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View Full Version : Getting The Most Out Of Your Netbook


Hooch Tan
02-22-2010, 09:30 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://jkontherun.com/2010/02/22/5-must-have-programs-for-netbooks/' target='_blank'>http://jkontherun.com/2010/02/22/5-...s-for-netbooks/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"The hardware is only part of the picture for any computing solution, netbook or otherwise. The right software tools can often make a big difference on the utility a consumer gets from a given netbook. Here are my five &ldquo;must-have&rdquo; programs for netbooks. These are only my own choices, your needs may vary. They are utilities for the Windows platform, so they are not restricted to netbook use."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1266864640.usr20447.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p><a href="http://www.google.com/chrome" target="_blank"><em>Image courtesy of Google Inc.</em></a></p><p>So you thought that you needed a light-weight, easy to carry, just good enough computing device, and picked up a netbook.&nbsp; It was glorious.&nbsp; No more hernias, cramps or pressure marks from carrying a bag with a conventional laptop.&nbsp; However, the honeymoon is now over, and you are finding that the netbook is a bit constricting.&nbsp; Maybe its the sluggish behaviour.&nbsp; Maybe it is the eye squinting.&nbsp; Maybe it is the constant mousing to just the right exact spot.&nbsp; Well, James Kendrick offers some suggestions that might help you.&nbsp; I have moved my mini-laptop over the to Linux world (Easy Peasy, if you must know) however, a lot of the suggestions make sense for someone who has a Windows based netbook.&nbsp; I still favour Firefox, and would prefer Firefox Weave over Xmarks, but to each their own.&nbsp; The biggest suggestion I would make though, especially if your netbook is of the Flash/SSD variety, is use "portable" apps instead of the regular install.&nbsp; Portable apps tend to be better optimized for Flash/SSD based devices with fewer writes, which can often cause slow performance.&nbsp; What are your suggestions for getting the most out of your netbook?</p>

gdoerr56
02-22-2010, 09:50 PM
Take a nice HP Mini 311, add an Intel X25-M 80 GB Flash Drive, grab an extra battery and you have a good all-around netbook that is fast enough for general productivity applications, fast enough to watch movies on and gets about 5 hours on a charge with the 3 cell battery, all for about $750. Who need Linux when you've got Windows 7...

Sure, you're not going to be able to play any games that require any horsepower but it's featherweight with a screen that is good enough.

I wouldn't want to use it as my primary machine but for that price, I can buy a nice desktop/monitor combination in addition to the netbook and get all the performance and portability I need for less than a high-end latop alone is going to cost me.