Sony VAIO W Netbook? - Smart Car of America Forums : Smart Car Forum

vitadellajan · 10-21-2009, 05:01 AM

I want to get a netbook for my work and would like to surf on the internet when I'm on public transports, but I don't know much about netbooks, I wonder if you guys could have any recommendations to me please? Which one should I choose? Sony? Samsung? Fujitsu? And where can I buy it for a good price?

NCC1701 · 10-21-2009, 06:00 AM

You didn't mention HP, the brand I bought.

I haven't used it a lot, but it feels solidly built. I expect quality from HP.

**rfernatt** · 10-21-2009, 06:55 AM

I have two Samsung netbooks and I like them both. One is about a year old and I just bought the other one (newer model). Good mix of features for a good price. I stay away from Acer/ASUS, etc. I purchased the first unit from Amazon and I just bought the second one from TigerDirect. Slap a 2GB SODIMM in it, get a Logitech wireless nano mouse, and a small CaseLogic neoprene case to carry it all and you're set.

My wife and I were fighting over the one on our most recent trip, so we just got another so we don't have to share.

sato7 · 10-21-2009, 07:43 AM

SEE there are netbooks for everyone, I like the Acer/Asus EEe brand, hate HP as every HP laptop and desk top that my family have had has been crap. Gateway has been good to me too. but for the price of a netbook around $320 bucks with the extra ram, just pick the one you like on feel, they all are mostly the same on the guts side and are not meant to be a long term investment.

NCC1701 · 10-21-2009, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sato7

... just pick the one you like on feel, they all are mostly the same on the guts side and are not meant to be a long term investment.

True, any car or computer you buy will be worth half (or less) what you pay for it in just a couple years.

Things to consider regardless of what brand you choose: Keyboard size, display size. netbooks are intended for light duty 'on the road' computing (email, surfing, etc), and their primary advantage is small footprint & light weight. Capacity can be added via thumb drives and usb HDDs. But, if that's what is needed then a person might be better off with a notebook. JMHO ... and, believe my netbook useage might be limited for that reason.

Added later: I absolutely hate the touchpads I've encountered on notebooks and netbooks from all brands. So, I always try to take my trackball along for the ride.

**rfernatt** · 10-21-2009, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NCC1701

Things to consider regardless of what brand you choose: Keyboard size, display size. netbooks are intended for light duty 'on the road' computing (email, surfing, etc), and their primary advantage is small footprint & light weight. Capacity can be added via thumb drives and usb HDDs. But, if that's what is needed then a person might be better off with a notebook. JMHO ... and, believe my netbook useage might be limited for that reason.

Added later: I absolutely hate the touchpads I've encountered on notebooks and netbooks from all brands. So, I always try to take my trackball along for the ride.

I'll add battery capacity and decent sized HD (160GB +) to the list as some of my requirements. I definitely agree on the touchpads - I always have a wireless mouse with me for notebook or netbook. However, I do use the netbook as a full blown machine with Office 2007, CorelDRAW! suite, Street Atlas, multiple browsers, CutePDF, etc. installed. I don't do any gaming, 3D rendering, or other graphics/CPU intensive activities, so netbook performance is fine for me.

BigWarpGuy · 10-21-2009, 07:27 PM

Liliputing is a great resource for netbooks and other similar computers.

I have an Asus EEE pc and a Acer Aspire One. I have one of the first EEE pc's. Newer ones have bigger screens and keyboards. The Aspire One has good size keyboard and screen.

**rfernatt** · 10-22-2009, 08:53 AM

Speaking of netbooks... Does anyone know where I can get a very petite (1 foot or less in length) three barrel power cord? Samsung switched to a new AC adapter that uses a much thicker/longer three barrel cord and it doesn't fit well in my carry case. The AC adapter has plenty of cord from the adapter to the computer, so I don't know why they had to make the other side so big. Actually, I wish the wall outlet prongs were integrated into the adapter itself (ala Canon SLR battery chargers).

I may just hack it down to size, but that will look pretty crummy, and I was hoping to find something already made with no luck so far.

Thanks.

BigWarpGuy · 10-22-2009, 11:26 AM

You could try 3KLIX site. There is also the JustNetbooks site. You could also try eBay.

Suze · 10-22-2009, 12:04 PM

My son sells netbooks and he's always bring demo models over for me to try out. I hate them all. I just can't type on the compressed keyboard. It's too tight. So, my advice is do some serious typing on one before you decide. Also, the tiny screen is a pain.

Netbooks are perfect for who they were designed for - kids with small hands/fingers and good eyes.