By Ryan Yee
Editor of NerdBoyTV
RAM — How much Random Access Memory or RAM does the netbook come with? A year or so ago, 512MB was pretty standard, but now 1GB is normal—2GB is excellent for a netbook, but it's gonna cost you.
Keep in mind that RAM is not nearly as important on a little netbook as it is on a full-size laptop or desktop computer. Netbooks are primarily for surfing the Internet, so processing speed is not really the issue. It's the speed of the actual Internet connection that counts.
WiFi — This is standard on all netbooks—after all, a netbook IS for surfing the Internet. It better come with built-in WiFi.
Monitor Display Size — How big is the netbook's display? 10.1 inches is pretty standard now, though they can go as low as 8 inches and as high as 12 inches (though these are really more laptops than netbooks). An 11-inch display is about the cut-off point before a netbook becomes a regular laptop.
Don't expect to have too many windows opened at the same time—shouldn't be an issue since, again, that's not the point of having a netbook.
Hard Drive Storage — Standard HD storage size is 160GB, though some laptops go even higher (but you're gonna pay for it). Not really necessary. You can install plenty of program applications and even some graphic-intensive games with 160GB of hard drive storage.
Battery Life — 3 cell or 6 cell? 3 cell is cheaper and currently the standard. You'll get about 2 hours of play out of a single charge. But if you get the 6 cell for about $50 more, you'll get up to 6 hours of play from a single charge—great for cross-country flights. If you plan to plug in the AC/DC all the time, then this doesn't even matter. Go cheap with a 3 cell.
Brand — Acer? HP? Dell? Sony? Asus? Acer and Asus were early pioneers of the netbook—they put out great products at a relatively cheap price. When you get into the name brands like Dell, HP, and Sony, you'll see a difference upward in price (unless there's a sale).
Cost — Do not plan on spending more than $400. Anything more than that and you're starting to get into more "designer" boutique netbooks. A good price is ANYTHING under $350. Under $300 and you're getting a fantastic netbook value. Check Walmart.com and ebay.com—there are plenty of great deals to be had.
Webcam/Mic — These are becoming more standard since everyone Skypes and Yahoos nowadays, but some of the plainer netbooks don't come standard with them.
Bluetooth — If you plan on hooking up Bluetooth devices to your netbook, then it is well-worth it to get a built-in Bluetooth adapter for your netbook. You can easily transfer pictures from your cellphone or listen to music using a wireless headset.
Operating System — Get XP, don't bother with Vista (too slow and bulky for a netbook). If you can get the Open Source Ubuntu, then you will snag an even cheaper netbook cause you won't be paying a Windows licensing fee to Microsoft.
Color — Sometimes, you can get about $20 off if you pick a color that's "on sale." I just got a black netbook that was cheaper than the same blue, red, or white version—go figure.
Keyboard Layout — Make sure you actually touch the keyboard cause they can vary greatly from one netbook to another (where they place certain functions, etc.). You may be surprised how different the keyboard feels on a netbook versus a regular laptop or desktop computer.
If you're a speedy typist, picking a netbook with an odd layout will absolutely drive you wild! Don't skip this step—go into a store and try it if at all possible.
Accessories — What kinds of accessories are available for you netbook? External mouse? Bluetooth adapter? External HD? Pretty carrying bags?
Media Slots — Does it have a standard SD media card slot? Firewire (certainly not standard)?
USB / Mic Jack / Ear Jack — These are pretty standard, but do check to see how many USB ports you will actually get. Everything connects to the computer using a USB nowadays.
Editor of NerdBoyTV
RAM — How much Random Access Memory or RAM does the netbook come with? A year or so ago, 512MB was pretty standard, but now 1GB is normal—2GB is excellent for a netbook, but it's gonna cost you.
Keep in mind that RAM is not nearly as important on a little netbook as it is on a full-size laptop or desktop computer. Netbooks are primarily for surfing the Internet, so processing speed is not really the issue. It's the speed of the actual Internet connection that counts.
WiFi — This is standard on all netbooks—after all, a netbook IS for surfing the Internet. It better come with built-in WiFi.
Monitor Display Size — How big is the netbook's display? 10.1 inches is pretty standard now, though they can go as low as 8 inches and as high as 12 inches (though these are really more laptops than netbooks). An 11-inch display is about the cut-off point before a netbook becomes a regular laptop.
Don't expect to have too many windows opened at the same time—shouldn't be an issue since, again, that's not the point of having a netbook.
Hard Drive Storage — Standard HD storage size is 160GB, though some laptops go even higher (but you're gonna pay for it). Not really necessary. You can install plenty of program applications and even some graphic-intensive games with 160GB of hard drive storage.
Battery Life — 3 cell or 6 cell? 3 cell is cheaper and currently the standard. You'll get about 2 hours of play out of a single charge. But if you get the 6 cell for about $50 more, you'll get up to 6 hours of play from a single charge—great for cross-country flights. If you plan to plug in the AC/DC all the time, then this doesn't even matter. Go cheap with a 3 cell.
Brand — Acer? HP? Dell? Sony? Asus? Acer and Asus were early pioneers of the netbook—they put out great products at a relatively cheap price. When you get into the name brands like Dell, HP, and Sony, you'll see a difference upward in price (unless there's a sale).
Cost — Do not plan on spending more than $400. Anything more than that and you're starting to get into more "designer" boutique netbooks. A good price is ANYTHING under $350. Under $300 and you're getting a fantastic netbook value. Check Walmart.com and ebay.com—there are plenty of great deals to be had.
Webcam/Mic — These are becoming more standard since everyone Skypes and Yahoos nowadays, but some of the plainer netbooks don't come standard with them.
Bluetooth — If you plan on hooking up Bluetooth devices to your netbook, then it is well-worth it to get a built-in Bluetooth adapter for your netbook. You can easily transfer pictures from your cellphone or listen to music using a wireless headset.
Operating System — Get XP, don't bother with Vista (too slow and bulky for a netbook). If you can get the Open Source Ubuntu, then you will snag an even cheaper netbook cause you won't be paying a Windows licensing fee to Microsoft.
Color — Sometimes, you can get about $20 off if you pick a color that's "on sale." I just got a black netbook that was cheaper than the same blue, red, or white version—go figure.
Keyboard Layout — Make sure you actually touch the keyboard cause they can vary greatly from one netbook to another (where they place certain functions, etc.). You may be surprised how different the keyboard feels on a netbook versus a regular laptop or desktop computer.
If you're a speedy typist, picking a netbook with an odd layout will absolutely drive you wild! Don't skip this step—go into a store and try it if at all possible.
Accessories — What kinds of accessories are available for you netbook? External mouse? Bluetooth adapter? External HD? Pretty carrying bags?
Media Slots — Does it have a standard SD media card slot? Firewire (certainly not standard)?
USB / Mic Jack / Ear Jack — These are pretty standard, but do check to see how many USB ports you will actually get. Everything connects to the computer using a USB nowadays.
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