Netbook for travel writer

Originally Posted by JesterEric

.. .the size of the 900's keyboard isn't that bad for me...it's the silly position of the right shift key on ASUS keyboards.

Amen. You're preaching to the choir.

I have the 901 and the 1000HE models and on my three week trip to the USA over the Christmas/New Year holiday recently used a borrowed 900 (all Asus). I wouldn't hesitate to carry any of them on a trip because you get used to the right shift key problem. Just sold my MacBook yesterday so will be using the Asus more now.

Having your own computer with you is a good idea if you do any hotel or travel reservations online. I keep my 901 or 1000HE on all day in sleep mode so I can pull it out and use it anytime, charge it at night. I use it for online class on the road. Download class materials. Work on assignments. Send in papers and even take tests online.

Targus makes a good plug adapter. I have one of these plug adapters. Just found two OZ adapters in my drawer. LOL

Originally Posted by ericinboston

1) DO NOT GET Windows 7 STARTER edition.

EIB, if I recommend Asus based on my experience, I think it's fair for you to be against HP based on your experience. However, I just have to pull this string of yours about being against Windows 7 Starter. It's in a lot of netbooks on a lot of shelves. The number one job of an OS is to operate the system which it does. Swapping out Starter means more money for another OS. What's your travel netbook beef with Starter if W7 is just a prettier XP?

[ThisIsNot]

Wait... It is alright to recommend one brand over another yet it is not OK to tell people to stay away from one OS? The purpose of an operating system is not to just run the computer. If that were the case, we would all still be running DOS or the OSs used on the Apple and Apple IIe systems. If the sole purpose of an operating system was to run a computer, Microsoft would have never released Windows Vista as it runs systems rather poorly, much more people would be using Linux, etc.

Using Windows 7 Home Premium over Windows 7 Starter has not shown higher costs (aside from what manufacturers charge on their customization sites). For example, Best Buy was offering an Asus Eee PC 1005HA-B (the Best Buy edition) with Windows XP. I can now purchase the same netbook at Best Buy running Windows 7 Home Premium for a price that is actually less than what it was last year. There is absolutely no excuse to offer a watered down version of Windows 7 for netbooks especially since Microsoft spent so much time making sure that Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate (though not every feature) could run on typical netbook hardware. I can understand why Microsoft did this with Vista as that was a resource hog. Windows 7 isn't though. It consumes a little more resources than Windows XP but it isn't anything near what Vista consumes.

I guess I don't see anything wrong with someone not recommending a watered down OS especially whenever many people have brand recommendations. Is it alright for me to recommend HP, you to recommend Asus, and Eric to recommend Dell yet we can't comment on the operating systems being run on netbooks?

Originally Posted by ThisIsNot

I guess I don't see anything wrong with someone not recommending a watered down OS especially whenever many people have brand recommendations. Is it alright for me to recommend HP, you to recommend Asus, and Eric to recommend Dell yet we can't comment on the operating systems being run on netbooks?

Don't be so blustery TIN man. Recommend whatever you like. Same for EIB. I asked why. This is a forum for discussion.

Why is Starter not appropriate for a travel netbook?

[ericinboston]

Originally Posted by netbooking

EIB, if I recommend Asus based on my experience, I think it's fair for you to be against HP based on your experience. However, I just have to pull this string of yours about being against Windows 7 Starter. It's in a lot of netbooks on a lot of shelves. The number one job of an OS is to operate the system which it does. Swapping out Starter means more money for another OS. What's your travel netbook beef with Starter if W7 is just a prettier XP?

1)I never said Asus stinks or anything like that...I simply said I hate HP.

2)I never said W7 STARTER is a prettier version of XP...I said W7, in all it's configurations and glory, is just a prettier version of Windows...ESPECIALLY when it comes to netbooks. The 2 or 3 technical improvements (64bit OS, access more than 3GB of memory, different security model) has no bearing on netbook use.

3)W7 STARTER edition, as we have discussed here before, is a FAR FAR FAR less worthy operating system than full fledged Windows XP or Windows 7 Home/Pro/Ultimate. W7 STARTER edition is a barebones OS that MS should be embarrassed to have released...if a netbook comes with W7 Starter, either upgrade to W7 Home/Pro/whatever or get it with XP...or choose a different OS. That's how strongly I feel against W7 Starter edition...and others around the world share my feelings.


Again, folks can read the long thread on W7 Starter Edition in the General forum.

-Eric

p.s. if someone is looking at a netbook that only comes with W7 Starter edition, with no way to upgrade at time of purchase, you might as well just buy an iPad...which will give you a similar closed-loop OS with limited functionality and limited end-user customization. In fact, has the original author of this thread considered in iPad (not shipping till 3/27/2010)?

Originally Posted by ericinboston

1)I never said Asus stinks or anything like that...I simply said I hate HP.

Not a problem for me either way. Neither one of us is shy with recommendations nor for that matter is TIN man.

W7 STARTER edition, as we have discussed here before, is a FAR FAR FAR less worthy operating system than full fledged Windows XP or Windows 7 Home/Pro/Ultimate. W7 STARTER edition is a barebones OS that MS should be embarrassed to have released...

That said, I wouldn't see it as a problem for a travel netbook. Then, again, that is just my opinion. Our OP is on a budget and paying for another OS seems unnecessary to me.

[ericinboston]

Originally Posted by netbooking

That said, I wouldn't see it as a problem for a travel netbook. Then, again, that is just my opinion. Our OP is on a budget and paying for another OS seems unnecessary to me.

But all netbooks are travel netbooks. The whole point of a netbook is to be ultra portable which means it's very easy to travel with.

Also, as I mentioned, if the original poster is forced to look at machines with Windows 7 Starter edition, he/she should ALSO take a few minutes and look at the iPad. The iPad's only real drawbacks (from a netbook point of view) are:

• The "applications" you can run on it are only the ones from the iTunes store...so you will NOT be seeing your normal, full fledged apps like MS Office, Adobe Acrobat, AOL IM, Firefox, etc.
  
• Inability to save documents (like MS Office stuff) on the iPad
  
• No USB port...which means you will not be plugging a camera or printer into it...nor could you use the USB port for a possibly power charging solution if you don't have your AC power adapter handy.
  
• No USB port also means no plugging in a 16GB or 32GB Flash drive for added storage and/or easy transfer of files
  
• No memory card reader means no ability for added storage and/or easy transfer of files
  
• 9.7" screen...kinda small these days when everything else is 10"-12"
  
• No protective cover/case for the glass screen. I'm not talking about a carrying case, I'm talking about how all laptops/netbooks have a nice hard plastic shell on the back of the LCD monitor so you can "close" your netbook and not have to worry about the screen getting knicked or scratched or bumped.

My general feeling about the iPad is that it is a glorified iPod Touch meets the iPhone...if you do not currently own a laptop/netbook AND you do not currently own an iPhone 3GS or an iPod Touch then the iPad is for you unless you have a very specific use case that really demands a full netbook/laptop...see my list above for examples.

I really would like to try out the iPad later this year...but unless something really makes me go wowsers, I think it's just a nice-to-have toy for me since I own an iPhone 3GS and already have a nice netbook. Remember, the barebones iPad is $500...it's not like it's $199 where I might be more inclined to "blow" some money.

-Eric

[travelbug]

Nope, Eric, I haven't considered an iPad at all. I really need MS Office for my type of work, and to be honest, the iPads don't really appeal to me (apart from that, I hate iTunes!)

Jester, my reason for wanting a long battery life is that I'll probably be staying in either bare-bones guesthouse rooms or dorms, meaning that I'll probably be wanting to do my writing in cafes, etc, where I may not be able to plug in. By the way, I'm travelling to Europe -- at first mainly Eastern Europe and Turkey. Later I'll end up in the West and Morocco. I'm glad you like Melbourne, my home town. It's a great little city. (Travellers often say that they loved spectacular Sydney for a short visit, but Melbourne's a city for living.)

You've all given me much food for thought. Most of the netbooks I've looked at have either had XP or W7, not Starter, so I don't think I'd be going for Starter anyway. Good tip about not getting a unit that's been around longer than 6 months; for some reason (maybe Melbourne's a bit of a tech backwater) most of the shops stock really old netbooks...

Oh, and just to clear up the he/she issue -- I'm a she.

Thanks to you all.

[ThisIsNot]

Originally Posted by netbooking

Don't be so blustery TIN man. Recommend whatever you like. Same for EIB. I asked why. This is a forum for discussion.

Why is Starter not appropriate for a travel netbook?

I am not being "blustery," I am simply stating what I think and the paradox I observed. Besides, I think Eric and I have already expressed why we think Windows 7 Starter is garbage in a couple of other threads here.

[ericinboston]

Originally Posted by travelbug

my reason for wanting a long battery life is that I'll probably be staying in either bare-bones guesthouse rooms or dorms, meaning that I'll probably be wanting to do my writing in cafes, etc, where I may not be able to plug in. By the way, I'm travelling to Europe --

I would definitely grab yourself a netbook that promises 7+ hours in battery life then...many do.

If you intend to type for more than 2 hours at a time, get yourself an 11" or 12" model...especially since you stated you were going to use MS Office...the application will take up a good inch of the perimeter of your screen. And also with the screen, see if you can get a netbook that has at least 1024x768 resolution...hopefully higher such as 1366x768. The higher the numbers, the more stuff you can fit on your screen.

Also, I would get a quality European power converter/adapter...maybe $25-$40 depending on where you find it...get one from Radio Shack or Newegg.com or someplace reputable...not a $9.99 one at Walmart.

If you have an Amex credit card, use that for your purchase...you will get an ADDITIONAL full year warranty for free.

-Eric