Right about this time of year, parents and students are scrambling to get their funds together for their next big computer purchase for the upcoming school year. With cloud computing well underway to become the technological norm, students now have the option to work off affordable netbooks (with the available option of customizable sexy OS's). Still, some of us still prefer sticking with full-fledged laptops - with extra horsepower to spare. Either way, we ask:
OUR TWO CENTS:
Today, the netbook market continues to take over the portable computer market. And rightfully so; the average netbook runs at $300 meanwhile other mid-range laptops with decent video cards that allow high-definition video support still costs a hefty $800.
In addition to costing twice as much as your netbook, you're also getting diminished battery life due to the larger screen and more powerful internal components. That is, unless you grab a heavy 9-cell replacement or go for one of the newer Macbook Pros with built-in batteries. Either way, you're adding heft to your "portable," and in a world of on-the-go lifestyles, this seems less and less of a reasonable option for students and traveling professionals.
So, we believe incoming students should not ignore the cloud, but embrace it! There are tons of options out there for synchronizing your files across multiple platforms and storing files online (See our Best Product: Dropbox article). Unless you're working on intensive apps at least 50% of the time, we suggest going for a netbook. They're customizable to your liking, super cheap, and should be able to take a decent amount of beating around. And if you're worried about the sensitivity of your data, simply make it a habit of storing it online or upgrade to a SSD (solid state drive) to further protect yourself. Be sure to check out our roundup of netbooks later next month!
What are your thoughts on the netbook vs. laptop debate? Let us know below.
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Comments (9)
a netbook is a great second computer but going in to college i don't think it is the right answer
1- no optical drive. So you will have to buy an external if you want to load software, rip your cds in to listen to them, or anything else like that.
2. Have fun typing up your documents on a 9 or 10" screen... Better just buy a monitor to output to. But a lot of netbooks don't do that or don't do it well, plus add in the fact that you could just have a bigger screen with a laptop and skip the extra cost of a monitor. You don't want to spend your days staring at something that small.
3. Netbooks are limited to 1gb or RAM or less, very few have 2. Not enough to run a lot of things efficiently.
4. They can't support higher screen resolutions. I was using my father in laws netbook and he has a 10" screen. However, the resolution was still quite low and to browse the internet you literally had like 4" of screen to work with after all the browser and OS chrome... Very difficult to work with. How am I suppose to look at all my LOL cats when i can barely see half the photo on the screen at once...
5. Lots of other reasons.
I am talking from experience. While I was in college recently I had a 15.5 " laptop monster (this was before they started making them smaller), a 10" sony vaio (the netbook before netbooks were a real thing...), a 12" ibook, and a 24" imac.
The Vaio was great for taking to class, but no way would i do all of my work on it. You never saw me sitting at home typing a paper out on it.
The 12" ibook was good, portable, but it was still quite small.
Just my 2 cents. So it would be a great second take to class computer. and at those prices you can, but not for an all the time computer. no way.
I can't imagine researching and writing a 20 page paper on a netbook.
Most netbooks have a VGA output. Although I don't own one, so I can't say how well the netbook would perform with an extended monitor. Anyone care to pitch in their own experiences?
In general I poo-poo on netbooks. The only reason it may work well for college students is affordability.
I have both a laptop and a netbook. I purchased my netbook for college for several reasons.
1. The weight of a regular laptop is just too much. I have five classes three times a week, and carrying five paper notebooks plus the books that correspond with the classes are enough weight in itself, but then to add on an 8-10 pound laptop is just crazy. No wonder my generation is having back problems.
2. I go to business school & in our snazzy new building, the auditorium pull out desks can't fit a regular laptop. The desks barely fit a paper notepad to write on.
3. Battery life. Even on the lowest resolutions, my laptop battery was lasting two hours tops. That doesn't do me much good when I have class from 9-1 & again from 5-10.
I would opt for the third (though absent) option which is instead of getting a powerful laptop get a netbook AND a desktop. If you shop right you should be able to get both for around the same price you would have paid for the laptop. You get the power, the portability, and best of all redundancy!
@matsayswhat I think that's probably the best option, especially if the portable is only used for small things like e-mail and browsing the net. Having a dedicated desktop also lets me squeeze in late night gaming while I study.. woot!
@jmorey your comments didn't even make sense.
you CAN add more than 1gb to a netbook. I have 2 in mine right now.
what's the problem with an external dvd burner? so I need to buy a $50 dvd burner on my $250 netbook. big deal. I'm not going to be ripping cd's while I'm in a lecture.
no reason you can't plug in an external monitor, external keyboard back at the dorm. do you really want to type an essay even on a 15"? hell a 24" lcd is less than $200. external makes more sense.
netbooks are lighter and easier and cheaper so for taking between classes and to the library they make sense.
I've had 12" laptops before, my main pc is a 14" and my macbook pro is a 15". I LOVE my netbook! hp 1030nr.
it's not going to do high end 3d design work (well) but it's a dream to carry
@fyrebug
I couldn't agree anymore. There is so much misinformation in his/her post.
But I think that the Netbook/Desktop Combo is the best. You can take notes in class and use Dropbox/SugarSync/Syncplicity and sync with your desktop to continue your paper or whatever project you are working on.
For the life of me I cannot understand why people don't realize that netbooks are not MAIN computers but supplements to existing systems and setups. If you get a netbook make sure you have a viable MAIN rig to backup to as well as use as a start/finish line for all of your work.