I’m reposting this from our last-minute Xmas wish list 2009 posted in Sean’s blog on InfoWorld.com and ITBookworm.com, just because I’d like to have it around on my blog.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
I wanted a netbook. When it came time to choose a netbook, I did some reading, and quickly found: netbooks are very much alike. They’re all very small and light, with about a 10″ screen and a squashed together keyboard, wireless networking. But there are a few key differences that can mean the difference between a happy netbook user, and a netbook owner who never touches the thing. These differences include:
- Storage – 80-250Gb
- Memory – Usually 1 Gb, though I have seen 2Gb (on the Acer Aspire One)
- Battery life – 3 to 6 hours
- Keyboard – style, layout, action, and size
- Windows version – XP or Vista
I realize that I may alienate the hardcore hardware guys because I’m not acknowledging the different processor speeds, but for me, 1.33 Ghz vs 1.6 isn’t the deciding factor. Oh, and some netbooks are prettier than others, but you can weigh asthetics as heavily or lightly as you like.
Here’s the rundown for my HP Mini 5101:
- 160Gb hard drive
- 2Gb RAM
- an integrated webcam
- gigabit ethernet
- bluetooth connectivity
- Windows XP (now comes with Vista Business, with downgrade to XP Pro)
- rated 4.5 hours of battery life – I’ve found this to be pretty accurate, depending on what I’m doing.
- 95% full-size chiclet keyboard
The keyboard was what largely sold me. I find I lose a huge percentage of my productivity if I’m on a funky laptop keyboard, like my work laptop, which puts my often-used keys in the weirdest places. But the Mini has done very well with the space it has. The top row function keys (F1, etc) are toggled off by default; I found this annoying at first, but it turns out that I use the replacement functions (like volume, mute, and change display) far more often than I use F5 et al. Page Up/Down and Home/End are toggled with the fn key; that has been slightly bothersome, as I use those keys CONSTANTLY. But, I’m getting into the habit , and I consider it a very small price for a box with such a small physical footprint.
The speakers are perfectly decent. We regularly watch instant play Netflix movies on the Mini. And I love the webcam. I’ve heard tell of people scoffing at integrated webcams, but I’ve had no problems with it. I made a couple of movies in Windows Movie Maker, and on a trip, I used it to walk my kids around the conference center via instant messenger video call.
Okay, so: Great little box, perfectly respectable battery life, nice features, and a great keyboard. Verdict: Love it!
Happy days,
Jen McCown