What to look for when shopping for a netbook

The netbook is one of the most appealing gadgets in the market because it can equally meet the needs of students and businessmen. Being a new phenomenon that is loved by anyone looking for mobile Internet-based apps, netbooks are designed for users looking to access Internet, email, instant messaging and video chat on the go. Featuring Wi-Fi and mobile broadband cards to access the internet and offering the ability to edit and create MS Office documents, netbooks are the new hyper-trend of mobile users.

As an overwhelming collection of low-cost but highly portable and efficient netbooks is offered by chief companies like HP, Acer, Asus, Dell and Lenovo, consumers are often confused on the factors that determine a good netbook after all.

Here are some helpful tips that could help you decide on what to look for when shopping for a netbook:

a)      Operating System

Netbooks come with several options, usually Linux variants, Windows XP or Windows Vista, and each OS has its own features. For instance, Linux variants are cheaper, easier to use, usually loaded with an instant-messaging client and open-source software. Windows Vista are more complex, slower systems and have difficult memory requirements. Windows XP are typically the most reliable and efficient system to use and the system that most users go with.

b)      Memory

Netbooks are well known for having low RAM because of their small size and light weight. However, settling for less than 1GB of RAM is not an option. 1GB of more of DDR2 RAM is enough for running Internet-based apps and enjoying optimum performance. Besides, the higher the memory, the faster the netbook performs.

c)      Screen

There are many netbooks that feature 7″ or 8″ screens, but also 9″ or 10″ screens. However, the important attribute here is that users can read the data displayed on the screen. Typically, this is feasible with a 10″ screen with 1,024 x 600 pixels resolution.

d)      Keyboard Layout

Netbooks can greatly vary in their keyboards. Although typically, the keyboard is the 92% of the full size, some netbooks have a smaller keyboard that is the 88% of a full size keyboard. Some others have a full size keyboard, but they may have a totally different layout such as keys positioned differently etc. So before you decide on the netbook, make sure the keyboard is user-friendly.

e)      Hard Drive

Usually, a 5,400 rpm HDD (Hard Disk Drive) offers more capacity and a better write performance than the SSDs (Solid-State Drive) that are offered in most netbooks. However, the SSD equipped netbooks boot up considerably faster than those that use HHD and their battery lasts for at least an extra hour. Besides, apps on the SSD launch almost instantly, while on the HDD it takes some extra time to perform the same tasks. Therefore, for users who need quick access on the move SDD is the best choice, although they are more expensive than the HDDs.

f)        Battery

Settling for anything less than a six-cell battery is not an option because 3 or 4-cell batteries may save the user a fair amount of money, but the netbook will have only 2 or 3 hours of endurance with proportionate screen brightness and wireless use. With a 6-cell battery, endurance will be up to 6-7 hours.

g)      Portability

Portability is also important. Netbooks that weigh less than 5.5LBS are considered ultra portable. These are small and light-weight netbooks, but heavy in price. Although they feature smaller keyboard and screen, ultra-portable netbooks operate with the latest operating system. For instance, HP’s 2133 Mini-Note PC runs with Windows Vista, has a 120GB hard drive and 2GB of storage and comes at a retail price of 0, which is much more expensive than the average price of a netbook which is 0.

Overall, for users who love portable PCs, netbooks are a great investment. Besides, for light-duty use like writing emails, creating documents and surfing the Internet to keep in touch with what’s happening online, netbooks are excellent devices, something between a laptop and a BlackBerry or iPhone. Most experts recommend purchasing a netbook with Windows XP OS, 10″+ screen that natively supports 1,024 x 600 pixels resolution, a built-in web cam, multi media card reader, and built-in wireless.