Does anyone here own a netbook?

I just entered into a mobile phone contract (after years of just being pay-as-you-go) and alongside a new Nokia phone, they were giving away free laptops and netbooks.

I chose a HP Mini 210 netbook, over the (slightly more valuable) laptops on offer, primarily because of its ten hours battery life. People keep telling me that I should have gone for a full-size laptop, because the memory, processing and displays are better. I'm not planning on editing a movie on it or anything - I just wanted to be able to read my email and Twitter on the move, without squinting at a mobile phone screen. It'll not weigh me down when I pop it in my manbag too.

Have I made the wrong choice?

what are you currently computing on?

I wanted a netbook too, something I could take travelling, to dump all my cards onto when I take photos, show clients their shots etc. I hate lugging around heavy thing, so a little thing like that would be ideal
I still have my tower at home for serious work.

It's good for internet on the go. just make sure you get an antivirus with the usb.I have a laptop but I use the netbook when I'm out so I don't have to worry if I drop it etc.

ZombieKitten said:

A six-year old HP Pavillion tower with a rubbish Pentium 4 processor. It's fine for browsing, but if I'm authoring DVDs with menus and stuff, I have to just not touch it whilst it grinds away for four or five hours.

egyptkizzee said:

I'd still worry about dropping it!

It's just so little and cute.

you're still up for a real computer update then, in the near future

the master got a fancy laptop, we wanted one for the kids to play on "a family computer" but it turns out it was too good for us so he uses it for the music, recording and stuff

the kids say "daddy, why did we call it the family computer when only you are allowed to use it?"



you're kind of in the same dilemma as we were, and we still haven't solved the family computer dilemma!!

ZombieKitten said:

Yeah, I still want a better home computer in future. This old thing I'm on right now is just functional, but it's crippling when I want to do something creative. I just can't justify the expense.

The netbook was virtually free. I wonder how these phone companies can afford to just give £290.00 hardware away - on top of a £100.00 phone?

ZombieKitten said:

You should wait for the iPad.

ZombieKitten said:

NDRU said:

he gave us his old laptop, which I found the other day sitting under the VCR

nobody wants that, since it takes 20 minutes to start-up - kids don't have that kind of patience

ZombieKitten said:

it's a little like how no actual living took place in our living room

but hey, if I was daddy I'd probably take the good computer too!

NDRU said:

to buy that computer we claimed it on the kids education allowance, it's rightfully theirs

ZombieKitten said:

maybe their mother needs to take it from him, saying "to buy that computer we claimed it on the kids education allowance, it's rightfully theirs!"

I LOVE my netbook!!

It goes nearly everywhere with me since it can fit in my purse, and that is super convenient since I mainly compute on the go.

the memory is fine for me (160gb holds all my music, docs, etc.) and it is great for getting online at wi-fi hotspots. I have had it for a year now, and I really have no compliants at all. The smaller keyboard took some time to ge used to since I have big hands , but that is no big deal!

thekidsgirl said:

and can you do computing on it like Word or other programs, or is it really just for internet?

NDRU said:

nah, he's got cubase and all his music on there now

GirlBrother said:

It depends what the contract says... you had to signup (the netbook) using thier Internet services, right? Depending on your service plan you could discover (adding it all up) you've bought a netbook for twice it's value. But of course I don't know the particulars. My kid looked at this option at Radio Shack and the plan wasn't cost effective.

But if that's cool and it will do what you want it to do and get you were you want to go most of the time.


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[Edited 3/9/10 14:48pm]

ZombieKitten said:

It's the only way he'll learn!!

NDRU said:

thank god I have a mac and the cubase he has is for PC

TD3 said:

Nope. It's not locked down to any specific service provider. And even if it was, I would have just formatted the hard drive and reinstalled Windows 7.

This is how I worked out the expenditure...

I was paying £15.00 a month on a pay-as-you-go mobile each month; the contract plan I've signed into, is £30.00 a month for two years. So, I figured it was an extra £15.00 for 24 months: £15.00 x 24 = £360.00.

I got a brand new Nokia 6303 (no 3G capabilities, but I chose it for other reasons), which would normally cost £99.99. I also received the HP Mini 210, which retails for up to £299.99. So, I received £400.00 of hardware, without having to pay a penny up-front; with the added bonus of virtually paying in installments, via my monthly £30.00 contract.

The actual £30.00 a month tariff includes unlimited texts and 600 minutes of free call time to any network or landline, at any time.

The only fly in the ointment is that I've been playing around with the netbook - and it was way too easy to connect via Bluetooth to my mobile phone and surf a few pages of the net, as a test. Internet browsing is definitely not free on the mobile tariff I chose.

The netbook arrived today. I dare not take it out and about until I buy a nylon sleeve for it - it's much too pretty to risk scratches.

GirlBrother said:

That's a nice deal.


I look at netbooks all the time and the small keyboard space is a negative.

NDRU said:

Yep, I've typed documents on it. I was too cheap to pay extra for Microsoft Office (but it was offered) so I use OpenOffice.

I love its size. My other laptop is huge and heavy

omg that picture goes on forever!!!!

thekidsgirl said:

Alej said:

ZombieKitten said:

It would if I had held it closer to the mirror

I FAIL!

thekidsgirl said:

I found an amazing artist online whom posts wallpapers at a netbook-sized 1024x600 size.

Take a look at this...

http://www.vladstudio.com..._world_map

It was a bit of a bitch, finding a safe program to change the wallpaper on Windows Starter 7, but a program detailed on the following webpage works:

http://www.sevenforums.co...arter.html

I can't believe that something as simple as changing your desktop wallpaper is disabled by default in Windows Starter 7.

thekidsgirl said:

thekidsgirl said:

Many of my classmates have netbooks. They seem to work comfortably on them

<3