What is a Netbook and Should I Buy It?

In short a netbook is a laptop with a lot less bells and whistles along with  sacrificing speed and abilities.  

We are living in an age where people want and need information fast, sometimes this information is critical and other times it is simply wanting to know the latest gossip on the news.  None the less, a netbook might be right for you, and then it might not be, so the best thing to do is show some comparisons before I draw the conclusion at the end of this article.

What a Netbook Can Do:

•  Go Anywhere

•  Surf the Internet Via WiFi or Ethernet Connection

•  Word Processing or Spreadsheets

•  Play MP3’s or Music

•  Operating Systems:  Linux & Windows

•  Small and Very Portable.

•  USB Connections

What Must Be Tolerated:

•  Small Screens 7” to 10”  and Integrated Graphics.

•  Storage Capacity: 160GB Average

•  Memory:  1GB or maybe greater.

•  Processing:  CPU is limited, 1.6Ghz is the highest at the moment, and single core.

•  Compact Keyboards (Unless you have really small hands, typing fast will not happen, and

   some keyboards may not  have a standard key layout.)

•  Battery Life:  Depending on what you are going to be doing, a 3 cell battery might last 2 hours

   or less.  If you don’t mind a little more weight, then get an extended battery like a 6 cell.

•  Most with No Optical Drives:  CD/ROM, DVD, Etc.

•  Weight will depend on the content of the netbook and the screen size, however  the average

   weight is between 3 and 4 pounds.

So, at the end of the day, if you are planning to use the netbook for simple stuff such as email, word processing, and surfing the Net, then you would likely benefit from a netbook.  However, if you are looking for more things such as photo editing, game playing, then you really need to step up to a laptop/notebook.  For now, netbooks are built on yesterday technology, so abilities will be limited by this.