mini laptop questions

[vhelp]

doing some research here..

I'm thinking about a mini laptop, those small keyboard toys selling for like $249 at bestbuy. I saw at least one that had a good size small keyboard that actually liked my fingers.

So I was wondering..

1. do they get hot, and
2. how long do they last on a battery
3. whats a good speed/ram/os/and software setup to go for, etc.
4. can I still hook up my dialup to it (I use a serial 56k modem)
5. any good pros/cons anyone using one can share

thank you

-vhelp 5272

:P *~*!*~*!~* HaPpY HoLiDaYs *~*!*~*!~*

[aedipuss]

are you referring to netbooks? the underpowered wifi email capable craptops for girls?

[budz]

^^Lmao!

[redwudz]

I've been using a Asus Eee netbook for several months and I am impressed with it. It runs XP. It took me a little while, but I can touch type on it OK. The Eee has a battery life of five hours. I'd like to see a full size laptop do that. Plus it's handy for travel, easily fits my carry-on and keeps me from getting bored on long plane flights. It has a 160GB HDD, so lots of room for videos.

I don't find it gets that hot, but you do want to use it on a hard surface. On a soft bed the bottom vents are blocked. I upped the RAM, though XP doesn't need much. It doesn't have a modem, but just about everywhere I go there is a WiFi hotspot, so no problems getting on the internet.

Probably a major downside for some is that there is no optical or floppy drives. But I use USB thumb drives and I have a 2.5" 320GB passport HDD that I can use and it runs off the USB port, so I always have plenty of storage space if needed.

[AlanHK]

4. can I still hook up my dialup to it (I use a serial 56k modem)

Probably not directly.

But you can get an external USB modem.

More convenient, get one with wifi.
Expensive new but likely find one very cheap used. Or a wifi router with a serial port for a serial modem, again used as these are being thrown out all over as people upgrade to broadband.

[ocgw]

are you referring to netbooks? the underpowered wifi email capable craptops for girls?

A netbook is like a gun, "When the chit goes down, better to have a .22 on you, than a .44 @ home"

ocgw

peace

[MJA]

dual core Atom is out if you need more power

http://www.amazon.com/Seashell-1201N-PU17-BK-12-1-Inch-Black-Netbook/dp/B002ZLOR56/ref...0625284&sr=8-3

Technical Details

* 1.6GHz Intel Atom Dual Core N330 Processor
* 2GB DDR2 RAM, 2 x SODIMM Slot, 8GB Max
* 250GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM) + 500GB Free Web Storage
* Windows 7 Home Premium Operating System (32 Bit)
* Bluetooth; Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n; 0.3MP Webcam; Free Sleeve Case
NVidia ION Platform

[rnoski]

ones runnin ubuntu like at dell r cheap and great for surfing the net and run quite speedy if u ask me. id sponge for the 6 cell battery. windows 7 starter is garbage other than surfin the net.... though other than that id get a bottom of the barrel laptop $198 emachine or $299 tosiba or compaqs w/ celeron or im partial to the $350 hp g61-304nr with amd64 because that is my netbook.....i like to have my cd/dvd burner and bigger screen/keyboard

[ocgw]

are you referring to netbooks? the underpowered wifi email capable craptops for girls?

Is it any better when guys surf the web on their i-phones? lol

ocgw

peace

[MOVIEGEEK]

are you referring to netbooks? the underpowered wifi email capable craptops for girls?

Is it any better when guys surf the web on their i-phones? lol

ocgw

peace

At least with a smartphone you can make a call or text. A netbook is too small to be as useful as a laptop but too big to put in your pocket like a smartphone. For another $150USD you can get a real laptop.
EDIT: this ASUS is the same price as a real laptop.

BTW:that was a hilarious response aedipuss.

[ocgw]

are you referring to netbooks? the underpowered wifi email capable craptops for girls?

Is it any better when guys surf the web on their i-phones? lol

ocgw

peace

At least with a smartphone you can make a call or text. A netbook is too small to be as useful as a laptop but too big to put in your pocket like a smartphone. For another $150USD you can get a real laptop.
EDIT: this ASUS is the same price as a real laptop.

BTW:that was a hilarious response aedipuss.

I plan on buying a mini-laptop aka ultra-portable (with some horsepower) soon

Netbooks aren't too small for a 2nd laptop, just underpowered imo

ocgw

peace

[redwudz]

If you use a netbook for it's intended purposes, it's quite a handy device. It's not for video processing, but for net surfing, email, watching videos, word processing and other low CPU usage requirements and it's quite useful for that. And it's very compact, albeit with a small screen. My netbook is about 7" X 9" X 1.2" and is about half the size of my laptops. Long battery life is a big plus. Most use the Atom CPU @ 1.6Mhz. 5 hours battery operation most times.

Once you get used to the small keyboard, not really that hard to use. You can get a larger screen model, but then you are approaching laptop size without some of the benefits of a full size laptop. I don't mind the small screen as it makes the device very portable.

If you like to travel lightly, it's a good option. It's also nice for a kids computer that they can carry around in a small backpack. I have two full size laptops, but the netbook is the one I carry on travels most times.

[vhelp]

yes, I was refreing to these netbooks..

What are netbooks? A netbook is a compact, streamlined mobile device designed for the Internet, so you can stay connected on the go. Get up-to-date news, the latest scores and weather information, access your e-mail and social networking sites, and enjoy digital videos, photos and music.

Netbooks may look like laptops, but they don't have the full capabilities of a computer. Instead, a netbook specializes in portability and the Web, so it's great for travel or as a supplement to your main PC. Learn more about the differences.

..i'd like to do things in excel, ms acces, and delphi programing, if they are available for these books. I think they are either coming in XP and/or W7 pre-installed. But I am thinking of considering getting one, but I would want EOTE (easy-on-the-eyes) and fingers handling, especially in very low light conditions I don't want glare or brightness glare when in low lit room, etc.

-vhelp 5280

[ocgw]

yes, I was refreing to these netbooks..

What are netbooks? A netbook is a compact, streamlined mobile device designed for the Internet, so you can stay connected on the go. Get up-to-date news, the latest scores and weather information, access your e-mail and social networking sites, and enjoy digital videos, photos and music.

Netbooks may look like laptops, but they don't have the full capabilities of a computer. Instead, a netbook specializes in portability and the Web, so it's great for travel or as a supplement to your main PC. Learn more about the differences.

..i'd like to do things in excel, ms acces, and delphi programing, if they are available for these books. I think they are either coming in XP and/or W7 pre-installed. But I am thinking of considering getting one, but I would want EOTE (easy-on-the-eyes) and fingers handling, especially in very low light conditions I don't want glare or brightness glare when in low lit room, etc.

-vhelp 5280

The main thing is you get what you pay for, we already had ultra portables w/ the power of full size laptops, and they are expensive

Net books are adequate for web surfing, word processing and watchin' DVD's, just don't expect too much more from them

In your original post you said you were interested in buying a "mini-laptop" I just want to be clear, netbooks are not mini-laptops

This is a mini-laptop, not to bad a price either ($900USD), not long ago a full power ultra portable would set you back 3 or 4 large

http://www.dealcatcher.com/laptops/vaio-signature-collection-p-series-notebook-8-1-86g...bile-broadband

ocgw

peace

[johns0]

Plus they can play snes games.

[rallynavvie]

The Eee has a battery life of five hours. I'd like to see a full size laptop do that.

Hey, I get over 8 hours working over wifi on my full size laptop! :P

The Dell Mini 10 has been getting good reviews. A coworker has one has a Hackintosh and it's worked well for him. Some people can't stand small keyboards like that but I actually prefer them (even though I have large hands). You have to weight the convenience of the netbook for what you're trying use it. Are you getting it because it's ultra-portable or because it's cheap? Will the small screen affect your programming or use of Office apps? If you want to customize your UI more towards the small screen you might want to try one of the tailored versions of Linux instead of Windows. OSX lends itself very well to small screens if you're so inclined.

It seems most netbooks are aimed at wireless surfing in or away from home. There are some tablets coming out that are purpose-built for this that, while expensive and early in their market, fit extremely well between the laptop and smartphone for surfing. Check out the JooJoo tablet:
https://thejoojoo.com/

[Bergdoktor66]

As I see, the last comments were posted almost a decade ago.

It is very exciting to see how technology has changed since then.

Here are my answers to your questions:

1. Nowadays laptops do not get hot anymore. If yours does, then you probably have one from the last ice-age era and better get a new one.
2. Nowadays laptops' battery lasts for hours, but even if you use it every single day without cable, the battery will still last for 1-1,5h after a few years.
3. For software setup, I'd recommend Windows 10, since it is the latest Microsoft software that is the widest-spread on the market. Easy to purchase it. In my opinion, the best memory ram is right now the "Corsair Vengeance LED" that is one of the most trusted brands currently. This RAM has a great heat spreader that maximizes cooling for higher overclocking and top performance. This has a 3,466 MHz speed, therefore if you get this gadget for your laptop then it will be fast as a flash.
4. Well the hookup od your dialup depends on the producer (Apple products do not have this feature lol)
5. Cons...it is only for your office or academic work...pro...easy to carry on.

[cornemuse]

HAHA! I have an Asus Eee too! It has not seem the light of day for at least 5 years!

I also have some model of HP mini slightly bigger than the Eee but with an actual hdd inside. Only reason I have it is 'cause it was given to me.
Tried them both at the library, both worked ok. I used a small usb keyboard & mouse with them. (only way to go) Either one fit in a large coat pockets & cargo pants!. otherwise, no, , , , , ,

[Cornucopia]

As I see, the last comments were posted almost a decade ago.

It is very exciting to see how technology has changed since then.

Here are my answers to your questions:

1. Nowadays laptops do not get hot anymore. If yours does, then you probably have one from the last ice-age era and better get a new one.
2. Nowadays laptops' battery lasts for hours, but even if you use it every single day without cable, the battery will still last for 1-1,5h after a few years.
3. For software setup, I'd recommend Windows 10, since it is the latest Microsoft software that is the widest-spread on the market. Easy to purchase it. In my opinion, the best memory ram is right now the "Corsair Vengeance LED" that is one of the most trusted brands currently. This RAM has a great heat spreader that maximizes cooling for higher overclocking and top performance. This has a 3,466 MHz speed, therefore if you get this gadget for your laptop then it will be fast as a flash.
4. Well the hookup od your dialup depends on the producer (Apple products do not have this feature lol)
5. Cons...it is only for your office or academic work...pro...easy to carry on.

#1 - not true. MANY laptops get hot.*
#2 - not true. MANY devices' batteries don't last long*
#3 - I also recommend: Win10 for generic app usage that you may want to tweak (70%), MacOS for consumer apps you don't want to ever tweak anything (15%), and Linux if you want to maximize machine speed and don't mind setting much up yourself (15%).
#4 - who does dialup anymore?
#5 - A LOT has changed since the OP, and I would say: don't use ANY underpowered device, and most of those netbooks are severely underpowered.

Scott

*I work in IT support, so see hundreds if not thousands of machines being bought, sold, repaired, etc. every year, so I kinda know what I'm talking about in this area.