My laptop is too big. It is a desktop replaceable with a 17" display. I am looking at something smaller for email, Soxtalk, perhaps some light word processing. Does anyone have a mini with a 9", 10", or 12" display?

 

http://www.dell.com/content/products/produ...=lthp&s=dhs

 

I've been looking at the Dell and HP offerings and thinking it's worth a $400 test.

My laptop is too big. It is a desktop replaceable with a 17" display. I am looking at something smaller for email, Soxtalk, perhaps some light word processing. Does anyone have a mini with a 9", 10", or 12" display?

 

http://www.dell.com/content/products/produ...=lthp&s=dhs

 

I've been looking at the Dell and HP offerings and thinking it's worth a $400 test.

 

According to Consumer Reports (*grain of salt here*), the Samsung NP-hmmmphhmpph...is supposed to be the best one. Can't remember the number...410? Maybe? We are probably going to get that one. And also according to CR...the HP is the lowest rated. Acer is even rated higher.

According to Consumer Reports (*grain of salt here*), the Samsung NP-hmmmphhmpph...is supposed to be the best one. Can't remember the number...410? Maybe? We are probably going to get that one. And also according to CR...the HP is the lowest rated. Acer is even rated higher.

 

I'm wondering if the screen will be too small for me to use comfortably. I'm an old man with bifocals. Also the processor seems wimpy, and there is no way to add ram in the ones I looked at.

My roommate would suggest the Acer Aspire One over the Dell equivalent. He was planning on buying the Dell one when they first came out, but apparently the specs weren't the same as he was expecting so he went with the Acer model instead. I'd take a look at it before buying one of the others.

 

Of course, he is a Twins fan, so take it for what it's worth.

 

Personally, his laptop is way too small for me. The fact that one of my hands is the same length as the whole laptop is disturbing, and I can't really handle that small of a keyboard. Seems nice if you want something incredibly light and portable, but I would never want one.

Edited April 21, 200916 yr by Felix

The Samsung's keyboard is 93% of a full size keyboard and the screen is 10.2". Not too bad.

 

This one.

On top of that, they are a pain in the rear to work on (as a laptop technician), the lack of optical drive takes the cake for me in reasons why not to get one. Sure, externals work nicely in Windows, but it's always a headache trying to use it as a boot device.

I'm wondering if the screen will be too small for me to use comfortably. I'm an old man with bifocals. Also the processor seems wimpy, and there is no way to add ram in the ones I looked at.

 

You'll be fine if you set the resolution right. The biggest problem with these small computers is the keyboard size. Don't worry about processor speed; none of them are meant to run Photoshop, anyway.

On top of that, they are a pain in the rear to work on (as a laptop technician), the lack of optical drive takes the cake for me in reasons why not to get one. Sure, externals work nicely in Windows, but it's always a headache trying to use it as a boot device.

 

That is the other draw back for me, lack of an optical drive. Much like a cell phone morphed into a hand held computer, when I first saw a netbook, I thought it was a DVD player on steroids.

I wouldn't use a netbook as a primary machine. If you're concerned about size, there are plenty of lightweight 12 and 13-inch laptops out there.

I wouldn't use a netbook as a primary machine. If you're concerned about size, there are plenty of lightweight 12 and 13-inch laptops out there.

 

I would not be a primary machine. I have a 17" Dell and a Desktop.

I would not be a primary machine. I have a 17" Dell and a Desktop.

In that case, I have a 10" Asus EeePC that I love. Highly recommended.

 

Be careful of the crappy Atom processor running anything with a Microsoft OS on it. Simple web browsing, sure. Linux maybe. Anything else, good luck.

 

 

Edited April 23, 200916 yr by southsideirish71

I love my new Asus Eee 1000HE netbook.

 

It has a newer version of the Atom processor.

I love my new Asus Eee 1000HE netbook.

 

It has a newer version of the Atom processor.

 

Even the newer version of the Atom processor isn't all that. I personally wouldn't run a celeron proc for anything I do, and these atom procs kind of are in that same frame of mind. My wife has a dual core celeron which is passable for browsing and basic things, but the minute she uses an office application or does anything that requires any processing power it dogs down. Celerons and Atoms are low end processors that provide a low cost solution to get people into computing at a low price tag. This low price tag however has a cost in computing. If you are just using this to browse the internet and to do basic things, sure this will work. If you want to do anything else on it, then move to an ultra portable notebook with a real proc. Cheap procs allow people to get into computing on the low end. Its great for that.

 

Still not enough horsepower to run anything but basic apps.

Edited April 23, 200916 yr by southsideirish71

There are trade offs for certain. For me it will be a third computer, and factors like small and cheap come more into play than they would for a desktop. It would be almost 100% internet aps and perhaps some light word processing. Not everyone needs the highest end processing. I have a friend with an ancient 286 machine that he still pounds out letters on and balances his checkbook. He loves Wordstar

Even the newer version of the Atom processor isn't all that. I personally wouldn't run a celeron proc for anything I do, and these atom procs kind of are in that same frame of mind. My wife has a dual core celeron which is passable for browsing and basic things, but the minute she uses an office application or does anything that requires any processing power it dogs down. Celerons and Atoms are low end processors that provide a low cost solution to get people into computing at a low price tag. This low price tag however has a cost in computing. If you are just using this to browse the internet and to do basic things, sure this will work. If you want to do anything else on it, then move to an ultra portable notebook with a real proc. Cheap procs allow people to get into computing on the low end. Its great for that.

 

Still not enough horsepower to run anything but basic apps.

 

Yep, that's all I got it for. It handles streaming video alright and works great for basic internet browsing, downloading and office apps. Not sure if this is exactly what Tex was looking for, but it is what I was looking for since I didn't want to spend more than $500.