Monday, February 16, 2009

Netbook Buyers Guide

The netbook form factor offers consumers a low-cost ultraportable notebook in a market segment where notebooks used to cost $1,500 and up. With most netbooks costing less than $400, they are cheap enough to buy one in addition to your full-size notebook. With the vast majority offering Intel Atom processors, these portable computers can handle most daily tasks with ease. In this buying guide we compare the different models we have reviewed to help you find the best netbook to fit your needs.

Buying the Perfect Netbook

Currently the netbook standard is one of the easiest computers for consumers to purchase, with most models on the market offering the same Intel Atom processor and Intel integrated graphics. The only thing that really separates netbook models is the type of storage medium they use, the screen size, and the size of the battery.

If you plan on storing movies and music on the netbook, a higher capacity hard drive model would be a better choice, instead of the much smaller SSD. In some cases it can be the difference of 8GB of storage compared to 120GB. The next area is screen size, with models coming in either the 8.9” size or 10”, but sharing the same resolution. If you enjoy having a larger screen to work with, the 10” models can be easier to read, and you usually have the benefit of a larger keyboard. A new Dell Mini 12 goes even further with a 12” screen and full WXGA resolution, but that is an exception to the netbook market. The last hardware difference comes down to the capacity of the battery of the netbook, with 3-cell, 4–cell, and 6-cell battery sizes offered.

Couch or Classroom Friendly?

Battery size can play a key role in how you intend to use the netbook, with some models spanning a couple of hours, and others working for up to 6 hours. The difference comes with the size of the battery that comes with the netbook. Some models like the MSI Wind or Acer Aspire One come with 3-cell and 6-cell battery configurations, which can mean the different of 2-3 hours or 5-6 hours of battery life. If you just intend to use the netbook on your couch or around the house where external power is not an issue, battery size probably isn’t a big deal. If you intend to use the netbook in the classroom or while traveling, it is highly suggested that you find the biggest battery possible.

SSD or Hard Drive?

Besides the huge storage capacity difference between the SSD and hard drive models, there are a few added perks of each. Most of the hard drive models on the market use a standard 2.5” SATA consumer drive that can be easily upgraded or replaced down the road. The SSD models might be limited by capacity or lack an easy upgrade, but they offer shock protection and better battery life. If you find yourself being rough with portable electronics, it might be wise choosing a model with a flash memory SSD. If you are looking to get increased battery life some SSD models have an edge over HD models as well.

The Market Competition

Coming soon our Blog on "The Market Competition" to help you to choose just right NoteBook for you. Keep visiting .............

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