A Women's RV Forum run by Women RVer's!

Has anyone here owned a netbook? I think I am in need of a new laptop but am wondering if a netbook would be a good way to go, since it is smaller and more portable. Any pros and cons on this would be appreciated...
Thanks!

Here's my take on an Acer notebook I bought.
When closed it was about the size of a sheet of paper. At first it was a novelity but then I got frustrated with it.
#1:The tiny screen. I had to scroll back and forth every time I wanted to read see what all was on the page. That got tedious real quick.
#2: tiny keyboard way to miniature for me to type on comfortable for any length of time.
I give it a thumbs down and for the price you can buy a regular sized computer.

I have a notebook but Lenore is right; keyboard takes some getting used to, screen is small. I use mine as a backup and it has all my business/banking info on it as a backup- to my regular laptop. Yes, they're portable BUT they have a short battery life. I would stick with the laptop if its your only computer. Laptops are also better if you want to watch any TV programs or movies on them.

I also have the Acer Netbook and I really like it for what I bought it for. It wouldn't be my main computer at all. I just liked the portability of it and the size. It doesn't have a DVD drive so had to buy an external to play DVD's etc. The keyboard is small but worked just fine for me to check e mail, do banking, cruise my Forums.

I used it on my trips to check for hotels, motels, restaurants, etc. It fits in my bag/purse so I could take it with me when I was waiting for things..ie oil changes, appointments, etc.

Now I have a DroidX phone that I can do all those things on so it has taken a backseat. However I usually use it to download the pics I take when on vacation so my camera card doesn't fill up. When CougarFan (Laura) and I go on vacation (we take LOTS of pics) we download our pics to the Netbook and then are able to share all our pics by downloading them all to a thumb drive from the Netbook. That way we both have ALL the pics. When I fly it is much easier to take than my large laptop. So I think it has many features that make it worthwhile for me.

More than you wanted to know ha ha

Karen

edited to add the 6 hour battery really does last that long.

They are great for checking your email, web browsing, and downloading your pics from card while on vacation. They are not meant to replace your laptop.

Thanks for the info! I only use my laptop for e-mail, web browsing, uploading photos, etc. anyways. Never used a CD/DVD in it. Also don't use the battery on mine since it also doesn't last long (even my new one doesn't last an hour). So I will still consider it, as long as I can upload photos on it. The ones I looked at have the same memory as the Acer I have now, so that isn't an issue, either.
Any other thoughts are still welcome!

What's wrong with your laptop?

The buttons aren't working very well anymore, the button for mouse clicking especially. I have to push it at least 3 or 4 times on something before it actually does anything. Very frustrating!

BarbaraRose wrote:The buttons aren't working very well anymore, the button for mouse clicking especially. I have to push it at least 3 or 4 times on something before it actually does anything. Very frustrating!

Getting an external mouse -- even a bluetooth mouse -- is a heck of a lot cheaper than a new laptop. You might consider getting come canned air and try blowing out the keyboard. My "end" key has got stuff under it & I need to do the same thing.

what's a bluetooth mouse?

I have an Acer and use it most of the time at home. I hardly ever open the full-sized laptop. The one I have has a 10.5 inch screen, and I can see full side-to-side views. Also, it has a 95% size keyboard and a battery that lasts up to 8 hours with normal use. Honestly, it does! I absolutely love mine. It came complete with the camera and microphone so that's the one I use for Skyping. Initially, I had Micro$oft Office 7 installed, but that took up too much memory, so I dumped it. Now if I need to work M$ Office stuff, I go back to the laptop. I had an external DVD player, but I never used it, so I don't even know where it is. I paid $350.00 for the netbook plus another MB of memory which was a 10-minute install on the back of the netbook. The first 9 minutes were looking around for my tiny screwdriver! This thing is worth every penny I spent on it. I've used it to death...and it's still breathing. I am a BIG FAN of the Acer as is my dad who uses his as the ONLY PC he has. Love the size, portability, and quality and wouldn't trade it for anything except maybe another Acer.

Barbie, I believe the bluetooth mouse is a cordless. It's what I use and love it!