Netbooks, or mini-laptops as they’re often called, are gaining in popularity in the consumer and business markets. These relatively small computers are more compact and lighter than conventional laptops, and are mostly designed to navigate the Internet and do some light surfing, emailing, chatting and word processing. As a result, netbooks are great for students taking notes in class or people that like to write or check email on the go. If you need help finding one, here’s a brief guide to shopping for your own netbook.
Before getting started, note that these mini-laptops do not provide you with the same speed and functionality as a standard notebook or laptop computer. If, however, all you need is a light computer to take quick notes, do light web browsing and send out some email, then a netbook is a very capable little machine. The first step should be to figure out your needs for this new computer; will you be doing a lot of word processing on it? Will you be using it mainly to check for and write e-mails? There are a wide range of netbooks that will serve different purposes and the key to purchasing the right one for you is to understand your primary functionality requirements.
Consider the screen size: remember that it will be a very small screen regardless of which model you buy. If your plan is to take this netbook on the go quite a bit and use it for a lot of work, you may want to consider the largest screen available. The largest size is about 10 inches, so be aware that if you find it hard to stare at a big screen, you might have issues with the smaller screen.
Many mini-laptops come installed with a free Linux-based operating system distribution as opposed to Windows. This helps to keep the price down as it can be pricey to add Microsoft’s operating system to the bill. However, some people are very comfortable with Microsoft products – such as its Office suite – and would find other programs too different and may not adapt. In most cases you’ll need to increase system specifications to install a Windows operating system; if you feel you don’t need to rely on Microsoft’s software, then going with the pre-installed, free Linux (or installing your own) is your best and least expensive option.
Apart from its function, screen, and hardware specifications, consider how you will be using your netbook. In most cases it won’t be a desktop computer, but rather something very portable that you can use anywhere. Even though you might prefer a larger screen, you might be better off with getting the smallest size possible – it can be very difficult in some classrooms, for instance, to comfortably accommodate anything larger than a modest netbook. Since portability is a main concern for
buying a netbook, it is probably best to purchase the one you feel most comfortable carrying around.
