Netbook for med school?

[unsung]

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I've got a new laptop, but it's heavier and bulkier than I thought it would be. I think I would probably get too lazy to lug it around to school. Actually I used to have a sweet little Fujitsu tablet PC that was so light, but it broke, and I don't want to spend a fortune to get another one... netbooks are pretty cheap nowadays. Would it be worthwhile to get a netbook to take notes in class/study from in coffeeshops, etc.?

 

[quirks]

If you'll actually use it and feel it's worth the money, then yes. You might want to check them out in stores and see how you feel typing on the keyboards. I have small hands so the 10 inch netbooks are a perfect size for me in terms of comfort + portability.

I love my Samsung NC10, but it's also my only computer (unless I show up to med school and absolutely need some program that it can't run, in which case I might get a desktop or have to sell this for a more powerful laptop).

 

[savant]

How much do you want to spend?

Asus is going to release a touchscreen netbook (looks kind of crappy to me) pretty soon, but for near-cheap-tablet prices (~$500). You can get decent tablets for $600-$700.

I'm sure any netbook can handle most med school tasks (checking e-mails, reading pdfs, probably even using some of those anatomy programs). A big plus to netbooks is their battery life. One of the new Asus's gets around 8 hours.

 

[Klemptor]

I've got a new laptop, but it's heavier and bulkier than I thought it would be. I think I would probably get too lazy to lug it around to school. Actually I used to have a sweet little Fujitsu tablet PC that was so light, but it broke, and I don't want to spend a fortune to get another one... netbooks are pretty cheap nowadays. Would it be worthwhile to get a netbook to take notes in class/study from in coffeeshops, etc.?

What they need to do is reliably integrate tablet functionality into the netbook model. Ultra light and portable SSD machine with pen capacity. I would be on that so fast. Maybe it already exists - I've seen some drug reps carry around things like this but I've never gotten a good look at one of them.

I got a 1st gen TC 1000 (back when Compaq was Compaq and not part of HP) and I loved it. Still have it, but the performance is slow compared to today's standards.

To answer your question, I hear good things about the Dell Inspiron 9 (SSD) and the Acer Inspire One (SSD or HDD). I'm eyeing up the Dell myself. A warning against the HP: if their netbook is built anything like their laptops, it will be nearly impossible to get inside the thing if you want to do any tweaks or cleaning. Dell laptops I've had in the past have not had that problem.

The HDD has the obvious advantage of a huge hard drive (standard is 160Gb, I believe) while most SSD come in 8 or 16 Gb. But if you're only using it as an ancillary machine to your main laptops/desktops, drive size probably doesn't matter.

 

[armybound]

I'm considering one as well, probably a 10" Asus or HP model with a normal hard drive and a desktop for more serious computing at home.

From what I hear, most class notes are on paper anyway. Your problem may come with searching PubMed and looking at a bunch of pdfs.

 

[TMP-SMX]

Return your honker of a computer and get something that is light, portable, and has good battery life. That way you save your money. If you are in medical school and streaming lectures, you are going to go blind watching lectures on a netbook. I also hope you have small hands.

 

[SB25]

I'm considering a netbook as well. I've noticed that you need to purchase a separate CD/DVD drive with these. As far as personal use, I don't think I really need to spend the money on this. But then I started thinking, all these med school programs people talk about for better understanding the material, can you access those over the internet, or do you get them on CDs? Do you think it's necessary to get the external CD/DVD drive?

I plan to use the netbook exclusively for writing notes outside of class, internet, and listening to lectures. My laptop I have right now is still in good shape, just a little slow and rather heavy. I plan on that being my main computer. I really wanted the mini for portability to and from class. Do you think a mini would meet my needs, rather than going out and buying a whole new ultra-light laptop?

 

[TMP-SMX]

Almost everything you do will be over the internet.

 

[unsung]

How much do you want to spend?

Asus is going to release a touchscreen netbook (looks kind of crappy to me) pretty soon, but for near-cheap-tablet prices (~$500). You can get decent tablets for $600-$700.

I'm sure any netbook can handle most med school tasks (checking e-mails, reading pdfs, probably even using some of those anatomy programs). A big plus to netbooks is their battery life. One of the new Asus's gets around 8 hours.

Funny you mention Asus, that's the laptop I have now. 😀 It's 16" and a heck of a lot heavier than I anticipated. Then again, the laptop I had immediately before was the ~2 lb 9" tablet, and the one I had before that one was a 13" Averatec.

Now that I think about it, the 13" was about the perfect size in terms of portability but still maintained legibility. The 9" was a TAD too small 'cuz for pdfs I had to constantly scroll left to right sometimes and it was a pain. 13" I had no problems with it. The tablet functionality was pretty sweet. Especially since the Fujitsu tablet was a touchscreen (so not a true tablet), and it was pretty cool to be able to touch the screen to scroll down, etc. I got a bit too used to it tho' and now I have this habit of touching the screen of my laptop even tho' it's NOT a tablet.

Anyway, I like my current Asus enough. It was a super bargain and I bought it thinking I could lightly game on it... it's got decent specs for the price. But so far I haven't really used it or tested it at all in that capacity. I don't know if I'd buy another Asus... the one I've got is just much heavier than I'm used to.

 

[MiraCheskis]

I love my HP Mini 1000. 🙂 The keyboard is a decent size, it's got decent battery life (3 hours on my size battery, my partner has the larger batter and gets 5-6 hrs), and it's got a reasonable screen. Linux runs great on it (It came with Windows XP).

My only complaint has more to do with my school's wireless...My uni has poor wireless already, and I have trouble getting signals in certain places where others seem to do okay. It's not enough to turn me off of the netbook, just enough to complain to the uni which would have better wireless anyway. 😛

 

[bakanoisha]

Really, a netbook isn't a good "only computer". If you just want something that you can drag along with you and do minor stuff when necessary, surf the web, etc, they're perfect. But, I wouldn't recommend them as a primary computer or something that you would want to most of your homework on. They're just too small.

I got an ASUS EeePC (forgot the exact model) but it was like $300 even. 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD, 1.5Ghz processor, 4.5hr battery life on battery saver mode w/ the LCD dimmed low, and an 8.9" screen. <-- pretty good deal, IMO

 

[SB25]

But, I wouldn't recommend them as a primary computer or something that you would want to most of your homework on. They're just too small.

I don't do anything real extensive on my computer. Do you even think the 12.1" netbooks are too small to be a main computer?

 

[bakanoisha]

Nah, anything around 13"+ is fine IMO.

 

[quirks]

I don't do anything real extensive on my computer. Do you even think the 12.1" netbooks are too small to be a main computer?

12.1" laptops are netbooks now? What?

I used a 12.1" laptop for 4.5 years. That's my preferred laptop size. But I couldn't find one I liked and ended up with my current 10", which is good enough.

 

[SB25]

12.1" laptops are netbooks now? What?

I used a 12.1" laptop for 4.5 years. That's my preferred laptop size. But I couldn't find one I liked and ended up with my current 10", which is good enough.

Yeah, I've been looking at Dell's website and they have 3 sizes of netbooks listed-8.9", 10.1", and 12.1". And the 12.1" only weighs like 2.7 lbs. That's the one I'm leaning towards right now. It sounds like it's big enough to do everything on while still being very portable.

 

[xylem29]

So recommendation here is to forgoe a desktop and get a laptop instead?

What about the risks of laptops crashing?

Personally, I don't think it would be wise to get a netbook as your sole computer - it's not meant to be used as a main computer, but as a portable machine that you can check email with, look up info, etc (like drug information, etc). I think it'd be useful, but if I had to choose only one - I'd likely pick a laptop but I'm worried about the reliability of having just a single machine. Perhaps having two would be best? (desk top and lap top - or two lap tops, or lap top and netbook). These things are so cheap nowadays anyway.

Although, maybe you can get by with just a netbook - just make sure you can hook it up to a larger screen at home and you'll be ok. I'd get one with an OD though, b/c printers, etc come with software that must be installed via CD. Make sure you get an external HD to backup your system with too.

 

[bakanoisha]

If we're making suggestions, I'd say get a desktop with a nice big LCD (22"+) and have a netbook or something really cheap to tote around. Definitely a no-no on the netbook as primary.

 

[SB25]

So recommendation here is to forgoe a desktop and get a laptop instead?

What about the risks of laptops crashing?

I've had a Dell Inspiron laptop as my only computer for the past 4 years and it's been great. I've never had a problem with it crashing.

I know computers are getting a lot cheaper these days, but I don't think I can afford to go out and buy a netbook and a desktop. I do have an external hard drive to back my files up on.

I'm not very computer-savvy, so forgive me if there is a painfully obvious answer to this question, but aren't netbooks just a smaller, lighter version of laptops? If I have had such good luck using a Dell laptop as my only computer these past 4 years, wouldn't it be the same for me with a netbook?

 

[quirks]

Yeah, I've been looking at Dell's website and they have 3 sizes of netbooks listed-8.9", 10.1", and 12.1". And the 12.1" only weighs like 2.7 lbs. That's the one I'm leaning towards right now. It sounds like it's big enough to do everything on while still being very portable.

Ah yes. I was tempted to get one of the Dells but at the time I remember it wasn't an option to upgrade to 2 gigs of ram and that bothered me.

So recommendation here is to forgoe a desktop and get a laptop instead?

What about the risks of laptops crashing?

Treat it well (try not to drop it or spill stuff on it) and it won't really be any riskier to use than a desktop.

Personally, I don't think it would be wise to get a netbook as your sole computer - it's not meant to be used as a main computer, but as a portable machine that you can check email with, look up info, etc (like drug information, etc). I think it'd be useful, but if I had to choose only one - I'd likely pick a laptop but I'm worried about the reliability of having just a single machine. Perhaps having two would be best? (desk top and lap top - or two lap tops, or lap top and netbook). These things are so cheap nowadays anyway.

No problem using just one machine so long as you back-up regularly, which everyone should do.

Also, that was the original intention of netbooks, but not longer. There's a big different between a netbook with a 7" screen and an 8GB hard drive and a netbook with a 10" screen and a 160GB hard drive. The former is what you're describing: a very small machine not meant for much more than checking email and some word processing. The latter is just a smaller, lighter, full functioned (but under powered) machine which is fine for most people who aren't gamers or don't need to run lots of fancy programming.

I'm not very computer-savvy, so forgive me if there is a painfully obvious answer to this question, but aren't netbooks just a smaller, lighter version of laptops?

Pretty much. And they don't have the newest graphic cards or the fastest processors. And I imagine they'll run even better once Windows 7 is out. I've been meaning to try the beta on my netbook but I've heard good things about it.

 

[TMP-SMX]

You do know that the netbook with a 8GB drive is an SSD while the netbook with the 160GB drive is a normal HDD? SSDs are more expensive than HDDs, use less energy, and are less prone to damage as they have no moving parts. The question is which CPUs they actually use. Most use Atom CPUs which are underpowered for a reason. There are also 10" ultraportables that aren't really netbooks. It depends on the model as you can also get an 8.9" netbook with a 160GB HDD such as the Acer Aspire One.

Netbooks are just regular notebooks with limits on how much RAM they can use, have no optical drive, have a smaller screen and are much lighter, have less powerful processors to prevent overheating, have good battery life, and integrated graphics like many lower end notebooks to stay cool.

As for Windows 7, we'll see if they even put it on the netbooks. Right now XP or Linux are your only options out of the box. Vista is too resource heavy for them mainly due to the RAM limitations.

 

[bakanoisha]

Treat it well (try not to drop it or spill stuff on it) and it won't really be any riskier to use than a desktop.

If you've got a traditional spinning disk drive, yes it will. I don't care how nice you think you are to your laptop it's HDD gets tons more abuse than a desktop. That's the primary reason we're making the switch to solid state drives (unfortunately they're expensive and their performance is a bit slow ATM).

If you use a laptop exclusively (well, really I'd say this for any computer) make sure you backup frequently. Maybe invest in something like Carbonite.

 

[TMP-SMX]

If you've got a traditional spinning disk drive, yes it will. I don't care how nice you think you are to your laptop it's HDD gets tons more abuse than a desktop. That's the primary reason we're making the switch to solid state drives (unfortunately they're expensive and their performance is a bit slow ATM).

If you use a laptop exclusively (well, really I'd say this for any computer) make sure you backup frequently. Maybe invest in something like Carbonite.

Yes SSDs are expensive, but for the non-cheap ones they are faster than even 7200 RPM HDDs. I actually use a 5400 RPM HDD by choice because I wanted to keep my machine quiet. It works well for my needs. Even with a SSD you need to back up your data if something happens. So if a drive fails you just have it replaced under warranty from the manufacturer without a problem. This is why I don't worry about it. Just don't move it around to any extreme degree while it is awake. Many notebooks have a sudden motion sensor type device built in to prevent the drive heads from scratching the mechanism and this helps prevent data loss.

 

[quirks]

You do know that the netbook with a 8GB drive is an SSD while the netbook with the 160GB drive is a normal HDD? SSDs are more expensive than HDDs, use less energy, and are less prone to damage as they have no moving parts. The question is which CPUs they actually use. Most use Atom CPUs which are underpowered for a reason. There are also 10" ultraportables that aren't really netbooks. It depends on the model as you can also get an 8.9" netbook with a 160GB HDD such as the Acer Aspire One.

Yes I know the different between a SSD and a HDD. Yes I know about the different models and ultraportables versus netbooks. I was trying to make a simple point to SB25 without too many details.

Netbooks are just regular notebooks with limits on how much RAM they can use, have no optical drive, have a smaller screen and are much lighter, have less powerful processors to prevent overheating, have good battery life, and integrated graphics like many lower end notebooks to stay cool.

Yes, exactly.

As for Windows 7, we'll see if they even put it on the netbooks. Right now XP or Linux are your only options out of the box. Vista is too resource heavy for them mainly due to the RAM limitations.

I haven't read up on Windows 7 in a few months now but when everyone was all "omg it's so much better!" one of the points that kept coming up was how much better it would be on netbooks than XP and Vista.

Also, I'm pretty sure there are some netbooks that run Vista (just probably not very well ).

If you've got a traditional spinning disk drive, yes it will. I don't care how nice you think you are to your laptop it's HDD gets tons more abuse than a desktop. That's the primary reason we're making the switch to solid state drives (unfortunately they're expensive and their performance is a bit slow ATM).

If you use a laptop exclusively (well, really I'd say this for any computer) make sure you backup frequently. Maybe invest in something like Carbonite.

Yes, laptop hard drives fail, a lot, but I think for most people, backing up is more than worth the convenience of having a laptop instead of a desktop.

You're right though. I should've emphasized the importance of backing up more, but people really should be doing this regardless of the situation, and since the hard drive is one of the main areas of the laptop that fails (I think?), so long as you back up, you're really fine just having a laptop instead of a desktop.

 

[Anthony Hartsoc]

I got an ASUS EeePC (forgot the exact model) but it was like $300 even. 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD, 1.5Ghz processor, 4.5hr battery life on battery saver mode w/ the LCD dimmed low, and an 8.9" screen. <-- pretty good deal, IMO

I have one of these as well except I upgraded the RAM. Now instead of being really fast it's super really fast (bad joke, i digress)...
For this same model you can upgrade the battery to a 9hr one...furthermore the only thing stopping you from making this your sole computer is just buying a $50 cd/dvd drive and a external HD if you really wanted more space (i doubt i'll ever be able to use more than the 170gb in this one...)

 

[niranjan162]

I haven't read up on Windows 7 in a few months now but when everyone was all "omg it's so much better!" one of the points that kept coming up was how much better it would be on netbooks than XP and Vista.

Also, I'm pretty sure there are some netbooks that run Vista (just probably not very well ).

Windows will def market win7 to netbooks. Not doing so would be suicide for windows. The reason microsoft took a hit in the profits sector is because vista is so crappy. Microsoft did not see the netbook coming made a completely bloated OS thinking everyone would just be getting bigger more powerful systems. But netbooks are cheap small and can do everything 90% of the population needs it to do. So they have to sell XP and at a huge discount to compete with linux.

I think windows plans on selling netbooks with windows 7 starter, previously only available in undeveloped countries, the starter version is just a horribly crippled version of regular win7 allowing only 3 programs to be run.

I think its poor form on microsofts part and I would just use linux if they did this. Linux looks pretty awesome. I heard the new update is even better.

 

[Red Leader]

A netbook probably won't be powerful enough to be your main computer. It'll be good for note taking w/word, and internet stuff, but beyond that I don't think netbooks are great for.

One thing you can look at is on Gizmodo they posted a feature on how to make a hackintosh out of a Dell mini if you're into macs.

 

[Red Leader]

A netbook probably won't be powerful enough to be your main computer. It'll be good for note taking w/word, and internet stuff, but beyond that I don't think netbooks are great for.

One thing you can look at is on Gizmodo they posted a feature on how to make a hackintosh out of a Dell mini if you're into macs.

 

[nlax30]

One thing you can look at is on Gizmodo they posted a feature on how to make a hackintosh out of a Dell mini if you're into macs.

Friend of mine did that with his, looked cool and seemed to run fairly well.

I agree in that a mini or netbook may not be practical as your sole/main computer, but if you have a use for it it could be handy. I still have my ~4-5 yr old Dell latitude laptop (with original HD) that still runs just fine, plus a desktop that's my home theater pc/media computer and I'm thinking about getting just one of the cheap netbooks. Staying away from solid-state drives from now, I need the larger capacity.

My dell is only a 14" screen but lugging it around everywhere has gotten annoying. I would definitely use a netbook sized laptop for when I going to starbucks to read or just wanted to watch some review videos, or to take on trips for general internet access.

 

[armybound]

I know all of you are saying that a netbook isn't ideal as your only computer, but will it be sufficient for everything you need to do in class?

I plan on having a desktop and a netbook or laptop, but if the netbook won't cut it for whatever you'd use a laptop for, it would be a waste of money.

 

[nlax30]

I know all of you are saying that a netbook isn't ideal as your only computer, but will it be sufficient for everything you need to do in class?

Well, with the exception of a few notes I'll type up here or there during lecture most other use of my laptop during class is either general internet surfing, email, or IM.

Go to a store and play with one for a while. If you think you'd be comfortable typing on it and looking at powerpoints on it then it'll probably be fine.

 

[cleothecat]

Mac Air is too expensive, but gorgeous!

When will Mac NetBook appear?

 

[Anthony Hartsoc]

Mac Air is too expensive, but gorgeous!

When will Mac NetBook appear?

if it's too expensive for an attending maybe Mac should consider dropping its price to make it more accessible for us broke students 😀

 

[Red Leader]

Mac Air is too expensive, but gorgeous!

When will Mac NetBook appear?

hmm not sure, I mean the mac usually comes with ilife and what not which I think requires something more than a netbook (dont really wanna use garagebage/imovie on a 9 incher). I do remember engadget had some patent specs of an apple tablet...but only rumors.... 🙁

 

[sidalexis]

Just my two cents...find out how your curriculum is distributed. My boyfriend gets all his lectures on CD, and not having an optical drive could get annoying. Also, you don't want to end up carrying around a bunch of attachments. My advice is to get a fully functional laptop that just doesn't weigh much. Lenovo has a tablet that's only 3.5 lbs. Why compromise when you don't have to?

 

[armybound]

Just my two cents...find out how your curriculum is distributed. My boyfriend gets all his lectures on CD, and not having an optical drive could get annoying. Also, you don't want to end up carrying around a bunch of attachments. My advice is to get a fully functional laptop that just doesn't weigh much. Lenovo has a tablet that's only 3.5 lbs. Why compromise when you don't have to?

price!

 

[TMP-SMX]

Why pay $399 for a netbook when you can pay $499 for a full sized notebook?

 

[Siverhideo1985]

Why pay $399 for a netbook when you can pay $499 for a full sized notebook?

mostly portability, probably....give me the same size and weight of a netbook with the computing power of a fullsized notebook at similar prices and I'll think about it...haha

ANother question: for people who have decided to buy one of these (mini-)beasts, are you guys waiting for the new processor generation to get more well established (I think right now the NC20 is the only one with the new VIA Nano processor)? I was thinking of getting a netbook for a) school to carry around and b) travel and I am wondering when the best time will be to buy one between now and when school starts. If I see a good deal on the "older" netbooks should I get it or should I see where this Nano processor business is heading?

 

[armybound]

yeah, most laptops in the $600 range are 15-17" models, which suck for portability. Every once in a while you find the 12.1" HP tablets for ~$650, which is probably the best option here, not because of the tablet feature but because it's extremely portable but still powerful.

regarding waiting for new technology or not, that's always going to be your call. my wife and I got a Dell Mini 9 lately because the refurbs were $209. I'm sure we could have gotten a more recent processor or a larger SSD (only got 8gb) but it would cost a good bit more than $209. She's planning on using it only when she travels, so I found it hard to justify paying much more for something that wouldn't get used often.

 

[pretender]

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2344566,00.asp

I think this is what you described pretty much. You want small, light, cheap (relatively), and you can do some light gaming. It is really hard to find what you are looking for because you have to sacrifice either price or performance. I think this is a good match tho. You can get it for $ 699 at Newegg right now.

 

[TMP-SMX]

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2344566,00.asp

I think this is what you described pretty much. You want small, light, cheap (relatively), and you can do some light gaming. It is really hard to find what you are looking for because you have to sacrifice either price or performance. I think this is a good match tho. You can get it for $ 699 at Newegg right now.

Here is what I don't understand. What is the point of dedicated graphics in what is meant to be a low power low heat machine when there are integrated options out there that are equivalent? It seems to be a low power version of the GPU but still.

Also, it unfortunately uses Vista on a netbook. It's a waste of resources. Though it is an interesting concept and good to have the higher amount of RAM and more competition with the netbook/ultraportable market.

 

[tigerLSU]

Here is what I don't understand. What is the point of dedicated graphics in what is meant to be a low power low heat machine when there are integrated options out there that are equivalent? It seems to be a low power version of the GPU but still.

Also, it unfortunately uses Vista on a netbook. It's a waste of resources. Though it is an interesting concept and good to have the higher amount of RAM and more competition with the netbook/ultraportable market.

The machine has 4GB RAM. Exactly how much memory do you think Vista soaks up?

 

[TMP-SMX]

The 4GB is a good thing, but it won't help you in terms of CPU intensity of background tasks and heat production.

 

[MU BIOM]

Here is what I don't understand. What is the point of dedicated graphics in what is meant to be a low power low heat machine when there are integrated options out there that are equivalent?

This product was meant to be a means to reduce size and weight without giving up functionality like full HD playback and casual gaming. No currently available dedicated graphics solution can match the capabilities of that card. Nvidia's Ion platform is due to be released soon so then the need for a dedicated chip will be reduced.


Anyone looking for a relatively low-cost laptop with decent weight and size in addition to great performance should look at the 14.1" Lenovo T400. Right now it is starting at $635 fairly well equipped (www.lenovo.com/cpp "familyandfriends"). Personally I think I am going to go with the X200 due to the incredible battery life.

 

[tigerLSU]

The 4GB is a good thing, but it won't help you in terms of CPU intensity of background tasks and heat production.

Not sure what you're talking about here. The only thing I've ever heard of problems regarding idle CPU usage is the sidebar. Most of the stuff that runs while idle involves low priority I/O that doesn't involve much CPU and typically only run while idle.

Vista isn't the terrible beast (now) that everyone makes it out to be.

 

[armybound]

This product was meant to be a means to reduce size and weight without giving up functionality like full HD playback and casual gaming. No currently available dedicated graphics solution can match the capabilities of that card. Nvidia's Ion platform is due to be released soon so then the need for a dedicated chip will be reduced.


Anyone looking for a relatively low-cost laptop with decent weight and size in addition to great performance should look at the 14.1" Lenovo T400. Right now it is starting at $635 fairly well equipped (www.lenovo.com/cpp "familyandfriends"). Personally I think I am going to go with the X200 due to the incredible battery life.

they had a SL300 (13.1") until a few weeks ago. I was pricing them out for about $1000 fully loaded, then it disappeared from their site 🙁

 

[Alex0128]

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2344566,00.asp

I think this is what you described pretty much. You want small, light, cheap (relatively), and you can do some light gaming. It is really hard to find what you are looking for because you have to sacrifice either price or performance. I think this is a good match tho. You can get it for $ 699 at Newegg right now.

Personally, I see a few problems here. Indeed, the CPU is a step up from the atoms; however, they are clearly a step down from the duos! And, at $700... why would you pay that much money for something that you need for out of the house internet and word processing? When you get into this range, it makes more economical sense to me to purchase a more expensive laptop that's still very portable that will act as your main computer and as your portable computer.

I think one would be better off to purchase a HP mini 2140 (about $510 shipped) and a decent desktop arrangement for home. If the 1GB RAM really gets you down on the mini, purchase a 2GB card for like $25 and install it yourself. Just my thoughts...

 

[MU BIOM]

they had a SL300 (13.1") until a few weeks ago. I was pricing them out for about $1000 fully loaded, then it disappeared from their site 🙁

That is a really good price but the SL series models are somewhere between a normal consumer laptop and a normal Thinkpad (R, T, X, W) in terms of build quality. Lenovo's site is ridiculous about how upgrades and sometimes entire systems disappear and reappear randomly.

 

[nlax30]

Sam's has an Acer Aspire One for ~$296.
-8.9" screen, 160GB HD, XP, wireless, webcam http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=425886

If you want something fairly basic but larger just keep your eyes out for sales throughout the year. Last Thanksgiving we were looking to replace my wife's laptop and found an 14" Acer (Extensa I think) for around $350.

 

[witness23]

so do you guys keep both a netbook and a laptop or what?

 

[nlax30]

so do you guys keep both a netbook and a laptop or what?

The few I knew that have them still have a more powerful/larger laptop.

For me personally I'd still keep both. I would still want something that is decently powerful and has a decent sized screen (around 14"), but I would probably keep it at home most of the time and just keep the netbook with me for when I go to library or starbucks to study for a few hours.