Operation: Find Me A Netbook

GWC Community GWC Hive Mind
#1

So for a while, I’ve been living on the cheap, working to get my freelance gigs rolling. I don’t have Internet at home and have depended on regular trips to my alma mater’s library to check my email, load up my podcasts, and catch up on the goings on here at the 'Cooler. Sadly, my car has been in the shop for the past two weeks, which has cut down on the number of trips I’ve been able to make, so I’ve virtually fallen off the face of the earth.

Now begins my hunt for a netbook. I finally got paid for a recent freelance gig, so I have about $200-$400 to spend. This is really an intermediate step to keep me connected so I can communicate with clients and the outside world while saving up for larger machines. I don’t want to get stranded again.

I’d ideally like a Windows netbook or something that can run iTunes so that I can refresh my podcasts. Besides that, I really just need to run a word processor so that I can work on my scripts, and possibly a spreadsheet program to keep my bank account balanced. And maybe GIMP, so I can post silly pictures to the forums.

If you have a suggestion on where to shop (my brother got a netbook on craigslist, but that can be a pain), what specifications to make sure I get, and what crappy pieces of junk to stay away from, please educate me.

Many thanks, everyone!

#2

I haven’t looked at them in a while, but you may want to consider getting a Linux netbook. (You can use Songbird for iTunes functionality.) Most of the major players offer a Linux and an XP version of each model. If you’re not familiar with Linux, get one that has an Ubuntu-based distribution (it’s one of the easiest, and certainly the most popular with beginners.)

If you touch-type (and probably even if you don’t,) you’ll probably want to hit a store to physically try out the keyboard–that seems to be the biggest complaint (and it is impossible to judge from a photo–my current Macbook has a layout that looks like an old ‘chicklet’ keyboard, but it works perfectly.)

I’ll keep an eye out for what the cool kids are using these days.

#3

I’m happy with my Asus eeePc I have the 1005HA model. There’s a great user forum at http://forum.eeeuser.com/index.php. I used cnet to research. I have iTunes and Open Office installed on this machine, as well as Firefox as my browser. I don’t have GIMP installed, but it could probably handle that. The battery is phenomenal, but I will say the AC adapter has a quirk that if it overheats, you need to let it cool down or it will be “dead” for a bit until it does. (You can find more info about this on that user forum I posted above. Some users have refrigerated their adapter to get it working again. It has only happened to me once and I didn’t have to go that far.)

Good luck finding a netbook that works for you, Stroogie!!!

#4

Thanks for the tips! I’m borrowing my brother’s eeePC 900 and liking it so far.

Anyone know good places to shop for netbooks? Preferably used but trustworthy?

#5

ive had my asus eee pc 1000ha for about a year now and i love it… i got it from amazon, and i did them ram upgrade to 2gb right away too. its def a lil fun machine. i tried one with the smaller screen and keyboard and it played tricks on me… often:) this asus as with most netbooks, the keyboards layout takes a lil getting used to. Not nearly as bad as some of the others i tried… hope it helps

#6

I got a Dell Vostro A90 (mostly because installtion of OS X was possible, and pretty easy.) It’s a great little machine. I think the only thing I don’t like about it is the keyboard is just a tad too small. I got mine for $300.

#7

I have an Asus Eee 1000H with XP. Also upgraded memory to 2GB. Love it and have had no problems so far. I bought it from Amazon.

I’d recommend you go to your local Best Buy and try them out for keyboard comfort and screen size and then start pricing them. And I’d buy a new one if possible…you want that warranty if something goes wrong!

#8

Michael Dell says you’ll regret it.

#9

I hear what he’s saying, but I disagree. I’ve been using my brother’s ASUS
Eee PC 900 all week, and I’m doing fine. This is, after all, a stopgap measure to keep me connected until I can afford something more powerful. In the meantime, I don’t really need anything bigger or more powerful for what I have to do.

#10

Okay, I just bought an Asus Eee PC 1005HA. It got the best reviews on Cnet, and I found one relatively cheap on eBay that had been barely used by an office. It’s still a chunk of change for this broke, tight-fisted guy, but I’m hoping the investment pans out. It’ll arrive in a week or so. Thanks, everyone.