Which Computer Suits Me? Part 2

This month’s article continues with the topic of Which Computer Suits Me.

Advantages Of Netbooks
The following are some of the advantages/disadvantages of Netbook computers over their desktop/laptop counterparts.

Speed: Netbooks typically boot and are available for use in less than 2 minutes. A pure Netbook computer does not use traditional hard disk drives and the operating system and data are stored on the build-in non-volatile memory which is quicker and less likely to be damaged than traditional hard disk drives.

Size/Weight: The Netbooks are much smaller and lighter than your traditional laptop. Screen sizes range between 7” and 13” inches and they easily fit in a standard briefcase.
Durability: With no moving parts the Netbook can take much more punishment than a traditional laptop. The Achilles heal is the screen which is exactly the same as a traditional laptop so don’t be mislead into thinking you can throw these units around.

Cost: With prices starting at as low as 250 euro you can get yourself online and browsing quite cheaply. The low cost also makes this unit suitable as a secondary pc around the house to reduce the stress on your main machine.

Maintenance: Netbooks come in two flavours Windows or Linux. The Linux models are virtually impervious to virus attack so if you purchase one you are much less likely to be hit by spyware/virus infections. The caveat with Linux is that Windows based programs will not work under Linux. Linux models are cheaper than the Windows versions.

Disadvantages Of Netbooks
Screen Size: The screen sizes may be too small for those of you with poor eyesight. Even those with good eyesight will find using the 7”-9” models tiring. Expandability: Netbooks use non-volatile memory to store both the operating system and your data and as such you do not have much capacity for storage of your data. You can add an external hard drive if you desire but these cost around 90-120 euro.

Functionality: Netbooks have neither the storage capacity or the processing power to handle large volumes of music or video. Because they are not equipped with either a cd or dvd drive you’ll need to purchase an external CD/DVD player if you want to play or use cd/dvds on your netbook.