I Got My Netbook Yesterday, But I Have A Question.

[Margarita Skies]

Hi.


I am really excited because I got a used netbook yesterday at eBay. I couldn't afford a new one, and besides, all I want to do is be able to write anywhere in the house, or when I'm in my grandma's car, etc, because my laptop is desktop-like because I don't dare to move it out of my room. It's heavy, I'm in a wheelchair, and it could fall from my lap. My first laptop fell from my aunt's bed and it was a huge scare a year ago. Luckily, it fell on the top, not on the bottom, it fell on the screen side, closed, get my drift? The bottom was facing up when it fell. I don't know how else to explain it so if you still don't understand, please forgive me. Anyway, I found out that the hard drive is only 4 GB. That means that the only files I can store on it without consuming the hard drive entirely are my manuscripts. No problem. The only problem is, if there's a way that I could store my files without consuming much hard drive space, or preferably none at all, besides the space that the OS is using. I am considering buying a flash drive. Is that a good option? I am planning on buying a replacement hard drive because I'm scared of this one. The last time I had a hard drive this small, (3.25 GB) was in my twelve-year-old desktop, the first computer I ever had, which stopped working three years after I bought it because I tried to format the hard drive with a corrupted file in the recovery CD (Long story that I still don't understand) and, well...I just don't think I have enough money to buy a replacement hard drive now. The laptop is a seven-inch ASUS, black. When I do have enough money to buy the replacement hard drive, though, where can I buy it? In other words, what's ASUS' official website? I Googled it, but I didn't find a straighforward and direct ASUS.com. Get my drift?


Any help with this question, which turned out to be several questions wrapped up into one, is greatly appreciated. You guys have always been very nice to me and I know I can count on you when I need help and that's why AW is my favorite place on the internet, besides all the new things I learn about the wonderful art of writing here every single day.


Love
Magali.

[Bing Zabriskie]

I think your netbook has one of those solid state drives, which explains why the capacity is so low. My Eee 901 came with a conventional harddrive.

The Asus support homepage is http://support.asus.com/ but I wouldn't consider buying a new harddisk for your computer, not unless you're considering loading your harddisk with movies, etc which take up loads of storage spaces.

I think flash drives are good enough for storing and backing up your documents. I use them for backup (from my desktop) but also to use it on my netbook. (I don't store personal and financial data on the netbook which I toss around and I'm known for forgetting my belongings.) A 4 GB brand name one (such as this (http://www.cyberguys.com/product-listings/?categoryid=380)) cost about $10 and doesn't need any installation.

[Paperback Writer]

Hello, sorry to hear you have so little space. Anyway, I've been using an online storage that is free called dropbox. They'll give you 2 gb free of space to store your files online. You can upload through the website and you can make folders and search. You can use my link: https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTE2ODIwNzM5 to sign up. I've used this for school and in one year I used only 19% of my space.

As far as the hard drive, I don't know if you're technically minded. If you are you could probably try to match your netbook model to a corresponding hard drive model. Also, you could call your local computer store and ask them what hard drive would fit your netbook.

[Margarita Skies]

I think your netbook has one of those solid state drives, which explains why the capacity is so low. My Eee 901 came with a conventional harddrive.

The Asus support homepage is http://support.asus.com/ but I wouldn't consider buying a new harddisk for your computer, not unless you're considering loading your harddisk with movies, etc which take up loads of storage spaces.

I only want a hard drive big enough for me not to worry about running out of space, storing only my manuscripts, like a 40 GB would be nice, thus I have my 250-GB hard drive in my Toshiba for my bigger files. I store a lot of music on my 250-GB-hard drive Toshiba Laptop (818 tracks so far in my iTunes), but I don't store or download any videos. I also have a 50-CD-R spindle of brand-new CD's to burn my music into and after my music is recorded onto CD's I will delete it from my hard drive. Thanks for the advice, though, and thanks a lot for the link to the ASUS customer support page. That was precisely one of the things I was asking for. You're awesome.


I think flash drives are good enough for storing and backing up your documents. I use them for backup (from my desktop) but also to use it on my netbook. (I don't store personal and financial data on the netbook which I toss around and I'm known for forgetting my belongings.) A 4 GB brand name one (such as this (http://www.cyberguys.com/product-listings/?categoryid=380)) cost about $10 and doesn't need any installation.

Thanks a million for this link also. I just entered that webpage and bought a flash drive. :)


Hello, sorry to hear you have so little space. Anyway, I've been using an online storage that is free called dropbox. They'll give you 2 gb free of space to store your files online. You can upload through the website and you can make folders and search. You can use my link: https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTE2ODIwNzM5 to sign up. I've used this for school and in one year I used only 19% of my space.

As far as the hard drive, I don't know if you're technically minded. If you are you could probably try to match your netbook model to a corresponding hard drive model. Also, you could call your local computer store and ask them what hard drive would fit your netbook.


I signed up for a Dropbox account, the day before yesterday, I think, and I plan on downloading it and installing it to my netbook as soon as I get it in the mail. Thanks for the local-store advice, but I live in Puerto Rico, in a little island separate from Puerto Rico that belongs to Puerto Rico, and here we don't have any computer hardware/software stores. We don't even have stores like Walmart, Office Max, etc. That's why I get most of my computer stuff, electronics, music and books online.


I'd like to thank both of you for your advice. I am going to favorite this thread for future reference. You guys are amazing.


Love
Magali.

[Kitty Pryde]

I believe the Asus netbooks have a slot for an SD card (like the kind you put in a camera). It can act as a second storage space, hiding out there in your netbook :) That's what I use. They are pretty cheap on Amazon. Anytime I do any work, I just copy it onto the SD card so it's saved in 2 places. I back up online as well.

[Margarita Skies]

I believe the Asus netbooks have a slot for an SD card (like the kind you put in a camera). It can act as a second storage space, hiding out there in your netbook :) That's what I use. They are pretty cheap on Amazon. Anytime I do any work, I just copy it onto the SD card so it's saved in 2 places. I back up online as well.


Thanks so much for all your help!! That's yet another thing I didn't know before tonight! :)

[Margarita Skies]

Hey, guys, I have an update. I searched eBay for a replacement hard drive for my netbook and I found a brand-new, wonderful 160 GB SATA hard drive for netbooks. It is compatible with like five different netbook brands. I asked the guy selling it if it was compatible with my netbook brand and he asked me to specify the model of my netbook so he could tell me if it was compatible or not. Problem is the guy that I bought the netbook from didn't specify the model of the netbook in the auction page. I bring you a picture of my netbook to see if you have an idea what the model could be. If you can't help me with this particular query, it's ok. Here we go.

http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/ab229/LatinaPassion/mynetbook.jpg

What do you think? Can you tell me what family this little darling belongs to? Thanks in advance.


Magali.

[\jumpingJack]

On the back/bottom of the laptop, there should be a barcode serial number, it'll say something like Model No: ... and it'll be a few letters - numbers.

Here's an image of what you're looking for on the back:
http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Articles/Sources/Asus_DRW_1608P/Images/asus_label.jpg

If that little sticker isn't there, it'll probably tell you the model somewhere near the keyboard, but usually that information is on the bottom.

[Kitty Pryde]

Magali--have you got the skills/a skillful friend to install the new hard drive for you? Fiddling around in the guts of a laptop can be a tricky business (sorry to get technical with it there :D ) Not to mention the question of whether it will fit. I believe that a 4GB solid-state drive is almost certainly smaller than a 160 GB hard drive. (A solid-state drive is also more likely to survive a tumble onto the floor.)

[Medievalist]

I suspect that 160 GB drive won't physically fit in your netbook. I also suspect that it doesn't have the power to drive it.

4 GB should be enough if you use the netbook the way it's meant to be used; it's not a laptop. It's a light-weight low impact device. Don't install a bunch of software. Keep it to a minimum.

[Margarita Skies]

On the back/bottom of the laptop, there should be a barcode serial number, it'll say something like Model No: ... and it'll be a few letters - numbers.

Here's an image of what you're looking for on the back:
http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Articles/Sources/Asus_DRW_1608P/Images/asus_label.jpg

If that little sticker isn't there, it'll probably tell you the model somewhere near the keyboard, but usually that information is on the bottom.


Thanks! As amazing as what I'm about to say may sound, I did not know that. I thought that the only information that laptops/netbooks had at the bottom was their serial number, the key to their operating system and whatever suites they have installed on them, (like Microsoft Home and Student Edition 2007 for example) because I've never looked at the bottom of a computer before. When my laptop fell bottom up, I was so scared it didn't occur to me to look at the info on the bottom. All I wanted to do was open it up, turn it on and see if it was ok.


Magali--have you got the skills/a skillful friend to install the new hard drive for you? Fiddling around in the guts of a laptop can be a tricky business (sorry to get technical with it there :D ) Not to mention the question of whether it will fit. I believe that a 4GB solid-state drive is almost certainly smaller than a 160 GB hard drive. (A solid-state drive is also more likely to survive a tumble onto the floor.)

No, I haven't found anyone to install it for me yet. I think (don't know if you'd agree) that the hardest thing would be to get enough money to buy the hard drive, deposit in the bank account, find a hard drive you can afford and is compatible with your computer, pay for it with your Visa and get it in the mail, depending on how long it takes the seller to ship the item. Finding someone to install it for me is a breeze actually. I now realize that a 160 GB SATA hard drive won't fit. What was I thinking? Also it's very unlikely that computers that have solid-state hard drives, that a SATA hard drive would be compatible with this computer, even if it's small enough. My computer's an eight-inch. I didn't consider your last thought on this when I read solid-state hard drive. I guess product names do mean something don't they? Again, what the heck was I thinking?


I suspect that 160 GB drive won't physically fit in your netbook. I also suspect that it doesn't have the power to drive it.

4 GB should be enough if you use the netbook the way it's meant to be used; it's not a laptop. It's a light-weight low impact device. Don't install a bunch of software. Keep it to a minimum.

You are absolutely right. I plan to use it for my manuscripts anyway, and I am not going to use any space on the netbook because I already bought my USB to save my manuscripts in it, that and only that. The only thing I'm going to download on it is the Dropbox so I can modify my manuscripts and add chapters and words to them on both computers, like I'm doing it on a flashdrive anyway. Thanks for all your help.

[kuwisdelu]

I suspect that 160 GB drive won't physically fit in your netbook. I also suspect that it doesn't have the power to drive it.

4 GB should be enough if you use the netbook the way it's meant to be used; it's not a laptop. It's a light-weight low impact device. Don't install a bunch of software. Keep it to a minimum.

As Lisa said, if you're only using it for manuscripts, 4 GB should be more than enough. My folder with all my writing is only 20 MB.

Of course, it's a good idea to backup to a flash drive or online, too, anyway. ;)

[backslashbaby]

You can also use a new hard drive -- an external one -- via a USB port. I have an eeePC and that's what I do when I don't just use a flash drive. Everything sets up/is recognized automatically.


If you'd like to know your model number in XP, see if you have Start-->All Programs--> Accessories--> System Tools--> System Information

But the USB solution and a hard drive that is designed to be used that way means you probably won't need the model number. It's plug N play :)

[Margarita Skies]

You can also use a new hard drive -- an external one -- via a USB port. I have an eeePC and that's what I do when I don't just use a flash drive. Everything sets up/is recognized automatically.


If you'd like to know your model number in XP, see if you have Start-->All Programs--> Accessories--> System Tools--> System Information

But the USB solution and a hard drive that is designed to be used that way means you probably won't need the model number. It's plug N play :)


Thank you for everything! I guess buying an older netbook, one of the first to come into the market, is not as perjudicial for me as I thought. Only problem is that it's a little too small for me. It's a seven-inch, and I don't know if I'll get used to typing on such a small keyboard. I can type on a ten-inch as comfortably as on my fifteen-inch, but a seven inch? Anyway...it turns out that I am moving back to Florida on Tuesday, God willing, and since I won't be able to get the computer in the mail because by that time the seller maybe would've already shipped it to this address, I asked the seller to make arrangements to cancel the transaction and refund my money. It was $195. It's crazy, for one of the earliest netbooks in the market, I know, but it's the lowest price I could find for a used netbook at the time. I'll probably be able to get a brand-new 10-inch netbook at Walmart for about $300 anyway.

[Lhun]

Thank you for everything! I guess buying an older netbook, one of the first to come into the market, is not as perjudicial for me as I thought. Only problem is that it's a little too small for me.It's not a question of age so much as of design philosophy. You get netbooks with internal HDDs as well as with internal flash drives. The ones with flash have much lower memory of course, but the advantage is that flash memory requires far less power than a disc drive, reducing battery size / increasing operating time. It's also far smaller (about the size of a stamp) and not sensitive to shocks or shaking. It depends on what you want. If you're actually looking for a small notebook, pick one with a HDD, although getting an actual notebook would be the better choice, netbook processors are pretty damn slow.
If however you're looking for something you can do some paperwork on in a car, on a train, or pretty much anywhere, a netbook is a good choice.

[RJK]

You should realize that a netbook is designed for surfing the net, not document creation and management. Loading MS Office, or even just MS Word, is going to eat a lot of disk space. The netbook keyboard is not designed for long periods of typing, and you will quickly tire and eventually get repetitive strain injury.

I would look into a low end notebook. They are not any more fragile than a netbook. Another option would be an iPad with a wireless keyboard. A bare-bones iPad runs $500 and the wireless keyboard/mouse is under $80. I know that's more than you planned to spend, but you'll surely be more satisfied in the long run.

[Margarita Skies]

You should realize that a netbook is designed for surfing the net, not document creation and management. Loading MS Office, or even just MS Word, is going to eat a lot of disk space. The netbook keyboard is not designed for long periods of typing, and you will quickly tire and eventually get repetitive strain injury.

I would look into a low end notebook. They are not any more fragile than a netbook. Another option would be an iPad with a wireless keyboard. A bare-bones iPad runs $500 and the wireless keyboard/mouse is under $80. I know that's more than you planned to spend, but you'll surely be more satisfied in the long run.


I am going to get a brand-new netbook when I get to Florida. Document creation is not an issue because I've read about many writers who do their work on netbooks, and so far they have no problems when it comes to hard drive space usage or anything like that. They have no problems loading Word either. I think there's a "Does Anyone Use A Netbook To Write"? thread somewhere around here. A good 160 GB hard drive would be fine for doing what I want to do, and my manuscripts are not that large. They are only 80 to 100k words, and I use 12-point font on all of them, and they're 160 to 240 pages long. The biggest manuscript I have is about 700 kb, and all my manuscripts are .doc format. I am not going to play any music on the netbook or download anything to do anything, just my dropbox to manage my documents from one computer to the other without dealing with a flash drive. If I notice that my manuscripts are taking up too much space (I think it would be like 200, 700kb manuscripts to fill up a 160-gb hard drive, I have no idea), I am just going to back up my documents on recordable CD's and then delete them from my hard drive. No problem. Since I am only going to use it for internet and word-processing, I am going to be fine. If other writers on AW do it, why can't I?


I mean no disrespect, I am just trying to explain my pov. I love you guys too much, all of you, to disrespect any of you. I hope you understand that. I hope you take no offense because it wasn't my intention. If you are offended when you read this, I apologize.


Love
Magali.

[backslashbaby]

Oh, I agree :) I do a lot of things on my netbook that folks don't say it's best for ;) It depends on what you do, honestly. And how you do it! I don't do any gaming, have no need for really awesome video, etc. I do programming, so space can be an issue. That's why I use the USB hdd. And for pictures! I love saving a ton of pictures.

I know a faster processor would be nice, but I have to carry my netbook so many places. I have a very, very bad back, so weight/bulk is a much bigger issue for me than waiting for the hourglass a bit in Windows :)

[Lhun]

Another option would be an iPad with a wireless keyboard. A bare-bones iPad runs $500 and the wireless keyboard/mouse is under $80.That'd be an extremely bad choice. The iPad doesn't offer any functionality for writing the netbook doesn't, and you can use an external keyboard on a netbook as well. If you're prepared to spend 500$, get a real notebook, not a toy.
If I notice that my manuscripts are taking up too much space (I think it would be like 200, 700kb manuscripts to fill up a 160-gb hard drive, I have no idea)Ah .... no. 1024 kB are a MB and 1024 MB are a GB. Even the 4GB flash drive in the netbook can hold a couple of thousand of your manuscripts. A 160 gig external drive could hold about 240.000

[Margarita Skies]

That'd be an extremely bad choice. The iPad doesn't offer any functionality for writing the netbook doesn't, and you can use an external keyboard on a netbook as well. If you're prepared to spend 500$, get a real notebook, not a toy.
Ah .... no. 1024 kB are a MB and 1024 MB are a GB. Even the 4GB flash drive in the netbook can hold a couple of thousand of your manuscripts. A 160 gig external drive could hold about 240.000


That is amazing! I didn't know that! Thank you!! :)

[Chumplet]

The key issue with a netbook is lightweight portability and ease of use, not capacity or flexibility. We have our home laptops/computers for stuff like photoshop, spreadsheets, movies, pictures, etc.

My little HP Netbook is fine for writing and even has room for a few pictures. If I can store all my manuscripts, notes, etc. on a tiny flash drive, then a netbook is adequate for my needs.

I found the smaller keyboard to be awkward at first, but I only write with it when I'm on my lunch break at work, or at the park. It's not my main tool for writing. I use my 12" Mac for that.

It's cheap, too. Even in Canada!!!

[JemmaP]

The real thing to watch with netbooks is their width/size, if you're looking to be doing a lot of typing - the keyboards can be quite small and if you are typing a lot, it may aggravate repetitive stress injuries or wrist soreness. (That's why I don't use one, personally.)

Netbooks actually use a simplified operating system that doesn't take up nearly as much space as you might think. A 4gb netbook would be entirely sufficient for an operating system and your manuscripts, and as mentioned you can certainly use removable media like flash drives or SD cards as well.

One other thing, netbooks do not typically have CD/DVD (optical) disc drives. So you won't be able to burn your documents onto disk that way. They -do- come with USB ports, and most anything you have inside a computer can usually be found outside a computer, in a pinch, but it won't be as portable or ideal.

For what you've described as your needs, a netbook coupled with regular flash drive and/or online backup of your work would probably work out just great.

(I do have an iPad, but I don't write on it much - it's fantastic for casual web browsing and media playing, and I use it a ton around the house, carrying it with me from room to room. YMMV.)

[Paperback Writer]

I don't think the ipad should be recommended for writing, it's more of an entertainment device. You could buy a used macbook if you want to use apple and get the full experience. Also you could buy a used PC laptop, I hear Thinkpads have the best keyboard, if you want to try that.

Otherwise as far as a netbook, I would definitely go with a larger one, I have 13.3 inch cross between a netbook and a laptop. It doesn't have a DVD player, but most people don't need that anymore since everything can be downloaded, saved on an SD card or memory stick.

You could also get a portable usb DVD drive, with this you can burn and read DVDs and CDs.

I'm liking my netbook/laptop because of the battery life. I love that I don't have to worry about hunting for an outlet when I arrive at a cafe or library. Plus it's really light. I tried a regular laptop and those things are so heavy and a pain to carry around. Not to mention the batteries stick out on those and you only get 3 hours of use if you're really really lucky, more like 2. I'm using an Asus UL30A-X5K, there is only 1 new one left on amazon.com if you want it.

Here are the specifications:
(Low power consumption) 1.3GHz Intel SU7300 Core 2 Duo Processor; Kindle for PC pre-loaded
4GB of DDR3 RAM, 2 slots, 4GB Max
500GB SATA Hard Drive (5400 RPM); No optical drive
13.3" HD LED Display, Intel GMA 4500MHD, Wi-Fi 802.11 bgn, 0.3M Webcam
Windows 7 Home Premium Operating System (64 bit); up to 12 hours of battery life
5-in-1 memory card reader compatible with Secure Digital (SD), MultiMedia Card (MMC), Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, and xD Picture Card

[backslashbaby]

I don't think the ipad should be recommended for writing, it's more of an entertainment device. You could buy a used macbook if you want to use apple and get the full experience. Also you could buy a used PC laptop, I hear Thinkpads have the best keyboard, if you want to try that.

Otherwise as far as a netbook, I would definitely go with a larger one, I have 13.3 inch cross between a netbook and a laptop. It doesn't have a DVD player, but most people don't need that anymore since everything can be downloaded, saved on an SD card or memory stick.

You could also get a portable usb DVD drive, with this you can burn and read DVDs and CDs.

I'm liking my netbook/laptop because of the battery life. I love that I don't have to worry about hunting for an outlet when I arrive at a cafe or library. Plus it's really light. I tried a regular laptop and those things are so heavy and a pain to carry around. Not to mention the batteries stick out on those and you only get 3 hours of use if you're really really lucky, more like 2. I'm using an Asus UL30A-X5K, there is only 1 new one left on amazon.com if you want it.

Here are the specifications:

Yep, those specs are like mine, but my hdd is smaller, and the unit is the smaller one (the lightest one, you see). I love it.

Dad and his partners have Toshibas now. Awesome. The battery life is insanely good. Mine was cheaper, lol ;)

[Paperback Writer]

Yep, those specs are like mine, but my hdd is smaller, and the unit is the smaller one (the lightest one, you see). I love it.

Dad and his partners have Toshibas now. Awesome. The battery life is insanely good. Mine was cheaper, lol ;)

Glad to hear that someone has similar taste. I like that I can customize the track pad with 3 finger tap to go back on the browser, and 2 finger tap for right click.

The only thing I might get are rest pads or a custom skin.