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Netbooks are (almost) too much hassle!
- Thread starter js81
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i have a emac 1.42 ghz ,now 2gb ram ,64mb vram and it did blast away my dell with a pentium 4 with 3ghz 4gb ram in every aspect
and its certainly faster then anything with this 1.6 intel atom , doesnt matter if its the 270 or 280 or how intel is calling them
ok these netbooks look cute i was thinking about buying one of them until i had the chance to use one for a week ,,,they are allright if you want to surf the web and write or read your emails
or write a small text
....things i can do on my mobile phone too and its smaller
so i cant see the point of them
if i would want a small portable thing i would buy a ibook g4 with a 1.33 processor
which has full usability and is fast enough for every task
ok it has a 12" screen and might be a little bit heavier ,
but hey i can carry that without getting back problems
and its certainly faster then anything with this 1.6 intel atom , doesnt matter if its the 270 or 280 or how intel is calling them
ok these netbooks look cute i was thinking about buying one of them until i had the chance to use one for a week ,,,they are allright if you want to surf the web and write or read your emails
or write a small text
....things i can do on my mobile phone too and its smaller
so i cant see the point of them
if i would want a small portable thing i would buy a ibook g4 with a 1.33 processor
which has full usability and is fast enough for every task
ok it has a 12" screen and might be a little bit heavier ,
but hey i can carry that without getting back problems
Yep, good info MacHamster. I agree 100%. My netbook is gone and a 1.33GHz iBook G4 is on its way to replace it. Sure, its a little bigger and heavier, but its a real computer instead of a toy. I'd rather have an older real computer than a new toy.
@Mac2x: If the iBook doesn't satisfy me, that's my next goal - a Macbook Air.
@Mac2x: If the iBook doesn't satisfy me, that's my next goal - a Macbook Air.
Yep, good info MacHamster. I agree 100%. My netbook is gone and a 1.33GHz iBook G4 is on its way to replace it. Sure, its a little bigger and heavier, but its a real computer instead of a toy. I'd rather have an older real computer than a new toy.
@Mac2x: If the iBook doesn't satisfy me, that's my next goal - a Macbook Air.
i had an ibook g4 1.2 for a week and was very happy with it. It was very fast too and fine on youtube, so a 1.33 should be great
i think the G4s are great processors and i wouldent think twice about getting a G4
Either one could be cool, even if it only ends up for nostalgia in the iBook's case.
The great thing about the Air is that it's got serious specs (i.e., Core 2 Duo processor, 2 GB RAM, Nvidia graphics, optional 128 GB SSD, backlit keyboard) in a really portable package. Not to mention better screen size than a netbook.
the other big difference is on a ibook g4 is it has a optical most times combo drive , and it is not much bigger then the netboooks ,
insted of spending several hundred pounds on a whatever brand netbook
buy a ibook g4 1.33 on ebay upgrade the ram to max,the hd to a faster one as originally it is only fitted with a 4200rpm hd so fitting a 7200 will boost performance even further , fit a superdrive in it and job done you`ve got a cracking little machine
which is not that much bigger and heavier then a netbook , but has all the pro`s of a desktop
the idea of a netbook was to have something small and cheep for on the go computing ..but cheap? no they are not cheap at all if you consider that you also have to upgrade the ram in most of them , if you want to burn or store files on a cd /dvd you need a extra external drive and they still are not very good when it comes to multi tasking as the atom processor was only build to deliver basic computing not more , its allright for people who only want to access google or watch a youtube video (sometimes these netbooks even struggle at youtube ), or check their email , dont even consider buying one if you intend to do a bit more , as you will very soon find out that the usability gets to its limits if you want to write a bit more , and the smaller screen might look cute but you are constantly scrolling up and down or you need magnifying glasses if you choose a higher resolution , so even when you only want to check out ebay you will very soon wish you had bought something bigger
insted of spending several hundred pounds on a whatever brand netbook
buy a ibook g4 1.33 on ebay upgrade the ram to max,the hd to a faster one as originally it is only fitted with a 4200rpm hd so fitting a 7200 will boost performance even further , fit a superdrive in it and job done you`ve got a cracking little machine
which is not that much bigger and heavier then a netbook , but has all the pro`s of a desktop
the idea of a netbook was to have something small and cheep for on the go computing ..but cheap? no they are not cheap at all if you consider that you also have to upgrade the ram in most of them , if you want to burn or store files on a cd /dvd you need a extra external drive and they still are not very good when it comes to multi tasking as the atom processor was only build to deliver basic computing not more , its allright for people who only want to access google or watch a youtube video (sometimes these netbooks even struggle at youtube ), or check their email , dont even consider buying one if you intend to do a bit more , as you will very soon find out that the usability gets to its limits if you want to write a bit more , and the smaller screen might look cute but you are constantly scrolling up and down or you need magnifying glasses if you choose a higher resolution , so even when you only want to check out ebay you will very soon wish you had bought something bigger
The iBook I'm getting comes with the standard 512MB RAM and 40GB (4200 RPM) hard drive. I plan to upgrade the RAM to 1.5GB ASAP.
Question about the hard drive:
I had a 7200 RPM hard drive in my wife's Macbook and it caused a ton of vibration, so I "downgraded" back to a 5400 RPM. Would a 7200 in the iBook do the same, or should I stick with a 5400 with 8MB cache?
Question about the hard drive:
I had a 7200 RPM hard drive in my wife's Macbook and it caused a ton of vibration, so I "downgraded" back to a 5400 RPM. Would a 7200 in the iBook do the same, or should I stick with a 5400 with 8MB cache?
MacHamster I think you ought to be commended on saying exactly what I was going to say.
Sure the iBook 12 and PowerBook 12 aren't as small as netbooks. But they work, which is IMHO far more important than form factor. Hell, one of my friends has one of those 17" Sony Whadchamacallits, and he says he'd love something as small as my MacBook.
If somebody was to give me £500 right now and tell me to buy a small computer capable of doing every day tasks thrown at it, I wouldn't buy a netbook. Actually I wouldn't buy an old iBook neither, I'd buy an iPhone 3GS. Although that's mainly because my screen broke on my 3G
Sure the iBook 12 and PowerBook 12 aren't as small as netbooks. But they work, which is IMHO far more important than form factor. Hell, one of my friends has one of those 17" Sony Whadchamacallits, and he says he'd love something as small as my MacBook.
If somebody was to give me £500 right now and tell me to buy a small computer capable of doing every day tasks thrown at it, I wouldn't buy a netbook. Actually I wouldn't buy an old iBook neither, I'd buy an iPhone 3GS. Although that's mainly because my screen broke on my 3G
I don't have an iPhone, but I do have an iPod Touch. You're right - it is almost as useful as my netbook was.
Now if I can only get my buyer to actually pay for the Mini... gotta love eBay. 
I find a good, customized, reliable phone far more handy than these machines. Also more portable.
what i find amusing with these netbooks is , they come with a installation disc
but without drive so the manufactures expect you to buy a external hd if you ever
want to reinstall the operating system ,or put another operating system on
but without drive so the manufactures expect you to buy a external hd if you ever
want to reinstall the operating system ,or put another operating system on
My Macbook is my main computer, but I bought a Dell Mini 10 refurb because it was a good deal. Thought it would be nice for situations where I'm not sure if I should take my notebook or not- school, work, visiting my parents. Also liked the idea of having a native Windows computer.
First off, I could kick myself for buying a Dell again. It's at Dell currently being repaired right now. I had it for 3 days before my speakers failed on it. What the heck?
The keyboard is supposedly 92% size. It feels absolutely unbearably tiny and unusable.
I'm constantly accidentally click things with the trackpad. The trackpad is nicely designed- similar to my Macbook's- but too small.
I agree XP is a dog on these.
Takes forever to boot up.
The 10 inch screen- the biggest typically seen on netbooks- still has me side scrolling on websites like Facebook and Gmail.
I hate how Dell has everything run by 3rd party software. To change my trackpad settings, I'm using one company's software. To chance my sound settings- another. Dell packages their netbooks with "DellDock"- a dock mimicking program- yet another (rebranded) 3rd party software. I like Delldock, actually. The trackpad isn't bad. But geesh, how much 3rd party software can one have? I understand this is a necessity in a Windows computer, but it's a good reminder why Macs do overall run smoother.
I would dare say Dell does a decent job with the netbooks. It has more USB ports than my Macbook does (3 vs. 2). How Dell managed to fit an extra USB port in a computer half the size and 1/5th the price is a true testimony to an Apple USB failure. I like how the Mini arranged the USB ports on both sides of the computer.
I like the shape and size of the Mini. And it looks sleek. I actually love how my Mini looks- if for no other reason than I got to pick the color.
However, I'm finding more and more the Mini gets left behind. If I'm doing light browsing, my Touch is perfect- loads fast, incredibly light weight to carry, on me anyways always. If I'm doing heavier computing, my Macbook, for 2.5 pounds more, provides me with a much faster machine, 3 inches more screen, a full size keyboard, and a superdrive. To me, this is often worth the 2.5 pound sacrifice.
So now I am also stuck wondering what role the netbook is going to play in my computing life.
First off, I could kick myself for buying a Dell again. It's at Dell currently being repaired right now. I had it for 3 days before my speakers failed on it. What the heck?
The keyboard is supposedly 92% size. It feels absolutely unbearably tiny and unusable.
I'm constantly accidentally click things with the trackpad. The trackpad is nicely designed- similar to my Macbook's- but too small.
I agree XP is a dog on these.
Takes forever to boot up.
The 10 inch screen- the biggest typically seen on netbooks- still has me side scrolling on websites like Facebook and Gmail.
I hate how Dell has everything run by 3rd party software. To change my trackpad settings, I'm using one company's software. To chance my sound settings- another. Dell packages their netbooks with "DellDock"- a dock mimicking program- yet another (rebranded) 3rd party software. I like Delldock, actually. The trackpad isn't bad. But geesh, how much 3rd party software can one have? I understand this is a necessity in a Windows computer, but it's a good reminder why Macs do overall run smoother.
I would dare say Dell does a decent job with the netbooks. It has more USB ports than my Macbook does (3 vs. 2). How Dell managed to fit an extra USB port in a computer half the size and 1/5th the price is a true testimony to an Apple USB failure. I like how the Mini arranged the USB ports on both sides of the computer.
I like the shape and size of the Mini. And it looks sleek. I actually love how my Mini looks- if for no other reason than I got to pick the color.
However, I'm finding more and more the Mini gets left behind. If I'm doing light browsing, my Touch is perfect- loads fast, incredibly light weight to carry, on me anyways always. If I'm doing heavier computing, my Macbook, for 2.5 pounds more, provides me with a much faster machine, 3 inches more screen, a full size keyboard, and a superdrive. To me, this is often worth the 2.5 pound sacrifice.
So now I am also stuck wondering what role the netbook is going to play in my computing life.
the idea of having a windows computer isn`t actually bad , for gamers for example , but then its cheaper to install virtual pc and install windows xp
on your existing mac , which definitly will run the games better then a netbook
i agree they really look nice and cute these netbooks , if someone would manage to fit in a faster processor architecture inside ,make the screen a bit bigger and the keyboard too and the touchpad....
one sec ... bigger screen ,faster processor, useful keyboard , useful touchpad
ah gotcha, these thing already exists its called a ibook g4
on your existing mac , which definitly will run the games better then a netbook
i agree they really look nice and cute these netbooks , if someone would manage to fit in a faster processor architecture inside ,make the screen a bit bigger and the keyboard too and the touchpad....
one sec ... bigger screen ,faster processor, useful keyboard , useful touchpad
ah gotcha, these thing already exists its called a ibook g4
See, that was my exact issue. I found that I was taking/using my Macbook and iPod more and more and leaving my Mini at home. When I began to wonder about it was when I decided it was time to go. I still would like another laptop, though, as my wife uses the Macbook almost exclusively (on a desk, though - but it IS her computer). So I'm spending what I made off my HP Mini - it will be an even trade to the iBook G4. And if its not what I want, I can sell it, too...
And if its not what I want, I can sell it, too...What's really kinda sad is for another $100, these people could usually find a regular-size notebook that's only drawback compared to a netbook is size. Check the Best Buy ad EVERY WEEK and you'll see some HP or Dell notebook at $400, usually with a 15-inch screen and a full keyboard. Yes, it may weigh five pounds, but do you want a heavier computer or an oversized paperweight?
As others have mentioned, I totally get why Apple hasn't created a netbook. They can't make one to fit into that price range, so why waste all that R&D when your MacBook and MacBook Pro sales keep going up? Apple has made money through the worst recession anybody younger than 70 will ever hope to see. I think those guys know what they're doing -- making good computers.
Still, that doesn't excuse them if Blu-ray isn't added as an option to all Macs soon.
As others have mentioned, I totally get why Apple hasn't created a netbook. They can't make one to fit into that price range, so why waste all that R&D when your MacBook and MacBook Pro sales keep going up? Apple has made money through the worst recession anybody younger than 70 will ever hope to see. I think those guys know what they're doing -- making good computers.
Still, that doesn't excuse them if Blu-ray isn't added as an option to all Macs soon.
i think the screen and keyboardsize touchpadsize are the main issues with them ,
i know with other operating systems like osx or linux they run a bit faster and get useability ,but still like i said earlier you nearly need the precision of a neurosurgeon to hit the right key`s with average size fingers and either you are constantly scrolling on a touchpad thats just as big as your fingertip , or adjust the screen resolution to max possible and you need a magnifying glass
i know with other operating systems like osx or linux they run a bit faster and get useability ,but still like i said earlier you nearly need the precision of a neurosurgeon to hit the right key`s with average size fingers and either you are constantly scrolling on a touchpad thats just as big as your fingertip , or adjust the screen resolution to max possible and you need a magnifying glass
See, I totally fell for the appeal of the netbook. Cheap, just for browsing, "cute"... they all drew me in. Now I wish I'd just bought a regular laptop (looked at them the day I bought my netbook). The size is appealing, but the usability isn't there. I didn't have any issue at all with the keyboard on my HP (most everyone agrees its the best netbook keyboard), but the touchpad and screen resolution were pure punishment. Ahh, its gone now. And good riddance.
i don't think there is anything wrong with the netbook space, i just think there is something wrong with peoples expectations of the device. If i were to get a netbook, its for light computer usage, web based email, browsing, checking FF etc. i think were people voice issues with a netbook is when its not a laptop repalcement which i don't think is the space they are aimed at. a small computer to do internet, view doc's and write some emails, i would pick up a PC and slap WIN 7 on it in a heartbeat.
I understood this completely, yet was still dissatisfied with it. My problem was with a device that is made for surfing the web having problems with surfing the web. I think that the modern incarnation of the netbook would have had no issues surfing the web of 2003 (or even 2005) - the problem is, though, that today's internet is filled with flash, graphics, animations, etc., that the lowly Atom/GMA combination and 1024x600 screen just can't accommodate very well. It was a disappointment of a device, and I'm not alone in this feeling.
thats unfortunate you had a bad experiance. i will agree that dell adds a lot of crap, and i personally would have removed all that and installed a fresh OS with only what i wanted on there. I believe Win 7 on that device with a decent browser would have done you right.
I have a Dell Mini 10 as well, and I love it to bits, now that I've wiped the XP+bloat that they supplied it with and replaced it with W7. I can use the keyboard, I can see the screen, it seems to manage what I need it to do (basically, surf, mail and chat), and it's small and cheap.
I have yet to actually sell any of my old computers, so I have a 12" iBook G4 and a 13" MacBook that are still around having been previous road machines, and when they were bought, they were also my main machine. Hence, a medium-sized laptop with optical drive, good processor, etc, was the compromise.
Since I've added a Mac Mini, and been bought a 15" MacBook Pro Unibody by work, I've found that I now have a desktop - great for TV, DVDs and heavy CPU lifting, a big laptop - great for working at home on the sofa or taking with me when I go to see the family for a couple of weeks, and the Dell Mini - great for being lugged around in a bag to check emails, browse the web or do a bit of writing on the go.
It's also moderately comforting to know that if a nasty accident were to befall the Mini (and as I spend a fair bit of time in Chemistry labs...), I know I could replace it for about £200-250 - about the same amount as my iPod touch! The touch is a great music player, and it does the basic web and mail well, but there is one show-stopper with it - I cannot use it for writing things, whereas the Mini's 92% keyboard feels just fine for me, and I have written large, complex LaTeX documents on it.
I'm not saying that netbooks are perfect for everyone - they're basically only any good for someone who wants a really small, really light notebook - but that's exactly what I wanted, and I'm happy with the tradeoffs it brings.
I had an HP Mini 1030nr. One of the first things I did (as I always do with any new PC) was to get rid of all the extra crapware - in the case of the Mini, this was (unbelievable) a very small amount. Read my opening post and you'll see what all I tried with it, everything from a reinstall of XP, to Ubuntu, to Windows 7, and even Snow Leopard. Again, no thanks - I'll gladly take the trade off of a couple extra pounds to have my Macbook or iBook G4.