Help on choosing a portable computer (Netbook v. Notebook)

[AZViking]

My Mom recently dropped her land-line phone (which also cancelled her dial-up internet). She currently has an older pc running windows 98. Her local wireless option (WiMax) supports win2000 on up. She only uses the computer to check her email and general surfing. I haven't seen the computer for a while so I couldn't tell you what the specs are (definitely too slow to run Vista and I'm pretty sure it doesn't have a DVD drive anyway). Not sure if WiMax can run on Linux (I'd like to test Ubuntu on it, but don't want to have to be her 'tech support' if something goes wrong), so she's looking at upgrading.She likes the idea of a portable PC and I've been trying to see if a Netbook would be best for her. She's not up on the current technology that's available, so I'm just winging it with what I know on the subject. Would a Netbook be enough for her to use everyday or would a full Notebook/Laptop be more reliable?I see now you can also get netbooks and notebooks with Verizon broadband embedded direct from Best Buy. Would this be a better option than WiMax? (She's in a rural area - on Verizon's broadband map, but would require an external antenna for WiMax)Any thoughts? (anyone have an old copy of XP they're no longer using?)

[northvibe]

Theres going to be many opinions posted..but when it comes down to it what she and you really should do is go to a store, best buy maybe, and actually try the netbook and a smaller notebook out. Netbooks are great for little things like surfing the net on the go or in a cramped space or quick checking something. but as a normal computer usage they suck...bad. small keyboards, small screens, lack of ports, lack of power, lack of memory, lack of dvd/roms on some. I mean its for a specific purpose.Notebooks - cheap ones will not be powerful but will do anything a standard user needs, and have some room for upgrading and playing on. range from 14-19 inch screens. bluray or dvd burning, full keyboards, some even have the num pads. The thing is you dont want to buy something that can only do things you want today, but not next month or next year. I mean its a big purchase make sure it is able to handle future endeavors. For example, I just had a client want me to help him pick out a new mac. I sat him down, asked what does does on the computer, what he wants to do, what he thinks he wants to do in the future. Got a price range, then said, you need the macbook pro. It is powerful now and 3 years from now, has all the ports you need for video editing now and in the future if you get a newer camera. We go to the apple store and the mac "genius" wants him to get the plain macbook w/ 30" HD monitor. why? because he says the laptop will suffice his current needs. but in my professional opinion NOT his future needs at all. it didnt have firewire, screen is smaller, slower processor, slower/less memory. Moral of the story do research before.

[ColonelPanic]

I love Netbooks and my trusty Asus eee 701 that I bought for beyond dirt cheap has more or less become my main computer. But I don't know if it would be an appropriate primary machine for someone else, there are alot of tradeoffs. They're absolutely wonderful to take with you - fits anywhere, and if something happens to it, no big deal since they're dirt cheap. But they're sometimes frustrating to use - not great performance, tiny keyboards, no screen real estate... Not for everyone. If I had to pick something portable for a primary machine that had some power, I'd get a Macbook Pro or something.

[lovemyraffe]

I just bought a new laptop, and did consider the tiny netbooks for the portability but they can't do nearly as much. As a back-up machine, IMO a netbook would be great, but not as a primary machine.

[Kari]

Always take a salesperson's advice with a grain of salt, since they are being paid to sell computers, and even if they aren't working on commission, they are rated and evaluated based on their sales figures.That said, I would get a Macbook Air as a primary before I would get a Netbook. I have a terrible time typing on James' EEE...it's just too tiny and cramped. I loved my 12" iBook because I felt like it was the best of both worlds. It was small enough to carry easily in a backpack or messenger bag, small enough to fit on the desks at my college, but not so small that it was unusable. For a regular laptop, my low-end Macbook works great.One hint if you do go to an Apple store and there is a model you are interested in buying -- ask them if they have any that are refurbished or "refreshed." They typically don't have refurbs (but sometimes do) but almost always have some that are refreshed, which is their term for a return that has been gone over with a fine toothed comb, had the hard drive wiped clean, software reinstalled, cleaned, etc. Since Apple makes people pay a restocking fee for returns, the 10 or 15% that person paid gets knocked off of your purchase price. You get a new machine (Apple only allows returns within 14 days on computers I believe, maybe even 7 days) for a cheaper price and still get the full warranty. I got my Macbook this way and paid $850 for it instead of $1000.

[northvibe]

(removed) the 12" powerbook, im was the greatest laptop ever!!! It was small, very portable and powerful. full size keyboard too. you know they held their value like CRAZY!!! they are still like over 400 dollars used.The new macbook unibody is a great laptop. Its more powerful than the older white macbooks and has better battery etc. I would highly recommend going to apples online store and buying a refurb, then getting the ext. warranty. those together equal the cost of a new one (w/o the warranty of course). I just had my uncle do that and he was very satisfied with his macbook (unibody).

[808 Vibes]

I use my netbook Acer Aspire One for everyday use; it's my only computer, not for everyone, but serves my (mostly internet) use and I'm very happy with it. It has 1 gig memory. 2 card slots, 3 USB ports and I can run everything off of it, including my Verizon aircard, mini mouse, digital camera and printer, and external disk drive, using a mini USB hub. Since I take it to work with me, I'm happy that I'm not getting shoulder pain from lugging around a laptop anymore.

[kostby]

Definitely go check out netbooks, notebooks, and Macs WITH your mom if possible. (BestBuy has all 3 in many locations).Without actually putting hands on a netbook, it's hard to tell if she will be able to use the (for me, cramped) keyboard and small screen. Lack of a DVD drive obviously prohibits installing programs from CDs or DVDs, but most mainstream software is now available by download.I would NOT be hasty about making a buying decision on that first trip to BestBuy. I find BestBuy's Mac knowledge is pretty lacking, compared to the experience you get at an Apple retail store, and I've found that BestBuy does not discount Mac unless it's a closeout on old inventory after new models are shipping. If you decide to go with a MacBook, and price is a huge issue, I would also second Kari's notion of buying a refurb MacBook online direct from Apple.I love my 13' white MacBook, but I caution that older white MacBooks (mine's from Summer 2007) running OS X 'Leopard' (10.5.x) have been maddeningly inconsistent with wireless, dropping wireless-G and wireless-N signals, even when the router signal strength is at 100%. Apple has issued a number of AirPort (the name they give to wireless) software updates since the release of Leopard in 2007. I haven't had the latest OS X updates (issued 06-08-2009) long enough to test. Here's an RSS feed to the Apple discussion forums for info specifically about wireless --> feed://discussions.apple.com/rss/rssthreads.jspa?forumID=1171I'd also recommend monitoring best prices of netbooks, notebooks, and Macs at http://www.dealnews.com. You can watch for updates via RSS feed, email alerts, and Twitter.Good luck and happy hunting!UPDATE: Just re-read your post. If her desktop PC originally shipped with Windows 98, it's not likely to have enough RAM nor processor speed to work with XP. My Windows 98 machine is an Acer Aspire 233Mhz AMD K-6 (Pentium clone) with a 6Gb hard disk, 96Mb of RAM, and early draft 0.9 USB ports that never actually worked! I use it as a 'last resort' backup to my 2004 XP desktop and my 2007 MacBook.

[AKLGT]

This is what I have: Acer Travelmate 12.1" Windows XP Pro: bluetooth, fingerprint reader (never used), webcam (never used), PCMCAI card slot (use for internet card), 3 USB 2.0, 1 GB ethernet, DVD/RW, awesome battery life (i can run it for 5 hrs with a movie and be online), Wifi, 160 GB, 1 or 2 GB RAM, etc. All for under $1000. http://www.google.com/products...llers

[djkeev]

Hi, A lot has to do with her own preferences.A Netbook is a wonderful thing BUT it is SMALL!!If you mother is aging, and what parent isn't, is her eyesight aging as well? Those little 10" or 12" screens display mighty small images.I was honest with myself and my vision, as was my wife, and we both got 19" laptops because of the screen size and ease of viewing. Yes, they weigh a few pounds but we rarely carry them around. I agree she should go to a well stocked store and play. She can buy it there or go online and find a "better" deal. Keep in mind, online purchases don't have local support to help out in times of ignorance. Also if you purchase online, your local store may not be there the next time you want it because you saved $20 a year ago.Dave

[AZViking]

Well, she bought a Netbook. Verizon was running a special on Gateway netbooks ($99 after $100 mail-in rebate), with a 2 year contract. She's happy with it for what she does (which is 99% Facebook). It does exactly what she wants it to do, she can access the web anywhere, and she's not playing Farmtown on our PC every time she visits.Her only complaint is with the screen size, but after I told her about F11 (full screen), she's a little happier.