Ultra Lightweight Laptops, anyone got one yet?

I have been coveting for the last month or so...

I have two laptops and neither is a mini. They were specifically meant to replace my desktop computer and still be portable.

9" screen is a bit too small for me, cramps the hands too. I was actually just looking at the Vostro or Inspiron lines. Most likely the 13" screens

I have the Asus Eee, really like it for short term use...took some getting used to but soooooo portable, it's a relief compared to my big laptop.
I've never owned a desktop computer.

Another good minitop comes from Acer, with the same pricepoint as the Dell, but with the bonus of being an Acer (company with a good history--I've never been disappointed with an Acer).

http://www.acer.com/aspireone/

I'm considering it because I spilled on my current tiny laptop and the cost of repair is the same as the cost of the Aspire One.

If only it came in black...

No worries. I likes to casually keep up on hardware.

::grumblemutters about the new AMD benchmarks being worse than Intel ::

Pamster said:

Just curious, because there are a lot of them out there for around $400 for a nice XP system.

...starting at $350, but really, starting at $400 because that's what you pay for XP...Otherwise its a linuix system.

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I'd recommend against that. Go with the Linux. Not only is it cheaper, but it'll run faster and better on the limited hardware of these subnotebooks. And these days, Linux isn't just for nerds, it's just as easy to use, and everything will still be compatible. Trust me. My 56-year-old mom has an EeePC with Linux and loves it. And she's completely tech-illiterate.

Also, one thing to keep in mind for writers is the keyboard size. If you're not sure you'll be able to adapt to a smaller-than-average keyboard, test one out before making a purchase.

A friend of mine got the MacBook Air- it's performance is less than impressive, IMO, given the price. Talk about paying $$$ for a brand-name, instead of paying $$$ for quality merchandise.

Though I own a Mac (and am quite happy with it), I have several friends who own an Acer and have nothing but good things to say. If/when the MacBook dies, I would look at one of theirs.

I'm hoping to make a lappy purchase in the next few months, a cross between college use and gaming. The minis have too low specs for me. I need at least 512 MB video, and that is impossible with the minis. Also, I doubt I'd ever get used to the tiny keyboard.

I'm hoping to go with HP or Dell.

We use a laptop for the home PC; the three-year-old Acer has been dying a death (512MB RAM doesn't mean what it used to, and the hinges have broken). So I decided to go big.

We just picked up a Toshiba (wanted something sturdy) - it's FANTASTIC so far. 15.4" screen, 4GB RAM, Centrino 2.5GB processor, 500GB hard drive, 512MB graphics, Vista Ultimate, fingerprint login, built-in webcam and stereo speakers. Yeah, we spent more, but (a) it's the home computer, and (b) it's still cheaper than the Acer was three years ago - by a long way.

But my writing is still cr@p. *sigh*

Virector said:

A friend of mine got the MacBook Air- it's performance is less than impressive, IMO, given the price. Talk about paying $$$ for a brand-name, instead of paying $$$ for quality merchandise.

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They're completely different kinds of notebooks, and not very comparable.

The Air is an ultraportable designed mostly for traveling business execs, who need the power of a full-size laptop in as small and light a package as possible. That comes with a major price premium. Unless hers is some kind of dud, the MacBook Air does perform better; it has a better processor, bigger hard drive, more RAM, and a full-size screen and keyboard. The problem is that when sticking better hardware while keeping a small form-factor, the price increases practically exponentially. These kinds of notebooks are aimed at completely different buyers from the stripped-down "netbooks"; they compete more with the similarly-priced Lenovo X61's and X300's, etc.

Pamster said:

Good idea, I should check it out, one thing I am wondering about these little PC's, is viruses and hacking, I haven't seen anyone talking about Internet security suites coming with one...Wouldn't it have to have some internet security to be safe? And one thing about OS, isn't it Open Office that they give you that is compatable with everything they say? If so how well does it work? The compatability issue between it and WORD I mean, it's a non-issue right?

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If you're talking about XP, you probably have to get your own virus suite, then. If you're talking about Linux? Don't bother. There are hardly any viruses out "in the wild" for Linux operating systems, and UNIX and UNIX-like systems are generally much more secure than Windows, so--especially if you're on a protected network--your chances of getting hacked are extremely slim. The chances of running into a virus on Linux are miniscule, and as for hacking, just turn on your firewall (should probably have one built-in, even if it doesn't say) and you should be fine.

OpenOffice is a free, open-source, cross-platform office suite, much like MS Office. There are versions for Windows, Linux, and Mac, so if you have a computer at all right now, you can download it for free any time and try it out. It's a pretty impressive suite, especially for the price point. I used it for my first semester of college before I decided to buy iWork. It should cover pretty much all your needs, with its own versions of Word, Powerpoint, Excel, and Access; unless you're a power-user, you won't find anything lacking, and personally, I think it's better-arranged than Office. By default, it saves in the open-source ODF format, but if you want, you can change it to save in MS Office formats (.doc, .docx, .ppt, etc.) and, of course, good ol' RTF for text documents if you need to exchange a file with Office. But yeah, basically compatibility is a non-issue. You'll be fine.

I've got an Asus eee Pc with XP on it. No cd drive...which is fine. I use it only for writing, nothing else.

It has a wireless card, usb ports and an SD slot. So I can get what I need for writing on the computer.

A friend of mine has the Linux Asus Eee, and he absolutely adores it. He's a writer as well and sings its praises for both writing and school work. I've got two iBooks that I love.

What's a lapstop?

rhymegirl said:

What's a lapstop?

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The end of a lapdance?

poetinahat said:

We just picked up a Toshiba (wanted something sturdy) - it's FANTASTIC so far. 15.4" screen, 4GB RAM, Centrino 2.5GB processor, 500GB hard drive, 512MB graphics, Vista Ultimate, fingerprint login, built-in webcam and stereo speakers. Yeah, we spent more, but (a) it's the home computer, and (b) it's still cheaper than the Acer was three years ago - by a long way.

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Just wait until the heat problems kick in. I've yet to meet a Toshiba owner who's not complained about heat issues.

kuwisdelu said:

If you're talking about XP, you probably have to get your own virus suite, then. If you're talking about Linux? Don't bother. There are hardly any viruses out "in the wild" for Linux operating systems, and UNIX and UNIX-like systems are generally much more secure than Windows, so--especially if you're on a protected network--your chances of getting hacked are extremely slim. The chances of running into a virus on Linux are miniscule, and as for hacking, just turn on your firewall (should probably have one built-in, even if it doesn't say) and you should be fine.

OpenOffice is a free, open-source, cross-platform office suite, much like MS Office. There are versions for Windows, Linux, and Mac, so if you have a computer at all right now, you can download it for free any time and try it out. It's a pretty impressive suite, especially for the price point. I used it for my first semester of college before I decided to buy iWork. It should cover pretty much all your needs, with its own versions of Word, Powerpoint, Excel, and Access; unless you're a power-user, you won't find anything lacking, and personally, I think it's better-arranged than Office. By default, it saves in the open-source ODF format, but if you want, you can change it to save in MS Office formats (.doc, .docx, .ppt, etc.) and, of course, good ol' RTF for text documents if you need to exchange a file with Office. But yeah, basically compatibility is a non-issue. You'll be fine.

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What he said.

Tirjasdyn said:

I've got an Asus eee Pc with XP on it. No cd drive...which is fine. I use it only for writing, nothing else.

It has a wireless card, usb ports and an SD slot. So I can get what I need for writing on the computer.

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I have an Asus, too. It came with Linux, but I couldn't get the hang of it and loaded it with XP and Word 2007. Now I love it for writing. I backup my manuscript to a jump drive and by e-mailing it to myself. Highly portable and easy on the back. For on-line support, I go to http://forum.eeeuser.com.

I've got an Asus eee too, with Linux. I got it last year when they came out and I absolutely love it. I drag it with me everywhere--it only weighs about two pounds.

Asus Eee PC 900 with XP.
I love it.

Toshiba has heat issues? omg I don't even know that, and I've been researching lappys for more than a year.....