netbook buying guide - what is a netbook?

Netbooks are a new breed of laptops geared towards everyday tasks like surfing the web and sending emails.

Netbooks are all about portability. They are small, light and have exceptional battery power. You can expect to receive at least 8 hours of battery life from your Netbook!

Due to their size and weight, Netbooks do lack some components (such as a CD ROM) but this saves you weight and money. Some Netbooks also include Web Cams which make them great for using applications such as Skype.

Highly portable and well priced are qualities that make Netbooks very desirable for everyday use. Throw one in a bag or briefcase and you'll never be without access to e-mail, the Web, or important files again.

As with most computer-related purchases, there are plenty of options to consider when buying a netbook - this simple guide should outline the features many netbooks exhibit and provide great information to help you choose the right Netbook for you!

Battery Life

It's the recent hardware innovations which have led to the feasibility of netbooks. One example is the solid-state drive (SSD). Traditional hard drives use spinning magnetic discs to store your data. These devices are heavy and constantly drain power to keep the discs spinning. Solid-state drives are more like USB memory sticks which use microchips to store data. The lack of moving parts mean they are less likely to fail if dropped making them ideal for something which isn't always sat on a desk. Since this technology is relatively new you will be paying a premium compared to traditional hard drives.

Netbooks make use of new generations of processors which like the netbooks they sit in are smaller, cheaper and more energy efficient. The most popular is the Intel Atom family of processors which have plenty of power for everyday tasks. High performance processors sap battery power and get hot which means fans must run to cool them, neither of which are desirable in your humble netbook.

Compared to laptops, netbooks typically have smaller screens which inherently need less power to illuminate. It is all these small differences which extend the battery life of netbooks. A decent battery life gives you the flexibility to take it away with you for a short weekend without lugging around power bricks and cables.

Top Tip - Netbooks have great battery power, look for models which offer at least 8 hours of battery life.

Design

One design aspect all netbooks exhibit is compact size. This makes them easy to fit in a bag ready to be used on the go. Some may find the smaller keyboards hard to use but screen size is something else worth considering from a usability point-of-view.

The reduced screen size obviously means there is less room to show things. This can adversely affect the appearance of some web pages and you might find yourself scrolling down documents more. Manufacturers find it hard to pack as many pixels into smaller screens and this reduces the resolution.

Weight is also a key factor as many users will carry their Netbooks with them on the move. Most models are relatively light-weight and average around 1-1.5kg which is a comfortable weight for travelling with.

Top Tip - Try to pick a Netbook that you feel comfortable with - have a play with the keyboard and a good look at the screen size to ensure the Netbook you choose is comfortable for you to use.

Operating System, Memory & Hard Disk

An operating system is the software which lets you interact with the computer. Most people are familiar with Microsoft Windows but there are alternatives. Some budget netbooks make use of a free operating system called Linux. Search engine giant Google plans to release their own operating system based on Linux in the latter part of 2010.

If you want to be sticking with something familiar then chances are you'll be after a netbook with Windows preinstalled. Manufacturers tend prefer Windows XP over Vista because it is faster and uses less space to store on the hard drive. Presently the vast majority of Netbooks available on the market are running Microsoft XP. Microsoft have developed Windows 7 with netbooks in mind and you will notice that Netbooks will gradually become available with Windows 7 installed.

The majority of Netbooks run on Intel's Newest and smallest processor, the Intel® Atom™. This is an energy efficient processor which delivers the performance you need to surf the internet, as well as stream video and music. Its tiny size and low cost have helped create some incredibly compact and capable products, with reasonable battery life in a cost effective package!

Most Netbooks contain around 1GB of RAM (Memory) which is typically more than enough to provide good performance for surfing the web, steaming video and word processing.

Top Tip -Windows XP is a good bet for a stable operating system for your Netbook, we would also recommend choosing a model with at least 1GB or RAM and a Hard Drive of at least 100GB+ for storage.

Screen Sizes

Choosing a screen size is all about finding a balance between portability and size/weight. Most netbook manufacturers divide their product lines by screen size and for most Netbooks a 10-inch screen is pretty common within most models. Some manufacturers have experimented with 7-inch and 9-inch screens, but most have now found that a 10-inch screen for a Netbook is typically the most practical.

That size affords a relatively roomy 1024-by-600-pixel resolution on nearly all models. It's also wide enough to accommodate a decent sized keyboard.

Top Tip - Try to opt for a Netbook with a screen size of at least 10-inches, this will be more suitable for browsing the web and save you scrolling the page too much!

Portability

Netbooks offer you a low cost portable way to wirelessly access the web. So far Netbooks have found success with students and consumers but their unique characteristics also make them attractive to many professionals. Netbooks are small, slim and lightweight - they will easily fit in your bag, on your desk, or on your lap which could be on the train or simply on the sofa.

Due to an average battery life of around 8 hours, Netbooks can be used on the go for quite some time without the need for re-charging and due to their wireless internet (wi-fi) capabilities, you can relax in a coffee shop using free internet, without the need for plugging anything in!

Top Tip - Netbook include Wi-Fi as a standard feature, meaning you can use your netbook to surf the internet where ever you have a Wireless Internet Connection (such as a coffee shop, library, friends house etc).

Price

Netbooks are priced significantly lower than Laptops, with average prices for netbooks ranging around the £250 mark, rather than £400-500 for that of a Laptop. Because of their relatively low price, netbooks offer exceptional value for money. Despite having a lower price, Netbooks are offer most of the key features you would expect to find in a laptop. The only obvious feature missing is that of a CD/DVD Drive, however this is not present on a Netbook to allow it to be so much smaller, lighter in weight and ultimately cheaper in price. If you really need a CD/DVD Drive you could purchase a USB plug-in drive to work with your Netbook.

Top Tip - A £250-300 price range will allow you to buy a very capable and good specification Netbook. Be aware that Netbooks that are priced under £200 are likely to have a smaller screen or lower amount of Memory (RAM) or smaller Hard Drive - as with everything, you get what you pay for!