- Small size: The worst case scenario is that I would buy an original EEE PC which can be had almost anyplace these days for less than $300. These wee machines are cute, they are too small for me to do any real work on.
- Little memory, both RAM and hard drive: Again, the worst case scenario would have me buying the cheapest little laptop and they come standard with 512kmb of RAM and as little as 2GB of Solid State Drive storage. I need to be able to store some of my writing efforts offline while I’m away for a WiFi hotspot. 2GB just ain’t gonna get it.
- Tiny screen: I sometimes have to use glasses when writing on my 20″ iMac so you know I would have a problem staring at a tiny 8.9″ screen for any real length of time.
- ….umm, small size: Size does matter and if I have to contort myself to use a netbook, causing myself mental and physical harm in the process just to save a few bucks, well, that’s just not right. To be productive one must be comfortable. Typing with cramped fingers and strained eyes is not my idea of comfort.
The pros include:
- Small size: Luckily there are now netbook models that are physically larger than the original EEE PC, but still far smaller that most standard laptops. The HP Mini, for instance, is barely wider than 12″ and weighs well under 3 pounds. It’s small and light enough to fit neatly in my satchel, which means I’m more likely to have it with me when I’m out and about, and that means I can actually write an article or type up my thoughts when the inspiration strikes.
- Screen size: Again, the HP Mini comes to the rescue with a relatively huge 10.2″ wide aspect screen. It’s still wee compared to even the smallest MacBooks, but I can do real work on it and web pages are easy to read. Email is no different than on larger systems and even the occasional movie looks good.
- Quick booting: When you have an idea that’s just itching to be expanded upon you really don’t want to wait for a computer to boot before you can start writing. Netbooks are suppose to boot quicker than their beefier brothers. The XP version of the Mini, however, is no booting speed demon. In fact it’s almost as slow to boot as XP laptop I use at work. I hope the Ubuntu version is faster.
- Cute as a puppy: While netbooks from some makers look and feel like toys others companies have kicked their offerings up a notch. HP and Dell, for instance, have taken hints from Apple and have netbooks that are designed with adults in mind. Big keys, wide screens, and design flourishes adorn these mini mights. The HP Mini has an interesting pattern on the top shell and HP is even offering a model with a designer exterior aimed squarely at women. Real men need not worry, you won’t feel embarrassed carrying the black HP Mini or Dell’s Inspiron Mini. In fact, you’ll likely attract attention when you whip one out.
There are other pros and cons, to be sure, but I had already decided that a properly configured netbook was what I needed, and since the HP netbook was readily available, and since something in me won’t let me buy anything with a Dell label, I gave Best Buy my $400 and went home with an HP Mini XP version.
I’ve had the Mini for a bit more than a week now and there is a lot I like about it. It’s quick, very handy, and almost completely fills the need I bought it for. The only thing I don’t care for is that it came with Windows XP with all of XP’s little annoyances. Little pop-ups keep telling me the state of my WiFi connection, lack of virus protection, and other bits of info I can easily get by looking at the state of the appropriate icons. I’m also worried that my dinky laptop will catch a digital flu. I really don’t want to install virus scanners and other apps to secure up the netbook, they’ll only slow it down and could make a useful system useless, and I would really hate to spend $40 on security software to find out. I know I’ll have to and bugs me to no end.
In fact, I think I would be much happier with the Ubuntu version of the Mini. I’ve seen and played with Ubuntu on other netbooks and it seems like a sturdy OS, almost Mac-like in look and feel.
One nicety is that the Mini has a hide-away USB slot on the right side. The configuration was a bit confusing at first because the the slot was apparently made for something specific such that when installed it would appear as part of the netbook. It wasn’t until I flipped through the manual that I found out that the slot is intended as a memory expansion port, and HP thoughfully included a 2GB USB card that slips right in. I can see that slot being used for other USB devices design for the Mini, but it would be great if HP would offer an 8 or 16GB card, which would effectively double my storage capacity.
Though the Mini came with Microsoft Works, the diluted version of Office, I’ve ignored it and and chose to use Google Docs with Gears instead, which provides all of the text processing functionality I need with the added benefit of having my data store in an Internet “cloud”. Gears lets me work with Google Docs when I’m not connected to the Internet. Google Docs along with Thunderbird for email and Firefox as my primary browser has turned my little laptop into a very usable mobile office.
And if I wanted to be truly mobile I can get a USB 3G dongle that will let me connect to the Internet, just like my iPhone.
I am surprised at how much I’m enjoying this little HP. In fact, and as you’ve likely have guessed by now, I’m writing this article on the Mini using Google Docs, and it’s working out just fine.
Is there a down side to seeming perfect alignment of technological stars?
Unfortunately, yes.
As I’ve said before, and it bears repeating, netbooks are not for everyone. If you have bratwursts for fingers then even the HP Mini’s generous keyboard may be too small for you. I don’t have a problem (oddly enough, it took me 4 tries to write the previous 5 words, I guess I do have a problem) and I can touch type quickly enough.
The small screen, while bright and crisp, may be too small for anyone with eye trouble. Worse, writing in Google Docs means that you’ll have to put up with working in a window even in full screen mode and that can be distracting given the spare screen real estate.
In fact, size will likely be the key issue with any looking at netbooks and whether that’s a boon or a bust will depend on your needs.
For me, at least so far and from what I believe my needs will be in the immediate to near future, Note Mini is just the ticket. Your actual mileage, however, may vary.
As to whether Apple should produce a netbook I’ll say this; if they do, as much as I enjoy this HP Mini, I’d get the MacBook mini(?) just because I have so much Apple stuff already. If Apple decide to sit out the netbook “fad” then I’ll likely sell this XP version and buy the Ubuntu version when it becomes available, and I’d be quite content with this little bit of notebook from HP.