Netbook for travel writer

[travelbug]

Hi Eric,

Do you know if that Amex warranty offer is applicable in Australia, too, or just the US? Is it for any brand?

I still think I'll be going for a 10" -- I've used a friend's 10" with MS Word and I found it fine.

I'm still gravitating towards MSI Winds, but they're not available anywhere at the moment here. I'm thinking I should wait around for a couple weeks for the MSI Wind U130 to come out and try that (only problem is I'm leaving for Europe in 5 1/2 weeks, so it's a bit of a squeeze...) I haven't really been able to find any consistent specs for them, though, but the reviews I've read have been decent. Does anyone know whether their battery life is okay?

I'll probably just snap soon and just go out and buy the first one I see!

travelbug,

Melbourne is not a tech backwater. LOL Monash University with the Clayton IT school is there and so is RMIT. You could probably check around for a student with something to sell.

I called Victor at Computer Repair in Melbourne (Montague Street and City Road; 0431 557 916) and he has several of the Asus 901's in the A$400 range.

I carry the Asus 901 a lot. It has a matte screen which I prefer, a 16GB SSD with a SD card slot, good battery life and decent keyboard. Mine has XP Pro so you get to avoid all that Windows 7 blowby discussion since it comes with XP. 8-) My whole kit with charger, extra SD card wallet, mouse and bag comes in at 1.5kg.

The 10in Asus 1000HE is another good choice since you are leaning toward a larger size.

The iPad is not available for sale anywhere in the world. Small wonder it is not a good choice. Nice call by you.

Remember I travel with just a briefcase (unless I'm on the job and need gear). The 901 is my choice.

Just so you know, I had trouble with the typing on it for a while due to my clumsy fingers. I do fine now. My wife took to it easily with her agile hands. Actually she likes all the netbooks. YMMV

[ericinboston]

Originally Posted by travelbug

Do you know if that Amex warranty offer is applicable in Australia, too, or just the US? Is it for any brand?

I don't know if Amex gives this perk to non-USA residents. Check out:

https://www212.americanexpress.com/d...aq&type=intfaq

The coverage is for anything you purchase (must be a product...not a service). So it will cover electronics, computers, file cabinets, phones, toys, etc. Anything that you can touch, basically.

-Eric

[ThisIsNot]

Originally Posted by travelbug

I'm still gravitating towards MSI Winds, but they're not available anywhere at the moment here.

The only issue with the MSI Winds is that they haven't updated their lineup in a while. The Wind U130 and U135 aim to change that though. The U130 is able to achieve a little over 5 hours of real world performance so it isn't the efficiency warrior that it should be. You may want to look towards the Asus Eee PC line as they have always offered good battery lives. Even their 3-cell netbooks get about 5 hours on a single charge. They have a new netbook out now that gets an advertised 12 hours on a single charge, this means that it will get about 9-10 hours of real world usage. I would also stay away from the MSI Wind U100 if battery life is important. It has an advertised 7 hours but that is reduced to 5 with real world usage.

Originally Posted by ericinboston

• Inability to save documents (like MS Office stuff) on the iPad

I know this isn't an iPad discussion thread but it actually has the ability to save documents to the iPad's internal memory, e-mail the documents as attachments, and even download them from the web or through the e-mail client (I am not sure which one). The iPad can open, e-mail, and save the following document types: .jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc and .docx (Microsoft Word); .htm and .html (web pages); .key (Keynote); .numbers (Numbers); .pages (Pages); .pdf (Preview and Adobe Acrobat); .ppt and .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt (text); .rtf (rich text format); .vcf (contact information); .xls and .xlsx (Microsoft Excel) files. Of course, this requires the purchase of the $9.99 (each) iPad versions of Keynote, Pages, and Numbers.

[travelbug]

Thanks for the info, Eric.

And thanks for your thoughts, ThisIsNot. You mentioned a new Eee PC that gets 9-10 hours battery life. Do you happen to know the model name/number of that one? I've been having another look at the Asus Eee PCs on your advice. It's a pity their keyboards aren't so comfortable as the MSIs... They also seem to be a little heavier than some. But I'll keep looking...

[ThisIsNot]

Sure, I can give you some links to multiple Eee PCs that get at least 9 hours of real world operation:
1005PE ($320)
1005HA ($319)
1001P ($300)

They are all at a reasonable price and run at least an Atom N280 processor (just as powerful as the new Atom N450 processor). They really aren't all that much heavier than any of the MSI models. For example, the Eee PC 1001P netbook comes in at 2.8 lbs while the MSI Wind U123 is 2.6 lbs. You aren't going to notice a difference of 0.2 lbs. There is an MSI U123 with a 9 cell battery that lasts up to 9.5 hours (more like 8.5 hours of real world usage). However, with the battery, it weighs nearly 6 lbs. Now that is a difference that you will notice.

If you had to go with one, I would recommend the Eee PC 1001P. Just from looking at the specs, it looks like it will give you the most bang for your buck. The $299 price tag is hard to argue with and the user reported 10 hours of real world usage makes it compete with an MSI Wind that has a much heavier 9 cell battery (while also coming it at $100+ less than the new MSI Wind models).

Travelbug, you should double check on shipping the 1001P recommended by ThisIsNot. I don't believe it can be shipped to Melbourne. Not all Amazon distribution paths go there due to seller restrictions.

The Amex only applies to USA accounts.

The iPad is not sold anywhere in the world right now and, of course, specifications may change for when it is sold later. Check with My Mac in Melbourne.

Here are computer stores in Melbourne.

The Toshiba NB300N450/1GB/160GB/10.1"WSVGA/Win7Starter is available at Computer World for A$600 plus A$295 for Microsoft Office.

I just noticed that MSY has Asus demo, refurbished with full warranty at the Clayton store while supplies last.

HTH

[JesterEric]

I'll second the rec on the ASUS EEE 1001P. Great price and a great machine. Now that ASUS is pretty much phasing oiut 9" models, my second ASUS is likely to be this one (though I may try and get a 900/901 refurbished and play around with eeebuntu and other linux distros).

Chris has set up a great forum here, especially for comparisons, but for strictly ASUS/EEE stuff, the EEE User Forum is fantastic. That group is so good, there are anecdotes of ASUS tech support sending people there. (Okay, that's also a testimony of the lack of ASUS tech support, but still...)

[travelbug]

You guys are fantastic! Thanks for all your advice.

ThisIsNot, you're right, 2.8 pounds is fine. It's when it gets much up over 3 pounds that I start to get nervous. I'll be looking out for the Asus 1001P -- it looks impressive.

PS netbooking, I didn't realise Monash Uni and RMIT were internationally known. I went to RMIT myself (although I was not doing anything remotely computer-y, as I'm sure you can guess...)

[ThisIsNot]

Yeah, 3 lbs starts to become a little heavy for a netbook especially whenever Dell and Toshiba make ultra portable notebooks that are 3-3.5 lbs. I have yet to handle an Eee PC 1001P but it looks a lot like an updated 1005HA (just a little bit on the lighter side).

The Amazon links I gave you were for the U.S. sight. You might have to check to see if there is an Amazon specific sight to your country or it Amazon.com can ship internationally.