Netbooks - Hardware CRIMP?
Started by Ken
on 12/5/2008
Ken
12/5/2008 6:45 am
Its bad enough that we search for the Holy Grail of PIM software, but I am having to seriously question the hardware aspects of CRIMPing. While I love my old Sony Clie with Bonsai and DateBk5, it does have its limits. I have never been a fan of handwriting recognition, and DateBk5 does not have a desktop companion program. However, it is small and it does turn on instantly, something that computer hardware and software manufacturers are just beginning to understand has value to many people. But, as I am now also venturing into capturing data from the web, I realize that a PDA is really not going to meet my expanding needs. And, my 14 in. laptop is just a bit too big and heavy for the daily haul.
I have thought about ultra-portable laptops for several years (and even had an IMB z50 Workpad at one time), but they have always been way beyond my budget. Netbooks, however, caught my attention, and I have watched them evolve to a point where they now have useable keyboards, longer life batteries, and useable screens - all at a price of around $500USD.
Parallel to these developments, my world seems to move faster, and I often feel like my brain is moving slower. So, I keep wondering if I'd do a better job keeping organized and getting things done through better habits. I envy those who can get, and stay, super organized (e.g. GTD followers). Like that research study that was recently cited here, I find that many pieces of information never seem to make it "into the system". I would like to develop better habits, and I wonder if that could, and would, change with a small netbook kept in close reach throughout the day. My thought was to base my system around Ecco because it has served me well over the last 15 years. As a companion to Ecco, I was considering something like Surfulator for web data. Eventually something like IQ could take the place of both, but let's start with what's currently available. But $500 is a large gamble to place on changing habits, and its a bit more than I can easily spend on an indulgence.
Any feedback on changes in habits, with respect to using new software and/or hardware, with a special emphasis on netbooks, would be greatly appreciated. I would love to "take one for the team", but times are getting tougher, and I need to focus my resources, both time and energy, on solutions that have the best chance of working for me. The new Samsung NC10 sitting in a sealed box on my living room floor seems like everything I could have asked for, but at times its not hard to sell yourself on appearances and dreams. I would like to think that with easier access (software, keyboard, size and weight) than my laptop or Clie that I envision, I would tend to use more. Am I kidding myself, or can its perceived conveniences help me better address that seemingly greater number of tasks and data that seem to be slipping away from me each day?
--Ken
I have thought about ultra-portable laptops for several years (and even had an IMB z50 Workpad at one time), but they have always been way beyond my budget. Netbooks, however, caught my attention, and I have watched them evolve to a point where they now have useable keyboards, longer life batteries, and useable screens - all at a price of around $500USD.
Parallel to these developments, my world seems to move faster, and I often feel like my brain is moving slower. So, I keep wondering if I'd do a better job keeping organized and getting things done through better habits. I envy those who can get, and stay, super organized (e.g. GTD followers). Like that research study that was recently cited here, I find that many pieces of information never seem to make it "into the system". I would like to develop better habits, and I wonder if that could, and would, change with a small netbook kept in close reach throughout the day. My thought was to base my system around Ecco because it has served me well over the last 15 years. As a companion to Ecco, I was considering something like Surfulator for web data. Eventually something like IQ could take the place of both, but let's start with what's currently available. But $500 is a large gamble to place on changing habits, and its a bit more than I can easily spend on an indulgence.
Any feedback on changes in habits, with respect to using new software and/or hardware, with a special emphasis on netbooks, would be greatly appreciated. I would love to "take one for the team", but times are getting tougher, and I need to focus my resources, both time and energy, on solutions that have the best chance of working for me. The new Samsung NC10 sitting in a sealed box on my living room floor seems like everything I could have asked for, but at times its not hard to sell yourself on appearances and dreams. I would like to think that with easier access (software, keyboard, size and weight) than my laptop or Clie that I envision, I would tend to use more. Am I kidding myself, or can its perceived conveniences help me better address that seemingly greater number of tasks and data that seem to be slipping away from me each day?
--Ken
Alexander Deliyannis
12/5/2008 7:45 am
Ken,
My own netbook experience is, as yet, rather short (I only bought mine less than a month ago) and limited to Linux, but you might find it useful nonetheless. You might also want to check out David Tebbutt's opinion here: http://www.smallbizpod.co.uk/blog/2008/10/26/a-netbook-in-your-life/
1. It's small, light, usable, easy to carry around and it doesn't feel like I should put it in a safe (my Vaio TX3XP cost me literally ten times as much).
2. The pre-installed applications (in Linux) are excellent and feel very familiar (Firefox, Thunderbird, OpenOffice etc)
3. Once you decide you need more than its default apps, you need to get your hands dirty into Linux's command prompt. Learning Linux was actually one of the incentives for buying the netbook (I also have a second-hand desktop which seems to run like a Ferrari compared to WIndows machines) but I didn't expect to have to do it so soon.
4. Why I wouldn't buy a Windows netbook: I am convinced that from their very core, Windows encourage, if not impose, bloat. Just for the basics, my Vaio needs several applications running from the systray (like antivirus, firewall and the like) happily consuming my resources. These apps keep growing both in number and complexity, to the extent that I don't consider a netbook's specifications capable enough for a year on.
5. The one positive aspect of Windows netbooks is Windows XP, which is to Vista the Ferrari that Linux is to XP.
6. There are now several subnotebooks offering more than twice a netbook's specifications for less that half the price. They should also be more upgradeable than netbooks. The specifications of my Vaio (bought early 2007) are currently offered by quite affordable machines and should be more than enough for road work --as long as you can somehow 'downgrade' them to Windows XP.
Just my 2c
alx
My own netbook experience is, as yet, rather short (I only bought mine less than a month ago) and limited to Linux, but you might find it useful nonetheless. You might also want to check out David Tebbutt's opinion here: http://www.smallbizpod.co.uk/blog/2008/10/26/a-netbook-in-your-life/
1. It's small, light, usable, easy to carry around and it doesn't feel like I should put it in a safe (my Vaio TX3XP cost me literally ten times as much).
2. The pre-installed applications (in Linux) are excellent and feel very familiar (Firefox, Thunderbird, OpenOffice etc)
3. Once you decide you need more than its default apps, you need to get your hands dirty into Linux's command prompt. Learning Linux was actually one of the incentives for buying the netbook (I also have a second-hand desktop which seems to run like a Ferrari compared to WIndows machines) but I didn't expect to have to do it so soon.
4. Why I wouldn't buy a Windows netbook: I am convinced that from their very core, Windows encourage, if not impose, bloat. Just for the basics, my Vaio needs several applications running from the systray (like antivirus, firewall and the like) happily consuming my resources. These apps keep growing both in number and complexity, to the extent that I don't consider a netbook's specifications capable enough for a year on.
5. The one positive aspect of Windows netbooks is Windows XP, which is to Vista the Ferrari that Linux is to XP.
6. There are now several subnotebooks offering more than twice a netbook's specifications for less that half the price. They should also be more upgradeable than netbooks. The specifications of my Vaio (bought early 2007) are currently offered by quite affordable machines and should be more than enough for road work --as long as you can somehow 'downgrade' them to Windows XP.
Just my 2c
alx
Ken
12/5/2008 8:24 am
Alexander Deliyannis wrote:
Thank you for the comments and link, Alexander. However, I am not certain I understood point #6 above. When you say less than half the price, are you referring to these machines' original prices, or the netbooks' prices? I have had a hard time finding any new or factory refurbished ultra-portables for less than $750-800. I realize that $500 is not much less, but the Samsung comes with everything I need, and it weighs less than 3 lbs fully loaded with a battery that will last over six hours. These are essential factors that make the machine convenient for me. I was considering some Thnkpad X series machines, but they are at least twice the price. In some ways, price is not as much the issue as is the question of whether I will use the machine with more frequency than my current Thinkpad laptop.
My problem is that I want a small device with a useable keyboard, and that rules out many smaller internet devices like a Nokia N800. And, I want to be able to run programs like Ecco and Surfulator, so XP, in spite of its bloated nature, is really needed. So, by a process of elimination, I am looking at devices with screens between 10 and 12 inches. My thought was the smaller and lighter, the more inclined I would be to have it with me at all times (and possibly let it live in my briefcase). I carry my Clie with me at all times, but it only goes so far in meeting my needs.
I wish I could learn to do it all on a PDA, but that never seemed to happen as much as I would have liked. It keeps my personal calendar, with some tasks, and my address book. And it has my packing lists for travel. But, it never met my needs like Ecco could, so I guess I never incorporated it into more aspects of my life. And that is what I am afraid might happen with a netbook. It may meet some of my needs, but it may not provide me with $500 worth of better organization. Worse yet, could somebody say that this quest for a hardware Holy Grail really be distracting me from the true task at hand? I want to do something to tackle all of the things than need to be addressed, but I just do not know if I can further leverage myself with technology. At some point, we hit diminishing returns when trying to leverage, and there becomes no substitute for time spent directly on the tasks at hand.
--Ken
>6. There are
now several subnotebooks offering more than twice a netbook's specifications for
less that half the price. They should also be more upgradeable than netbooks. The
specifications of my Vaio (bought early 2007) are currently offered by quite
affordable machines and should be more than enough for road work --as long as you can
somehow 'downgrade' them to Windows XP.
Thank you for the comments and link, Alexander. However, I am not certain I understood point #6 above. When you say less than half the price, are you referring to these machines' original prices, or the netbooks' prices? I have had a hard time finding any new or factory refurbished ultra-portables for less than $750-800. I realize that $500 is not much less, but the Samsung comes with everything I need, and it weighs less than 3 lbs fully loaded with a battery that will last over six hours. These are essential factors that make the machine convenient for me. I was considering some Thnkpad X series machines, but they are at least twice the price. In some ways, price is not as much the issue as is the question of whether I will use the machine with more frequency than my current Thinkpad laptop.
My problem is that I want a small device with a useable keyboard, and that rules out many smaller internet devices like a Nokia N800. And, I want to be able to run programs like Ecco and Surfulator, so XP, in spite of its bloated nature, is really needed. So, by a process of elimination, I am looking at devices with screens between 10 and 12 inches. My thought was the smaller and lighter, the more inclined I would be to have it with me at all times (and possibly let it live in my briefcase). I carry my Clie with me at all times, but it only goes so far in meeting my needs.
I wish I could learn to do it all on a PDA, but that never seemed to happen as much as I would have liked. It keeps my personal calendar, with some tasks, and my address book. And it has my packing lists for travel. But, it never met my needs like Ecco could, so I guess I never incorporated it into more aspects of my life. And that is what I am afraid might happen with a netbook. It may meet some of my needs, but it may not provide me with $500 worth of better organization. Worse yet, could somebody say that this quest for a hardware Holy Grail really be distracting me from the true task at hand? I want to do something to tackle all of the things than need to be addressed, but I just do not know if I can further leverage myself with technology. At some point, we hit diminishing returns when trying to leverage, and there becomes no substitute for time spent directly on the tasks at hand.
--Ken
Alexander Deliyannis
12/5/2008 12:24 pm
Apologies for the confusion. That should have been "offering more than twice a netbook’s specifications for less than TWICE the price", i.e. that the specifications per dollar are much better. Sorry.
I took a look at the NC10, which naturally hasn't reached this area of the world yet and it looks good enough. I would definitely check how expandable it is though. You might also want to check Lenovo's S10: http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/notebooks/ideapad/s-series
XP is my OS of choice as well, until I manage to migrate to Linux. I was fortunate enough to buy my Vaio just before Vista kicked in. The same notebook with Vista would have been virtually paralysed.
I myself gave up on doing serious work through PDAs since my Psion Series 5 collapsed; I have never found something as effective since. I also need a workable keyboard and some rather specific applications. The one program I do keep on my Symbian phone is Projekt, a quite powerful outliner comparable only to ListPro.
Regarding your original discussion on habit changes, I should note that my own decision to gradually switch to Linux reflects an effort to implement a 'less is more' attitude --in addition to a similar economic approach. Ideally, I would want to work through a focused environment such as Tasktop, with a minimal writing tool such as Brainstorm (as I do now) or a Wiki, with all my reference information on the file system or an all-grabbing tool like Evernote, etc. Many of these tools are already cross-platform and web-aware, so I don't think I am (anymore) much ahead of my time :-)
alx
I took a look at the NC10, which naturally hasn't reached this area of the world yet and it looks good enough. I would definitely check how expandable it is though. You might also want to check Lenovo's S10: http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/notebooks/ideapad/s-series
XP is my OS of choice as well, until I manage to migrate to Linux. I was fortunate enough to buy my Vaio just before Vista kicked in. The same notebook with Vista would have been virtually paralysed.
I myself gave up on doing serious work through PDAs since my Psion Series 5 collapsed; I have never found something as effective since. I also need a workable keyboard and some rather specific applications. The one program I do keep on my Symbian phone is Projekt, a quite powerful outliner comparable only to ListPro.
Regarding your original discussion on habit changes, I should note that my own decision to gradually switch to Linux reflects an effort to implement a 'less is more' attitude --in addition to a similar economic approach. Ideally, I would want to work through a focused environment such as Tasktop, with a minimal writing tool such as Brainstorm (as I do now) or a Wiki, with all my reference information on the file system or an all-grabbing tool like Evernote, etc. Many of these tools are already cross-platform and web-aware, so I don't think I am (anymore) much ahead of my time :-)
alx
Stephen Zeoli
12/5/2008 2:19 pm
I had my own hardware CRIMP last spring when I bought a MacBook, and I'm glad I did. While the applications themselves are not really any more sophisticated that Windows applications (with a couple of exceptions), the computer itself is so much more enjoyable to use. Now I'm hoping that Apple will come out with its own Netbook-type machine, although I have read that Steve Jobs has said they will not "compromise" their hardware to that extent. If the market for Netbooks continues to grow, however, I am sure he'll change his mind.
Alexander, regarding the Psion 5... I've got one of those in perfect condition. If you will use it, I'd be glad to send it to you. Let me know by e-mailing me at szeoli [a] earthlink dot net.
Steve Z.
Alexander, regarding the Psion 5... I've got one of those in perfect condition. If you will use it, I'd be glad to send it to you. Let me know by e-mailing me at szeoli [a] earthlink dot net.
Steve Z.
JJ
12/5/2008 2:56 pm
I did a lot of research and bought the Samsung nc10. (google nc10 review)
It is clearly the best out there today:
*7-8 hour real world battery life
*Great screen
*Great keyboard
*Great WIFI radio
The only thing people complain about is the size of the touchpad... I don't mind it.
The best deal is to use the Microsoft Live Seach/Ebay/PayPal deal and get 30% back... I paid ~$390!!!
-jj
It is clearly the best out there today:
*7-8 hour real world battery life
*Great screen
*Great keyboard
*Great WIFI radio
The only thing people complain about is the size of the touchpad... I don't mind it.
The best deal is to use the Microsoft Live Seach/Ebay/PayPal deal and get 30% back... I paid ~$390!!!
-jj
Cassius
12/5/2008 3:00 pm
RE: Netebooks:
You might be interested in a couple of articles on Netbooks:
Yesterday, I think, the Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com) had a discussion about 5 of them in its "Fast Forward" column. It is almost certainly on the net.
Also, PC World magazine recently had a review of a few of them. However, I don't think the article is on the Web yet. (For www.pcmag.com, don't use its search--it's worthless. Better to Google. All the netbooks have one or more problems: short battery lives (2+ hr), poor keyboards, slow processors, insufficient memory (at least for those that use chips instead of hard drives.)
Best to wait a bit for improvements. (My current XP machine is a 12" XP Toshiba that I bought 2 years ago; it replaced an even smaller IBM running Win 98 that I bought used. So, for personal use, I waited a long time--skipped Win ME and Win 2000. [But GrandView ran great on the IBM!!!]))
-c
You might be interested in a couple of articles on Netbooks:
Yesterday, I think, the Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com) had a discussion about 5 of them in its "Fast Forward" column. It is almost certainly on the net.
Also, PC World magazine recently had a review of a few of them. However, I don't think the article is on the Web yet. (For www.pcmag.com, don't use its search--it's worthless. Better to Google. All the netbooks have one or more problems: short battery lives (2+ hr), poor keyboards, slow processors, insufficient memory (at least for those that use chips instead of hard drives.)
Best to wait a bit for improvements. (My current XP machine is a 12" XP Toshiba that I bought 2 years ago; it replaced an even smaller IBM running Win 98 that I bought used. So, for personal use, I waited a long time--skipped Win ME and Win 2000. [But GrandView ran great on the IBM!!!]))
-c
Hugh
12/5/2008 4:07 pm
Here's a flickr thread that contains a few references* and opinions: http://www.flickr.com/groups/alphasmart/discuss/72157609675270147/
*including one from last weekend's Sunday Times: http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/personal_tech/article5252018.ece
H
*including one from last weekend's Sunday Times: http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/personal_tech/article5252018.ece
H
Jan Rifkinson
12/5/2008 5:15 pm
JJ wrote:
The best deal is to use the Microsoft Live
Seach/Ebay/PayPal deal and get 30% back... I paid ~$390!!!
I searched & searched for a price even close to this w/o luck. EXactly how did you manage this? Thanks.
Ken
12/5/2008 5:31 pm
Thanks for the input and the links. I have read way too many articles and blogs for my own good these past few weeks. I do not disagree with many of the concerns or criticisms of netbooks as a whole. But, the NC10 seems to address most of them, yet the unit is often not included in these articles, so its hard to tell if posters or reviewers would concur with my assessment.
--Ken
--Ken
JohnK
12/6/2008 1:40 am
If you go down the netbook route, you do need to give it a serious test run. I considered buying one a few months ago. I didn't try every model on the market, but those I did try all has dreadful keyboards. Fine for occasional web browsing, or updating documents in short bursts, but you couldn't do any real work on them.
It's not just netbooks, of course. Keyboards seem to be an afterthought on laptops in general. I tried one of the gorgeous new Macbooks recently, and the keyboard was a big disappointment. Spongy and mushy. No proper feel. At least with a desktop you get to choose your keyboard.
In the end, I used the money I had set aside for a netbook to buy a second-hand Thinkpad X31. A bit heavier (1.6kg) and larger (12") than the netbooks, of course, but the best keyboard in laptop-land and it's built like a tank. I can write on it all day without wishing I was at my desktop.
It's not just netbooks, of course. Keyboards seem to be an afterthought on laptops in general. I tried one of the gorgeous new Macbooks recently, and the keyboard was a big disappointment. Spongy and mushy. No proper feel. At least with a desktop you get to choose your keyboard.
In the end, I used the money I had set aside for a netbook to buy a second-hand Thinkpad X31. A bit heavier (1.6kg) and larger (12") than the netbooks, of course, but the best keyboard in laptop-land and it's built like a tank. I can write on it all day without wishing I was at my desktop.
JJ
12/6/2008 11:43 pm
Jan Rifkinson wrote:
JJ wrote:
>The best deal is to use the Microsoft Live
>Seach/Ebay/PayPal deal and
get 30% back... I paid ~$390!!!
I searched & searched for a price even close to this
w/o luck. EXactly how did you manage this? Thanks.
JAN:
You have to:
#1. Sign-up with MS Live Search
#2. Use the "Buy Now" option on Ebay
#3. Use PayPal for your purchase.
They keep changing the % discount... yesterday it was 20%... Today it is not on... a couple
a weeks ago it was 30%....
So you have to keep watching.
To others:
I have the Samsung NC10 and love it, but there are some limitations (as with all netbooks). The biggest is the screen is 1024x600. You can view web pages OK, you just have to use the scroller on the touch pad (very nice on the NC10)
The keyboard on the NC10 is the best I've tried (the the HP is very close... the others are not)
I get about 7 hours of battery life in real world use.
I use all the Office 2003 apps and they work fine on the NC10. I also use Bibble to edit photos and it also works nicely on the NC10.
So far, I'm very pleased with NC10.
-jj
Ken
12/7/2008 4:36 am
JJ wrote:
JJ,
The screen is not an issue for me as our old 15 in. desktop monitor is 1024x768, and my laptop is 1280x768. My "darkroom" monitors are higher resolution, but I am flexible. As much as I am not a fluent touch-typist, I found many of the keyboards too small for my taste. I tried the HP Mini 1000 and thought it was acceptable, but I do not like their flat-style keys. I do not know if the NC10 if any larger than the Mini1000, but I prefer its sculpted keys. its great tohear that Office 2003 and Bibble work on the unit. I do not know if I would install Lightroom on a netbook for light duty use, but it is an option. My wife's biggest concern is the ability to use Powerpoint and Publisher. I am not certain how comfortable the experience would be, but our old desktop is a Pentium 4 with only 512 MB, so unless she is spoiled by her PC at work, the difference would probably not be as significant as if we had a new machine with lots of RAM. Any comments on either of these two programs would be greatly appreciated.
--Ken
To others:
I have the Samsung NC10 and love
it, but there are some limitations (as with all netbooks). The biggest is the screen is
1024x600. You can view web pages OK, you just have to use the scroller on the touch pad
(very nice on the NC10)
The keyboard on the NC10 is the best I've tried (the the HP is
very close... the others are not)
I get about 7 hours of battery life in real world
use.
I use all the Office 2003 apps and they work fine on the NC10. I also use Bibble to
edit photos and it also works nicely on the NC10.
So far, I'm very pleased with
NC10.
-jj
JJ,
The screen is not an issue for me as our old 15 in. desktop monitor is 1024x768, and my laptop is 1280x768. My "darkroom" monitors are higher resolution, but I am flexible. As much as I am not a fluent touch-typist, I found many of the keyboards too small for my taste. I tried the HP Mini 1000 and thought it was acceptable, but I do not like their flat-style keys. I do not know if the NC10 if any larger than the Mini1000, but I prefer its sculpted keys. its great tohear that Office 2003 and Bibble work on the unit. I do not know if I would install Lightroom on a netbook for light duty use, but it is an option. My wife's biggest concern is the ability to use Powerpoint and Publisher. I am not certain how comfortable the experience would be, but our old desktop is a Pentium 4 with only 512 MB, so unless she is spoiled by her PC at work, the difference would probably not be as significant as if we had a new machine with lots of RAM. Any comments on either of these two programs would be greatly appreciated.
--Ken
jaslar
12/8/2008 2:36 am
I bought an Acer Aspire One, $329, not including tax. I bought the one running Linux, Linpus Lite, actually. See this thread to see how to turn it into a more familiar desktop. I also give instructions for installing Freemind.
I like the netbook a lot. Great keyboard. I am also pleased to report a really wonderful Linux program, Notecase Pro, works just fine on the Acer (download the Fedora Core 8 version). Notecase Pro is a two pane outliner. But it's being developed rapidly, and now includes a lot of time management functions. There are other options: Thunderbird and the Sunbird extension are in the repositories. Evolution -- a Linux version of Outlook -- is also available. I use JPilot, a sort of Linux Palm Desktop that works well enough.
I think your original notion was that the old PDA doesn't quite cut it anymore, but you don't want to lug around a laptop. That's where I am, too. And so far, the Acer and Linux are working out wonderfully well for me.
I like the netbook a lot. Great keyboard. I am also pleased to report a really wonderful Linux program, Notecase Pro, works just fine on the Acer (download the Fedora Core 8 version). Notecase Pro is a two pane outliner. But it's being developed rapidly, and now includes a lot of time management functions. There are other options: Thunderbird and the Sunbird extension are in the repositories. Evolution -- a Linux version of Outlook -- is also available. I use JPilot, a sort of Linux Palm Desktop that works well enough.
I think your original notion was that the old PDA doesn't quite cut it anymore, but you don't want to lug around a laptop. That's where I am, too. And so far, the Acer and Linux are working out wonderfully well for me.
JJ
12/8/2008 2:54 pm
Ken wrote:
JJ wrote:
>To others:
>
>I have the Samsung NC10 and love
>it, but there are some
limitations (as with all netbooks). The biggest is the screen is
>1024x600. You can
view web pages OK, you just have to use the scroller on the touch pad
>(very nice on the
NC10)
>
>The keyboard on the NC10 is the best I've tried (the the HP is
>very close...
the others are not)
>
>I get about 7 hours of battery life in real world
>use.
>
>I
use all the Office 2003 apps and they work fine on the NC10. I also use Bibble to
>edit
photos and it also works nicely on the NC10.
>
>So far, I'm very pleased with
>NC10.
>
>-jj
JJ,
The screen is not an issue for me as our old 15 in. desktop
monitor is 1024x768, and my laptop is 1280x768. My "darkroom" monitors are higher
resolution, but I am flexible. As much as I am not a fluent touch-typist, I found many of
the keyboards too small for my taste. I tried the HP Mini 1000 and thought it was
acceptable, but I do not like their flat-style keys. I do not know if the NC10 if any
larger than the Mini1000, but I prefer its sculpted keys. its great tohear that Office
2003 and Bibble work on the unit. I do not know if I would install Lightroom on a netbook
for light duty use, but it is an option. My wife's biggest concern is the ability to use
Powerpoint and Publisher. I am not certain how comfortable the experience would be,
but our old desktop is a Pentium 4 with only 512 MB, so unless she is spoiled by her PC at
work, the difference would probably not be as significant as if we had a new machine
with lots of RAM. Any comments on either of these two programs would be greatly
appreciated.
--Ken
Ken,
The keys are sculpted and from what I have read, they are 93-95% as big as a regular keyboard.
I use PowerPoint on the NC10 without any problems... It just takes a few extra seconds to load the program. Once loaded, there is little difference between the NC10 & my desktop (quad core/4gb...)
I just loaded Publisher & it works fine on the nc10.
FYI... from what I've read, it is very easy to upgrade to 2 GB of ram, but I really don't see the need. Also, some people have already upgraded the harddrive to 320gb 7200RPM model.
Here is link for both upgrades:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=306435&page=29
Hope this is helpful.
-jj
JJ
12/8/2008 5:15 pm
FYI... Jan and others...
Here is good link that describes the eBay/PayPal/MS Live cash back program.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=306371
If you hit it right, you can get back >20% cash back (the highest I've seen is 35%... back in ~May/June)
Last month I bought some stuff @ 25% off.
Today it is 8% off. YMMV :-)
-jj
Here is good link that describes the eBay/PayPal/MS Live cash back program.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=306371
If you hit it right, you can get back >20% cash back (the highest I've seen is 35%... back in ~May/June)
Last month I bought some stuff @ 25% off.
Today it is 8% off. YMMV :-)
-jj
Jan Rifkinson
12/9/2008 1:07 am
JJ, thanks very much for the link. I will start tracking future purchases via live. Meantime I'm waiting for my little Samsung.
Ken
12/9/2008 1:35 am
Jan Rifkinson wrote:
Jan,
Do you know when it is supposed to arrive? I still have not unboxed mine. I am inclined to do so, but they are not returnable, so I need to make sure this is what I want. Keep us posted.
--Ken
P.S. Will install IDImager on it?
Meantime I'm waiting for my little Samsung.
Jan,
Do you know when it is supposed to arrive? I still have not unboxed mine. I am inclined to do so, but they are not returnable, so I need to make sure this is what I want. Keep us posted.
--Ken
P.S. Will install IDImager on it?
Jan Rifkinson
12/9/2008 2:27 am
Ken wrote:
Jan Rifkinson wrote:
>Meantime I'm waiting for my little Samsung.
Jan,
Do you
know when it is supposed to arrive? I still have not unboxed mine. I am inclined to do so,
but they are not returnable, so I need to make sure this is what I want. Keep us
posted.
--Ken
P.S. Will install IDImager on it?
Jan Rifkinson
12/9/2008 2:29 am
Ken, It was supposed to arrive yesterday. Now it's supposed to be here tomorrow -- Tue. My sole purpose of buying this thing is to use IDImager &/or Lightroom on the road. I'm scheduled to leave on a trip Wed +/- noon EST so if it doesn't arrive Tue, you probably won't get a report from me until the following Tue (back next Mon). I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
JJ
12/9/2008 2:32 pm
Jan Rifkinson wrote:
Ken, It was supposed to arrive yesterday. Now it's supposed to be here tomorrow -- Tue.
My sole purpose of buying this thing is to use IDImager &/or Lightroom on the road. I'm
scheduled to leave on a trip Wed +/- noon EST so if it doesn't arrive Tue, you probably
won't get a report from me until the following Tue (back next Mon). I'm keeping my
fingers crossed.
Jan,
I use Lightroom on my desktop & my OC quad, 4gb, 10k rpm HD is barely enough for Lightroom.
Lightroom will bring your NC10 to it's knees. Instead, I would suggest Bibble... it is lighter, faster and better than Lightroom.
Plus they will be releasing version 5.0 (by Jan 1) which looks awesome (checkout their video)
-jj
Ken
12/9/2008 4:09 pm
Jan,
I hate to drift further OT, but I like using ImageIngester as a front-end to Lightroom. If you are just renaming, adding meta-data, backing up files and/or converting them to DNG, Image Ingester works quite well with Adobe's stand alone DNG converter. I also like to keep a copy of FastStone Image Viewer on all drives and machines as it is quite a handy tool for quick browsing. They do not replace LR, but they also do not impact its work flow as they do their jobs. They are good photo tools for slower machines.
--Ken
I hate to drift further OT, but I like using ImageIngester as a front-end to Lightroom. If you are just renaming, adding meta-data, backing up files and/or converting them to DNG, Image Ingester works quite well with Adobe's stand alone DNG converter. I also like to keep a copy of FastStone Image Viewer on all drives and machines as it is quite a handy tool for quick browsing. They do not replace LR, but they also do not impact its work flow as they do their jobs. They are good photo tools for slower machines.
--Ken
Jan Rifkinson
12/9/2008 6:35 pm
Ken & JJ, Thanks for comments. Rcvd NC10 few hrs ago, set it up & that's as far as I've gotten. The keyboard is fantastic tho. I think given your combined comments, maybe I should re-think LR2. I am not going to load this machine up w lots of stuff. Basically, email, prelim photo culling/viewing & UltraRecall (even tho they booted me off their forum). I will probably increase RAM, don't know whether I'll spring for outboard CD/DVD as it's just more stuff. I'm still trying to figure out where the built in card reader is.... or is it optional? Anyway, I'm sorta impressed but then I haven't really gotten down to using the little fellow yet but for $400 bucks how bad an investment can it be? I'll let you know more next week.
JJ
12/9/2008 9:00 pm
Jan Rifkinson wrote:
Ken & JJ, Thanks for comments. Rcvd NC10 few hrs ago, set it up & that's as far as I've
gotten. The keyboard is fantastic tho. I think given your combined comments, maybe I
should re-think LR2. I am not going to load this machine up w lots of stuff. Basically,
email, prelim photo culling/viewing & UltraRecall (even tho they booted me off their
forum). I will probably increase RAM, don't know whether I'll spring for outboard
CD/DVD as it's just more stuff. I'm still trying to figure out where the built in card
reader is.... or is it optional? Anyway, I'm sorta impressed but then I haven't really
gotten down to using the little fellow yet but for $400 bucks how bad an investment can
it be? I'll let you know more next week.
Jan,
I highly suggest trying out Bibble... download the trail version and install it on the NC10... I find Bibble works quite well on the NC10. (In fact I have dumped LR2 on my desktop & use Bibble on both machines)
Version 5 is suppose to be awesome... (will ship by Jan 1). Checkout these demos
http://bibblelabs.com/products/bibble5/videos.html
Also, FastSone Viewer is a great viewer... Works great on the NC10
Enjoy!
Chris Thompson
12/10/2008 2:31 am
While we're talking about photo workflow tools, I suggest taking a look at LightZone:
http://www.lightcrafts.com/products/index.html
It's one of my favorite applications of all time... much more intuitive for editing photos than Photoshop, which I never use any more. It reminds me a lot of working in a traditional darkroom. The drawback is their photo management features are a little weak, so I prefer to use Lightroom for basic workflow and then LightZone for editing. As a bonus it's cross-platform (and there's even a Linux version if you hunt around, though they don't publicize it).
-- Chris
http://www.lightcrafts.com/products/index.html
It's one of my favorite applications of all time... much more intuitive for editing photos than Photoshop, which I never use any more. It reminds me a lot of working in a traditional darkroom. The drawback is their photo management features are a little weak, so I prefer to use Lightroom for basic workflow and then LightZone for editing. As a bonus it's cross-platform (and there's even a Linux version if you hunt around, though they don't publicize it).
-- Chris
1
2