Netbook Buying Guide – Part 2

Last Updated on Nov 10, 2011

In Part 1 we looked at the internal components of a netbook. It is the internal components such as processor, graphical processing unit, memory, hard drive, etc that gives the netbook its computing power. In Part 2 we will look at the external factors such as the screen size, keyboards, touch pads, ports, connectivity options, etc which largely determines how comfortable and usable is a netbook.

6. Screen Size

The netbook dimensions basically zero in on its screen size as a major factor for many consumers. The first generation netbooks were released in 7 and 8.9 inch sizes. Recent trends indicate that many manufacturers have abandoned anything below 10 inch following the increased use of tablet PCs and smart phones.

The most popular size today is a 10.1-inch screen with 1024 by 600 pixel resolution. There are those who find this size of the screen workable. On the other hand, others get a major headache squinting their eyes on a netbook’s screen for more than half an hour.

Pushing the boundaries of the netbook term are the recently released 11.6″ and 12.1″ netbooks. The general consensus around the industry is that even though 11.6/12.1″ seems a little too large to be a traditional netbook, companies are still releasing netbooks at that size and the name have stuck. The industry is slowing moving to consider anything beyond 12.1″ to be a notebook following the release of Microsoft Windows 7 and dual-core processors.

7. Matte or Glossy Screen

Some netbooks come with glossy (shiny) screens, while others have matte (antiglare ) screens. Is there any advantage to one versus the other? Each screen has its advantages and disadvantages, which is why manufacturers waver between the two.

Matte screens don’t get glare or reflections on them; however, the same rough surface (polarizer) that reduces the intensity of reflected light results in less contrast and brightness since the light from the LCD screen passes through it. Matte screens diffuse light instead of reflecting it so they might be easier to read outdoors, if the backlight provides enough brightness. You don’t have to worry as much about reflections as with a glossy screen.

The glossy ones have vibrant colors and the highest contrast and brightness because they have a smooth, high-gloss surface. As a result, it is often the choice for movies or gaming. However, strong lighting causes glare on these screens which is very annoying and may tire your eyes if you have to stare at it all the time. You can also see reflections on the screen.

Another practical issue to take into account is cleaning. A shiny screen will show any fingerprint from anyone who touches it. A matte screen of course can show fingerprints but won’t do it so obviously as a shiny screen. If you are incredibly anal about the appearance and cleanliness of your screen and work with people who are inclined to touch it, a matte screen may be the superior choice for your situation.

Whether one is better than the other ultimately boils down to personal preference and what your needs may be. If the screen is to be used in a room that’s generally dark, consider a glossy finish. In a controlled environment it offers a best-case picture. If the netbook is to be used in a mix light environment a matte finish will be more appropriate.

Make the decision only after careful consideration; buyer’s remorse after spending three hundred dollars is not a pleasant thing.

8. Keyboard

Keyboards on most 10.1-inch netbooks are usually 90 percent the size of a full keyboard – a proportion that seems to suit touch-typists just fine.

There is a huge variation in netbook keyboards, so check-out the full-size image of the keyboard of the netbook you’re considering. Look for a keyboard which has all the English alphabet and number keys and additional keys such as one ctrl, alt, windows, shift key each respectively. On most netbooks Page Up/Down buttons are not primary keys, that is, you have to first press and hold the Function key. Look for the key spacing in the keyboard.

Manufacturers generally tend to manipulate the keyboard layout in order to ensure all the keys fit and overlook key spacing in order to make smaller netbooks.

Following customer feedback manufacturers have taken steps to introduce ergonomic and pretty comfortable keyboards. Some even offer full-size keyboards. Chiclet keyboard with independent keys have become popular in late 2010.

Take the one in which you can place both your palms side by side comfortably. If you’re buying one unseen, look into the return policy.

9. Touchpad and Mouse-Buttons

Like standard notebooks, netbooks come with a touchpad or trackpad rather than a mouse. A touchpad is a small, rectangular, touch-sensitive surface beneath the keyboard that’s used for moving the cursor across the screen and for issuing commands.

Netbook trackpads often tend to be short, but the real problem is with the mouse buttons. Typically, one or two clickable buttons beneath or placed on either side of the touch pad act like mouse buttons. Sometimes the left and right click buttons are one rocker switch style bar.

Even with models with the buttons under the trackpad aren’t as easy to use as those on full size notebook computers. We recommend that you try the netbook out before you buy.

A multi-touch touchpad lets you do things like rotate photos and scroll Web pages with two fingers, and you’ll want a touchpad that supports multi-touch gestures.

10. Ports and Expandability

Netbook ports are generally cookie-cutter across the various brands. Most come with 3 USB ports, a card reader, VGA port, headphone and mic port. High-end graphics capable machines tend to include an HDMI slot to connect to a HDTV.

Even so, port configurations vary between models, some have been found with two USB, no full-size VGA (you’ll need an adapter) and a combo headphone/mic jack instead of two separate ones. so make sure the one you’re about to buy has enough to accommodate your current array of peripherals.

Pay attention to where these ports are placed on the side of the netbook. If you have a bulky USB device, make sure there’s sufficient room between the sockets, so that plugging your device into the netbook doesn’t obscure the adjacent port.

The Toshiba netbook comes with an impressive set of ports as shown below.

11. Wireless Connectivity

If you’re buying a netbook so that you can access the internet at a wireless hotspot, it’s important to choose a model with connectivity options that suit your needs.

Most netbooks today support wireless Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n standards. Some newer netbooks also have onboard 3G, so you just need to sign up for a mobile broadband account and slip the SIM card into the built-in slot to access the internet.

Bluetooth connectivity is also being a standard feature with the latest models sporting the newer Bluetooth 3.0 standards.

12. Optical Drive

Netbooks do not come with a built-in optical drive by design. Why ? You may ask.

Ask yourself why you are using a netbook in the first place. I am sure the main reasons are portability, weight, battery life above the rest. So having an integrated optical drive on a netbook sounds like an innovation initially but it is questionable if it is really needed.

You need not worry that netbooks do not come with an integrated optical drive. There’s a solution: you can buy an optional external optical drive that you can connect to your netbook via USB, when needed.

In most cases you won’t even need to install drivers as these optical drives are plug and play compatible. They are pretty slim and very light and are a lot cheaper than they used to be.

13. Battery Life

Netbooks are portable and you will be limited by your battery if you are away from an outlet for an extended period of time. Make sure to check how long the battery on a given netbook model is supposed to last. If you need more power, you’ll have to find yourself a netbook with a 6 cell battery.

What’s the fun of having a ubiquitous computer if you constantly need to look for a power outlet? Most three-cell batteries will last around three hours, with reasonable screen brightness and wireless use. A six-cell battery extends that to get you through a cross-country flight or most of the day out of the office.(See Extending Netbook Battery Life)

14. Weight and Dimension

Netbooks come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so be sure to pick one that you’ll feel comfortable with. Pay attention to the width and depth of the netbook if you’ll be using or storing it in cramped spaces.

Netbooks are meant to be used on the go. So the lighter your netbook weighs the more likely you are to carry it around. The lightest netbooks weigh just under two pounds; the heavier ones tread closer to ultraportable classification at over four pounds. Bigger battery capacities add a lot of weight and selecting the right capacity for your needs is important, otherwise you lose a lot of the benefits of netbook portabiliy.

Throw one in a bag or briefcase and you’ll never be without access to e-mail, the Web, or important files again.

15. Aesthetics

Personal preference really. Are you looking for products that reflect your personal style and favorite color? There’s a variety of colors, finishes, and, in some cases, artwork that can dress up your new netbook.

We find business professionals tend to prefer black whilst home users prefer white or the other color that may be available. Black does have the advantage of hiding marks from dirty hands and scuffs a lot better. However, certain glossy black models tend to get finger print marks and look smudged. Narrow down your options and make your netbook your own.

16. Warranties

One final thing to consider when buying a netbook is the warranty. A one-year warranty is standard on most models, although some manufacturers offer the option of extending this to two years (usually for a fee). Some netbook manufacturers do offer a two-year warranty as standard though, so check the small print before buying.

The type of warranty is also worth noting. ‘Collect & return’ is the most convenient, since the manufacturer will arrange for a faulty netbook to be collected and returned once repaired. ‘Return to base’, on the other hand, means you’ll have to pay the delivery cost yourself.

17. Price Range

If your needs are simple, you should be satisfied with a basic model at a very basic price. Remember that netbooks are meant to be inexpensive and there’s a psychological advantage to keeping the cost of your new system low: you’re less likely to worry about it breaking or getting damaged, making you more likely to carry and use your new investment.

From a price perspective, netbooks can be grouped according to price ranges as those netbooks under $250, netbooks between $250 – $300, netbooks between $300 – $350, netbooks between $350 – $500 and netbooks above $500.

Sometimes, it’s not all about the price. Sure, it can be helpful to find netbooks that are affordable, but the cheap netbooks that you find might not be all that they are cracked up to be. For example, you might very well spend a little more money than you wanted on a netbook, and the chances are good that you’ll get a better system that you’ll love even more than you would have loved the cheap one.

Make sure that you take the time to check out all the different options that you have, because you should never buy one based on price alone.

18. Brands to consider

Considering the netbook brand before purchasing is essential as the market today is filled with numerous brands of netbooks – and more brands are expected to hit the market soon. Asus started the category in 2007. Acer, Samsung, Toshiba, MSI, HP, Dell, Lenovo, and Sony have since muscled their way in; all have models worthy of consideration. Read the article Selecting a Netbook Brand to get a better idea of which brand will be suitable for you.

19. Where to Buy Netbooks

Netbooks are available from online merchants like Amazon , Tiger Direct, CompUSA , JR.com, PCMall, Buy.com, OnSale and others. Amazon keeps a running tally of the netbook bestsellers at its site and this gives an idea of what model is currently popular amongst the buyers.

For more details visit the manufacturer websites and browse some of the popular models to get an idea of prices, features and brands. Reading some reviews is a good a idea as well. Resist impulse purchases, however. After some research online you might find that for just $35 more you could get a better processor, a lot more RAM and a bigger hard drive from some of the merchants.

20. Should I Buy Now or Wait for Something Better?

In our discussion with netbook users, we often get the age-old question of whether one should buy a new netbook now or wait for new technologies to emerge .

If history is anything to go by, netbook based on new generation processors and chipsets won’t appear in stores until 3-4 months after announcement. So, realistically, be prepared to wait for the next six months before sufficient volume becomes available in retail channels. And that’s assuming manufacturers decide to release netbooks straight away. Some manufacturers may not be ready or want to release anything new until their quarterly planning. Of course, there will probably be one or two models that will be available shortly after announcement. Chances are, they may be buggy. So, be prepared to be a beta tester.

The right time to buy a new netbook is whenever you need one. A netbook can never be your primary computer unless your needs are really very elementary. If your priorities lie in basic internet, email and occasional typing use, with a little VoIP video chatting, you’re unlikely to need anything more than what is available; there’s also far more choice in screen size, brand and style, not to mention cost.

The bottom line is that you could wait forever to buy, because there’s always a better netbook coming and there’s no doubt that whatever you buy today — even a top of the line $600 system — will start looking outdated after 12 months when you compare it to the new netbooks of that time. Trying to chase the future is a losing proposition. Meet your needs today and let the future take care of itself.

Finally, the canny but impatient buyer would do well to consider used netbooks or refurbished netbooks for their immediate purchase. The upside to relatively stable specifications is that what’s available pre-owned is often exactly the same, under the hood, as what’s still being sold as brand-new on store shelves. We’ve seen a range of nearly new netbooks spanning brands, on offer for around half the price of their box-fresh counterparts. Read the article Buying Used or Refurbished Netbooks – What to Look for & Where to Look? for more ideas on this.

Final Thoughts

Rather than looking at a netbook’s shiny shell and making your decision based on that, make an informed decision based on what is under the hood. Take all of the specifications discussed in this netbook buying guide into consideration when comparing the netbook models. Doing your homework and weighing what one netbook will do what in comparison with another, is what will be best in helping you make your final decision.

Finally, buy the netbook and feel great because, after doing all the research, you definitely got the best deal out there. Enjoy!

Netbook Buying Guide – Part 1

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