Stupid Question Time

my next purchase will be a netbook. I have heard that large applications ie Adobe paint or Jasc(PSP) kind of drag it down. I dont' think the fb games would do that though.

how do you know you killed your lappy? what did it do? what won't it do?

Have you tried booting from a Windows disk? I had a problem with my laptop the other day, and was able to repair Windows from the install disk.

WRT netbook vs laptop, the former are smaller and less powerful. If you aren't going to be running any meaty applications (games, image/video manipulation etc), and can cope with the titchy screen, a netbook should do just fine. Oh, and usually no optical drive, I think.

If it is to be your only computer, I would go with the laptop. I have a netbook (Acer Aspire), and I like it a lot, but I wouldn't want that to be my only computer. Both the screen and the keyboard are too small to use for hours on end. I use it when traveling for surfing the net (AW), checking email, IMing with friends, and some beta editing. But only an hour or so at a time.

MM

For most people, IMHO, most laptops (and desktops) these days are overpriced and overpowered. If all you're really doing is typing, then a netbook should cover it-- or get yourself a lower-end laptop (maybe get custom specs and ask for the lesser video card and processing power since Wordprocessors really don't need much in the way of guts.) And it can save you some money.

There is the issue of size, but that's going to be a personal preference. I used to use a little computer with a 12in screen and never had problems. I liked that little machine, but it was not quite compatible with the ever-changing rest of the world (ie. no USB flash drive support and required extra-slow syncing to transfer files. Ugh. It eventually wasn't worth it. Of course now my PHONE is more powerful that that little computer!)

Go to your local computer-selling store(s) and play with the computer. Open Word and type a few jaw-dropping scenes on them. (Baring teeth and growling usually sends sales associates to a corner with their tales between their legs). See how you feel about the different sizes. That will help you with your decision, I think.

Then again, I've never actually bought a computer, so I may not really know what I'm talking about.