Netbook vs laptop

Deffinately go with netbooks. They are cheap, lite and ultra portable and they designed to do just what your daughters do. You can pick up netbooks fairly cheap now, usually around $299 a piece. They are perfect for online browsing, chatting with friends on AIM and on Facebook and they can also listen to music once installed onto the netbook via Flash Drive (netbooks do not come with a CD/DVD Rom). I have a Acer Aspire One running windows vista and i even watch Youtube videos with no problem. Yes netbooks aren't as fast or as powerful as laptops, but they are only built to just surf the net, check email and chat on instant messengers, so they don't need a big powerful processer. Netbooks can also be used wirelessly since they do come with a built in wireless card already, or you can plug your High Speed Network cable direclty into the netbook and surf the net that way if you dont have wireless internet at home. Netbooks are a great way to go for Teens these days since they do not really need a full size laptop that come loaded with all types of programs and software they will rarely or never use. Hope this helps!

here2help said…

Deffinately go with netbooks. They are cheap, lite and ultra portable and they designed to do just what your daughters do. You can pick up netbooks fairly cheap now, usually around $299 a piece. They are perfect for online browsing, chatting with friends on AIM and on Facebook and they can also listen to music once installed onto the netbook via Flash Drive (netbooks do not come with a CD/DVD Rom). I have a Acer Aspire One running windows vista and i even watch Youtube videos with no problem. Yes netbooks aren't as fast or as powerful as laptops, but they are only built to just surf the net, check email and chat on instant messengers, so they don't need a big powerful processer. Netbooks can also be used wirelessly since they do come with a built in wireless card already, or you can plug your High Speed Network cable direclty into the netbook and surf the net that way if you dont have wireless internet at home. Netbooks are a great way to go for Teens these days since they do not really need a full size laptop that come loaded with all types of programs and software they will rarely or never use. Hope this helps!

---

Hi here2help.  I have a teen son that also hogs my computer all the time.  I am also looking into getting a netbook for him...with a wireless connection.  Currently he usually has three to four tabs open at a time on the browser so he can listen to his music usually on youtube, be on facebook chatting, and goes to Gaia and runscape alot too.  runscape runs alot of animation. Once in awhile he also runs AIM to chat with friends but plays no games on there.  he does play the games on facebook alot.  Also he has music he bought on iTunes that he likes to listen too while doing these other things.  Can a netbook handle mulitiple tabs open all running at once?  Thanks for your help.

The problem with Netbooks is they dont handle multi tasking very well, which a teenager will want to do. Most adults can get past with just using one or maybe even two programs at once, a teenager will want to be on each site, AIM, iTunes, and maybe Youtube all at the same time, a netbook would struggle severly with of that. Unless it was running Linux or you wait and see how Google Chrome turns out. Otherwise a $400 Compaq Presario or Toshiba Satalite will do just fine.

Thanks...I am not a teen but I run many programs at once too...lol. Right now I have facebook up, my email, a tab for youtube, a message board and three other tabs for other searches I was doing including this one.   I will keep looking I guess. 

Julie B, i do own a netbook and i also own a full size powerful laptop. I can easily watch youtube videos on my netbook, while surfing the net on firefox or Internet Explorer with multiple tabs up. My netbook currently has 2 gigs of ram and a 250 gig hardrive running vista which came with the computer. While watching videos and surfing the net i have not noticed any lag in the computer as most netbooks are coming more powerful to handle multitasking. I have also played the Facebook games on my netbook and it handled them just fine. Your son can install music onto his netbook via flash drive, then play them using ITunes which he can install directly onto the netbook from the internet. I bought my Acer Netbook a few months ago for $299. Please let me know if i can be of further assistance or if you have any further questions as i would be glad to assist you. Hope this helps and have a great day!

Laptops are like a good suit. You need to know in advance EXACTLy what your gonna be doing with it to find a good fit, otherwise you just spent alot of money on the wrong product. If youd like me to help you find a laptop that would work for your needs, feel free to msg me, with what you plan to use it for exactly and/or post it on here so we can point you in the right direction.

Hey thanks for the reply.  A couple of things..I was looking at the Acer Netbook on here the 299 one and the product desciption is really lacking.  Its not even layed out as nicely as most others I have looked at.  I checked out another Acer Netbook just ten dollars more and it had a long and very detailed product description.  the more inexpensive one like you say you have with hardly any description is a real put off.  Not real sure what I would be getting.  At 1GB too I don't see how it could possibly keep up with my son's online activities either.  Another thing..while I realize 299 is considered cheap for any type of a computer I am disappointed they don't have a sale on it or the others for CyberMonday though they say they are having big sales.  I guess it doesn't apply to computers..:( 

NO NO NO! Netbooks are NOT designed for internet surfing! They're designed to be like PDA's the run off the same kind of processor..  All you can really do with them is check your email... Thats what they were made for, to mount to your car dashboard and be able to check email on the go... Sad but true :(

They can not handle web surfing... antivirus software, or even most java scripts that are run on most websites. I found this out the hard way... My son killed his netbook after a week of going on facebook.  You're gonna be very disappointed if you get these and they end up burning up after a week or 2... and your daughters will be disappointed as well. You'd be better off catching a cheap lap on sale... or buying a used one for them.

haha sorry that sounded a bit dramatic  

i just wanted to catch your attention before you actually went out and bought them...  i just dont want you to sink money into them and end up being horribly disappointed like we were! 

That's ok..I have talked to several family members that have laptops and know more then I do about these things and they are saying the same thing as you..netbooks can't keep up. I will believe them over 'strangers' on the net...nothing personal towards anyone on here.  I don't know what the point is of even selling them when a cellphone can do the same thing...or a blueberry.  Maybe its for people that don't like texting but want to type instead?  Don't know.  Anyway I am looking into Notebooks..lap tops now. I would only be returning a netbook I think and getting my money back..(before it got fried..lol).

Good Morning, Im also looking at buying a laptop or netbook for my 12 year old grandson, i know nothing about laptops. he goes on facebook alot and play games, but he searches the web for anything to do with science. I saw a acer aspire for $349.00 can ya help with suggestion

Thanks RB

Ocala,FL

BlondeGurrl said…

NO NO NO! Netbooks are NOT designed for internet surfing! They're designed to be like PDA's the run off the same kind of processor..  All you can really do with them is check your email... Thats what they were made for, to mount to your car dashboard and be able to check email on the go... Sad but true :(

They can not handle web surfing... antivirus software, or even most java scripts that are run on most websites. I found this out the hard way... My son killed his netbook after a week of going on facebook.  You're gonna be very disappointed if you get these and they end up burning up after a week or 2... and your daughters will be disappointed as well. You'd be better off catching a cheap lap on sale... or buying a used one for them.

---

I'm sorry to say, but you don't know what your talking about...mounting them on your dashboard and using them while driving would be extremely unsafe...also, a PC is a multiplatform tool, it's not an iPod that only does one thing, usually the limitations of the hardware or user prevent a PC from achieveing it's full potential... the Atom chip has a TDP of about 2 watts, whereas a new P series Core2Duo has TDP of about 25 watts ( which is still VERY good ). Pound for pound, dollar for dollar, I think the Atom chip does pretty darn well...also, can you be more specific about your son's netbook "burning" up...most of the people I talk to , when they say thier computer "died" it's really just a software problem, which, worst case scenario, isn't that big of a deal, just format and reimage...

they are mounted to the dashboard so you can check your email on the go. thats what the guy at staples told me after i brought back my netbook that was fried from running apps on facebook. they are made like PDA's and run off the same processor.... and not meant for web surfing. they can't even handle antivirus software... that right there should tell you something

Blondegurrl, i think you have been given the totally wrong idea about netbooks. That is why they are called NETBOOKS. they are specifically designed for people that want to surf the net and check email and don't wanna carry around a big bulky fullsize laptop. A netbook is just a smaller version of a full size laptop that can do pretty much everything a full size pc can do (just not as fast) Did you even read my last post. I have a netbook and i surf the internet, watch youtube videos, and run facebook on it everynight and have no problems with it what so ever and i have had it for 3 months now. I'm not trying to be mean here, but you are giving people totally wrong information on netbooks. I also run full powered antivirus on my netbook and it runs just fine and protects my netbook the same as it protects my full size desktop and laptop that i also own. And i'm sorry,  the person at Staples that told you all this information is and idiot and obviously has never used a netbook or knows anything about them and needs to be put in a different department at the store!!!. And WinstonMonroe is correct, mounting a netbook to you dash so you can check your email is dangerous and is the dumbest thing i have ever heard!!

Actually a lot of business have netbooks mounted to their dashboard, the reason why is because they have mobile broadband and the best place to pick up signal is to have the netbook mounted to the dash. So no it is not uncommon, and this is why a lot of major cell companies are promoting netbooks with 2 year contract service.

Now for actual major use netbooks really are just not a feasible purchase for multitasking, especially for a teenager. They will put tons of hours on it, tons of software and content and it will completely bog the netbook down past its intended duties. Netbooks are designed for adults to take on the go they were not designed for teenager usage. I am college student looking to be a web developer ~ and the memory usage of windows alone put netbooks barely higher than high end mobile phones. Software is not created to be optimized for netbooks and that is where the problem comes in at, while it make work out fine for the first year, if you are looking down the road after a year of usage the netbook will be pushed beyond capacity. The guy at staples more than likely deals with more business types in which case he was not incorrect just like the usage of business types with blackberrys are very different than normal consumers.

Sounds like the guy at Staples is an ex used car salesman.  He is using the perfect bait and switch routine.  Most of the people commenting are correct in that netbooks are not capable of the same functions as a full size lapstop.  They are great for web surfing.

my daughters burned up within 3 and a half months...went through 2 chargers and will not even respond to the 3rd new charger...it is garbage(acer aspire one)

Well, I'll say this, though they are more expensive, get the kids a Panasonic Toughbook.

You can pick up a dual core model, with 2 GB of RAM memory, for around $1,200.00.

They're built like a Timex...

Hi

I would like someone to point me in the right direction. I am going to graduate school and will be needing to buy a laptop. What I mostly need it for is research, papers, lots of internet searching and holding lots of files.  I would also like the regular perks (music files,mp3,DVD)  I guess what I am asking is, would a notebook be the cheaper alternative?

Hi rusticdiva, i have a Toshiba Satellite notebook that i picked up at Best Buy last year for around $700. It has tons a memory and a dvd drive with a built in dvd burner and label maker.  They are very reliable and last a long time. Anther really good notebook are the Dell Inspiron notebooks. They are built solid and come with plenty of options but won't hurt your poket book. Hope this helps.