Over the past few months, I've either examined netbooks firsthand or virtually examined them over the net, including the Asus Eee PC 1005HA. Needless to say, I'm fickle about what I want to invest my money in. I've finally decided what I want and it happens to be an MSI netbook computer.
Making My Decision
I was actually intent on buying a Samsung N120-12GBK due to the simple fact that it has a full-sized keyboard. I was going to go through the process of ordering it online, having it shipped to my wife in the US, and having her bring it back with her when she returns to the Philippines. That process would be required since I can't find the Samsung netbooks here unless I take a trip to the SM Mall (The Mall of Asia) in Quezon City. Even that wouldn't guarantee that particular model would be available when I got there.
Despite what you may have heard, all of the netbooks sold by any one company are different in some way and not of all of them are even worth considering.
With all the features available in different netbook configurations, only a few are hard requirements for me. The color has to be black — other colors look dirty too fast (and I won't be caught dead with anything pink). Come to think of it, my wife would probably want something like a pink MacBook. The "pink" is obvious and the "MacBook" is simply due to the cool factor.
I digress. My netbook has to be a 10-inch version with a 1024×600 resolution (no short-changed pixels as with the HP mini laptops). It has to have a full-sized keyboard. It has to be sturdy, even if it is lightweight. I can't tell you how many netbooks I've examined that seemed like they'd fall apart after a couple of day's usage.
Earlier today, after I bought some parts for my desktop computer (in order to add an internal hard drive) and left the Dataworx store in Olongapo, I went to the store next door to have a power supply cable made for me. While I was waiting, I asked to examine the MSI netbook on the display shelf behind the counter. The store clerk unpackaged it and booted it up for me and allowed me to test it. It had a full-sized keyboard! The keys were a just a tiny bit closer together than what I'm used to, but that's okay because it wouldn't interfere with my touch-typing skills. In fact, closer keys will probably make it easier to hit the keys I usually miss on the first try (like the backspace key).
The MSI Wind U100 Netbook
I was impressed. This was, by far, one of the best laptops I'd ever examined. It was even better than the HP notebook I had (which is now dead and in the closet). The Sony Vaio mini laptops are actually better, but Sony wants too much money for their branding. In my opinion, the only thing worth the price they ask for are the Sony Vaio laptop batteries. Proprietary, of course, but the best in the business (based on the reviews I've read). Well, at least they don't explode like some of the HP laptop batteries have been known to do!
I digress again. The MSI netbook is sturdy and it's black. It has a 1024×600 resolution. It's 10 inches in size. It comes with Windows XP Home installed and it has a 160 GB SATA hard drive. It has a built-in webcam, built-in speakers and a wireless LAN card. My next related purchase would be a wireless router so I can roam around the house with the netbook instead of being tied to a computer desk. Heck, the right router might let me roam around the entire compound, but that's probably wishful thinking.
The MSI Wind U100 netbook sells for about $375 at that particular store (after the peso to dollar conversion), which is almost exactly the same price as the Samsung netbook I considered. The best part about it is that I can buy it here! I want to buy it next month, but shiitake happens and I may have to wait longer.
Why do I "need" a netbook?
It's a "need" versus a "want" and goes hand-in-hand with my need for a UPS, which I plan to get later. There are way too many brownouts in Olongapo city and they happen when least expected. Since I run an online business, it should be obvious the effect that prolonged downtime has on it.
A netbook six-cell battery can last for at least three hours (and I hear that it can last up to eight hours, depending on usage). The only thing I need to plug into the UPS is the DSL modem (or a cable modem when we finally get cable Internet in this neighborhood). A UPS battery charge doesn't last long when attached to a computer operating with a full load, and not much longer at a half-load. I imagine it would last a pretty long time with just a modem attached.
Yes, this is the netbook for me and I plan to buy one as soon as I can squeeze it into my monthly budget.
Similar Articles:
- The Samsung Netbooks vs. The HP Netbooks
- Checking Netbook Reviews Before Buying
- A Dell Mini is a Netbook by Any Other Name
- Laptop Operating Systems – Are All Netbooks Different than Notebooks?
- How to Use a Laptop as a Desktop Computer