Any Netbook users here? Tell me your experience with them?!

Status
Not open for further replies.
ohboy10451

ohboy10451

Banned
I'm currently interested in the Asus Eee PC 1201N & HP Mini 311. Not interested in gaming, just for watching the occasional video (hooked up via HDMI to my HDTV). Also, some decent multi-tasking (download a video, browse the web w/multiple tabs open). Interested to see if you guys have any experience with these or similar netbooks?

Asus Eee PC 1201N:
Win 7 Home Premium
12.1" (1366 x 768)
2GB (Expandable to 4GB)
Intel Atom N330 (1.60 GHz) DUAL CORE
NVIDIA ION

HP Mini 311:
Win 7 Home Premium
11.6" (1366 x 768)
2GB (Expandable to 3GB)
Intel Atom N270 (1.60 GHz) SINGLE CORE
NVIDIA ION

The consensus seems to be that the Asus is better at multitasking but the HP has better battery life (4 vs. 5 hrs)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
don't know what you're looking for in a netbook. the only other computer i have is a desktop, so...

i use mine (msi wind u120) for the following:

1- studying somewhere. my desk in my room is a table so i have nowhere to put papers, so i bring it to another room or go out and bring it.
2- bringing it next to the tv so i can look stuff up if i'm playing a game or something.
3- it's my internet link when i travel, and it can store photos and videos too.

cons
1- you need a really big stand or your neck will hurt.
2- the keyboard is small, so i don't like using it for any major tasks like typing long documents
3- exclusive to the msi wind is this crappy touchpad that clicks when you tap it. it's annoying and i keep accidentally tapping.

with all that said, battery life to me is the most important. i don't mind multitasking since i usually only have 2 or 3 programs open at a time: browser+study program+word/excel as opposed to my desktop where i just never seem to close anything.
 
I have a low end Asus Eee netbook with Atom N270 processor running Windows XP. I can tell you that it cannot handle HD youtube videos. The videos will stutter like mad, making them unwatchable. SD youtube videos are ok.

It can run some MAME games like the Marvel vs Capcom, Darkstalkers series, and other 2D games. That's the extend of my experience with netbook since I've been only using it to surf web while traveling.
 
The biggest draw of a netbook is the portability. I have used an Acer Aspire One, and it was perfect for blogging/skype/looking up places for my backing trip through Japan except for one detail, and that is the portability. I was thinking I'd get a sizable screen and fatty battery to increase the life/make it look better, but that was a mistake having to carry it around on my back for a month. If you're not going for supreme portability, IMO, don't even bother getting a netbook, just get a cheap laptop, thats all they really are.

Those ones you have listed OP you don't have the weight/dimensions listed which I think is the most important and only reason to get a netbook, which makes me think you're better off with a laptop if you're not considering those factors.
 
I got my wife a Samsung Netbook and it has been awesome. We can hook it up to our 720p HD television and stream Netflix Watch-It-Now movies without a hiccup, which surprised us. She can watch sports while looking up stats on her netbook (while I'm on the big computer killing aliens). So, in short, netbooks SAVED MY MARRIAGE.
 
If you do search on this forum you will find many post on Netbook goodness.

I use mine all the time. Many time I put other people's regular machines to shame with it.

I have many games on it and I use gamepads to play them all.

I've had kids/adults/teens in airports put their own PSP, DSs and all that nonsense away and either watch me play or give them one of my controllers and rock some games away.
 
I have one of the Asus clambshell with a n270 processor, and it's pure junk. $30 of computer with a $300 price tag. After using nearly $250 in gift cards I still feel ripped off. Before replacing the hard drive with a 7200 rpm one I had lying around it coughed and weezed like an old man opening up a word doc.

Portability is supposed to be the big draw, but you still need a laptop bag to carry them, and your cell phone in most cases will outperform them.

A little pricier but a fujitsu lifebook u820 is what a netbook should be. Small enough to fit in a large pocket (mine travels in my jacket pocket) better performance, more features, and far better build quality. They are going on clearance now since fujitsu is coming out with a new model, so you can easily pick one up for 500-600. A far better investment
 
The first netbook you posted about, I would barely consider that a netbook. Its more of an ultra light laptop than anything. Eitherway, depending on the price, that sounds like the way to go.

I have an Asus EEE PC 1000HE running Windows 7 on 1GB of RAM and get about 5/6 hours on battery with wifi on, multitasking, and low screen brightness.

I love mine. It fits on every desk at my university, it is very small and not a bother to bring to any class, and the chiclet keys are very quiet.


If you have a good desktop then getting a netbook is perfect for using the internet, instant messengers, social networks, typing documents, and light gaming.
 
i have the acer aspire one also with 250 gig drive and windows 7. i love it. i am using it right now. it is super thin 1 inch closed. weights next to nothing. great screen. i use it more than my tower or laptop. i love the 10 hour battery life. its my second acer product and both are great. keyboard is not bad; unless you have giant fingers. i would not waste time with the netbooks that use xp since its such a old format. acer products are well built. i have heard that the asus products are good also. hope this helps. i got my acer from target.
 
If you get a Dell Mini 9 or 10V or a HP1000 You can run OSX..

yay for Hackintosh!

3901507922_40d460d043.jpg
 
[quote name='Kenrik']If you get a Dell Mini 9 or 10V or a HP1000 You can run OSX..

yay for Hackintosh!

3901507922_40d460d043.jpg
[/QUOTE]

yea I know but not a fan of the netbook
 
To be honest, I would say get neither of those.

I have a netbook, an Acer Aspire One to be exact, and love the thing to death! But when you start looking at higher end netbooks as you are, I think that it's a waste. At the price of the Asus just get a more powerful lowend laptop at that point and ditch the Atom processor altogether. IMHO, netbooks are great little machines for everyday use but anything above $300 is a waste.
 
[quote name='Nogib']To be honest, I would say get neither of those.

I have a netbook, an Acer Aspire One to be exact, and love the thing to death! But when you start looking at higher end netbooks as you are, I think that it's a waste. At the price of the Asus just get a more powerful lowend laptop at that point and ditch the Atom processor altogether. IMHO, netbooks are great little machines for everyday use but anything above $300 is a waste.[/QUOTE]

Agreed.
 
Even though it's probably not what the OP wants to spend, the Alienware M11x looks interesting. For the amount of money it'll go for though you could buy a pretty decent full-size laptop, but I find the sheer portability intriguing for the power it'll have.
 
I have a dell latitude 2100, and it is nice for portability, and the touchscreen is fun, feels very solid for a netbook, though the battery life is only like 3 hours. The Asus seems to be the better of the two if you ask me.
 
I've been obsessed with this topic (on my own) for days and need to get resolution because I have stuff to do.

I'm not sold on a netbook to begin with. If someone made a small cheap laptop (with a DVD drive) I would choose that option. I already have a laptop (14") but want something smaller . . . mostly for travel and an extra browser.

I see three main possibilities:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00322PYZE/ref=noref?ie=UTF8&s=pc

http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-NB305...ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=pc&qid=1268680454&sr=1-5

http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-NB205...ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=pc&qid=1268680454&sr=1-1

I was initially sold on the ASUS but the Toshiba's have gotten strong reviews . . . the NB205 is last year's model and is now $299 on Amazon. The NB305 has improvements but is $375. I particularly like the idea of a full-size keyboard on the Toshiba models.

Here is a Toshiba review:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2358392,00.asp
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Another model that has complicated my decision making is this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-Mini-...ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=pc&qid=1268686250&sr=1-2

On the face of it, it looks like a bad deal . . . save $30 but lose 90 GB in the HD and step "down" to Win 7. But then I read this guy's review and it makes some sense . . . (his paranoia aside).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member..._pr_auth_rev?ie=UTF8&sort_by=MostRecentReview

The keyboard looks better on the N310 and XP might be better suited to a netbook. If the N310 was $300 even, I'd order one right away.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
bread's done
Back
Top