Sep 09 2008
Which netbook for me?
Recent changes to my employment have left me with two company provided laptops. Whilst most people would be excited by the prospect of having more than one new device to play with I’m rather more cautious with my approach.
My problem is none of these devices I can call my own and the harsh corporate measures and monitoring mean I cannot install any of the applications I require for other duties outside of that particular employers scope. Windows Live Writer for blogging, IRC for keeping in touch with communities I am part of and many other applications make up my day to day life in front of a computer.
I have tried to live in the cloud as far as possible as Kevin C. Tofel of jkontherun has, which to a degree has helped, I have even tried living from a USB flash drive with the excellent portable applications available on the internet.
Based upon the above I think its time I got myself a netbook, a companion mobility based device which I can use on a day to day basis whilst in between employers and appointments, something ultra-portable, that I can throw in a bag and carry with me.
So far my options are, the MSI Wind, HP 2133 Mini note or the ASUS 1000H. They are all pretty 
much similar as far as specifications, the HP being a little different in the that its powered by a VIA C7 1.2 Ghz processor where as the Asus and MSI are powered by Intel’s 1.6 Ghz Atom.
What has caught my eye are the recent battery tests done by Kevin C. Tofel on his recently purchased MSI Wind, he reckons with an ‘average’ days use you could be looking at 5 - 5.5 hours usage. From a £350.00 netbook that is a pretty impressive figure. He has been comparing his results with Brad Linder of liliputing who has recently purchased the Asus 1000H, he has seen similar results which is equally as impressive. What makes this more interesting is in the United States, Asus have just dropped the price of this model to $445, a saving of $105. I wonder if this generous discount will be shared over here with us folk in the UK?
Guy, for basic communications (IRC, e-mail) and blogging, I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the netbooks. It becomes a matter of personal choice between the very subtle differences in models. For example: although I had one of the first Eee PC models last October, I’ve shied away from any of the current models. Why? None of them offer a full-sized, properly placed Right Shift key. That’s personal preference of course. You might be fine with that but not like the lower resolution webcam on an Acer Aspire, or the run-time of a 3-cell battery, etc….
My recommendation to anyone considering a netbook these days: since 90% of the components and features are nearly identical among the various models, look for the small differences and decide which best fits your needs as a result. Good luck! :)
Thanks for your comment Kevin.
After looking around on the UK market, it would appear the MSI Wind isn’t available with the 6 cell battery which is a must for me, the Asus 1000H however does come with this and for the same price as the Wind with a 3 cell.
I think that alone will be the deal breaker.
Lesser models are an all too often problem here in the UK. I find it difficult to believe or understand that the MSI could be released here first and yet still not have the 6 cell option.
I hope mobilize goes well, looking forward to your coverage.