or add a cd/dvd drive (if I ever need to use a CD/DVD drive I share the one on my PC and access it over the wifi).

I can not really find any fault with it and I believe Argos are selling the MSI Wind with the 10.1" screen for £199 at the moment Black, White or Pink. The 8.9" is £10 less but IMHO is not worth saving £10 for. They also have an Acer but as I was savaged by an Acer notebook a couple of years ago - I would stay clear if that !!

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...ext%3EWIND.htm

Intel Atom N270 processor.
1.6GHz processor speed.
512MB cache.
1GB DDR2 RAM.
160GB SATA hard drive.
10in screen size.
Resolution 1024 x 600 pixels.
UMA graphics.
1 Ethernet port.
Wireless/Wi-Fi enabled - b/g.
3 x USB ports.
Media card reader.
Bluetooth.
Integrated 1.3MP webcam.
Windows XP Home operating system installed.
3.5 hours battery life.
Size (H)3, (W)26, (D)18.cm.
Weight 1.1kg.

I purchased one of these out of PC World, its a great wee laptop for Internet and word processing... Would def recommend one of these..

nbruen

http://maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=257308

We were looking at this one for our 9 year old daughter. She would mostly use it for surfing and maybe a bit of homework.

TehJumpingJawa

nbruen wrote: »

http://maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=257308

We were looking at this one for our 9 year old daughter. She would mostly use it for surfing and maybe a bit of homework.

I wouldn't consider that to be a netbook, it certainly isn't anywhere near the capabilities of even the most basic machines available elsewhere.
You need to be aware that Windows CE is not a desktop OS; it's an OS targetted at palms, and high-end mobile phones. Application compatibility will be a considerable restriction.

For me, the beauty of netbooks is that they are essencially just a small, ultra-portable laptop. Everything I can do on a low-end laptop, is also possible on a netbook.

I would say the best entry-level netbook is an Acer Aspire One A110. They should be available for as little as £100-120.
They provide all the functionality of their more powerful siblings, but the capacity & speed of the SSD limits performance somewhat.

:edit:

Also, worth noting that Maplins are in general not competitively priced.