# Bought a Netbook Today



## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

Pragmatism made me buy a netbook today. Got an ASUS at Best Buy for $280 w/Win 7.  I guess it was more on the Amazon Discussion forum that folks were lamenting all the things that you cannot do with a Kindle.  Not me though, since I bought mine to read books.  I decided not to try and make it surf the net and other non reading-relating things.  Actually, we bought the netbook for traveling.  It has a built in webcam and mic and will be great to send pics home and download them from our camera cards.  Also great to keep in touch with family.  I'm told that the shipboard wifi is painfully high so we feel that we can keep those minutes down better when we are prepared to transmit as soon as we access the web.  It weighs 2.4 lbs and is pretty small.  We will be traveling more so we think that this will be very helpful.  I know the Kindle can do lot's of stuff, but some of them just seem cumbersome to us. FWIW


----------



## Chris W (Aug 17, 2009)

Well, Win 7 instead of Linux means you can also install Kindle for PC on your new machine. Seems like you get the best of both worlds!


----------



## KayakerNC (Oct 7, 2009)

Netbooks don't have a DVD RW Drive, but USB plug-in portable drives worked quite well with XP, if you wanted to use the netbook to watch a DVD or download a game.
But that has changed with WIN 7. 
Microsoft has not enabled DVD playback in Windows 7 Starter. Why?  They want your money. Windows 7 Starter has just enough OS enabled to get you to buy the Netbook. It is licensed to the OEMs for next to nothing. MS expects users will get frustrated with the limitations and upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium (Retail $79).  
This is the MS version of "New and Improved".


----------



## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

Congratulations - hope you enjoy your Asus netbook as much as I do mine!  (Using it right now, in fact...)


----------



## Evenshade (Aug 12, 2009)

I am also the owner of an ASUS netbook since Thanksgiving.  I stuck with XP since I'm comfortable with it. We just returned from a week long trip and it was great to be able to use it at the hotels. The smaller keyboard was a little bit of an adjustment for me, but other that that, it's a great little item.


----------



## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

Thanks for the comments.  I couldn't find any reviews for it via Google which seemed odd to me.  I'll be picking it up today.  Don't plan to watch any movies on it,  but may play some tetris-type games or solitaire.  It's mainly just for email while traveling.  If necessary we can always take our Toshiba laptops which have full keyboards with keypads, but we don't want to take them when we fly.  At this point, we're not even sure if they will allow "electronic devices" so we are each taking a dtb just in case.

Stan


----------



## kcgill (Aug 9, 2009)

I bought a Toshiba netbook last month. I use it to take with me when traveling for e-mail, checking bank accts, a few things like that. I find it easier to shop online for Kindle books rather than on the Kindle itself so it works well. It has the Win 7 starter and I have no problems with that at all. I did download Antivir rather than pay for Nortons though.

Enjoy

Cyndi


----------



## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

Hope your Toshiba operaties and lasts as well as ours have.  I'm going to download AVG.  We have it on our laptops and have had nary a problem.  We did buy the paid ver. though that has a few more bells and whistles.  If you've ever had a virus on your machine,  you have a much greater appreciation for the cost.  We did get a virus and had Trend Micro, basic ver., on at the time.  I think that I might put Firefox on as well since that's what we are using on our laptops also.  Another pgm we really like is RoboForm--even though we do keep our passwords in another place.  I also like to shop for books via the computer better than on the Kindle.  I guess we could do it on our trip with wifi access on the ship, but I think that would be expensive since they charge by the minute.  Anyway, we already have too many books to read on our K2s now.  Thanks for the info


----------



## cheerio (May 16, 2009)

and you are using your netbook to view KB, awesome


----------



## Reyn (Feb 10, 2009)

I bought an acer aspire one (11.6) in Aug. when I decided to go to Grad. school. I love it. The size is perfect. My DH and I bought each of our older boys (13 year old twins) a gateway netbook for Christmas. So we offically have 1 laptop and 3 netbooks in our home. They are all loved very much!


----------



## PhillipA82 (Dec 20, 2009)

hehe nice


----------



## kevindorsey (Mar 4, 2009)

I'm going to have to buy one soon,my gf is starting to complain that her laptop is too heavy to take to work/school


----------



## lynninva (Feb 7, 2009)

Reyn said:


> I bought an acer aspire one (11.6) in Aug. when I decided to go to Grad. school. I love it. The size is perfect. My DH and I bought each of our older boys (13 year old twins) a gateway netbook for Christmas. So we offically have 1 laptop and 3 netbooks in our home. They are all loved very much!


This is the one that I am considering, but probably won't purchase until Feb or March. I have heard that the slight size difference with the 11.6" model improves the keyboard size and viewing is better, but still a small package. And I think there is an Acer model with Windows 7 Home Premium.


----------



## cheerio (May 16, 2009)

I always thought Acer was junk because they were sold at Walmart, but I did break down and buy one when I was overseas and it was way better than my Sony I had.


----------



## Reyn (Feb 10, 2009)

My acer does have the full size keyboard and I really liked the 11.6" display.  I am pleased with it but be aware, it isn't super fast. Not slow but the ones we just bought our kids are faster.


----------



## B-Kay 1325 (Dec 29, 2008)

I have an Acer Aspire One 10.1 inch and I love it. I am using it right now and I don't have too much trouble typing on it however, I do use an ergonomic keyboard at work and there is definitely a huge difference between them. I also have downloaded the Kindle PC app to my netbook, it gives me another option and it was free. Enjoy your new acquisition. By the way are you going to give it a name? Mine is named Ace (original huh?).


----------



## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

I've been using my new ASUS 1005HAB today. Apparently the sales guy picked the wrong one from the shelf that Geek Squad set up. Best Buy wanted to give me the lower priced one. We are leaving on a trip so I told them I could not wait so just go ahead and give me a refund. Instead, they refunded the $50 difference for the one that has a 90gb bigger hd. Worked out okay. These are good for travel but I would much rather use a mouse. The keyboard and screen (10.1) are small. It does have an led backlit screen. It would be fine to read with on the plane with it on the fold down table, but I wouldn't want to hold it in hand. The lap would work though. I can read the posts on here with it, but cannot post. I suspect that's because I didn't get it set up on here initially. The abbreviated Win 7 seems to work fine and it came with MS Works although I use Office on my reg. computer. No problem in getting AVG set up on it. I think that if someone wants a computer for email and reading who is on a tight budget, this ASUS would be a good choice.

Stan


----------



## B-Kay 1325 (Dec 29, 2008)

I bought a wireless mouse to use with Ace.  Looked for one with a small transformer thingy so it doesn't need to be removed whenever I take Ace anywhere.  I don't like to use the finger pad on the laptops/netbooks.


----------



## marianneg (Nov 4, 2008)

B-Kay 1325 said:


> I bought a wireless mouse to use with Ace. Looked for one with a small transformer thingy so it doesn't need to be removed whenever I take Ace anywhere. I don't like to use the finger pad on the laptops/netbooks.


Bluetooth was one of my must-have features in a netbook. It's nice not to have to mess with the dongle at all, and more of them are including it standard now.


----------



## carlobee (Jul 21, 2009)

Congratulations on  your netbook!


----------



## duck833 (Mar 29, 2009)

Bought a Toshiba netbook yesterday at Best Buy for $399. I am going to a major finance/tax conference in Orlando in two weeks and they have gone paperless. Normally when we show up and sign in they give us two huge three ring binders full of all the presentations and backup material. This year they gave us a password and told everyone to download and print what they wanted. They will have printers and computers at the conference for updated printing and downloading.

I did not want to travel with my old Dell laptop, the battery doesn't last long and it has way to many confidential client documents to take it to a unsecured location. So I figured a netbook might work. I have downloaded all the doc's and I love it, this will be way better than dealing with the paper filled binders and paying to ship them home.

As a bonus I downloaded all the pdf files on my Kindle! Most of them are fine, when they put copies of two screens on one page it is a little hard to read on my K-2. I will be able to review materials on the plane in between books!


----------



## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

marianner said:


> Bluetooth was one of my must-have features in a netbook. It's nice not to have to mess with the dongle at all, and more of them are including it standard now.


I don't have bluetooth on mine, but I got a nano bluetooth receiver to use with a bluetooth mouse we already had. Love it - the receiver just stays in the usb all the time. I do use the trackpad occasionally, but mostly I prefer the mouse.


----------



## kcgill (Aug 9, 2009)

We have 3 Toshiba tv's and 2 laptops!  We have always been way pleased with them.  

I had to do the mini mouse for mine, can't do that touch pad thing.  I do like that the netbook has the bigger size keys that are like individual keys rather than the smaller pad style.  I can't think of the technical name for either one of them.  It's so darn cold here I think my brain has froze over.  Now I'm waiting on some snow to get here.

Cyndi


----------



## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

I think the ASUS has blue tooth.  I'm using a wireless mouse and keyboard with my Toshiba, but it has a dongle.  Not a problem for that, but I'm thinking that a mini mouse would be good for the netbook.  If I can find one with a usb cord today, I'm getting one.  We leave tomorrow.  I'm wondering if I can figure out how to install it.  There is no cd drive.  I guess that I could copy the files to a flash drive or download the driver from the web?  Anyway, I'll have to see what's available here locally.  

@duck833

Your company is on the ball.  I hate to carry all those binders around, too.  There are lot's of ways to save trees these days, but change will come slowly and have to be tied to cost savings.

Stan


----------



## B-Kay 1325 (Dec 29, 2008)

I also have a mini mouse and do not like it.  The response time is pretty slow and sometimes doesn't even respond at all.


----------



## kevindorsey (Mar 4, 2009)

B-Kay 1325 said:


> I also have a mini mouse and do not like it. The response time is pretty slow and sometimes doesn't even respond at all.


Mini mouse kind of sucks.


----------



## cheerio (May 16, 2009)

i hate mini mouse


----------



## loca (Jan 3, 2010)

They look cute, but a bigger more traditional mouse is much better on your hand/wrist.


----------



## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

I didn't look too hard for a mouse.  Found a usb optical mouse (not mini) at Wally World for $9.95.  No software needed; Just plug it in.  Works fine and waaaaaaay better than the pad, IMHO.

Oops!  I should have added that I had no business thinking about mini mouse since she's still with Mickey.


----------



## sandypeach (Oct 28, 2008)

I bought this mouse for my netbook.



It has very small USB plug that stays in the computer all the time. The "Blue Track" technology is wonderful. I use the mouse on the arm of my comfy chair and have no problems with lag or non-responsiveness.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Product recall on Acer netbooks. . .. . .

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10103.html


----------



## B-Kay 1325 (Dec 29, 2008)

Thanks, I'll have to check Ace when I get home.


----------



## sandypeach (Oct 28, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Product recall on Acer netbooks. . .. . .
> 
> http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10103.html


According to the link, this recall is for 13.3 inch laptops, not netbooks.


----------



## B-Kay 1325 (Dec 29, 2008)

OK I read the article now that I'm at home and I don't think that my Acer is involved in the recall.  Whew!!


----------



## Guest (Jan 9, 2010)

I have an Acer Aspire One and love it! I also love my Toshiba laptop. Best one I've ever had!


----------



## Jessi (Jun 19, 2009)

I bought a netbook right before Christmas, and I love it. An Acer Aspire One. It has 1GB RAM (which will be upgraded soon, but it really doesn't need it. It's fast enough right now.), 250GB HDD, 6-cell battery (9 hours of battery life, which is truly 9 hours of battery life on balanced power options, amazing.), 10.1" display and the keyboard is big enough for me! It weighs just under 3 pounds and the touchpad is a multi-gesture pad, it works great. I am sorta in to photography, so I have Photoshop CS4 and TONS of pictures on my netbook, and zero lag. It also has a SD/XD/MS Pro-Duo slot built into the side of it, which makes it THAT much better. I'm trying to talk my husband into getting one. All of this for only $279 shipped. I love amazon, it's the most amazing website ever created. 

http://www.amazon.com/Acer-AOD250-1694-10-1-Inch-White-Netbook/dp/B002MUCC66/ref=pd_ys_iyr_img

Grab one if you're thinking about getting a netbook! This one is the only one that I have found after 3 weeks of researching netbooks to find "the one" that has all the features I wanted PLUS more. And it's white, so it pretty much kicks butt. Only downside... my daughter (2) thinks it's a toy. lol.

The mouse I bought for it is pretty great as well. HP wireless comfort mouse in the color: Moonlight. So my netbook and mouse are white and they look really clean. Doesn't look childish, really sophisticated (until I put a "childish" skin on my netbook, lol).


----------



## marianneg (Nov 4, 2008)

Jessi said:


> Only downside... my daughter (2) thinks it's a toy. lol.


LOL. Luckily my daughter already had a "laptop" when I got mine. So if she starts wanting to mess with mine I just tell her to go get her computer and she will happily play with her own!


----------

