Netbook Scoop

Dan Nystedt posted an article on PC World’s website titled “How to Buy a Mini-Laptop”. He makes some great points:

1. Know what you want to use it for and how much you’re willing to spend.
2. Buy a netbook with an 8.9-inch screen or larger.
3. Make sure you get a 6-cell battery for your netbook, although you may have to pay $50 more and the device will weigh more.
4. Try out the keypad and make sure it’s right for you.
5. Software: see what it comes with and consider trying the Linux OS
6. Price: if it costs more than $500, start looking at a regular notebook computer.
7. Look around at what’s available.
8. And finally, the best netbook available is….

He describes his personal purchase decision like this:

Based on the criteria above, here’s why:

I already have a laptop PC, so I don’t need a powerful netbook. I just wanted a smaller, lighter device easier to carry around that I can use to surf the Web and write outside my office.

The Aspire one comes with an 8.9-inch screen and a 3-cell battery, standard, but I will pay a little more for a 6-cell battery. I get stranded in airports sometimes, often take trains, and simply like to sip my coffee very slowly. I need a long lasting battery.

The keypad on the device is quite comfortable, and the software it comes with is easy to use, especially the Linpus Linux Lite OS.

The price sealed my decision.

I personally just ordered an Aspire One for the same reasons.

I really had decided long ago that I wanted an MSI Wind.  But their Linux version still does not have a confirmed ship date.  Acer’s price cut made the decision to stop waiting easy.  At $329, the price is back into impulse-buy territory.

Dan makes one other observation in his article that I share.

I really liked the keypads on Acer’s Aspire one and Everex’s CloudBook Max, but the best keypad was on Hewlett-Packard’s Mini-Note.

The keyboard was a major factor in my personal selection process.

The landscape will change soon, with Dell and Lenovo introducing netbooks very, very soon.  But for now, the Acer Aspire One is the best option for me (and Dan).

Please click on the link and read Dan’s complete article.  It’s one of the best I have seen on this topic.

If you are considering purchasing a netbook, our Netbook Buyer Guide has a lot more information on the Aspire One and many other netbooks.  Jump over and take a look.