SkinsHokieFan Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Looking to buy my parents a basic netbook with a web cam and speaker so they can use skype. The literally have no use for a computer other then email, some web browsing and facebook :doh: Recommendations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zCommander Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Do not get it!!!! Sorry I guess I should still give you a recommendation. Here it is: Get at a minimum, an Intel Atom N450 CPU, 1GB of RAM minimum, a 160GB or larger hard drive, and Windows 7 Starter Edition. I would still try to max out the memory. Lack of memory in these things makes them really slow. Edit: One more thing take a look at the base computer here at BestBuy. It will be a lot better and with a bigger screen for around the same price as a Netbook: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Laptop-Computers/cfcat/pcmcat138500050001.c?id=pcmcat138500050001 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slacky McSlackAss Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 I'd get em either a Dell or an Asus one. I've heard very good things about Asus netbooks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
“Misdirection” Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 I'm using an ASUS EeePC right now and I love it. Webcam and a microphone, although the microphone is two little holes on the very bottom of the monitor. I haven't had any problems at all. Keyboard takes a little while to get used to but it works fine. OH, and just in case you were unaware there is not a disc drive but if you really need one you can connect it via USB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Vet Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 We bought this one before going on a long trip w/ two little kids: http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-1005HA-PU1X-BK-10-1-Inch-Black-Netbook/dp/B002DYIXMI/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&s=pc&qid=1265974015&sr=1-19 It claimed 10.5 hours of battery life. We found about 8-9 hours was actual....still very impressive. We did upgrade to 2 gig ram and would recommend doing so. No complaints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hkHog Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 The Toshibas are definitely the best right now. HP Mini 311 is good if you need more power and graphics performance. EDIT: Here is a good buyers guide with links to reviews as well http://www.laptopmag.com/buying-guide/laptops/netbooks.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drums and skins Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 ... and Windows 7 Starter Edition Well, to quote yourself on that: Do not get it!!!! Definitely go with windows 7, but make sure its NOT Starter edition. Starter edition will limit you to running only 3 programs at a time. Say you were in Firefox, listening to music and running skype, but all of a sudden you want to open a document you were sent while checking your webmail. Nope. Not gonna happen. Other than that, I totally agree with you, try to get one with 2GB ram to avoid the pain in the ass RAM upgrade that some of these machines can pose because of their case design. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hkHog Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Well, to quote yourself on that: Do not get it!!!!Definitely go with windows 7, but make sure its NOT Starter edition. Starter edition will limit you to running only 3 programs at a time. Say you were in Firefox, listening to music and running skype, but all of a sudden you want to open a document you were sent while checking your webmail. Nope. Not gonna happen. Other than that, I totally agree with you, try to get one with 2GB ram to avoid the pain in the ass RAM upgrade that some of these machines can pose because of their case design. Not true, the amount of simultaneous apps you can run in Windows 7 Starter is NOT limited. MS originally said it would be but changed that. However, you cannot customize the way the starter edition looks very much. There are other limitations too (such as no Media Center to record and play back TV and no DVD playback but how many netbooks have TV cards or DVD drives? None) but you can run as many programs as you want. More info here: http://windows.about.com/od/windowsosversions/a/Win7Starter.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackest Eyes Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Get an ASUS netbook. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heyholetsgogrant Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 I would avoid buying Netbooks because they are soooo slowwwwww (trust me). I would get a laptop with a AMD Neo X2. Here is one made by Toshiba, you get 10 hours of battery life, but with dual core and 2 GB of memory. It will blow the performance of a netbook away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveakl Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Get an ASUS netbook. We have the most basic one there is. Was around $200 or a little less at Best Buy. Only use it for skype and it sits downstairs so we can surf the internet when needed. (google a phone number, check email real fast, etc.) It was a great buy! Has a webcam and speaker, no cd drive so we got an external one for cheap and use that to watch dvd's for our kids on long plane rides. We do not need it for anything more so it is perfect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetSkins Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 ASUS netbook, quality built and affordable. The 1000HE or 1005 are good models Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwack Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 We bought this one before going on a long trip w/ two little kids:http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-1005HA-PU1X-BK-10-1-Inch-Black-Netbook/dp/B002DYIXMI/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&s=pc&qid=1265974015&sr=1-19 It claimed 10.5 hours of battery life. We found about 8-9 hours was actual....still very impressive. We did upgrade to 2 gig ram and would recommend doing so. No complaints. I've had this one (1005HA) for 6 months and it's been great. ASUS is the way to go, and I bought mine off Amazon.com and it was the same price as a lesser ASUS model that was at Best Buy. I'd go with ASUS off Amazon, can't go wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ned Flanders Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 I own an Acer netbook, and it's nice and small but the damn mousepad drives me friggin nuts...... And it's a slow POS browsing the internet and I've already put the max 1.5 GB of RAM in it. I'm gonna throw an SSD drive i have in it, and then do some benchmarks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinfan2k Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 How much usually are these? I am in the market for one too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slacky McSlackAss Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 How much usually are these? I am in the market for one too. around $300. I'm about to buy on in the next month or so. Much cheaper than replacing my laptop which still functions properly, I just hate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hkHog Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 The Asus ones are good but seriously, check out the Toshibas, like I said before in this thread. IMO, they have the best overall design (usable keyboard and trackpad) and if you check any review website out (Laptop Magazine, CNet, etc...) they are generally the highest rated. My aunt has one which she uses as her primary PC and it is quite nice. The Asus are good but Toshiba is the best for netbooks because the keyboard and trackpad are actually usable while the performance is on par with or better than competitors and battery life is 8.5+ hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techboy Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 I love my Dell Mini 9 (technically, I think I have the Vostro A90, but it's the same thing). It was $199. Of course, I then spent more upgrading it with a 32 GB Runcore SSD and 2GB of RAM. One interesting thing about the Dell is that if you want, you can make it a "hackintosh". It's relatively easy to install Mac Snow Leopard, apparently, though I've never tried it. We use it for travel, and it plays Netflix Instant Play and Hulu full screen without issues. On the other hand, though, if this is just because you want something cheap, and not because you want something ultraportable (we pack light, so no room for anything bigger), I'd suggest getting a full sized laptop. The keyboard will be nicer and easier to use, the screen will be a little easier to see your smiling face, and if you keep an eye out, you can get a deal that's just about as cheap as a netbook, with better specs. Watch fatwallet or slickdeals, and you'll run into something in no time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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