Mini lap-tot

[Nancy Boy]

I'm seriously thinking of getting an Acer Aspire One AOD150-1577 mini-laptop. I think this model gives the most bang for the buck. I'm only using it for e-mail, Facebook and to update my website when I'm traveling. I also want to use it at home. I already have a desktop, but like the idea of portability while I'm watching TV in the living room. They're currently going for 329.00 which is a good price point.

1. Does anyone own a mini and what is your opinion?

2. I will need to get a wireless router for my home. What should I spend on it and is it easy to hook up?

Thanks, guys/ladies for your help with this.

 

[soapbox]

I'm seriously thinking of getting an Acer Aspire One AOD150-1577 mini-laptop. I think this model gives the most bang for the buck. I'm only using it for e-mail, Facebook and to update my website when I'm traveling. I also want to use it at home. I already have a desktop, but like the idea portability while I'm watching TV in the living room. They're currently going for 329.00 which is a good price point.

1. Does anyone own a mini and what is your opinion?

2. I will need to get a wireless router for my home. What should I spend on it and is it easy to hook up?

Thanks, guys/ladies for your help with this.

Hey Robert,

As long as you aren't trying to type or stare at the small screen for too long, these are valuable additions to your computing life. I like to think of the tiny laptops as useful compromises when weight and space are restricted. They don't have the 24" screen or the processing grunt of my machines at home, but a great choice for light computing.

I don't own a netbook but several colleagues of mine use them and report that they're great, as long as you don't have to type very much. Also, you should probably not try to watch movies on them, as the CPU just doesn't have a lot of power for such activity.

As for wireless routers, I've been pleased with the Linksys WRT- series. I use a WRT54GS and WRT54GL (currently $50 at newegg.com, but those are older technology now, since the new "N" wireless became available.

Still, "G" (54 Megabits per second) is plenty fast unless you're streaming more than one video feed or something.

 

[The Cockroach King]

get a d-link wireless router

 

[Confuzius]

My girlfriend has an EEEpc 900, not quite as powerful as the one you're looking at so you should be fine. I'm 6'3" with fairly big hands and havn't really ever had trouble typing on it after a 5 minute adjustment period.

We took it to Italy with us and it was a great travel companion, plus small enough to fit in a large purse (or man-bag) and it even fits in most hotel room safes which was very nice. Although it's slightly smaller than the one you're looking at.

As far as wireless routers go I've always had great experiences with the Linksys WRT54G series, they're cheap and reliable, easy enough to setup basically, yet configureable enough if you want to get techy.

 

[Joshua Da Silva]

Make sure you look at them in the store to see how it fits you. I mean that literally because some netbooks can be hard to type on, however, most people can along just fine after some practice.

As for the router, I've got a lynksis router that works just fine. They aren't hard too hard to hook up, but setting up the whole network and everything else can be a pain. I still can't get printers to share in vista

Make sure you secure your network as well, you don't want people mooching off of your network and using your bandwidth

 

[jjmitchem]

I just got a Lenovo Ideapad S10-2, just came out. It is the next edition to the S10 netbook. So far i love it. First day the battery lasted 7 hours of run time!

I immediately upgraded to 2 gig of ram from the 1gig that came with it. Computer seems very powerful for what it is designed to do. i am going to mostly use it for writing papers now until I am done with school in August, I mainly got it for while I am on active duty and away from my family - built in camera and good wifi, small enough to carry around.

I'll keep you posted as I load other programs onto it and see how it goes.

the keyboard will take some getting used to but this one is advertised as 90% full size.

 

[JEEP]

I have an Acer Aspire One, I use it every day in the train to and from work.

It is a nice little handy computer for surfing the web, checking e-mails and writing notes - but for serious work it is no substitute for a full-size laptop. The screen and keyboard are too small for that.

For me my Acer is mainly a toy/leisure item.


Regards.

Jakob

 

[Nancy Boy]

Thanks everyone! I'm considering all the advice. I'm goning to sleep on it tonight.

 

[soapbox]

I'm bumping the thread to see what you decided, Robert?

 

[Nancy Boy]

Thank's, Soap, for bumping this.

After careful consideration and looking into everything suggested here (thank's again, guys!), I decided to spend a bit more and get the SAMSUNG N120. It really has everything I was looking for and the quality is exceptional. I love it that the batter lasts for 6-7 hours and recharges ultra-fast. I also like the 97% full-sized keyboard. Even the touch of the keyboard is really nice.

I also got the Belkin router for 39.00. The first one was defective (purchased at Mwave.com) and I had to return it, but the second one (from Belkin) was fine and has given me very quick and powerful connections to the net. I also have to give shouts to Belkin's tech support. They were really patient with me and very helpful.

It's really cool to be able to surf the net and talk to friends, kicking back, sitting in the living room without having to deal with my bulky computes in my bedroom.

I'm totally digging it.

 

[JimBow]

Mine completely fried itself after 4 months of normal, everyday use...

 

[Nancy Boy]

Did you have the same model?

 

[Corey]

Thank's, Soap, for bumping this.

After careful consideration and looking into everything suggested here (thank's again, guys!), I decided to spend a bit more and get the SAMSUNG N120. It really has everything I was looking for and the quality is exceptional. I love it that the batter lasts for 6-7 hours and recharges ultra-fast. I also like the 97% full-sized keyboard. Even the touch of the keyboard is really nice.

I also got the Belkin router for 39.00. The first one was defective (purchased at Mwave.com) and I had to return it, but the second one (from Belkin) was fine and has given me very quick and powerful connections to the net. I also have to give shouts to Belkin's tech support. They were really patient with me and very helpful.

It's really cool to be able to surf the net and talk to friends, kicking back, sitting in the living room without having to deal with my bulky computes in my bedroom.

I'm totally digging it.

After reading lots and lots of reviews and doing research, I picked up a Samsung NC10-14GB due in here Friday. The reviews are all amazingly good, and it looks like a well put together netbook. I tried some of the cheaper stuff and the quality seems iffy on some of them. If the reviews are correct, this will be worth the extra few dollars. Also sprung for a 2 gig memory chip. At $26 shipped, it's a nice little investment for when I drop Windows 7 on it.

 

[qwertyshrdlu]

These little guys also make great e-book readers. I can lie in bed with my Aspire One fully opened and upright on my chest (held verticaly) and it's quite comfortable since the thing weighs less tha two pounds. The little screen is bigger than the pages of many books, too.

To surf the web or do a lot of mousing around in this postion I plug a trackball into the USB port but for turning the pages a tap of the thumb works fine.

For this use a full size laptop would be a lot more awkward.

And the books work fine even when there is no internet.

 

[Nancy Boy]

After reading lots and lots of reviews and doing research, I picked up a Samsung NC10-14GB due in here Friday. The reviews are all amazingly good, and it looks like a well put together netbook. I tried some of the cheaper stuff and the quality seems iffy on some of them. If the reviews are correct, this will be worth the extra few dollars. Also sprung for a 2 gig memory chip. At $26 shipped, it's a nice little investment for when I drop Windows 7 on it.

Is this the one with the 12" screen?

 

[Corey]

Is this the one with the 12" screen?

10.2", 93% keyboard size, 1.6Ghz Atom, 160 gig hard drive, 1 gig memory (got the 2 gig upgrade). Specs are spot with other stuff and it seems to get more solid ratings than other netbooks.

 

[Nancy Boy]

10.2", 93% keyboard size, 1.6Ghz Atom, 160 gig hard drive, 1 gig memory (got the 2 gig upgrade). Specs are spot with other stuff and it seems to get more solid ratings than other netbooks.

Oh, yeah, that IS a nice one! Samsung has one out now that has a 12" screen. Tempting, but I think at 12", it starts blurring the line between a netbook and a mini lap.

congrats. You're going to really enjoy it.

 

[sol92258]

I have an Acer AspireOne, the 10.1 inch model, and love it. I'm getting it for a special deal for IT people in education field, so I didn't get a choice in model/brand, but it is one of the highest rated netbooks.
I'm 6'2" with bigger hands, but typing on it has been not too bad. I definitely have to have a wireless mouse with though.
for what it's for, it does great, but you have to realize it's not a full, high-power system, although it can wax the floor with 10+ year old PCs

as for home routers, the Linksys I'd highly recommend, but the Belkin I have is great too

sounds like you're on your way on both fronts

 

[Nancy Boy]

I have an Acer AspireOne, the 10.1 inch model, and love it. I'm getting it for a special deal for IT people in education field, so I didn't get a choice in model/brand, but it is one of the highest rated netbooks.
I'm 6'2" with bigger hands, but typing on it has been not too bad. I definitely have to have a wireless mouse with though.
for what it's for, it does great, but you have to realize it's not a full, high-power system, although it can wax the floor with 10+ year old PCs

as for home routers, the Linksys I'd highly recommend, but the Belkin I have is great too

sounds like you're on your way on both fronts

Yeah, that would have been my second choice. I'm 6'2" and have big paws, too, so the full size keyboard was a big selling point for me. I also thought it was interesting that the keyboard is treated with nano-silver particles, which make it germ free. (!).

 

[gone down south]

Check out woot.com and sellout.woot.com TODAY ONLY for a pretty good deal on netbooks.