Reading Between the Lines
Planning to buy yourself a netbook? Here are some of the things you need to check when you buy one for yourself.
If you have finally decided that you need to add a netbook to your gadget collection, you must keep certain things in mind. Here are some dos and don’ts that you need to consider before buying a netbook.
DOS
stiff and uncomfortable to use for some users.
Always ask for a working demo piece so that
you can use the keyboard hands-on.
demo piece. You must know if your track pad
mouse has a decent response speed, considering
that you might take the netbook outdoors
and may not enjoy the comfort of carrying a
mouse around.
needs. If you are using a Windows OS and
want to work with Microsoft Offi ce, you might
have to shell out more. While Windows offers
familiarity and better compatibility with most
peripherals, Linux uses fewer resources to
run, is lighter on the system and comes with
bundled utilities.
screen is ideal to work with. There are netbooks
with smaller screens too, but they might get a
bit diffi cult to work with considering if you use
applications similar to those used on a laptop.
Since a netbook offers the bare minimum in
terms of features, you may need to buy a few
peripherals. Check the number of USB ports,
external VGA ports, and Ethernet jacks.
DON’TS
up with heavy processes. If you pick a Windowsbased
system, the Atom processors work well.
bit diffi cult to upgrade it later. Opt for 1 GB or 2
GB RAM instead and a fairly spacious hard disk.
heavy applications like Adobe Photoshop. You
can use a netbook as an interim measure, but
don’t buy it as a replacement for your laptop or
desktop PC.
802.11 b/g. The norms are shifting and its time
to move with the times.
and don’t have a charging port handy, invest
in an extended-range six-cell battery, so that it
can last longer.
Planning to buy yourself a netbook? Here are some of the things you need to check when you buy one for yourself.
If you have finally decided that you need to add a netbook to your gadget collection, you must keep certain things in mind. Here are some dos and don’ts that you need to consider before buying a netbook.
DOS
- Check t he keyboard. Some of keypads can be
stiff and uncomfortable to use for some users.
Always ask for a working demo piece so that
you can use the keyboard hands-on.
- Familiarize yourself with the track pad on the
demo piece. You must know if your track pad
mouse has a decent response speed, considering
that you might take the netbook outdoors
and may not enjoy the comfort of carrying a
mouse around.
- Pick an operating system which will fit your
needs. If you are using a Windows OS and
want to work with Microsoft Offi ce, you might
have to shell out more. While Windows offers
familiarity and better compatibility with most
peripherals, Linux uses fewer resources to
run, is lighter on the system and comes with
bundled utilities.
- While netbooks are shrinking in size, a 10-inch
screen is ideal to work with. There are netbooks
with smaller screens too, but they might get a
bit diffi cult to work with considering if you use
applications similar to those used on a laptop.
Since a netbook offers the bare minimum in
terms of features, you may need to buy a few
peripherals. Check the number of USB ports,
external VGA ports, and Ethernet jacks.
DON’TS
- Avoid processors like Celeron that cannot keep
up with heavy processes. If you pick a Windowsbased
system, the Atom processors work well.
- Don’t go for a 512 MB RAM; you might fi nd it a
bit diffi cult to upgrade it later. Opt for 1 GB or 2
GB RAM instead and a fairly spacious hard disk.
- Don’t buy a netbook if you need to work with
heavy applications like Adobe Photoshop. You
can use a netbook as an interim measure, but
don’t buy it as a replacement for your laptop or
desktop PC.
- Don’t settle for Wi-Fi connectivity lower than
802.11 b/g. The norms are shifting and its time
to move with the times.
- If you do plan to use the netbook outdoors a lot,
and don’t have a charging port handy, invest
in an extended-range six-cell battery, so that it
can last longer.
