Who has a netbook?

[Archergal5219]

I have an Eee PC 901 running Windows XP. It's got the 8.9" screen (mostly fine), and the little keyboard with the tiny rt-shift key (drives me nuts) and 12 gb of storage divided between a 4gb and an 8gb SSD. I supplement the SSDs with an 8gb SDHC cd. I've had my netbook for about 8 months now.

I do read ebooks on mine. I have eReader desktop and Mobipocket desktop readers on it, and like both. When I want to knit and read at the same time, I just set the font size and spacing large enough to read easily, turn on the autoscroll, and zoom away. I tried the Sony desktop reader and HATED it.

If I were going to buy a netbook today, I'd get one with a 10" screen and a slightly larger keyboard. The larger screen would cut down on some of the scrolling you have to do, and the larger keyboard would cut down on the aggravation of finding that you've hit the up arrow AGAIN, instead of the shift key. It would also be nice to have a little more onboard disk storage. I'd have a few more applications on here if I did.

This is the first laptop I've owned, and in spite of its quirks and foibles, I adore it. It's by little bebeh 'puter.

[desertgrandma]

Archergal, you've answered some of my questions that no one else has.......
Mobipocket reader on the desktop, and about how many books would you say you had on it?

I was really wondering if I needed the 10" screen, and from you post mentioning the scrolling, I think I do.

Where are you from, and what do you like to read?

Never thought of the 'auto scroll' feature........that would work well while eating, also, eh?

Do you have a mouse? I have a 15" laptop, and really hate the pad.........got a Logitech nano cordless mouse, and as Ricky Maveety mentioned on anther thread, it barely sticks out, so isn't intrusive.

[sakura-panda]

I haven't read the rest of the thread yet, but I'm going to go ahead and answer the first post.

I've been wanting a netbook before they even had a name. I wanted a tiny laptop that I could carry around for word and excel and calendars and contacts and notes and all those other things that I like to have but don't want to bother with little mostly empty books for. I've bought several handheld devices that just didn't cut it. Sony had one way back then but it was over $1000 and as much as I wanted it, I thought that price was crazy.

I was so excited to be able to finally get one for under $400!

Do you like/love it? I've wanted it forever so, yes, I love it!

Do you read your books on it? No.

What are the downsides? (Besides the obvious lack of storage/memory) None, for me, but I didn't buy it to be a computer -- I have several of those -- I bought it to be a portable internet/email/limited application device.

Which one do you have? Why did you get that particular one? I have an ASUS eeePC 1000HE because my husband the computer geek -- who doesn't understand why someone would buy a $400 netbook when they can get a fully functional 15" notebook for $650 -- recommended it. His recommendations are always spot on because he does pay attention to what I'm looking for, even when it doesn't match what he would do.

what is your power source, do you have to find a 'hot spot' for free internet access when you are out an about? I don't know if I understand the question, but I have only used it at home or at a hotel. I don't literally take it everywhere with me.

What am I not understanding about them? I'm not sure what you are asking. I'm thinking you agree with my husband? I think they fit a specific niche that not everyone necessarily fits.

I wouldn't be doing anything that required security on one, no banking or anything. Honestly, I haven't thought about this at all. All of my bookmarks are on my main computer and likely to stay that way. This isn't a computer replacement for me.

I"m just thinking this would be a great way to store Calibre and all my treasures.. Yep, I do this. And I'm going to run my Silhouette off of it, essentially making that a portable device (it's an electronic cutter that requires a computer to use it -- basically a scrapbooking/crafting tool.)

I take it, along with my PictureMate 4x6 photo printer, to my mom's house to print photos off of her camera for her. So much easier than dragging along a big laptop AND the printer!

I'm also going to use it for my scanner that seems to not like Vista. Up until now I have been lugging my giant 17" laptop downstairs, hooking it up to the scanner, and then lugging it back up when I'm done. We hooked it up to my new desktop computer but I haven't been able to get it to work (I'm blaming Vista. ) The netbook should be so much easier to carry back and forth!

As time goes on I'm sure I'll think of other things that it will be nice to use it to do.

[recordsmith]

I haven't read through the the whole thread, but I thought I would put my two cents in.

I am the proud owner of a Lenovo s10. It is totally a functional laptop. I find that it is all that i need for research and school presentations. In fact I am on it right now.

No I don't read my books on it, I would need a tablet for that, which Asus is releasing very soon.

I think that what one needs to look at really is the keyboard. The Lenovo has an 85% percent keyboard. And it can be cramped. Anything less is terribly cramped. I think that I will be getting new one soon, with better battery life and a better keyboard. However I have one other requirment. It has to run OS X, so I am limited to the HP 1000 and some EEE Pcs...

Anyway I really like my purchase and I really can't imagine my life without it. hope this helps

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

I was really wondering if I needed the 10" screen, and from you post mentioning the scrolling, I think I do.

Doesn't a 10" screen rather negate one of the main strengths of a netbook - extreme portability?

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Doesn't a 10" screen rather negate one of the main strengths of a netbook - extreme portability?

10" seems to be a size where a lot of netbooks are settling for consumers, apparently meeting for many the compromise between making it small enough for "extreme portability", but large enough to satisfy their usability desires. For myself, I agree that 10" is too large for me, and dropping one inch to a Dell Mini 9 (the machine I like), for instance, is where my compromise is likely most going to be satisfied (putting aside the Apple-effect for the moment).

Cheers,
Marc

[mtravellerh]

I use my netbook (has an 160 gb HD drive) as a portable library right now with Calibre as the main software. As it comes with an Atom processor and 1 gb of memory, it handles Calibre and even conversions really well. I have the content server on all the time and serve the epub books to my iPod whenever I want to read one. As the books are about the only files I am storing on this device (except mails and temp files), there are a LOT on there (I got a backup, too of course)

It just is the IDEAL solution for this purpose combined with Calibre and some additional converter tools. I can handle any files thrown at me and convert them into ePubs really fast, check and edit the meta data and even read the occasional ebook on it.

I use it to "feed" my (oh well, my wife's) Cybook and my iPod and download the books I want. The best thing for me is the fact that Calibre never has slowed down a iota even with all those books it has to manage.

@monty: My netbook has a wide 9" screen. I like that form factor!

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by montsnmags

10" seems to be a size where a lot of netbooks are settling for consumers, apparently meeting for many the compromise between making it small enough for "extreme portability", but large enough to satisfy their usability desires. For myself, I agree that 10" is too large for me, and dropping one inch to a Dell Mini 9 (the machine I like), for instance, is where my compromise is likely most going to be satisfied (putting aside the Apple-effect for the moment).

Cheers,
Marc

I have the Dell myself, Marc. An excellent choice.

[GeoffC]

Both my bairns have Dells, and they seem pleased with them....

[columbus]

I also have the Dell and am very satisfied with it. With no Hdd it has so far survived drops which would have killed a normal laptop & destroyed a 505.

[maidavale]

dear lovely desertnana,

If reading ebooks is a highly ranked criterion for your purchase (if not, disregard this opinion), I wouldn't recommend it... yet. At least that was the result after my search, just nothing perfect for me in the market atm.

As others in this thread have pointed out indirectly, netbooks simply aren't ergonomically designed for long reading sessions - whether it be glossy lcd screen, keyboard getting in your way, weight distribution of the machine, etc.

Well, if you do have a good tolerance of prolonged reading on lcd and if you can withstand other physical factors, never mind.

If I'd get one personally for reading, I would wait (ah, the gadget lover's dilemma) for the release of upcoming tablet/touchscreen netbooks... Asus eee T91, or the widely rumoured Apple tablet, for example. Reading vertically w/o the keyboard getting in your way.

[taosaur]

Originally Posted by maidavale

dear lovely desertnana,

If reading ebooks is a highly ranked criterion for your purchase (if not, disregard this opinion), I wouldn't recommend it... yet. At least that was the result after my search, just nothing perfect for me in the market atm.

As others in this thread have pointed out indirectly, netbooks simply aren't ergonomically designed for long reading sessions - whether it be glossy lcd screen, keyboard getting in your way, weight distribution of the machine, etc.

Well, if you do have a good tolerance of prolonged reading on lcd and if you can withstand other physical factors, never mind.

If I'd get one personally for reading, I would wait (ah, the gadget lover's dilemma) for the release of upcoming tablet/touchscreen netbooks... Asus eee T91, or the widely rumoured Apple tablet, for example. Reading vertically w/o the keyboard getting in your way.

For readable screens, you just have to shop around (or get lucky, in my case ). My Wind is very readable in all but direct, direct sunlight, and on the lowest brightness indoors with a soft background color in FBReader, it's very easy on the eyes. The form factor is great for ADE PDFs of hardcovers, too, but I haven't tried reading those at length (the white-ish backgrounds might be harder on the eyes, idk). I think a lot of people who go on about LCDs just haven't had a proper matte display with easy brightness controls.

I could see the weight being an issue for some people, but mostly I prop it on my chest or in my lap or on top of my bag on the train, just as I would a hardcover.

You're right about the near future, tho--PixelQi still says netbooks will ship this fall with their hybrid displays, and we'll surely see a wider variety hitting different sweet spots for weight/battery-life/processing-power/cost.

[Acreo Aeneas]

Do you like/love it?

I love both of my netbooks. Each has their own little pros and cons but for the most part, they are great on roadtrips or just for a day out on the town.

Do you read your books on it? How is that experience?

Yes I do. About the same as reading it on my desktop. My eyes get tired after a while and I really can't read it while lying in bed (don't want to drop it or block the exhaust port).

What are the downsides? (Besides the obvious lack of storage/memory)

What lack of storage/memory? Both of mines has a 160 GB HDD and 1-2 GBs of RAM. Plenty for such a small and basic machine. The limited screen resolution is probably the biggest limitation. At 1024 x 600, there's not quite enough pixel height for some menus and at the rate I read, only so many words fit on the screen at one time.

Which one do you have? Why did you get that particular one?

I have the ASUS 1000HE and the Acer Aspire One (8.9"). Both have 6-cell batteries and 160 GB HDDs.

What is your power source, do you have to find a 'hot spot' for free internet access when you are out an about?

I run on the battery mostly. When I get low on battery power, I plug it in (if I can find a outlet). Of course I need to find a WiFi hotspot. Usually here in Chicago, most Starbucks locations have free (but unsecured) WiFi. I also mostly get free WiFi at school (cept when it can't find the network).

What am I not understanding about them?

They are not gaming machines and they shouldn't be confused with ultraportable notebooks/laptops as those usually feature more powerful components.

All of the various netbooks (and notebooks) have a built-in SD/MMC card reader/writer. So you can go and download books, load it onto a SD card, and then plug it into your BeBook or other eReader device.

[arit]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

Do you like/love it?

It's smaller than my 15"main Laptop, so I can compute without carrying too much weight(well another way would be losing body weight....)

Do you read your books on it? How is that experience?

I mainly use it for surfing the web during those boring 1-3h brakes in university and sometimes for reading A4 pdfs, but printing them is way better than reading them on a tiny screen(and I can write on them ). ebooks I do not read on it, display resolution is just not good enough, even if it surpasses the cybook's, but then I would have to turn it and I am not sure if the HDD likes that, i gets warm too...

What are the downsides? (Besides the obvious lack of storage/memory)

It could be quieter, cooler and smaller, have higher resolution, more proccessong power and be lighter.

Which one do you have? Why did you get that particular one?

Samsung NC10, because the EEEPC 4G's display reslution was unbearable for me. At release the Samsung's keyboard was one of the biggest and best available, also it had a huge 6 cell battery, was well build and quiet. And non glossy

what is your power source, do you have to find a 'hot spot' for free internet access when you are out an about?

As I use it only in university I have permanent WiFi and power, but since Battery lasts for good 6-8 hours I haven't taken the psu with me since I got it.

Nowadays there are nice little ones with high resolution displays, I'd like to have one of those but to be honest, I do not need it.

[Archergal5219]

Mobipocket reader on the desktop, and about how many books would you say you had on it?

Between Mobipocket & eReader desktop programs, I only have about 150 books currently on my netbook. But I haven't moved my whole library over. These are just the ones I've downloaded since I got the netbook.

Do you have a mouse? I have a 15" laptop, and really hate the pad.........

I have a mouse, but I rarely use it. I like using the touchpad, but I understand lots of people don't. My touchpad has some multitouch features, so I almost never use the buttons. E.g., I can tap w/2 fingers to open a link in a new tab and tap twice for a left click.

Never thought of the 'auto scroll' feature........that would work well while eating, also, eh?

Yes, I've used autoscroll when I was reading while eating also.

Where are you from, and what do you like to read?

GA, USA, and I read mostly sf & fantasy.

I do read in bed with mine netbook. I prop it on my stomach and adjust the font size so I can read without my glasses. (I hate reading with bifocals on.) Admittedly, it's cozier to read in winter when it's chilly than in summer when it's warm, but my netbooks doesn't get too warm on me. The biggest problem I have is when I doze off with my finger on the down arrow and wake up to find I'm MUCH further along in the book than I thought I was.

IMHO, the desktop readers that let you choose fonts and color schemes are one of the really good reasons for reading on a netbook. Being able to adjust the size EASILY from small to large and bold is a great boon to me. I'm not limited to four fixed font sizes or fonts either. And if the glare of the screen seems a little hard on the eyes, I can chage the background color to something easier on the eyes.

That said, I'd take a tablet netbook with a touch screen in a heartbeat. The whole thing would be just a little bit smaller, and you'd have the option of having a screen that sits up like a regular laptop, or one you could flip over like a tablet. Just more options.

I love having options.