Issue 24.09
There is a new type of computer in town and they are fun and inexpensive. They fall into the laptop/notebook category and most of the companies selling them are calling them netbooks. They are lightweight and extremely portable computers that hook up easily to the internet through either wireless or wired connections. In addition, many of them have most (but not all) of the capability of the much larger laptop computers.
I picked up two of these recently and gave them a pretty thorough testing. This week I will give you the basics I have learned about them and next week I will post a review of the specific models I tested. The first reaction I get from most people is “How cute is that? Is it a real computer?” The answer is “Absolutely”.
The first thing you need to know is that the display is smaller than you are used to. They typically come in 8.9 inch, 10 inch or 12 inch models. As the size goes up, so does the price and weight. The smaller size is a big advantage in portability, but you either need good eyesight or you need to wear your reading glasses if you are using the unit for word processing or reading existing documents.
The next important thing is that these units come without a floppy drive, CD or DVD drive. This is not a critical problem for most people since they come loaded with the capabilities most people need and the built-in USB ports can be used to connect external hard drives, floppies or CD/DVDs if you need those options.
These little units do a number of things very well. They are easy to hook up to the internet, either on your home network or at public wi-fi spots at college or the local coffee shop. I have found the ones I tested got a slightly stronger connection than my full-size laptop which surprised me. They handle downloads, graphics and email just fine and most of them have built-in webcams which you can use to video conference or participate in live video chats, etc. They have full sound capability and you can plug in a microphone as well. Many of them have Bluetooth so you can add a wireless keyboard and mouse.
As always, keep backups of anything important. Stay safe and happy computing.
Shaun McCausland has been in the computer industry for 27 years (locally with Musicomp & Bits ‘N’ Bytes) and currently does in-home and on-site computer consultation, service, training and repair. If you have questions, you can reach him at 668-7118.