It's decision time. What to buy for school, a notebook or a netbook? Netbooks are great for their portability and low price. Notebooks are good for their much more usable keyboards, optical drives, and processing power. So which one is right for you ?Here are five good choices in each category.
notebooks
Here are some parameters I used when choosing a notebook for school.
1. The startup cost must be under $1,100. I would shoot for under $1,000, but the MacBook starts at $1,099 and is a very viable option, especially if your school uses Macs.
2. Must weigh less than six pounds.
3. Must have a multi-core processor.
Best Notebook for Mac Users: MacBook ($1,099)
Surprised by this choice? Didn't think so. If you grew up with a Mac or attend a school that's primarily Mac-based, here's your option: the $1,099 MacBook. Sure, you can get Windows-based notebooks at half the price Get the price of the base MacBook, but a variety of style preferences, software requirements, and brand loyalty ensure the MacBook remains one of Apple's strongest sellers.
Best Large Screen Notebook Still Sorta-Light: Toshiba L305D ($679)
Pick up a 15.4-inch notebook and you'll find that the only thing bigger than the screen itself is the immense weight the notebook adds to your bag. Most break the six-pound mark with reckless abandon and even come in the seven and eight pound range. However, Toshiba's L305D is different.
It has a 15.4-inch screen but starts at just under 5.5 pounds. With 160GB of hard drive storage and 3GB of RAM, the starting price of $679 is nice. You can get it for as little as $599, though the one with just 1GB of RAM. It's worth the extra $80 for 3GB.
Best Tablet Notebook: HP Pavilion tx2500z Series ($899)
The HP Pavilion tx2500z series tablet PCs offer a relatively cheap and lightweight computing option. The 12.1-inch screen can be tilted, swiveled, and tilted, and these newer models have HP's hipster "echo" designs on them the lid.
Until tomorrow you can get some pretty decent extras: $150 instant discount, free upgrade to 3GB RAM, free shipping and 50% off Office Home and Student Edition.
Best Notebook at Netbook Price: Acer Extensa EX4420 ($499)
When you hear people say, "Why should I buy a netbook when I can get a real notebook for the same price?", that's what they mean. The Acer Extensa EX4420 has 2GB of RAM, a dual-core AMD processor, a DVD burner, a 14.1-inch screen, and a 5.4-pound travel weight. At $499, it should do most everyday students—both in the classroom and in the money department.
Best Workhorse for "Let's Get Down to Business": Dell Latitude E6400 ($879)
For students who spend more time in class and in the library than anywhere else, there's the Dell Latitude E6400. It's actually sold by Dell's division, but don't let that put you off.
The notebook has a large 14.1-inch that can be upgraded to a whopping 1440×900 resolution, but it manages to weigh just under 4.3 pounds. If you're willing to hit the $1,100 spending limit bust, you can caffeine the E6400 with a 9-cell battery, a battery slice, and a solid-state drive for 19 hours of computing time before it needs a charge. Unbelievable.
netbooks
Netbooks are the small but dingy cousins of full-fledged notebooks. They're slim enough to fit in a large purse or small backpack, or they can probably fit in that pile of books you're carrying around and hoping for you can scan it quickly before class begins.
Parameter:
1. Must be running Windows. Sorry. This is aimed at college kids. If your school supports Linux, that's great, but most schools are either Mac or PC oriented.
2. Must weigh less than 3.5 pounds.
3. Must cost less than $600 when Windows is installed.
Best All-Around Netbook: Asus Eee 1000H with XP and 6-Cell Battery ($549)
With a large (for a netbook) 10.2-inch screen, 80GB hard drive, 1GB RAM, Windows XP, and a six-cell battery with a battery life of over seven hours, the 3.19-pound Asus Eee 1000H could almost be mistaken for an actual notebook. There is also an integrated webcam and a 95% full keyboard.
You also get nice intangibles like a strong and countless user community and a wide range of accessories and cases. Well, if (like many other netbook brands) you could only find one in stock. Amazon's current delivery time is 1-2 months .
Best Vista-Based Netbook: HP 2133 Mini-Note ($579)
One of the few notable netbooks with a Windows Vista option, the HP 2133 Mini-Note is widely considered to have one of the best keyboards and build quality out there. For just under $600 you get an 8.9-inch screen, a VIA C7 M ultra-low-voltage processor, a 120GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, and a travel weight of 2.8 pounds.
You really, really have to want to run Vista Home, though. The 1GB of RAM, three-cell battery, and 1.2GHz VIA C3 processor make this an gamble.
Best Netbook Deal: Acer Aspire One with XP and Six-Cell Battery ($399)
Acer's extremely aggressive pricing hasn't made the company's relatively late entry into the netbook game an issue. A case in point is the Aspire One with an 8.9-inch screen, 160GB hard drive, 1GB RAM, XP Home and a six-cell battery for over five hours of work for $399. That's an insane price for all these features. It also shows that you have to wait 2-5 weeks to get, for example, one of to get Amazon.
Best Big Screen Netbook Under $500: MSI Wind ($499)
Despite recent consumer-unfriendly price hikes, the MSI Wind is still good value for a 10-inch screen netbook running Windows XP. The build quality and screen are particularly nice, and the Wind doesn't feel too short or flimsy (see our review here). Newegg currently has the black MSI Wind on sale for $499, which comes with a 120GB hard drive, 1GB RAM, 10-inch screen, 2.3-pound travel weight and a 3-cell battery for more than two hours of work before it needs to be recharged.
Best Netbook You Need to Buy Least: Dell Inspiron Mini 9 ($399)
Whether you've had a positive experience with Dell or not, the fact is that the company is one of the most recognizable names in computing. If you're concerned about buying a netbook from a company you've never heard of, Dell may be your safest place to be. Also, for $399, you get an 8.9-inch screen, Windows XP, 512MB RAM (you can upgrade to 1GB for $25), an 8GB -Solid-state drive, a travel weight of 2.28 pounds, and a four-cell battery for over four hours of work (according to Dell).
But beware. These things have ONLY come out, so they're relatively unproven. However, I would hope that being a company of its own, Dell would have thoroughly tested these netbooks.
