Which netbook should I buy

[medhunter]

I want to buy a netbook. I don't something very fantastic. But I am open to your suggestions.

I already now have a mainstream Desktop and No Laptop. I do everything I need on it except for high end games. But for this , I 'd prefer to plan to buy an Xbox or PS3.

A netbook is not going to be a replacement. It 's for mobility ouside and inside my 4 floors home.

I am Planning to travel abroad for a couple of years. In the first few months there I will be busy renting a new flat and getting appliances there from the scratch. In the mean time I need to get connected with family via Internet, VOIP, Skype, and get things done with the minimal cost possible (without a desktop in the house). So, for cost/benefit, I chose to have a netbook

I work as an Emergency Physician, So, I need ultra Portable device. Laptops can't(So heavy, less portable , good ones are relatively Expensive for me), very high end Smartphones should do it but it is both expensive and have a small screen, and have OS limitations.

Yet a Netbook can save me with a descent Linux OS, get things done and also not so expensive. So I am planning to have a midrange netbook and might go for the new Atom 550 Processor. BTW I don't have great expectations for it. just do everyday tasks seamlessly

A few months later, I can chose to buy a desktop. Or if not satisfied with netbook, I can give it as a present to my little sister and buy a Laptop.

This is my rational regarding the netbook issue

[Tripredacus]

I have a Wind U100 with Windows 7 that is good for travelling because it is small. The only problem I have with netbooks is that the keyboard is very small and inconvenient to type on. Also I can't stand the trackpad so I use a USB mouse on it. I've used EEE PCs too and they are good too, but I've only used the 701 which worked better for Linux. I'm not sure about other models.

[bonestonne]

Sounds to me like an Asus Eee Transformer nearly fits the bill, but 3g isn't there.

I have a Dell Mini 9, and it's not the latest and greatest, but it's alright. To a point, it gets the job done. I've also worked on HP, Asus, Samsung and Toshiba netbooks. I would suggest buying a netbook that has an older Hard Disk Drive, rather than a Solid State Disk. The failure rate is not well documented, but I'll say that it's fairly common. There are people who take very good care of their computers, so they have been using Solid State for a while with no problems, however if you don't take care of it, it will last a fraction of the lifespan it should have.

I liked the feel of the Asus and HP netbooks most. Samsung is a close second, but Toshiba and Dell netbooks lack a lot of quality you'd expect for the price. That said, my Dell Mini 9 has taken quite the beating, and still works well, but the SSD is being replaced. I'm the second owner, and the original owner/family had killed the SSD.

As far as Linux support goes, Dell and Asus have the best support. Toshiba, HP and Samsung are all very washy. Some distros work well, others don't. If you're looking to use windows, then I would strongly suggest getting windows 7 basic for use on a netbook, as you don't have much in the way of resources to begin with. 2gb of RAM is almost a necessity, as 1gb will be sluggish.

+1 on the keyboard and trackpad comment...89-92% keyboards are not good at all.

I would venture into saying a tablet would suit you well, but if you have to do a lot of typing, or you need windows, most tablets don't fit the bill, and lack durability that's needed.

[puntoMX]

Personally I would look for a 11.6" to 12.1" and an AMD based APU (GPU/CPU), so you are not stuck to the horrible 600p vertically; those extra 168 pixels vertically do help a lot. So, a screen that has 1366*768 plus most of those models have a full size keys as well. Prices are some 380USD and up so i don't know if that would be in the right price range as a simple netbook is about 250USD. The weight of a large netbook is about 1.5kg, same as most other mini-notebooks. While ACER isn't mentioned, I would check them out also. HP and Toshiba are last on the list of recommendation.

[Ponch]

While ACER isn't mentioned, I would check them out also. HP and Toshiba are last on the list of recommendation.

I'd recommend Toshiba above Acer anytime. Especially if you plan to use it more than 2 years.