How to Buy a Netbook

by Lynn Truong

 How to Shop for a Netbook

Netbooks are basically very small laptops. They are half to two-thirds the size of a normal laptop. They weigh about 2.5 pounds and prices range from $200 to $600. The first netbook arrived in 2007 with the Asus Eee PC (although the term netbook hadn't yet been coined, and they were just called mini-laptops). Now, every major PC manufacturer has a netbook in their line. They are hot, and it's not hard to see why. They're lighter and cheaper than full-sized laptops. But though there are few cosmetic differences in laptops, netbooks vary greatly in their design and features. If you're in the market for one, here are some things to consider before deciding on the right one for you.

Screen Size

Netbooks come with screen sizes between 7 to 10 inches. That's a big difference from the average 15 inches on a full-sized laptop. In order to decide which screen size is good for you, it's really important to run your favorite programs and view your favorite websites on a variety of different sized screens.

Keyboard Layout

The keyboard on a laptop is fairly standard. The keyboards on netbooks are not. Some netbooks have a smaller keyboard, starting at about 88% the size of a full size keyboard. Some netbooks actually have a full size keyboard, but even if two netbooks have the same size keyboard, their layout could be very different. Keys are closer on some netbooks than others. Test out the keyboard before committing to a netbook.

Processor

The current standard processor on netbooks is 1.66 GHz. That is slower than the standard on laptops, which is about 2.1 GHz. This means that a netbook will be slower when running heavier programs. It's recommended that you don't use a netbook for heavy processing, such as photo/video editing and gaming. But netbooks are perfect for light processes like web surfing, email, and word processing.

Operating Software

Most netbooks have moved to Windows 7 Starter, which is a lighter version of Windows 7 that is better for netbooks. There are a few limitations to this software-- one big complaint for Windows 7 Starter is that you can't change the desktop background. You can also get a netbook with Linux, which is a much more basic and faster operating system. Netbooks with Linux run great for web surfing, email, and word processing via Open Office. However, Linux may be incompatible with some programs, and if you've never used it, you may have to take some time to get used to it. Lastly, you can still find netbooks running on Windows XP or Vista, and of course you can opt to upgrade to full Windows 7 for your netbook.

Optical Drive

Netbooks do not come with built-in optical drives. That means you can’t  run CDs/DVDs. You can buy a separate drive to plug into your netbook, but part of its portability and light weight is due to it not having an optical drive.

Battery Life

Being smaller, not having an optical drive, and having a slower processor helps the battery life of a netbook significantly. Many netbooks come with a 6-cell battery which can get you unplugged for about 6-8 hours.   A laptop usually comes with a 3-cell battery that gets between 1-3 hours.
Additionally, netbooks generally come with a built-in web cam, wi-fi, card reader, and USB ports.

Bottom Line

A netbook is not just a small laptop. It serves very different needs and can't do everything a laptop can. As a primary computer, it may not be sufficient. But a netbook is much more portable than a 15 inch, five-pound laptop, which is inconvenient and clunky. Decide which features are most important for your needs before making your purchase!

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