Koobten – Netbooks and moreNetbook reviews

The biggest novelty of netbooks is perhaps in both their small size and inexpensive price. Back in the day, when you wanted an ultraportable computer, you had to be ready to pay an arm and a leg just to get the portability you needed. And in many cases, you get crippled or difficult-to upgrade computers. Take for instance Fujitsu or Sony ultraportables. These used to be priced upwards of $2,500 for a decent ultraportable with a 10 to 11 inch screen.

Of course, these days you can get a decent netbook from Asus, HP and many other brands from $200 to $600. But it’s not always the price that’s important. It can be any of the following considerations.

• Screen size – These days, 10-inch screens are the norm. You strike a balance between portability and comfort. Keyboards of 10-inchers are usually more manageable than netbooks with 9-inch screens. I personally prefer the 9-inch form factor for its portability, or at least a thin and light 10-inch such as the HP Mini 1000.
• Battery life – Most decent netbooks should give you at least three hours of battery life. But with the efficient Intel Atom platform, many netbooks can already go upwards of six hours per charge. My EeePC 900 runs 3.5 hours on its stock battery, but I get 5.5 hours on an extended battery I got cheap from an online seller.
• Storage space – Most netbooks today are advertised as having hard drives of 80GB or so. This is good for folks who need to bring their data anywhere, or those who use their netbooks as their primary computers. My EeePC has 12 GB of solid state space, and I’ve extended it using an 8 GB SD card. Even the 12 GB is enough for me because this is not my primary computer, anyway.
• Accessories and peripherals – Some netbooks focus on barebones usability. Some give you all the bells and whistles. Most new netbooks today have bluetooth, a webcam, and a lot of USB ports. Some brands have better support for third-party accessories like batteries, cases and the like.
• Operating System – Netbooks were touted to be the killer app for Linux. Most netbook manufacturers today offer a Linux option, which is usually cheaper because licensing is foregone. But it’s with netbooks that Microsoft’s Windows XP rebounded in popularity. With Windows 7 just around the corner, will Microsoft also be able to grab the low-power/low-spec market like netbooks?
• Style – What’s a netbook if you don’t bring it out every once in a while to work, study or play while at a cafe or while in school? Some people prefer form over function (but that’s not to say function should be without style). I like something that looks decent, but should be able to deliver from under the hood.
• Price – Of course, price is a big consideration. Would you pay $800 for a netbook, when this can already afford you a decent 14-inch laptop (and $200 more can get you a Macbook)? Or would you rather pay $250 for a barebones model that can get you online, do Office documents and let you video-chat with friends?

For me, the most important are battery life and connectivity. Price is also a consideration. I won’t pay too much for features that I might not always use or need.

What do you think is the most important feature of a netbook for you?

ComputerWorld reviews four new carrying cases for netbooks here. While several netbook manufacturers include a sleeve or pouch in the sales package, some do not (like my HP mini note). Or if you’re tired of your drab old netbook sleeve, you can get yourself a new one from reputable brands this Christmas season.

While I usually just pack my netbook (in sleeve) into my backpack, it’s also useful to have those sleeves that have carrying handles and zippered accessory carrier. I just recently bought a 10″ case for my mini note.

It’s actually marketed as a DVD case, but it fits most netbooks 10″ and below comfortably. It’s a wise investment that would definitely prolong the life of your netbook!

HP has launched the successor to the mini note, dubbed the Mini 1000. And for those closely following the Mini Note, you might say this is both an upgrade and a downgrade in many respects.

The Mini 1000 has a faster and better (arguably) processor, with the Intel Atom N270. You also have the option to go for a larger screen, but without sacrificing chasis size, since the original Mini note had a large bezel around the 9-inch screen.

Some disadvantages, however, according to Liliputing:

For me, the loss of the ExpressCard slot is not a deal breaker. Same with the other “downgrades” which I think are necessary to achieve this thinner form factor. The biggest gripe I would have is that HP no longer uses an aluminum chassis, which had set the original Mini note apart from all other netbooks.

I guess you have to have tradeoffs!

Liliputing reports that HP may be planning to create an inexpensive version of its 2133 Mini Note ultraportable. Citing an APC interview with an HP executive, it seems HP is having a stab at the lower-end to mid-range netbook market.

“From a retail perspective we’re looking at a similar device (to the 2133) but at a lower cost” said Jerel Chong, HP Australia’s Market Development Manager for Notebook PCs, at today’s launch of HP’s business mobility products for the second half of 2008. “It won’t be as durable but it will be cheaper”.

There is no clear information at this point, though, whether HP will stick with Via or switch to other chipsets, like the recently-introduced Intel Atom. Recall that the current Mini Note has been considered underpowered (even compared to the mobile Celeron-M processors that first-generation EeePCs use). With a new generation of Mini Notes, it is possible that HP will switch to other technologies.

koobten.com is all about Netbooks. You may notice the name koobten = netbook in reverse.

Now what exactly is a “netbook”? These are small networked devices that are used for various tasks that may not necessarily require large amounts of computing power, but rather portability and accessibility at a low price.

The term Netbook was introduced by Intel in February 2008 to describe a category of low-cost and scaled-down subnotebooks used primarily for surfing the Internet and performing other basic functions like word processing. These may be carried out using applications installed on a solid state drive or by the use of cloud computing services.

I’ve always had a fondness for gadgets. And since the day I got my first ever netbook–the Asus EeePC 701–I have always been fascinated by how quickly this industry has grown. Today you see a ton of netbooks from various manufacturers and brands. Here at koobten.com we will explore all of these.