Mini Notebook

[mthieme]

Anyone have one of them thar mini-notebooks?
I'm thinking this would be perfect for 10 y.o grandson and wife that likes to open and save DLL files with notepad.

 

[rogerwa]

Re: Mini Notebook

Are you talking about the $250 ones that they sell at Target?? If so, they run a Linux variant.. Possibly ubuntu..

If all you needed was a basic web browser, e-mail, documents, ss, type of machine it would probably work pretty good..

 

[Jerico]

Re: Mini Notebook

I had a customer bring one of them in for me to setup. Only down side to the one he bought was it didn't have a CD drive. Had to use an external...

 

[octane]

Re: Mini Notebook

I own an Acer Aspire one netbook and love it! very portable, with good wifi range. the only thing I would say is that if you buy one with Windows XP, most of the models that come with a SSD drive are very slow (linux will be acceptable in terms of speed, but still not quick)

so if one want one with XP, you should really put the extra money and get one with the real hard disk drive, those are a lot faster! (I'll be upgrading mine with a hard drive soon! can't wait!)

 

[mthieme]

Re: Mini Notebook

I noticed the SSD disappearing on the newer models.
That explains that.
Any compatibility issues with off the shelf software - MS Office, Anti-Virus stuff, etc.?

 

[eaglejim]

Re: Mini Notebook

I keep a mini notebook in my top left pocket with a pen,every once in a while I have to get a new pen.

 

[Tyme2fish]

Re: Mini Notebook

I keep a mini notebook in my top left pocket with a pen,every once in a while I have to get a new pen.

Did you go for the deluxe with the spiral wire or just the plain gummed pages??

 

[octane]

Re: Mini Notebook

I noticed the SSD disappearing on the newer models.
That explains that.
Any compatibility issues with off the shelf software - MS Office, Anti-Virus stuff, etc.?

I run the same anti-virus (avast) and Office 2007 that I run on my main computer, no issues at all. only thing is that the keyboard is small, so I would not use it to write a novel replying to emails is fine

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Mini Notebook

I own an Acer Aspire one netbook and love it!

I bought one of these as well about a month ago. I LOVE IT!! It does everything I want a computer to do and more. It can even play darn near HD quality video off my network over wireless. The display is beautiful. I thought the smaller keyboard would be tough to type on but it isn't at all. I've recommended them to many others. Mine was a refurb from Tigerdirect. They still have some and they are down to $239! The latest Acer AspireOne models have a 10.1" screen and a 160gig hard drive. That would be ideal but they are selling for $349.

 

[aspeck]

Re: Mini Notebook

I'm thinking this would be perfect for 10 y.o grandson and wife ...

Your 10 year old grandson is married?????

 

[mthieme]

Re: Mini Notebook

LOL
That didn't dawn on me.
Isn't it funny how the written word differs from the spoken word? or at least how we express ourselves using each.
Well, if he's anything like his father, he'll need a vascectamy soon!

 

[mthieme]

Re: Mini Notebook

Well, finally broke down and got one these...it's an MSI Wind (madef by LG). I found a refurb at Tiger Direct for $249...it was time. It came with 1 GB RAM, 100 GB HD and XP. The wife thinks it's 'cute' so she's tickled pink. It's mainly for her and the grandson. All it has to do is surf, run OpenOffice and print. It's not a barn burner, but isn't meant to be. The screen, while very readable is 16:9 so I find myself scrolling down more than a 4:3 screen. I think I'd be happier with a 12" screen, but then the money starts to get into a low end notebook. I'm looking at a refurb HP nc8430. This is what I use at work and don't know if I could make all the concessions for a do-it-all unit for home.
Anywho, so far...looks real good overall for the money.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Mini Notebook

I'm reading your post on my Acer Aspire One! Congrats on your new purchase. I just ordered a car charger and a carry case for mine. My dad just bought an Aspire One as well but he got one through RadioShack/AT&T which has 3G internet built into it. His was only $99 with a 2 year 3G contract which he was getting anyway through his work. He loves his as well.

 

[Expidia]

Re: Mini Notebook

I don't know about the term Mini but the rage is the "Netbook". I'm using mine right now. It's the Asus 1000HA. Asus invented the netbook. It weighs 3 lbs, battery runs 7 hours, 10.25 inch screen and 160 GB hard drive. It comes with most of the soft ware you need but it's easy enough to copy a program onto a flash drive and install it from that. Or just down load any programs you want to add.

You really don't need a DVD or CD drive, you just don't know you don't need it. You can buy an external drive but you will only use it a few times.

AC power, they come with a mini brick.

For $20 on the web you can double the memory from 1 GB to 2 GB and it's now superfast!

They are perfect for surfing the net and using email. I used it on my last plane trip and had already downloaded, converted and saved a DVD movie to a flashdrive to watch during the flight. It's great in hotel rooms (most have free wireless access now) or using it in bed.

I watch TV on it in the car while my wife is shopping from my slingbox which gives me the DVR recorded programs or I can watch HBO etc.

I bought mine in white so it does not show any finger prints like black does.

Even better I have the verizon internet card that looks like a flash drive and I can access the net from "anywhere". I'll have it on my boat this summer and I can put in orders for my business while on my aquatic office

For a kid I would go with the ones that the others picked up for a few hundred. They have the same warranty even though they might be refurbs. You can go to Squaretrade.com and extend the warranty real cheap for like $20 using one of their 30% off coupons they will send you. You can buy it anywhere and they still warranty it.

http://www.amazon.com/10-Inch-Netbo...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1238204178&sr=8-1

Oh Ya, College students love these netbooks cause they are about a 1/3 rd smaller than an 8 x 10 sheet of paper. They just toss them in their bookbags.
who wants to lug around 8-10 lbs (including the power brick) of computer anymore when you can tote around 3 lbs.

They also have 8 inch screen models, but for my tastes that's too small.