So… my Kindle doesn’t really work that well for typing, and my laptop is getting ready to die. My desktop is used for graphics, so that’s the one that gets new resources as the ever-expanding work ramps up the power demands. I just don’t know if there’s any point in getting another full-fledged laptop.
I’m thinking about getting a small netbook. The thing is that I would primarily be using it for purposes that don’t really need to be carried out online. Not 100%, but it would mostly be used for writing and editing. I know that this CAN be done through Google docs, but how well does a netbook really work for that purpose? There will be a LOT of times when this would be used offline.
Does anyone use a netbook this way most of the time, or even a significant percentage of the time? All advice appreciated.
I’ve been using netbooks for years. I’m currently typing this on a $200 Best Buy Chromebook. I notice that there is a distinct dying off of the classic netbook. I used to be able to get a Windows netbook with Intel compatible CPU that would let me run all my Windows Apps for $300. Not so many options left anymore. I’m waiting for Microsoft’s low budget Surface version for my next netbook/tablet. I still like to use fullblown Photoshop and Illustrator and have experienced strange behaviors with this Chromebook (sluggish internet and random crashes).
I still have a reasonably fast 17" Dell laptop and a full blown Windows 8 supercomputer, so I can live with the obvious limitations of a netbook.
Google Docs works pretty well, but you can still run Office apps and LibreOffice on most netbooks. I don’t like the fact that you can’t password protect individual documents in Google docs, but use it for non-critical stuff.
Like Darryl Lict said, Windows-based netbooks are pretty much extinct, because the market was taken over by Chromebooks. (Actually the original Netbooks ran Linux, until Microsoft lowered the price of Windows for netbooks.)
I’m not sure if the OP is asking about Windows netbooks or Chromebooks?
The story of trying to type on the Kindle… okay, I have a bluetooth keyboard, but it’s never the same. I’ve searched and searched for a bluetooth mouse that would actually work with the Kindle, but it seems like I’ve heard and read a zillion different stories about whether this really works or not. Typing with a kb and having to touch the screen constantly is a good way to go nuts; it just isn’t going to work.
(If it’s TRUE that you CAN use a mouse with a Kindle… or a touch pad… or a Wacom… or anything… PLEASE, somebody, speak up!!)
But a Kindle still never seems to provide the same experience. The screen isn’t big enough; I think that’s a big part of it…
There don’t seem to be a lot of Windows netbooks anymore, but I can make anything work if I can just use and edit Word docs. The truth is that all I need is a word processor with net access. It would be best to have a netbook that can at least run office apps and not have to rely 100% on Google docs.
So based on all that… it’s suggestion time for the exact type!!
I think you’d be okay with a Chromebook. Google Docs does have an offline mode, so you could still write without wifi.
If you really want Word, an Outlook.com account (the former Hotmail) comes with free access to Word Online, which I’ve found to be perfectly adequate for most writing and editing tasks. Unfortunately there is no “offline” mode; you must have a wifi connection to use it.
To my knowledge, nobody is making Windows netbooks anymore. You could pick up a used one, though. I tried using a netbook for a while and it drove me nuts because the keyboard was so small.
Yeah, there aren’t very many new Windows netbooks about. I recently bought a secondhand one though (mainly because I couldn’t find a new one), and it is fine. It came with Windows 8, so it can’t be very old. (Mind you, I would like it even better if it had Windows 7!) It seems a pity that Windows netbooks are disappearing. They seem to me to have real advantages over tablets, for many purposes, and to be more capable (and probably more bang for the buck) than Chromebooks. Indeed, I am a bit baffled as to what the advantages of Chromebooks are supposed to be.
They’re all over the place in certain European markets. It isn’t even a country-by-country basis, in the same country you have locations where it’s all netbooks and others where it’s all tablets and others where it’s all ultralights.
You can still get small netbook-style laptops, but I would suggest looking at the ‘ultrabook’ category (including things that are similar, but can’t be actually branded ‘ultrabook’) - typically thin, light laptops with long battery life and a 14 or 15 inch widescreen.
Love my netbook. I use it for surfing and email and stuff. I do have a desktop that I will use weekend mornings when I want to just go chill in my loft with a cup a joe.
Anyway, I find it funny that iPad owners are going out and buying keyboards for them. They just built themselves a netbook.
