Netbooks: The Missing Manual

In Netbooks: The Missing Manual, New York Times computer Q&A columnist J.D. Biersdorfer explains the ins and outs of the portable device so you can make the most of the hardware realities, the software possibilities, and the full potential of your netbook.

Five Things to Consider When Buying a Netbook
By J. D. Biersdorfer

1) Don't get a netbook that's *too* small. Sure, those little 9-inch netbook screens are cute, but their corresponding keyboards can be small, cramped, and painful to type on after awhile. Models with 10- or 12-inch screens are almost as lightweight and can provide a more comfortable typing experience for people who plan to do a lot of data entry or writing on the netbook. If you can, try out the netbook keyboard in the store before you buy to make sure you know what you'll be typing on.
2) Which operating system? Windows XP currently dominates the netbook market, but Windows 7 is just around the corner and due out this October. And then there's Linux, which is not a hard to use as many people may fear. Linux usually makes for a less-expensive netbook that's not as vulnerable to spyware and viruses, but if you need to use Windows-only software in your netbook adventures, a Windows netbook makes more sense. If you wait until October, you can get a netbook with Microsoft's latest system, Windows 7, revved up and ready to go.
3) An external disc drive can come in handy. Netbooks are light and streamlined for portability--which often means tossing the CD/DVD drive overboard. If you plan to install a lot of software or games onto your netbook, consider buying an external USB disc drive for it. Sure, there are workarounds to getting by without a disc drive. but have one on hand makes things easier.
4) Solid-state drive or good old fashioned-hard drive? If you plan to live in the Cloud by keeping most of your files, email, and other bits of your digital life online, a sturdy solid-state drive might suit you. Although they can be a bit more expensive and come in smaller capacities, a solid-state drives have no moving parts and can generally withstand more banging around than a traditional motorized hard drive. But if you want to carry around all your photos, music and other files on your netbook, a 80- or 160-gigabyte hard drive should fit the bill.
5) Max out your memory when you order it Low-end netbooks often don't have a ton of memory. If the manufacturer is offering a basic model with 512 megabytes of RAM, see if you can add more when you order the machine to get it up to at least a gigabyte or more. It may cost a little more upfront, but once you realize all the things you can do with a netbook besides email and Web-surfing--playing games, organizing photos, listening to music--you'll be glad you took care of it earlier.