For some consumers, netbooks are an ideal computing solution. Combining the portability of a tablet with the functionality of a laptop, a netbook is a great idea for people who need to work on the go, but who don’t like typing on touch screen tablets. There are a lot of great netbook deals on the market right now, and prices are dropping all the time. But what exactly should you be looking for when you’re netbook shopping?
Design Features…
Whilst of course you want your netbook to look good, there are other design features that you should keep in mind. The first is weight. Netbooks range in weight from less than two pounds to around four pounds. This is something that you’re going to be carrying around with you, so make sure that you choose a nice, light weight computer. And the same goes for size. Generally, netbooks are around ten inches, which is really the ideal size. Any larger, then they become burdensome to carry around, any smaller, and the keyboard becomes difficult to use. Speaking of keyboards, make sure you give the keyboard a try. Keyboards come with different sized keys and different spacing, so make sure that it’s comfortable to use. Other than that, look for USB ports (at least one, more are preferable), headphone and microphone connections, SD card slots (for adding memory), and a Firewire port for fast transfers if you can find one. You might also look for 3G connectivity in some of the newer models, which will make mobile broadband connections easier.
User Interface…
Most netbooks nowadays will be using a Windows operating system. Windows 7 will take a relatively long time to boot up, and also uses a lot of memory, but you’re probably not going to have much choice. Google Chrome makes a netbook with its own operating system, and some users prefer Linux. But in general, if you’re already familiar with using Windows, that’s probably going to be what you will go with. As far as processors go, the faster, the better. You want around a 1.6 GHz processor, and faster than that if you can get it. WiFi is almost essential in a netbook, and Bluetooth is nice too.
Memory and Battery Life…
As far as running the computer, you’re going to be looking at a minimum of 1 GB of RAM. 2 GB of RAM is preferable, as it will make running the netbook faster and multitasking easier. As for the hard drive, that really depends. 50 GB to 100 GB is fine. However, if you don’t keep music, films and photos on your netbook, you’ll probably get away with less memory than that. Plus, if you have an external hard drive, or the computer has an SD slot that you can use for added external memory, internal memory won’t be quite as important to you. Battery life is incredibly important for a netbook. Chances are you’re going to be using whilst travelling, and therefore won’t be next to a power socket all the time, so look for the best battery life that you can find. Around six hours is average.
