UMPC Notebooks

[proj3ktvr6]

These are becoming very popular nowadays with the

ASUS EEEMSI WindAcer Aspire OneHP 2133etc...

The list goes on.

I'm looking at the MSI wind, has anyone had any experience with it?

Thanks

[Maverick7687]

I have the 8.7" (8.9"? idk) Acer Aspire One.. The WinXP edition and I love it. I like the Linux version because of the SSD but it isn't fast enough to run XP if you ever wanted to switch.. It lags.

[PoorManQ45]

I personally would go with a real system like the Dell Latitude E4200. Or an IBM X10.

I've found the Netbooks to be really annoying and quickly outgrown.

[Maverick7687]

They are annoying in the sense that I would never expect one to have enough computing power to be my main system. I won't even rely on a laptop period to be my main system. I keep mine in a portable DVD player case and it fits perfectly. It is especially great for small trips.. Easy to pack away, good for reviewing pictures taken on the fly.. Things like that.. I personally like mine even though it is lacking in the power department... Oh, and you can't freaking touch the battery life on this little bastard..

[C-Kwik]

I have a Samsung NC10. It has some of the best specs for the money. The HP versions are nice too but cost the same as the Samsung (the one I was looking at) but has a slower and smaller HDD and only had a 3-cell battery.

I've heard good things about the MSI Wind, but I found the keyboard to be unusable for me. The HP keyboard seemed quite usable. I couldn't find the NC10 in retail stores for me to try out, but after reading a bunch of reviews and finding it on Costco's website, I decided to try it out. Since Costco gives me 90 days to return it and will extend the manufacturer's warranty to 2 years for free, there was little risk in it. Not to mention they were selling it for $400. Note: I just checked their website, and looks like they now have the Black version as well. They only had the Blue one when I got mine.

I personally would go with a real system like the Dell Latitude E4200. Or an IBM X10.

I've found the Netbooks to be really annoying and quickly outgrown.

People buying netbooks aren't necessarily looking for versatile performance. Those that are of course will be disappointed. Netbooks tend to serve more specific purposes. Typically, either a cheap PC to browse the web on anywhere in the house, or a cheap and very portable laptop that is used for limited (somewhat basic) functionality. The commonality between them is cheap. The laptops you mention are both over $1000. Netbooks can be had for as little as $250. Higher end versions might get up around $500. And the notable differences are really the screen sizes, HDD size and battery life. Almost all are running XP on a Intel Atom processor (whose architecture was designed with ultra low power consumption in mind) with 1 GB of RAM. And since MS is offering the a discounted XP license for not including an optical drive, few, if any, have one.

That said, I would not recommend one to a person looking for a solid all-around laptop. But for a person who only needs some basic functions in applications or web browsing, a netbook is a cheap and portable option. I bought mine for school use mainly so I can take notes in class. Starting next semester though, my class schedule will likely require me to be there during the day and the connectivity will be nice. Sure, I could lug my 17" HP Core2Duo system around, but its not only big and heavy, but already has signs of wear and tear from carrying it around as it is and has a low battery life (despite having ordered the bigger battery with it). I simply put my netbook in a sleeve, which gets put in my backpack with the rest of my books. And it can go for 6+ hours without needing to be plugged in (applications being limited to taking notes in MS Word, browsing the internet, and keeping an instance of AIM open). Few standard laptops can boast all of that while remaining portable and cheap.

[PoorManQ45]

I dunno. I like the ULV C2Ds

I personally am using a latitude D620 with a 6cell primary and 9cell modular battery. I get over 6 hours of battery life out of a 14.1" laptop that weighs ~5lbs

[C-Kwik]

I dunno. I like the ULV C2Ds

I personally am using a latitude D620 with a 6cell primary and 9cell modular battery. I get over 6 hours of battery life out of a 14.1" laptop that weighs ~5lbs

The big difference here is in order to get that kind of life, you are carrying around the weight of an extra battery. And this also adds cost to the system. Not that its a poor solution, its actualy a good one, but if the use of a system is limited to some basic programs, then its basically overkill. Especially for anyone who is looking for a very compact system. Not saying laptops aren't compact; its an inherent feature of their design (even for larger versions). But for the same reasons people purposefully choose a 14 inch laptop over a 17 inch laptop, there are those who might find a 8-10" laptop more useful.