Scared to be on the techie board-netbook Q's!!

emsywoo123

AS the title suggests, easy cheesy with me as I avidly avoid this board as I know nowt about all this :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I work from home, but want to be able to do so remotely (i.e starbucks )

I have no idea what I need to do this.

Laptop/netbook What is the difference? Any bargains to be had? Best place to buy?

Many thanks :beer::beer:

Chorlie

You'll need either a Laptop or Netbook and a mobile Internet connection.

You could use WiFi but it isn't always free and a mobile dongle can workout cheaper, it depends how much you'll use it, plus WiFi isn't everywhere so you could spend time looking for a WiFi link.

For the dongle it maybe best to select a PAYG and if you use it a lot upgrade to a monthly contract. If it's only going to be used for short periods the old 1GB Vodafone Sim maybe best since the credit doesn't expire (if used every 180 days).

As for the machine, Netbooks are smaller and normally have a longer battery life, but down side they are less powerful and the smaller screen / keyboard can be an issue for some people.

You need to figure out what you'll use it for and how often then go from there.

Donnie

If you literally meant Starbucks. That will cover your Internet Connection.

I'm sure that you would prefer a full size keyboard and not to have to squint at a Netbook screen. So I think you are looking at a laptop with a decent battery life.
But dependent on your intended usage, a Netbook might be suitable. You tell us.

emsywoo123

Thanks peeps.
I was thinking literally for a couple of hours a few times a week at most I think.

I have a wireless router at home, so I assume I can use it there without a dongle?

Is a laptop worth more money? And how much money are we talking for either?

Donnie

Yes. Netbook from £150. Laptop from £250.

Chorlie

If you have a wireless router at home you can connect to that.

As for price, that depends on the spec of the laptop; the below site will give you some ideas on spec and price, but you maybe be able to get cheap from other places

http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/content/huddersfield-showroom.asp

vickssinex

There was a thread here on netbooks a while ago which is worth reading:

link

rainbow_carnage

What type of work do you do?

I write for a living. I have a netbook and a laptop. The laptop isn't huge, but it's too heavy for me to carry around every day. The netbook is too small to work on for more than a couple hours at a time. If you have to choose one or the other, go with a laptop. It's very hard to work full time on a netbook.

We also have a desktop. My husband is a graphic designer. He'd go crazy having to work all day on a laptop, no matter how large or expensive. But a laptop is perfectly fine for writing.

There really is no single answer. Think about what you need (what you actually need, not what you wish you needed), and choose a machine that best suits those needs.