Anybody test-driven a netbook yet?

[eidreff]

I am thinking of purchasing a netbook as a carry-round type machine for pdf reading, note typing and use on the way to and from work.

Has anybody in the playground got or used netbooks?

Any recommendations?

I am comfortable with either Linux or XP based options and would prefer a SSD because of the lack of moving parts etc.

[crimson77]

I use a Acer Aspire One.

It is the greatest thing ever. It is super fast for word processing and internet use. 2 pounds is also quite light to carry around.

I would recommend one to anyone who just needs something for word processing/internet use.

[FdL]

I have an Asus EEE PC, the 701 model. Now there are better ones, but it's still pretty good. I put Windows XP in it and it's perfect for anything I'd want to do away from my main "big" computer.

I also bring it to my D&D games and use it as a DMing aid. I even use it to project the combat maps into a tv.

The best feature it has is the portability. It's tiny and lightweight. The solid drive it has means it's faster than you'd think. And the wifi chipset is from Atheros, so it's excellent.

Nowaday I'd get the 9 inch screen model, of course. Or a newer one, though they do get more expensive. But the portability is great.

I saw a Packard Bell one the other day, one with flip-around touchscreen, which looked nice. Cheap too. But still didn't seem to be a lot better than my EEE I think.

[Ishmael]

Well, in my tests, they've all universally worked fairly well. I really like the ubuntu-running Dell netbook, though I can't say specifically why.

My one concern with them would be ergonomical. The keyboards are so small, and they're really annoying to type on. Since I do a lot of typing, having a ergonomic and comfortable keyboard is critical, and I worry about the usability of those ultra-mini netbooks.

[Mauve Shirt]

My sister got a HP mini 9 for Christmas, for working on her thesis. She absolutely loves it. It doesn't have a hard drive, it's basically a flash drive with a screen and internet, but since her normal laptop is actually a desktop replacement, she's loving this little portable thing.

[FdL]

My one concern with them would be ergonomical. The keyboards are so small, and they're really annoying to type on. Since I do a lot of typing, having a ergonomic and comfortable keyboard is critical, and I worry about the usability of those ultra-mini netbooks.

Hm, that's point, sure. Small keyboards can be uncomfortable. Well, I never found a notebook that was comfortable to type, to be honest. In the netbooks this can be a little worse, but something one can get used to, probably.

[eidreff]

Thanks for the feedback.

I won't be typing any essays on it, I have a 19" desktop replacement for that, and for top notch graphics I have another machine as a games area. I was looking at the Acer Apsire 100 and especially the ones with a solid state drive, mainly as a portable reading device with more functionality than an e-book and less weight than a conventional laptop.

Has anybody had any negative experiences - solid state disks failing or that kind of thing? Apart from the ergonomics which I have tried out courtesy of an helpful member of staff at a few stores I have not heard much in the way of negative feedback - and there must be some - all the reviews that I have read only compare machines and haven't really given an idea what they are like in long term use.

[FdL]

No, no technical problems whatsoever. In the case of my Eee, the battery seems to empty itself slowly when you don't use it, but that doesn't seem like a big problem, and I think it's been solved in newer models.

I do recommend the 900 series for the Eee mainly because of the screen resolution improvement. Everything else is not so different.