Buying A Netbook

You know all about desktop computers for sure and you may even own a laptop but then what exactly are netbooks? Netbooks are simply small computers – smaller than laptops, lighter than them and of course, much cheaper. They have some great functionality so long as you do not demand too much from them.

Netbooks are smaller and lighter versions of standard laptops and are highly portable. The best part is you can do almost all your basic computing like checking and responding to emails, browsing the net, running a few simple applications and so on, on a netbook. And for almost half the price of any good laptop. No wonder, these netbooks are proving to be immensely popular, especially with the younger generation.

There is a wide variety of netbooks in the market today from Windows-based to Linux-operated. However, the small size of the netbook also brings about some performance issues and it is best that you understand what exactly you expect to do with your netbook before you make a final purchase. Here are some key facts to bear in mind while buying a netbook.

1.    What will you be using it for? – Though most netbooks now carry a smart 1.6 GHz chip or above and run most basic applications smoothly, they were never meant to handle any serious computing tasks. If your requirements include having to run heavy graphics related tasks or heavy data crunching programs, you are better off going in for a laptop that has more computing power.
2.    Will you be comfortable with it? – Most of us use the keyboard as our primary mode of entering data. For many of us, making the transition from a full-sized keyboard to a netbook with mini keyboards is not easy. In addition, many manufacturers try to save space by moving a key or two around, only adding to the confusion. Try and test a few netbooks to ensure that you are comfortable with the keyboard before you buy one.
3.    How usable is the track-pad? – Other than the keyboard, the track-pad is the other most important interface with the computer. However, again, in an attempt to make netbooks look sleek and slim, manufacturers experiment with the track-pad. Test the track-pad to make sure that you can use it comfortably and that the buttons are well-positioned.
4.    Can you view the display properly? – While you may never get a netbook that offers a display as big as your laptop, you might get a good compromise with a 10-inch display screen. Anything smaller might cause you to strain your eyes as you read off the screen.
5.    What features are an absolute must? – Again, you may never get all the features of a laptop in a netbook though we must mention that most models now come with features like a fairly large hard drive, inbuilt speakers and microphone, web-cam, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and card readers. If there are any additional features that you cannot do without, you might want to check that they are available in the netbook before you come to any decision.