Laptop, Netbook.... what? :-)

[Lickalotapuss]

Hi All,

Hoping for some expertise from you guys to help me decide on what to buy.

I've used computers all my life so not a proper thicko but I've never bought one for personal use.
I've got a desktop PC at home which is probably 5 years old at least and was passed to me when my mum n dad moved abroad, I've only just recently set it up in my own house and hooked it up to the internet.
The PC is slow and also in my kitchen which is cold at the best of time so I'm thinking bout buying a laptop.

Right... what would your recomendations be?

Its only gonna really be used for the internet, msn, skype etc. but maybe in the future could need it for more office kind of work as I'm currently staring down the barrel of redundancy.

What would a netbook limit me to? Could I still do the simpler office tasks like word documents, excel spreadsheets etc. through a netbook?

Any help would be much appreciated, the main feature I want is to be able to click a file or a link and it load up without having the time to make a brew in-between webpages :-)

[Lickalotapuss]

Hi again :-)

What is the main difference between netbooks and laptops?

cheers

[DG]

Laptops are now called Notebooks cos they used to get so hot you'd burn your lap so manufacturers changed the name so they wouldn't get sued for even suggesting you put this hot item on your lap,... netbooks are smaller, lighter and designed more for travel.

From what you'd said so far a NetBook would probably suit you. I have one of the original Netbooks with only a 7 inch screen, all the newer ones have a minimum of 8.9 inch screens and 10 inches is probably going to be the new standard.

[Treee]

hiya
there's quite a neat little summary here (http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080927033953AAVUT5V)

i have a samsung nc10 notebook and it copes fine with ms office applications. like the link says though, they're not really suited for heavy graphics work or video-editing. my battery life is around 7 hrs and it's great to have something so small i can just chuck it in my bag and carry it around all the time.

depending on your setup at home, you may need to buy an external dvd drive too.

[DG]

I don't get how the Samsung's battery can last so long compared to other netbooks which are almost identical spec.

The battery is only 5,200mAh according to most reviews I've read.

My ASUS EEEPC 701 has a 4400mAh battery but a smaller screen, slower processor, and no hard drive - in theory it should last a similar amount of time but in reality more like 2.5 hours.

[Treee]

obviously depends on the screen brightness... further details here (http://blog.laptopmag.com/samsung-nc10-battery-life-almost-8-hours-with-ssd)

i'm pretty happy with it :) the 6 cell battery was one of the main reasons i chose the nc10, amongst other considerations of course.

in fact, something else for you to take into account, Lickalotapuss: make sure you're happy with the keyboard on whatever you buy if you're planning to do a lot of typing. some of the netbook keyboards are a pain in the arse to use if you're a touch typist.

[Lickalotapuss]

I've seen the Samsung NC10 mentioned a few times when i've been searching, nice looking machine as well!

Thank you for your comments, think I'll have to go for the NC10, if i can get one at the right price!

[Treee]

great!
if you have the chance to go and try one out in person i'd really recommend it, just to make sure that you're happy with it. the screen will probably be quite a bit smaller than you're used to, though if you've got a monitor at home already, you can always hook that up as a second screen when you're at home.

[Treee]

good article (http://www.wired.com/gadgets/wireless/magazine/17-03/mf_netbooks?currentPage=all) about netbooks in the latest wired

[Lickalotapuss]

Interesting article.

I did however decide on a laptop over a netbook. When I was researching it was all done over the internet and with the reviews I'd read, the posts on here and other discussion boards I had my heart set on a Samsung NC10!
However, when I went to look at them first hand I decided they were just too small, over 90% of the time this will be used in my home and therefore it wasn't neccessary to have something so small when for a similar price I could get a laptop with a better spec.

I went for an entry level Toshiba and so far have been impressed, does everything I wanted and more!

[DG]

The rise in the internet and the need to do very basic things has revived the usage for basic computers - I just yesterday gave my Aunt my 10 year old HP OmniBook (500 Mhz pentium 3 - 256 MB) Laptop so she could get online, check emails, use Instant Messenger and use Skype.

[ShyBoy]

I've seen the Samsung NC10 mentioned a few times when i've been searching, nice looking machine as well!

Thank you for your comments, think I'll have to go for the NC10, if i can get one at the right price!

The NC20 is out very very soon and at the minute shops are trying to get rid of the old models to make way. So either wait to get the newer models that are superior or try and pick up a bargain. A friend of mine just got an acer aspire one for £160 (RRP ~£200).

[DG]

The NC20 is out very very soon and at the minute shops are trying to get rid of the old models to make way. So either wait to get the newer models that are superior or try and pick up a bargain. A friend of mine just got an acer aspire one for £160 (RRP ~£200).

The reports say the NC20 will have a 12 inch screen and cost about £380??

That's not really an upgrade for a NetBook - that's now NoteBook sized computer at NoteBook prices.

I think I'd rather have an NC10 if the next one is going to be that expensive and that big. I think once a NetBook starts creeping over the £200 to £250 mark then it's time to consider a full on NoteBook.

[ShyBoy]

The NC10 when it first came out was pretty pricey too.