I love my MacBook, but I get tired of lugging it to and from work every day. With prices at or below many of today’s cheap laptop deals, netbooks offer relief to people like me who are fed up with having our lives weighed down by heavy computers. Below are some of the advantages, and disadvantages, of owning a netbook.
Portability
Almost indisputably, the biggest advantage to owning a netbook is the computer’s portability. Compared to a 13-inch MacBook (considered small for industry standards), a 7 or 10-inch netbook is compact and made for the road. Whether you’re carrying your computer to the office or across continents, the netbook’s small size and weight make for hassle free travel. Of course, this reduction in price does come at a cost – processors in netbooks tend to considerably less powerful than those in a standard laptop – but the convenience of being able to fit your computer in a handbag still makes it a smart purchase.
Price
While a sleek and user-friendly MacBook is an attractive option for computer shoppers, the £849 base price is tough to swallow. With most units ringing up at less than £500, netbooks offer a cheap alternative for those with basic computer needs. The Acer Aspire One and Samsung NP are both attractive models and retail for as low as £200. When you consider that the average computer user utilizes only a fraction of their machine’s functions, this seems like a steal. Throw in an extended warranty Acer three-year service agreement, and you’re still looking at less than £300 for a perfectly serviceable unit.
The Verdict
If you’re deterred by the lack of power and screen size on netbooks, don’t be. The low price makes them a great value even as a supplementary device, and hooking your netbook up to flat screen TVs at home will give you picture quality you could only dream of on a laptop. As always, shop online for the best deals, and buy your next computer today.
