Best Netbook » General

7 Must-Haves for Windows XP Netbooks

netbooks — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:52:11 +0000

As of 2008, 90% of the netbooks that were shipped were shipped preloaded with Windows XP (Wikipedia.) Users are beginning to prefer this operating system over older systems such as the Linux system simply because they are more familiar with it and because it’s becoming so accessible in so many netbooks. But still, there are certain tweaks and things you can do to make your Windows XP run even more like a dream than you’re used to on your desktop computer. Here are the top 7 utilities that will make using your netbook an even easier and truly more enjoyable experience.

SyncToy. This is a utility that automatically syncs two different folders, meaning that you can easily carry around all the stuff on your netbook that’s on your desktop computer, without a big hassle transferring files.

Tweak UI: This utility customizes Windows XP especially for small screens such as netbooks. This means that you can make those wee little boxes look much bigger and it will be much easier to work within them.

Virtual Desktop Manager: This will open up 4 different desktops from you to work from. So you can check your email from one, browse on another, and play a game on another. It makes your machine run more smoothly and doesn’t leave you waiting for your memory to catch up with your mouse.

SharpKey: Because the world of netbooks is still a relatively undiscovered one by manufacturers, many netbooks are made in the same areas, giving some differences in keyboards. This utility will allow you to place the keys where you are most comfortable with them.

Foxit Reader: If you have Adobe Reader on your desktop, you need Foxit Reader on your netbook. It works the same way as Adobe, with the ability to read PDF files however, it takes up far less resources to do so and so is perfect for a small system.

Xplorer2: This is a utility that makes it easier for handling files in such a small space. Instead of clicking, cutting, copying, and pasting, this makes it easy to just drag and drop the files or folders.

WindowsMovieMaker: This is a great little tool that will take all of the pictures on your netbook and turn them into a slide show for you!

Comparing Netbooks

netbooks — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 00:36:51 +0000

The emergence of the netbook has had every laptop and PC manufacturer jumping on the bandwagon to create the smallest laptop, or netbook, that has as much power and as many features as possible. While having a plethora of choices always spells good news for the consumer, the challenge with so many options is that it becomes very hard to narrow it down and decide on which netbook will be the best for you.

What makes it easier is that most netbooks, and laptops for that matter, all come with the same parts and equipment so things like hard drive, battery life, and memory space will be the features that most often come up. Once you have decided on what you need most from your netbook, whether it be a certain operating system (netbooks get especially fussy here), or a certain screen size, knowing these basics can help you narrow down the field even further.

Once you have decided on what features are most important to you, you can then decide on a price point. Look around for general price ranges for your priorities (a massive hard drive is certainly going to cost you more) and then find two or three models that have your priority features and are within your price range.

Once you have it down to less than a handful of choices, the choice becomes easy! All of them will be within your price range and all of them will have what you most need so simply pick the one that has the most features (or that looks the prettiest!) and place your order!

HP Mini Note 2133

netbooks — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 00:26:27 +0000

You would expect no less from HP except that they cram as much power as possible into their machines – and that includes their netbooks! The HP Mini Note 2133 has an amazing capacity of 120GB on the hard drive, almost unheard of in netbooks and a fairly impressive 1GB of memory, which is about as much as can be expected from any netbook. It all runs on the easy-to-use Linux operating system, which uses a simple interface system to move around within your machine. And of course, it has wireless capabilities so you can always browse the Internet and check your email, even when on the move!

But apart from all the standard netbook features, this netbook also a built-in webcam and bluetooth technology, another unheard-of in machines this size. To top it all off, it has 2 USB ports so you can also plug in your mp3 player, digital camera, or external speakers and make your netbook work just as you need it to. It also has a sleek and slim design with an 8.9″ screen and a weight that comes just over 1 kilogram! All of this for another ‘unheard of’ – a price so low that it’s extremely tough to beat!

Price: £199.97
From: PC World

What to Look for when Buying a Netbook

netbooks — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 18:35:05 +0000

When you start looking at netbooks you’ll quickly find that there are many different options, at different price ranges, and that some models are better suited to particular uses, such as gaming or being ultra-portable. It will all come down to details and although there are some super stylish models out on the market, you may first want to find a netbook that will meet your needs rather than first looking for one in silver or pink. Here are a few things that you should take into consideration when buying a netbook.

Because netbooks are known for their small size and light weight, one of your first considerations may be how large the netbook is. While most newer models weigh only 1 kilogram or less, some are much heavier and can weigh up to 3 kilograms! Be sure to check the weight if you’re going to need to tote your netbook around with you a lot.

Because of their small size and their cheap price, many netbooks come with a hard drive that has a very small capacity on it. While this may help drive down the price, it may end up causing you buyer’s remorse in the long run when you can’t store everything you want on your netbook. Generally, a hard drive with 160GB of capacity on it will be plenty to hold everything you need it to while still remaining compact and reasonably priced.

Being able to connect is a huge benefit to anyone who owns a netbook or a notebook and while this applies to wireless capabilities, it also applies to the number of USB ports the netbook features (the more the better!), its bluetooth capabilities, and things such as built-in webcams. Having a netbook that’s wireless-enabled is pretty much standard on the market today however, older models don’t always come with these capabilities and so this is especially important if you’re buying a used or reconstructed netbook.

Should you Decide on Linux or Windows XP OS?

netbooks — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:30:42 +0000

One of the main things you’ll be considering if you are thinking about buying a netbook is whether you want a Linux operating system or a Windows XP operating system. When netbooks were new to the market they were mostly installed with Linux because of its stability and it’s cheap price. But as the market expands, the world of netbooks must also and so many manufacturers are starting to install Windows XP in their netbooks for consumers who prefer this operating system. While both will work sufficiently, there are a few key differences that you should be aware of before making your decision on which operating system you want in your netbook.

Users of the Linux operating system have claimed that they like it best because it works with open source software and is incredibly resistant to things such as viruses. The system also just generally crashes less than Windows XP and because it’s a cheaper system, it will bring down the overall price of the netbook. The Linux operating system has the ability to be customized and varied in many different ways and so, it’s not only important to know that the netbook has Linux but also what customizations and applications the manufacturer has included.

Many users however prefer Windows XP simply because using their netbook is then no different than using their desktop computer at home. Windows XP does take up considerably less memory, and other resources from your netbook, that allow it to run incredibly efficiently and smoother than Linux. There are also some programs and applications that will only work on computers that run Windows XP and so, when these are needed, so will the Windows operating system be. Windows XP does have some downfalls however. It is more susceptible to things such as viruses and malfunctions than Linux and it is a pricier system.

How about a Dual Core?

netbooks — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 18:44:42 +0000

Netbooks are fanciful little machines. They can hop onto Internet ‘hot spots’ with their wireless capabilities, check email, and perform basic admin tasks such as word processing. But what makes them particularly special, is that they are micro-mini size so that if you can carry a book around with you all day, you can carry a netbook. But there’s no doubt that these machines do have their limitations and if you’re looking to get high-end laptop or PC performance out of your machine, there’s just no escaping the fact that you’re going to be disappointed. It’s because of the small size that makes them so great in the first place – netbooks are simply not machines that are cut out to perform large tasks such as playing video or handling complicated applications.

This problem could be remedied by simply swapping out the tiny Intel Atom processors that netbooks generally run on today and exchanging them for the hefty Intel Core 2 Duo processors that you’ll see in many laptops and nearly all desktop computers. So why not make the switch? While some may think that these duo processors are simply too large to put into these tiny machines, that’s not exactly the case. Or not all of it anyway.

Putting in a dual core processor into a netbook is certainly doable but, at a price. It has been done, in the 7″ Raon Digital Everun Note but if you want to be one of the first to try it, you’ll have to pay about £800, which is about £500 more pounds than you’ll pay for other netbooks. There’s no doubt that netbooks featuring duo processors are somewhere in our technological future but first, they’ll have to figure out a cheaper way to do it.

Is an iPhone Comparable to a Netbook?

netbooks — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:01:23 +0000

When Apple invented the iPhone, they created a whole new way for consumers to look at simple activities such as talking on the phone, browsing the Internet, and listening to music. This is because the iPhone is the first mobile phone that has had all of these capabilities. While this is good news for consumers, is it necessarily good news for manufacturers of netbooks? It all depends on what the consumer thinks is better. So, which is it?

The newest version of the iPhone is the 3G, which holds a music player, an Internet connection with Wifi capabilities as well as the Safari browser, and of course, a phone. So with all of this that comes in a small lightweight package that can fit in the palm of your hand, wouldn’t this automatically be the hands-down winner? Not necessarily. A netbook has all of these capabilities as well, with built-in webcams that let you keep in touch with your friends and family, wireless capabilities and the ability to store and listen to music via built-in speakers.

It’s true that a netbook is much larger than an iPhone however, because netbooks are designed with their compact size in mind, most usually aren’t much larger than a book. And for students who are already carrying around textbooks and notebooks, a netbook doesn’t seem like that much more to carry. This could be bad news for the iPhone as size was really the only thing it had over any netbook.

You may also think that an iPhone will be cheaper since really, it only has 3 platforms and with a netbook, you’re getting an entire machine. However, consider that most netbooks fall within the price range of £200 – £300 while the iPhone costs approximately £500 and you’ll quickly see where your money will be better spent.

Browsing on the Internet is also much easier with a netbook. With the iPhone, you only have the option of using Safari, which can have its limitations but with a netbook, you can easily use Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, or any other browser that you choose. However, consider also that with a netbook you will be typing on a QWERTY keyboard as normal and with the iPhone all you’ll get is the 3.5″ screen and again, netbooks will make it much easier.

The only real advantage that an iPhone has over a netbook is that it will connect you to the Apps store, which will let you turn your iPhone into just about anything you want. But considering that you can also customize a netbook, this is still not much of an advantage. It’s clear that in every department, netbooks are a clear winner.