help me flist-wan kenobi: netbooks
May. 19th, 2011 07:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
coraaWord from the laptop shop is that while I may be able to find a fan for my laptop "eventually," I am not going to find one in the "next few months" timeframe. I think that means it's time to give it up as a lost cause, as I can't go that long without a laptop of my own.
That being said, I don't want to go into debt to get a new full-fledged laptop (where by 'full-fledged' I mean 'able to play The Sims 3 and Final Fantasy 14'). So I think what I'll do is get a netbook now, and save up for a new "permanent" laptop later.
So: I would love to hear your recommendations on netbooks!
For my purposes (and please, if this doesn't meet your/the Internet/slashdot/whoever's definition, you don't need to edumacate me because I don't care), a netbook is a laptop, usually small in dimensions, on which I can do basic word processing and access the Internet, but that does not have a huge onboard hard drive, lots of RAM, a beefy video card, etc. I have other borrowable computers for the occasions that I absolutely need something with more processing power, and a NAS RAID array for storage. Basically, I want something that I can write on and use to browse the web, and slip into my backpack for on-the-go writing, and that's it.
I am looking to pay $400 or less including tax and shipping. That means an approximate max of $350 shelf price.
I would prefer something with Windows 7, but it can be cheapo Windows 7 Home or Starter. (I am familiar in that 'broken-in jeans and sneakers' way with Windows, and Linux and Mac are like stiff uncomfortable work clothes with new high-heel shoes to me. I can live with them if necessary, but I'd rather not.) It must, however, have a keyboard; that is, I am not looking for a tablet.
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
vom_marlowe had good things to say about the Dell Inspiron netbook series, and I've had good luck with Dell in general. I've also used ceph's eeePC for some time, happily. But I'd be happy to hear other people's experience.
That being said, I don't want to go into debt to get a new full-fledged laptop (where by 'full-fledged' I mean 'able to play The Sims 3 and Final Fantasy 14'). So I think what I'll do is get a netbook now, and save up for a new "permanent" laptop later.
So: I would love to hear your recommendations on netbooks!
For my purposes (and please, if this doesn't meet your/the Internet/slashdot/whoever's definition, you don't need to edumacate me because I don't care), a netbook is a laptop, usually small in dimensions, on which I can do basic word processing and access the Internet, but that does not have a huge onboard hard drive, lots of RAM, a beefy video card, etc. I have other borrowable computers for the occasions that I absolutely need something with more processing power, and a NAS RAID array for storage. Basically, I want something that I can write on and use to browse the web, and slip into my backpack for on-the-go writing, and that's it.
I am looking to pay $400 or less including tax and shipping. That means an approximate max of $350 shelf price.
I would prefer something with Windows 7, but it can be cheapo Windows 7 Home or Starter. (I am familiar in that 'broken-in jeans and sneakers' way with Windows, and Linux and Mac are like stiff uncomfortable work clothes with new high-heel shoes to me. I can live with them if necessary, but I'd rather not.) It must, however, have a keyboard; that is, I am not looking for a tablet.
vom_marlowe had good things to say about the Dell Inspiron netbook series, and I've had good luck with Dell in general. I've also used ceph's eeePC for some time, happily. But I'd be happy to hear other people's experience.
no subject
Date: 2011-05-20 11:56 am (UTC)I would highly recommend going somewhere that you can touch and type on models you are considering before you order them. The key feel ranges widely, as does the positioning of some of the 'extra' keys (like backspace >.< ).
The downside to any netbook is what you've already encountered: if the fan goes, you may have a hell of a time finding a new one. Apparently a lot of the manufacturers are putting special design fans in their netboooks so that you HAVE to go back to them to get replacements. MSI, for example, integrated the CPU and GPU heatsink into the fan assembly, so you can't just buy a fan and replace it. I found this out when mine stopped working (3 months shy of end of warranty) and I tried shopping around at the computer places that specialize in parts -- most of the techies just shook their heads when I said "netbook fan". (I can't speak to Dell's habits about this, as I have no experience with them.)
My problem was fixed with a little netbook surgery (I had never registered it properly, so sending it back to MSI wasn't really an option) -- I opened the case, cleaned the fan, and reapplied thermal paste to the GPU, and voila! Working fine again.