Tuesday 30 September 2008

30. Netbooks Asus and related laptops

Netbook is just another name for the new range of low cost computers that have appeared on the market in recent months. Although the name is said to be because these laptops are optimised for the web, in truth they are no different from any other laptop, except in cost and size. Early versions had limited storage. But less than a year on this is no longer an issue.

But most people see them as a simple little "extra". But mixing with other technology these netbooks can be the centre of your computing world. For example, the picture above shows my Linux Asus eeePC connect to a 20 inch (50cm) screen, and the resolution change to that of a good laptop. Add a separate keyboard (keys are a bit small for my hands) and mouse and you have yourself a cheap and portable system. I used it to create this blog entry.

The one drawback with these machines is the battery life which can be as low as 90 minutes. But if you know that at the beginning, you can always carry a spare.

It is also ideal for pupils looking for a replacement for something like an Alphasmart. Those have good battery life, but their cost effectiveness is gone. For those worried about all those games and viruses that could appear on the machine, try the Netbooks that use a Linux system instead of Windows. It is cheaper, less games and far fewer viruses.

Alphasmart

1 comment:

electronic signature software said...

As you mentioned that Netbook is just another name for the new range of low cost computers that have appeared on the market in recent months. Other technology these netbooks can be the centre of your computing world. For example, the picture above shows my Linux Asus eeePC connect to a 20 inch (50cm) screen, and the resolution change to that of a good laptop.Thanks for providing information.