Finding a Netbook for Reading

Cheez-It · 11-07-2009, 09:37 PM

So. I want to do my thesis research electronically.

I would have preferred an e-reader, but I'm not shelling out $800+ for a single purpose irex 1000DS. Nor will I wait for an announcement from Plastic Logic or any other similar product. This is taking too long and will likely still cost a good deal.

I looked at tablets next. The Asus T91 is a bit slow and small, the Gigabyte T1028X is a bit heavy and expensive, and both suffer poor battery life.

So! I've settled on a Netbook, with some specific criteria. I would greatly appreciate any help.

Ideal Netbook:
10"-11"
Under 3 lbs
Over 6 hours battery life
Matte screen that can be dimmed, but bright enough to read outside.

Optional benefits:
Wouldn't mind DVI or HDMI out + some sort of graphics capabilities (e.g. Nvidia Ion) to play HD media, but not if it compromises the above (excluding the obvious hit on battery life when watching).
Intel Atom N270 or N280 or better preferable to older or less powerful CPUs.

Notes: Have a copy of Windows 7 to install, so XP is okay to start with. Might go with a SSD. Would welcome any other tips. I'm used to reading large hardcover textbooks, so I think I can make this work, and I will have a nice little netbook to use as well...

Current picks are Samsung NC10, Asus 1005HA-V, HP Mini 5101 (battery seems low though).

***edit***: Wife mentioned that our laptop is getting old. Budget for this can now go beyond a netbook (probably under $1k)... So if they have very light 11"-13" notebooks that would work as well. Tablets are back in the picture potentially as well. Wheee! Open to suggestions here as well, took a while to look into something as specific as 10" netbooks, I don't know if I have the stamina for more!

pilotbob · 11-07-2009, 09:42 PM

This market is wide open. I have heard good reviews on the Dell Mini and the Asus machines. Also the Samsung machines have been reviewed well.

There are some new machines that are convertible and have touch screens too. Also, a lot of them now come with Win 7 already... so you don't need to upgrade them... which is a bit of a pain cause many Netbooks don't have optical drives.

If you want 3G Internet access you might want to look at getting on from Verizon or Sprint... they both have units that they subsidize if you sign a two year data service contract.

I know some people here have some of these devices, so I'm sure you'll get lots of suggestions.. good luck on your purchase.

BOb

desertgrandma · 11-07-2009, 09:57 PM

I have the asus 1000HE, but this is its replacement.......and at $357, with Amazons 30 day money back guarantee and free shipping, hard to beat.

http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-1005HA-PU...7648693&sr=1-2

Yes, I read books on it......its especially great for cookbooks, illustrated color books. Its very lightweight, and comfortable to hold on your tummy/chest while laying in bed. For some reason, there is not the discomfort associated with constant reading on the laptop.......and you can always lower the contrast if needed. Good luck on your choice.

AgentBEATS · 11-07-2009, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

I have the asus 1000HE, but this is its replacement.......and at $357, with Amazons 30 day money back guarantee and free shipping, hard to beat.

http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-1005HA-PU...7648693&sr=1-2

Yes, I read books on it......its especially great for cookbooks, illustrated color books. Its very lightweight, and comfortable to hold on your tummy/chest while laying in bed. For some reason, there is not the discomfort associated with constant reading on the laptop.......and you can always lower the contrast if needed. Good luck on your choice.

I second this, the Asus Eee PC 1005HA meets all your requirements, although I'm not sure about the matte screen and dimming options.

But it's battery ranges from 8.5-10.5 hours, it's has a 10" screen and is under 3 pounds. It's even in the cheaper range of netbooks.

As far as netbooks go that would be the one I would choose, actually if my budget allows I probably will get it sometime.

pilotbob · 11-07-2009, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

I have the asus 1000HE, but this is its replacement.......and at $357, with Amazons 30 day money back guarantee and free shipping, hard to beat.

http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-1005HA-PU...7648693&sr=1-2

Yes, I read books on it......its especially great for cookbooks, illustrated color books. Its very lightweight, and comfortable to hold on your tummy/chest while laying in bed. For some reason, there is not the discomfort associated with constant reading on the laptop.......and you can always lower the contrast if needed. Good luck on your choice.

Here's the link to that one with Windows 7 on it.

http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Seashell-...d_i=B002DYIXMS

BOb

GA Russell · 11-07-2009, 11:37 PM

Let's say I want to read an eBook on a netbook. Is it possible to switch from landscape mode to portrait?

Cheez-It · 11-07-2009, 11:41 PM

I believe so. I recall some pranks at the office with some key combination that would set the screen at different orientations.

Cheez-It · 11-08-2009, 12:03 AM

Edited main post. Budget increase to ~$1k or less accommodates larger (but still must be very light and have good battery life) laptops or tablets. Possibly more depending on how well it fits.

pilotbob · 11-08-2009, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cheez-It

Edited main post. Budget increase accommodates larger (but still must be very light and have good battery life) laptops or tablets.

If you want 6 hours of batter life I think you still should look at a Netbook device. You didn't say what the budget is...

BUt, a great light machine, 13inch screen should get 5-6 hours on the battery depending on if you use the wifi a lot or not... A MacBook...

..yea ok I said it! Most other less than $1000 laptop are not going to get as good of batter life or be as light.

BOb

phenomshel · 11-08-2009, 01:43 AM

The Acer Aspire One I just bought doesn't have the battery life you're wanting. But I'm sure glad to see DG's comment about how comfy it is for reading in bed, because reading ebooks on the couch or in bed is the main reason I got it!

neilmarr · 11-08-2009, 02:43 AM

I've had experience with the Dell, Acer and Samsung 10" netbooks, Cheez. They're all excellent and there's not much to draw between them as far as price goes. Perhaps my current Samsung NC10 (near standard-size keyboard) has a slight edge because of extended battery life. Good luck. Neil

bbusybookworm · 11-08-2009, 06:27 AM

As mentioned by the Others, Asus has a a few models which seem to meet your requirements. MSI Has the U110 which has a claimed 14hr battery life, which is also a decent option.

If the budget has gone up, to get a full lightweight laptop, I'll suggest a Few Options.

Dell has a few good options. For a liitle bit more then the price of a netbook, you can get the Inspiron 13 which with the extended battery should give you about 5hrs of battery life. If you want to get a more poweful system, the XPS Studio 13 is a really nice system, which has a good balance of Power and Mobility. They are both 13" laptops, which I personaly find to be a good balance of not beeing too large or small.

Lenovo (IBM) has some superb laptops, especially with the X200 and X300 thinkpads which are very portable sturdy machines. you can find them Very Cheap from the Lenovo outlet Store or if you want to go for a brand new one, use discount codes form sites like LogicBuy.

Cheez-It · 11-08-2009, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

If you want 6 hours of batter life I think you still should look at a Netbook device. You didn't say what the budget is...

Yeah, weight too. Budget went up to $1k or a bit more if I found the perfect model, but now that I look, it seems like the only sub 3lb larger laptops are somewhere around $2000, and often suffer lesser battery life.

Netbook it is.

Yoshi 1080 · 11-08-2009, 11:17 AM

I have heard the OLPC has an eBook mode in which it switches to a monochrome presentation at a higher resolution. The pictures I saw of it looked not bad.

wallcraft · 11-08-2009, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cheez-It

Budget went up to $1k or a bit more if I found the perfect model

For ebooks, a netbook is fine but if you need more computer power then it is worth looking at laptops with ULV processors. These are significantly faster than the Atom chips in netbooks and they can also have better graphics power. For example, see AnandTech: ASUS UL80Vt First Look: Mobility Redefined.

11-07-2009, 09:37 PM	#1
Cheez-It Member Posts: 14 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: None	Finding a Netbook for Reading So. I want to do my thesis research electronically. I would have preferred an e-reader, but I'm not shelling out $800+ for a single purpose irex 1000DS. Nor will I wait for an announcement from Plastic Logic or any other similar product. This is taking too long and will likely still cost a good deal. I looked at tablets next. The Asus T91 is a bit slow and small, the Gigabyte T1028X is a bit heavy and expensive, and both suffer poor battery life. So! I've settled on a Netbook, with some specific criteria. I would greatly appreciate any help. Ideal Netbook: 10"-11" Under 3 lbs Over 6 hours battery life Matte screen that can be dimmed, but bright enough to read outside. Optional benefits: Wouldn't mind DVI or HDMI out + some sort of graphics capabilities (e.g. Nvidia Ion) to play HD media, but not if it compromises the above (excluding the obvious hit on battery life when watching). Intel Atom N270 or N280 or better preferable to older or less powerful CPUs. Notes: Have a copy of Windows 7 to install, so XP is okay to start with. Might go with a SSD. Would welcome any other tips. I'm used to reading large hardcover textbooks, so I think I can make this work, and I will have a nice little netbook to use as well... Current picks are Samsung NC10, Asus 1005HA-V, HP Mini 5101 (battery seems low though). *edit: Wife mentioned that our laptop is getting old. Budget for this can now go beyond a netbook (probably under $1k)... So if they have very light 11"-13" notebooks that would work as well. Tablets are back in the picture potentially as well. Wheee! Open to suggestions here as well, took a while to look into something as specific as 10" netbooks, I don't know if I have the stamina for more! Last edited by Cheez-It; 11-08-2009 at 09:30 AM.*

11-08-2009, 12:03 AM	#8
Cheez-It Member Posts: 14 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: None	Edited main post. Budget increase to ~$1k or less accommodates larger (but still must be very light and have good battery life) laptops or tablets. Possibly more depending on how well it fits. Last edited by Cheez-It; 11-08-2009 at 09:31 AM.

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11-07-2009, 09:42 PM	#2
pilotbob Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,832 Karma: 11844413 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tampa, FL USA Device: Kindle Touch	This market is wide open. I have heard good reviews on the Dell Mini and the Asus machines. Also the Samsung machines have been reviewed well. There are some new machines that are convertible and have touch screens too. Also, a lot of them now come with Win 7 already... so you don't need to upgrade them... which is a bit of a pain cause many Netbooks don't have optical drives. If you want 3G Internet access you might want to look at getting on from Verizon or Sprint... they both have units that they subsidize if you sign a two year data service contract. I know some people here have some of these devices, so I'm sure you'll get lots of suggestions.. good luck on your purchase. BOb

11-07-2009, 09:57 PM	#3
desertgrandma Enjoying the show.... Posts: 14,270 Karma: 10462841 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona Device: A K1, Kindle Paperwhite, an Ipod, IPad2, Iphone, an Ipad Mini & macAir	I have the asus 1000HE, but this is its replacement.......and at $357, with Amazons 30 day money back guarantee and free shipping, hard to beat. http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-1005HA-PU...7648693&sr=1-2 Yes, I read books on it......its especially great for cookbooks, illustrated color books. Its very lightweight, and comfortable to hold on your tummy/chest while laying in bed. For some reason, there is not the discomfort associated with constant reading on the laptop.......and you can always lower the contrast if needed. Good luck on your choice.

11-07-2009, 11:37 PM	#6
GA Russell Montreal wins Grey Cup! Posts: 7,583 Karma: 31484197 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Raleigh, NC Device: Paperwhite, Kindles 10 & 4 and jetBook Lite	Let's say I want to read an eBook on a netbook. Is it possible to switch from landscape mode to portrait?

11-07-2009, 11:41 PM	#7
Cheez-It Member Posts: 14 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: None	I believe so. I recall some pranks at the office with some key combination that would set the screen at different orientations.

11-08-2009, 01:43 AM	#10
phenomshel ZCD BombShel Posts: 4,793 Karma: 8293322 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: The Frozen North (aka Illinois, USA) Device: iPad, STB Kindle Oasis	The Acer Aspire One I just bought doesn't have the battery life you're wanting. But I'm sure glad to see DG's comment about how comfy it is for reading in bed, because reading ebooks on the couch or in bed is the main reason I got it!

11-08-2009, 02:43 AM	#11
neilmarr neilmarr Posts: 7,216 Karma: 6000059 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Monaco-Menton, France Device: sony	I've had experience with the Dell, Acer and Samsung 10" netbooks, Cheez. They're all excellent and there's not much to draw between them as far as price goes. Perhaps my current Samsung NC10 (near standard-size keyboard) has a slight edge because of extended battery life. Good luck. Neil

11-08-2009, 06:27 AM	#12
bbusybookworm Tech Junkie Posts: 1,027 Karma: 10080 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Earth Device: iPad, MotoXStyle, OnePlusOne	As mentioned by the Others, Asus has a a few models which seem to meet your requirements. MSI Has the U110 which has a claimed 14hr battery life, which is also a decent option. If the budget has gone up, to get a full lightweight laptop, I'll suggest a Few Options. Dell has a few good options. For a liitle bit more then the price of a netbook, you can get the Inspiron 13 which with the extended battery should give you about 5hrs of battery life. If you want to get a more poweful system, the XPS Studio 13 is a really nice system, which has a good balance of Power and Mobility. They are both 13" laptops, which I personaly find to be a good balance of not beeing too large or small. Lenovo (IBM) has some superb laptops, especially with the X200 and X300 thinkpads which are very portable sturdy machines. you can find them Very Cheap from the Lenovo outlet Store or if you want to go for a brand new one, use discount codes form sites like LogicBuy.

11-08-2009, 11:17 AM	#14
Yoshi 1080 Addict Posts: 303 Karma: 204 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Germany Device: iPad, iPhone, Mac	I have heard the OLPC has an eBook mode in which it switches to a monochrome presentation at a higher resolution. The pictures I saw of it looked not bad.

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