netbook processing power

[bwcolor]

I've had a few Atom based notebooks and at least six dual core Atom desktop units. The single core Atom notebooks are very slow, but do fine for surfing the net, Email and word processing. The dual cores, at least in desktop, are much faster with the NVidia Dual Cores even able to stream HD Video without a hickup. So, as long as you are not asking a single core to do anything more than word processing, you are fine.

 

[jamiewakeham]

Again, thanks for the input, everyone. This is seriously useful.

She has used a 10" before, and though the small screen is a drag, she loved the portability so much that she's seriously considering it anyway. She's not a fast typer, and won't be doing all that much extended writing, so the keyboard is not a great issue.

Kuzano - I hear you about the smallest notebook maybe being a better option, and we're beginning to veer towards this. She does understand that the 10" will be a trade-off between portability and power (and your last line elicited a giggle). No need for an optical drive, though; we have a usb optical drive for installing software and after that it's USB flash sticks for storing data all the way.

HTeasley; if we go for a 12" that is probably the sort if thing we'll get - thanks.

bwcolor - can you say, for the sort of switching between lots of low-demand applications that she needs, if the dual-core is a significant improvement?

Thanks again.
J

 

[ethics_gradient]

I used an HP Mini 2140 as my main computer for about 15 months or so. It's a 10" netbook, but has a higher res 1366x768 screen, which made web browsing a lot more bearable (I was coming from an MSI Wind, which had the standard 600 pixel height). I found it had adequate power for what I needed it for, and CS3 ran acceptably with 5D .RAW files. It has an aluminum body, and the keyboard is excellent; if it's not full size it's really close, and the keys feel more "clicky" and responsive than most netbooks.

The keyboard connector on mine developed a problem soon after it fell out of warranty, and when I went to unplug it from the motherboard and plug in the replacement, the little plastic ZIF connector broke off (nobody sells replacements, would have to replace the whole motherboard over a tiny piece of plastic). It had given me more than a year of excellent service, but between that and the MSI Wind I can't help but feel that netbooks are kind of "disposable laptops." My iPod touch has wifi and I can now use it with my flashcard app, so I don't think I'll be buying another one.

Replaced it with a secondhand 13" Macbook for $430, and couldn't be happier. The new 11" Air would be great, but is a little out of my price range for now. The Macbook really feels like more of a desktop replacement (I was actually looking for iMacs originally), but I find I don't carry a laptop around as often as when I was a student, so I don't mind the extra bulk and weight.

 

[bwcolor]

I would buy the dual core, but also looks at what else is out there. Personally, I would not buy another single core. It is markedly slower than the dual core, especially with the NVidia chipset. My best advice is get a single core for Internet browsing and dual core should you want to do anything else.

 

[kuzano]

Toshiba Portege R705

Toshiba Portege R705

I happened to be at Best Buy today looking over the camera section.

I wandered over to the laptop computer section and browsed. I looked at the Mac Air and was impressed by it's svelte lines, but I am a PC, not a Mac.

So, in my wandering, and with my predilection for Toshiba, I looked at a Toshiba R705 Portege. It would be my choice of a replacement for my ASUS netbook, at about $700. Not much bigger, but a full duo core laptop with 4 GB RAM, and a DVD-RW

 

[Tzelet]

At last try one before she buys it. I bought a Dell 10 for pretty much the same work, and found that the advantages I gained (low weight) was easilly outweighed by the poor performance, keyboard and screen. I did have chance to try a Macbook Air this weekend, and it seemed like a different class of machine: Easy to type on, very nice screen and the performance/speed was no longer an issue. Even with it's larger screen, it felt smaller than my Dell due to its thickness (or lack of thickness) and weight.

 

[elshaneo]

For me, the best and latest netbook is the Samsung NF310 🙂

 

[kievman]

I have a acer aspire one with the atom 450 processor and 2 gigs of ram, with the extra ram, run multiple apps is no problem, especially if she is not going to be processing any large raw files at the same time. Get the one with high capacity battery (8.5 hours) The weight is what sold me on this one- 2.7 pounds. Good Luck -Kievman

 

[dmr]

I have an Asus EEE-PC netbook and I love it! I'm actually using it now as I wait on a late flight at the airport. It's purse sized, really. (My so-called friends sometimes call my everyday purse "the overnight bag"!) 🙂

I have no clue what processor, disk drive, RAM whatever it has. The screen is supposedly 9" diagonally. I run all of the standard Microsoft office things and they perform just fine. Photoshop does too.

The only issue is that it's clumsy to touch-type on the smaller keyboard, but I manage to do it. 🙂 My hands are not that large, but the spacing is unusual. It will run almost 4 hours on the battery.

The model I have has the older Windows XP, which runs everything I have, but I'm sure the new ones are Vista.

 

[JohnTF]

I carry the Samsung netbook while traveling, the upgrade to 2 GB was $25, so that is not much of an issue, plus the website says it is OK to run Win 7 if you want, am not sure how much memory you can fit in the single slot then.

My desktops and laptops are getting a bit old, so this netbook actually runs a bit better, bar the smaller keyboard, etc.

Mine has shown a glitch I have yet to fix, the screen goes white occasionally, and I hae to mess with the brightness to get it back, but other than that, it gives me 5 hrs. of battery life, runs as many programs as I ask it to, (PS CS, Office, Chrome), keeping in mind the dinosaurs I have been using.

Pleasure to carry on for traveling.

I also bring a WD Passport in my luggage to store picture files.

Regards, John

 

[MartinP]

If you get a small netbook then max out the RAM. Programs in the background doing nothing (except sit there) will be filling the memory, not using lots of processor power.

I use an old-ish EEE 900 (slower than the Atoms) with 2Gb of RAM and it works fine. The original software was swapped out for Ubuntu linux and that is no hardship at all, but a colleague runs XP adequately too.

More advice is definitely don't run Vista. As you seem against linux there is a cut-down version of XP that flies*, if your business licensing enables you to get a key for it, otherwise XP with as little junk as possible works ok.

*Windows XP Fundamentals for Legacy PC's. You will need a company Software Assurance agreement to be able to use the software.

 

[N. Bruce Nelson]

I am using an MSI Wind with 2 g of memory. I dual boot XP and Ubuntu Linux. I am usually in Linux. I almost always have multiple programs running and find the performance very acceptable.

Bruce

 

[oftheherd]

I am using an MSI Wind with 2 g of memory. I dual boot XP and Ubuntu Linux. I am usually in Linux. I almost always have multiple programs running and find the performance very acceptable.

Bruce

Ditto on XP and Linux, but I have the Aspire 1 with only 1 Gig of RAM. I have another half gig but am too lazy to go to the trouble to put it in. On my model you have to partly disassemble it. Some day maybe.

I haven't had trouble running things yet, and do like the size. That is the main reason I bought it. I also got a USB powered DVD/RW which I like a lot and isn't a problem to carry. Mine is a 8.9 inch. I would like 10 inch but don't think it would be that big an advantage. The keyboard is a problem, but I can do it. The touch pad is worse. If you get one, get her one of the mini mounses.