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Hey TL I need help buying a new laptop and because I know absolutely nothing about hardware thought I'd ask for your help. I know there were a few other laptop help threads but my situation is different and a lot of the deals in those threads are dead now. Here are some specifications I'm have:
Budget: Max $500. Preferably cheaper. I'm not too rich.
Uses: Taking notes, playing poker.
Want: Not to big (nothing more than 14.1"), not too hot, good battery life.
Don't need: Sexy GPU, crazy CPU, extremely large hard drive.
Other Notes: Will probably be running Arch Linux with IceWM so don't need crazy RAM like Vista users.
Due to my lack of funds, my choice of laptop is pretty much limited to netbooks. I narrowed down my choices between the ASUS EeePC 1000HE, the MSI Wind U100-641US and the Acer Aspire One AOA1501359.
Anybody have any experience with any of the above laptops? Is ~$40 worth the downgrade from the MSI to the Acer? What about the $140 from the ASUS? Is there another laptop that I haven't thought of that is an equal or possibly even better deal? Is 8.9" really too small? I run on a 13.3" right now so would it be that significant a difference? Is the support base for the EeePc's the reason why I should choose?
Also, I thought about picking up a SSD to speed it up even more and was looking at the cheapest SSD among the Newegg Top sellers (a OCZ Vertex). Is that worth it as well?
A lot of questions but thanks for any advice.
 
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To clarify, the products that you are referring to are 'netbooks'.
Grouping them as laptops is confusing for people.
I've played around with the MSI Wind a fair bit. The 10" screen is great, the keys are a bit small but definately usable. The acer aspireone keys are DEFINATELY too small.
The Acer aspireone only have a 8.9" inch screen which imo is bad. I don't recommend you getting anything with 8.9 or smaller. The price difference does not justify the discomforts.
If you intent on spending $500, get one with 10", a comfortable keyboard and 6 cell battery.
MSI Wind is the nearest to that requirement that i've come across.
ASUS 1000H had very good following, I don't know much about 1000HE
Arch Linux should run fine on any of them. AFAIK netbooks enjoy great support in the *nix community.
I don't know, SSD imo is not worth it especially on a netbook.
Btw, If i remember correctly, the MSI and the Acer have the RAM fused into the chasis and is not removable so no upgrading. (I will confirm this for you when i get the chance.)
P.S. If you have any specific questions that can only be ascertained from looking at the machines, pm me and i i will see what i can do.
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On May 12 2009 11:57 haduken wrote:
To clarify, the products that you are referring to are 'netbooks'.
Grouping them as laptops is confusing for people.
I understand what you are saying but I'm of the view that netbooks are just smaller laptops w.o CD drives and crappier CPUs. also, I'm open to suggestions for laptops which is why I didn't limit this thread to just netbooks.
as for the MSI, the one I was looking at (the link) has a 3 cell. just wanted to point that out. but thanks for the response anyways. i'm going to head over to a local wal-mart or costco soon to check out how small 8.9" really is.
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Ah ok. I still think you should invest in a 6 cell model. GL
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I have an MSI Wind.
Of all the netbooks I've tried, the WInd is quite consistent and reliable upon comparison. The keyboard, screen, and speed are all quite good.
HOWEVER, I HIGHLY regret choosing a netbook over a regular laptop. There are MANY deals for laptops (notebook, whatever) that are <$500. I would prefer pretty much any 14" laptop to the Wind because I see no significant (at least for me) benefits in a netbook. Netbooks are slower, too small, and difficult to use for long periods of time. They're just too damn small to be practical. Look into retailer deals or newegg.com. I GUARANTEE a much better result when you opt for a budget notebook over a netbook.
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samsung nc10
best netbook around. even plays SC no problem.. but stay away from highend FPS and the like. if you just wanna web serf this is the machine.. also, you can help support stork, fbh, jangbi, and those guys
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United States22883 Posts
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btw if anybody really ends up being interested i bought an asus 1000he and it was the best purchase i've made in a while (besides my adidas SS2G Slide 2 squishy foam slipper for $13 off of finishline and my TS creators). i highly recommend all of the items mentioned above.
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EPT
