With one thing or another the last few months, including being very ill and being the organizer of a gospel music festival for 26 December I have been tardy to post. With Christmas upon us I suddenly got an increase in calls from friends and clients wanting to know if  netbooks are a good buy.

What I am talking about is not a traditional laptop called a “netbook”, but the new and evolving category of subnotebooks (sometimes also called mini notebooks or ultraportable) that are designed to be small, light and inexpensive. They are generally suited for general computing and accessing the Internet. These devices are essentially low weight, low cost laptops. Often this is achieved by omitting a DVD drive and using lower spec CPU’s and hard drives.

For those of a more technical bent, read the very interesting Wikipedia entry on the history of netbooks.

So what are the differences?

Netbooks are portable, a feature that made me call them “makeup kits” and “ladies handbag computers” when I first saw them. This especially because my friend Michelle carried her netbook in her handbag. This portability is very appealing and I have since realized that small is not to be underestimated.

Most netbooks still do have smaller hard drives than laptops. With large USB flash drives available or a good external USB drive this is not an issue for the MP3 collectors. Some netbooks come with Solid State Drives (SSDs) instead of hard disks. SSD cannot store much data, but have no moving parts and are less prone to damage due to dropping or banging the device.

Netbooks have smaller screens. You may think this as an issue (as I did) but after spending hours setting up books for clients, I can testify that this is not an issue. Most have VGA outputs anyway for those who want a bigger screen.

Keyboards are smaller and keys in different places. Again I did not find this at all irritating. Not a steep learning curve, and the touch pad and buttons prove as easy (or hard) to use as any laptop.

Some netbooks have smaller processors, but this is offset against their cost. After all this is a machine designed for the Internet, not for graphic design.

The lack of a DVD drive can be an issue, especially to installing program, hence the extra setups I end up doing for clients. To tell the truth, I often just copy installation programs to a USB drive and install that way (although I have an external DVD for the problem installs, mostly printer drivers). The lack of DVD can also be an issue with backups. Let me say this – learn to use USB flash drives.

Most netbooks have WiFi and some have 3G connectivity and bluetooth. I’ve only ever worked on netbooks with Windows XP and have had no problems whatsoever setting up connections to ADSL routers or with a SIM. On that point, because of the general high spec needed for Vista, most netbooks use Windows XP. Not that I’m complaining as I dislike Vita. One netbook I am aware of, the ASUS Eeee uses Linux.

After using netbooks myself for a few hours, I can say I am impressed by these minature laptops. They are the ideal computer for busy people who do a moderate amount of Internet and email and want to write an occasional letter. They will not replace full blown laptops or desktops for hardcore computer users, but cost and ease of use will bring many converts among the masses. In my book, more connected = good.

Keep in mind the following when buying your netbook;

• Battery: Longer is better, 6-cell batteries beat 3-cell

• Memory: More is better and always the best value in terms of speed. 1GB is good 2GB is better.

• Processor: Most netbooks use the Intel Atom processor. I love that little CPU. It is fast and sips power. 1.6Ghz is perfect for netbooks.

• Screen: Check that you get at least 1024 by 600 resolution on that tiny LCD.

• Ports: SD card readers are fine, but what you want is USB ports. More is better.

Now that I’ve given you the gen, be aware that I am too lazy to do the homework. Here are a few models for you to look at if you are in the market Maybe you can tell me which is the best (remembering that I am biased towards Acer.)

Acer Aspire one range

Samsung NC10

Mecer UW1 10.1

HP  Compaq Mini 110C

HP Mini 5101

Dell Inspirion Mini 10

Sony VAIO VPC-W115XG

Asus Eeee PC 2G

Happy Holidays all!

Most of us are aware (at some level) that Banks charges a premium for the services they provide. Of course, very few of us think that our own bank is one of the culprits. One of my first articles almost 2 years ago was on Capitec Bank, and its low service charge savings account.

I have noticed that Capitec has been campaigning hard with television adverts the last while, as well as with their participation in the TV soap “Generations”. In fact this is part of a campaign launched 22 July to promote their revised logo and pay-off line. They certainly have bragging rights, as they have done more than many bigger competitors to offer ordinary South Africans affordable banking with good service. Pity the big guys don’t get it. Read the rest of this entry »