Which Netbook Is for You?

The bad economy may well have been the best thing for a new type of notebook computer known as the netbook. You may have heard that term bandied about the Web's tech pages over the past few months, but you might not know what it means. Essentially, a netbook is a low-cost (between $250 and $900), ultra-small-size (anywhere from 7-to-11-inch screens), and lightweight (2-3-pounds, typically) mini-laptop that pretty much every major computer manufacturer (and a few not so major) have started releasing on the marketplace.
Though they're able to handle a lot of the tasks of traditional laptops -- thanks to the inexpensive-but-powerful Atom processor found inside many of them-- netbooks are mainly designed for Web surfing, word processing, e-mailing, music, uploading photos and streaming media -- mainly leisurely tasks that don't involve any high-def DVDs or graphics-hungry computer games.
Netbooks typically run Windows XP, Vista, or Linux. In general, XP and Linux are preferred as they are less resource-hungry and run more smoothly on netbooks, giving them fast boot-up times.
Keyboards are often slightly smaller than average, which can be a dealbreaker for those who need a work laptop. Regardless, if you absolutely must get a new portable PC this year and you don't have much of a budget, investing in a netbook may well be the solution.
We spent the past few weeks trying out some of the most popular netbooks on the market and picked our favorites, narrowing them down by price, features, and user type. You can see our picks in the following pages, along with a video and image gallery at the end. Take a look by clicking on 'Next' below.





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Comments
69
Subscribe to commentsDr J Alva ScruggsMar 31st 2009 8:55AM
When you boil this conflict down, the financial crisis and terrorism down the greatest ironey may be that the Jihad of Islam and the American citizens may be fighting the same CEOs, who head the Corporations that are assaulting the resources and citizens of both their nations!! In addition, the most amazing fact is that this war for oil has involved into the largest religious war in history. The Muslims against the Judo-Christian cartel
Dr J Alva ScruggsMar 31st 2009 11:54AM
The media and their moguls have Americans fighting Mexicans, who try to come to America as if they are committing terrorist acts on American soil. Mexicans have never committed a terrorist act against America. The only terrorist acts of Mexicans are committing is frightening Americans by working too hard!! Pass the lettuce, tomatoes, and celery, please!
Dr J Alva ScruggsMar 31st 2009 4:33PM
THE GASOLINE PUMP READ $2.08.9 PER GALLON AS I STARTED TO PUMP! AFTER ABOUT FIVE GALLONS IT READ $2.21,9 PER GALLON. THERE CAME A SCREAM FROM THE PUMP NEXT TO ME!! WE BOTH HAD STOPPED PUMPING IN AMAZEMENT!! Then someone "yelled it's alive!!"
Dr J Alva ScruggsApr 7th 2009 12:06PM
Some communities in American (Detroit Cheers, Ithaca New York, North Carolina, BerkShares in Massachusetts, USAToday,com) have already started to print their own currency to keep cash flowing. Obama probably knows that if the Banking Industry does not start and keep cash flowing in the nation the Government will need to follow the same path as these communities.
This is not a new idea it is a depression-era historical practice. This practice reinforces the message that having more control of the economy in local hands/government can help citizens cushion themselves from the blows of the “Greedy” marketplace controlled by the present day Banking Industry Ponzi schemers!
Dr J Alva ScruggsApr 15th 2009 11:44AM
What is the real end game for Somalia?? What do they have that we want?? That is the question that will be soon answered. American cannot be very proud to have killed three Black Somalian boys, Bambi, and a porterage and in a pear tree, who were armed with small hand and shoulder weapons. Just you watch and see! The right wing is proud that we have a strong leader, who has proved that he can kill some little people some where!!
Lisa BaileyMay 22nd 2009 2:22PM
I'm headed in the direction of the Samsung NC10... could spend an extra £50 and get 2 hours more battery life with the NC110 - but that wouldn't last forever. And with 7 ish hours the NC10 is alot better than some anyway.
Wrote up my research in a Pick List on Naturalbornshopper:
http://www.naturalbornshopper.co.uk/picklists/524/netbook-buying-guide---samsung-nc10-and-memory-upgrade-2mb
Dr. J. Alva ScruggsJun 14th 2009 3:59PM
Some nations that claim to be our friends and call us “Capitalist American Pigs!” Then the question that follows is, “Are all American Pigs Capitalist?” If not then it seems that “American Capitalist” give “American Pigs” a bad name!!!
Dr. J. Alva ScruggsJul 12th 2009 8:40AM
THE ECONOMIC STIMULUS FUNDS ARE NOT BEING USED TO CONSTRUCT PLANTS TO HIRE AMERICAN WORKERS TO PRODUCE GOODS AND PRODUCTS!!
(WRITTEN July 10, 2009)
(UNEDITED, UNABRIDGED)
The Stimulus Program is not working because of two basic reasons! The intention of the Stimulus Funds has been lost in the institution doing business as usual and the lack of the debate act of Banks and etc deliberately doing nothing.
First, the institutions of investing such as Banking, Wall Street and other Financial Institutions are refusing to conduct the business of moving money to investment and production. They continue to cling to the obsessive object of exploitation and excess profits. And 2. The Stimulus Funds are not being used to set up and run American Land based Industries that employ people while putting into place such things as Wind Generated Power, Solar Electric Panels, Fresh Water Reservoirs for controlling the cycles of flood and drought, (Rob Hotakainen, Boxer faces 'challenge of a lifetime' on climate change bill, McClatchy Newspapers Rob Hotakainen, Mcclatchy Newspapers, July 11, 2009) recovery of other basic manufacturing facilities. Undertakings such as the energy wind producing grids and solar panels must take on the intensity if a “Johnny Apple Seed” enthusiasm/fanaticism.
America's problem is that Banking and Wall Street types have stolen and the national wealth and is hoarding it until the nation comes to the conclusion that the players in Capitalism American Style have gained the power greater than government. (Warren Giles, Swiss Banks To Yanks: Get Lost Swiss Banks Shun Americans as U.S. Compels Disclosure (Correct), China Daily, June 29. 2009) It has been said that, “a nation that does not produce goods, products, and services is no more that a slave to the institutions and other nations that do the producing.”
Therefore, Obama’s Stimulus Program has to reestablish an infrastructure that produces good and products while solving such things as the alternative energy production, and Health Care Problems. If these funds are used to purchase equipment form foreign countries to set up it's New Power grids of Wind and solar power, etc it will have defeated the program of economic recovery.
In addition, America will have to provide “Sole Source Contracts” to American based companies that produce the equipment, install the systems and the investigators who do all the research and development.
Dr. J. Alva Scruggs, BS, MS, MA, EdD
Look Forward to Your Comments
E-MAIL JSCRU5750 (at) AOL.COM
Frankly Speaking Blogs; http://franklyspeaking.info
Dr. J. Alva ScruggsJul 15th 2009 12:54PM
AMERICA'S LEISURE CLASS IS USUALLY RICH HIGHLY CONSUMPTIVE OF RESOURCES BUT NOT COMMONLY EDUCATED NOR BRIGHT!
(WRITTEN July 14, 2009)
(UNEDITED, UNABRIDGED)
Has it not occurred to us all that in our society what we all are working is to become a member of the Leisure Class? We work all our lives to get to the point where we can retire and go somewhere to peacefully become a Leisure Class Person. If you are rich you are then a member of a super leisure group that have people waiting on you headed and foot. Further, our Leisure re Class are rich and have come to their money by some criminal activity some where along the family wealth tree! In any case this group of Leisure Class citizens will be by today's standards highly consumptive and yes, a bit wasteful with the resources of the planet. (Virginia Postrel, A new theory of the leisure class, Inconspicuous Consumption) Where is this entire going? The point here is that if our society reaches it's primary collective objective they would be rich and a person of Leisure! (Thorstein Veblen, The Theory of the Leisure Class (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback))
In addition, a leisure Class person is an idle person and idle hands is the devils work shop. So to be Leisure Class there must be some degree of education required so these people can have the mental resources to not only sit, they then can also sit and think, a condition not required of our rich Leisure Class today!!
So leisure is an accepted human objective. If all was as we wanted it there would be a great number of people, who were enjoying the position of be at leisure. It is an accepted condition. Therefore, our society if it is smart will plan for the event that this leisure class has the possibility of being wide spread. It is unfortunate that in our society the most likely to become a member of the Leisure Class are those citizens, who are greedy, exploitive, cruel, profiteering, people such as those we see bringing down the nation in this economic crisis! They are the admired citizens by Americans. (Chris Hedges, Truthdig, We Offer Riches and Perks for Corrupt Cronies, and Crumbs for Everyone Else, AlterNews, July 15, 2009) On the other hand the citizens, who believe in ethics of working hard, doing things by the golden rule, doing no harm, abiding by the laws are the Leisure Class that are old physically worn out, arthritic, citizens on the end of their life cycle. They are usually those who are least admired by their fellow citizens.
But in this case we as a society must plan for the cycle of having the population take its turn at removing all the debris and waste of this great leisure generation.
There will need to be a plan that would require each of our citizen, who exist in a 100% leisure society, share the control, removal and disposal of all the great volume of affluent from our Great Society. They will need to be assigned their share of time to participate in some extended clean up tasks. That will be only fair. And of course the Leisure Class must not be ridiculed it must then be praised!
But on the other hand if American become a “Leisure Class” nation there is still have the Blacks, Mexicans and Third World Populations that will be available to do the clean up. Where is all of this going? Well I was just saying!! What is it that we do that is real and what is unbelievable! States such as Florida and Hawaii may be the first to some day need to address the questions generated by a high number of Leisure Class citizens more sooner than later.
Dr. J. Alva Scruggs, BS, MS, MA, EdD
Look Forward to Your Comments
E-MAIL JSCRU5750 (at) AOL.COM
Frankly Speaking Blogs; http://franklyspeaking.info