All About Laptop

Scratching her head, Isabel was staring a row of tiny computers in a huge electronic store. “How on earth am I supposed to decide which tiny netbook to buy?” she asked the store clerk. His advice? Get on the Web, search “tips netbooks” and you’ll find innumerable short articles on buying a netbook computer. So Isabel did just that. She found common and overlapping advice from many quarters. Pay attention to: screen size and resolution; keyboard size; technical specifications; battery life; and connectivity (netbooks have WiFi and most have three USB ports). Finally, don’t expect your netbook to do everything a laptop can. It’s light, it’s cheap; it is not all-powerful. Obviously if you are purchasing a netbook, take every bit of that advice. But the most important tips are these THREE: know what you want your netbook to do; know what you can tolerate in terms of size; and read reviews from trusted sources. 1. KNOW WHAT YOU WANT YOUR NETBOOK TO DO. If you are planning to sit on a plane to Hong Kong for 12 hours and crunch your last ten year’s inventory numbers without plugging in, get a laptop and extra batteries. If, on the other hand, you want email, web browsing, word processing and even some music and video – a netbook will serve you well. Don’t let your modest needs mean you accept low quality, however. A netbook should carry out its limited functions with excellence. And remember, netbooks run Windows XP (yes, Linux is available too, but if you are reading this, you are likely not a techie, so stick to XP). If you are a convert to Vista, you won’t find it. If all you need is email? Reconsider whether you need a netbook at all; you may be better off sticking to your phone. 2. KNOW WHAT YOU CAN TOLERATE IN TERMS OF SIZE. It’s hard to imagine The Rock hunched over a tiny 8.9 inch keyboard churning out 110 wpm. If you have big hands and are a top-notch typist who would be driven crazy if you couldn’t perform at full speed, look for the biggest keyboard you can find; nearly full size keyboards are becoming available even for netbooks. On the other hand, if you are all about casually browsing the Internet and can’t stand having to move around the screen to see a full page, screen size and resolution will matter most. If you are accustomed to an ergonomically correct keyboard and screen, no netbook will be ideal and you’ll have to decide whether you are taking more risk than you want by using the tiny tyke. Know thyself! 3. KNOW WHO TO TRUST. The Internet is fabulous for information – but you want to read reviews from critical sources that know what they are talking about and have tried and tested the products. User reviews can be helpful, but don’t rely solely on them. Try at least three major sources, like Consumer Reports, PC World and CNET and compare what they have to say. Good luck in your netbook adventure!