The GF wants a netbook

[Sabertj]

My girlfriend wants a netbook to use for HW/browsing for when she's gotta travel. I don't know anything about the netbook offerings on the market. So what should I get her? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Something around 300 dollars would be preferable.

 

[corkyg]

This compilation lists more netbooks than most folks are aware of. Not too many below $350.

http://www.netbookcrunch.com/ratings/

 

[mshan]

I would focus on one with a 10 inch screen so keyboard is hopefully useable (my Dell Mini 9 is very well built, but cramped keyboard associated with 9 inch screen makes touch typing basically impossible).

http://www.mydellmini.com

 

[MichaelD]

As Corkyg suggested, you won't find anything decent below roughly $350; that kind of stinks b/c $350 is real laptop territory. The manufs know these things are selling like hotcakes. I don't see the price dropping anytime soon.

You can find a new netbooks for roughly $280-ish, but they have the bottom baseline config. Small HD and 3-cell battery. IMO one of the most important selling points of a netbook is it's mobility; stuff it in a small messenger bag (or purse) and hang out at Starbucks for hours w/o needing to be tethered to the wall outlet. The 3-cell battery won't get you too much of that.

Most women have smaller hands than men do, but on average, most people are most comfortable typing on a full-size or close to full-size keyboard. I have large hands but I'm a touch typist. I had an MSI Wind (don't buy one...cheap plastic) and it's 92% keyboard was perfect for me after I got used to having my hands closer together.

FWIW, I bought this EeePC today to replace my MSI. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220551I think it even comes in pink.

This particular Eee has got the upgraded webcam and the better CPU. The diff in CPU speed b/t this Atom (N280) and the old Atom (N270) is inconsequential. The big story is the FSB; it's a decent bit faster (20%, basically...667 vs 533MHz) and I should see a diff in "snappiness" of apps and slightly better overall performance. At least that's what I'm hoping. Big battery is a major point too, IMO.

 

[Decembermouse]

With higher speed memory though you also get higher latencies so it can just cancel out :\

depending on the RAM they use of course. I have my doubts that they actually put 667MHz RAM into the netbooks that support it...

 

[MichaelD]

With higher speed memory though you also get higher latencies so it can just cancel out :\

depending on the RAM they use of course. I have my doubts that they actually put 667MHz RAM into the netbooks that support it...

Good point but...

I've never owned a netbook that used anything faster than PC2-5300 memory. I've also never owned a netbook that had a CPU bus faster than 533Mhz though.

According to the "auto memory finder" app at crucial.com, the 1005HA series of Asus netbooks uses PC2-6400. Crucial is usually (not always) correct with their info. I'll find out for sure when I receive my EeePC. I'm sure a quick visit to the EeePC forums could clear up the info but I'm not jonesing that bad for the info. Besides...higher rated memory will always work just fine at lower speeds.

 

[mpilchfamily]

The key to netbooks is finding one that has a comfertable keyboard. So you'll probably want her to go and get her hands on some display models at local retailers. Then you can go online and find the best deal on the one she likes. Generally companies have a coule of differnt variations on the models they offer. Mostly its a matter of color and HDD size. But its the HDD size that tends to affect the price the most.

 

[ther00kie16]

Get Acer AS1410-2*** or Gateway EC1435U/EC1436U (only difference is cosmetic). They are 3lb, 11.6" and come with 13x7 screen (minimum for decent work efficiency) and full-size keyboards that smaller netbooks don't have. They have dual core SU2300, which is light years ahead of single core CPUs most other netbooks come with and is ~75% as powerful as low-end core 2, that is even powerful enough to play 1080p youtube videos.
Retail is $400 but there's been a shortage and high demand so many places jacked up prices.

Check this thread: http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1700515
Some Frys stores may still have it for $350: http://www.frys.com/product/6059448
or $400 for the blue: http://www.frys.com/product/6059408

Looks like JR still has them for $400 (limited quantities though): http://www.jr.com/product/productListing.jsp?Ntt=as1410

1 reviewer at newegg claims the finish on the gateway is slightly better so maybe you want to wait for that to come back in stock at $400. The two are also available in red (valentine's day present?)

Just 1 last note. If you are shelling out $300 for a single core atom 10" that can only handle basic tasks, it's definitely worth it to pay $50-$100 more for a dual core that can handle pretty much anything a low-end laptop can.

FYI: if you didn't know, netbooks were a fad: http://www.fudzilla.com/content/view/17003/1/

 

[IlllI]

don't listen to those people about not finding one under $350. you just gotta know where to look

http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1776686

http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1774616

http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1773294

 

[ther00kie16]

don't listen to those people about not finding one under $350. you just gotta know where to look

http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1776686

http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1774616

http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1773294

Question isn't just price. Those are just under 3lb, 1024x600, 1gb ram, 950 integrated video and a cpu that can't do much more than windows, office and email: http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_list.php
n280 only scored 315
su2300 scored 928

the gateway/acer is 3lb 1oz, 1366x768 (70% more real estate), 2gb ram (really bare minimum since windows will take up >500mb), 4500MHD gpu capable of HD videos, and a dual core cpu that'll handle multitasking fairly well. And all with a battery life of nearly the same as those underpowered netbboks. It's also got fairly good speakers and draft n wireless.
Here's a good review: http://netbooked.net/blog/11.6-acer-aspire-1410-su2300-and-windows-7-unboxing/
And again, netbook market is dying.
Btw, if you double dip cashback from bing and bigcrumbs, you can get 9.5% for JR, making it only $362 after cashback. Definitely worth the extra $50-$90 if u ask me.

EDIT: 1 last thing that can be the deal maker is that the gateway/acer has hdmi while those netbooks don't, not that it'd do them much good with the crappy 950 graphics

 

[MichaelD]

I was this close to buying that Acer. The problem was size. The Acer is two inches wider and an inch deeper. Size-wise, that makes it a small laptop instead of a small netbook. IMO, of course. The one thing I really, really like about netbooks is the size. They are small enough to fit into almost any bag you're carrying and light enough so that you don't feel like you're "lugging a laptop".

The Acer absolutely destroys any Atom-based netbook performance-wise. But that Acer is a laptop and if I wanted/had to have laptop performance, that's what I'd buy and deal with the size issue.

For email/surfing/Skype you can't beat a netbook-sized-netbook IMO. :awe:

 

[IlllI]

Question isn't just price.

did you read the op?

Something around 300 dollars would be preferable.

 

[Parasitic]

http://www.dell.com/outlet

As of 9:58AM PST, Dec 30 2009, there are 64 Dell Mini 10's available for under $300. If she only "wants" a small netbook without specific reasons to have one I would just get one of those for her.

 

[Rottie]

less than 350? maybe you can find one at walmart and staples store I remember last week saw one for 270.00 or something...Acer netbook I believe.

 

[dsmitty308]

Friday, Walmart still had 5 of the eMachines 10" netbooks left from the day after Christmas. They have 1GB of RAM, 250 GB harddrive and the 1.6 Ghz cpu. They were marked $228 and I picked one up.

Smitty

 

[Hacp]

Sigh, I'm still looking for a CULV with a decent backlit keyboard. I can wait a bit, I'm using a dell E6400; 14 inches but it has around 5 hours+ of battery life and it does have a backlit keyboard. I'm a touch typist but sometimes, I just need to see where some of the keys are. #$%& get me all the time. Why do none of these companies add a 50 dollar backlit keyboard option. Its so obvious!!!!!!!!

 

[jacktesterson]

I got my netbook before christmas for $329.99 plus tax. I don't think its a bad deal.

Its a 11. inch gateway, AMD 1.2GHz with Radeon x1270 onboard video. It works well for web browsing. It will even play 720p Videos with CoreAVC installed. The only thing I've noticed is it sometimes slows down a tad during Flash games on facebook when my wife is using it.

 

[ther00kie16]

I got my netbook before christmas for $329.99 plus tax. I don't think its a bad deal.

Its a 11. inch gateway, AMD 1.2GHz with Radeon x1270 onboard video. It works well for web browsing. It will even play 720p Videos with CoreAVC installed. The only thing I've noticed is it sometimes slows down a tad during Flash games on facebook when my wife is using it.

Yes, flash is a problem. Beta version allows hardware acceleration current gen igp, including the 4500, which is why the 11.6" with dual core celeron is very good as it can even handle 1080p youtube.

 

[Hacp]

Blah, I was about to push the button on a CULV laptop but I decided against it.x