I had some interesting interactions around netbooks and the like recently.  I’m hesitant to quantify the different species or breeds of laptops that aren’t complete laptops for one reason or another.  Even if I did, the terms would change before the first comment hits this post (if a first comment ever hits this post).

CASE ONE: Toshiba replacement

A Very Important Person at work uses an old Toshiba laptop with a 12″ monitor.  I have to say that Toshiba did an excellent job with this laptop, long before anyone had conceived of a netbook.  I didn’t see it when it was purchased but my guess is that it originally came with Windows 98 on it.  It currently runs XP: I know, as I’ve reformatted it at least twice.  It weighs just over two pounds and is fully functional (for the era in which it was produced).  It’s just a bit long in the tooth now, so its owner requested a new unit that’s fairly similar with respect to size and weight.

Yeah, right.

I suggested an ASUS EEE 1000, which we lend out in quantity.  This was nixed due to the smaller keyboard.

I have a Dell E4300, which is a very slim laptop with a 13.3″ display; the smallest size I could deal with comfortably.  Since the optical drive was not required, I suggested the E4200 and let the VIP try mine.  Keyboard was ok but it was too heavy (VIP is petite and approaching retirement age).

Harumph.

A coworker got a deal on some Lenovo laptops so I waited til they came in.  Definitely too heavy and not in the class in which the VIP was looking.  By itself, though, this laptop had potential.  It had a normal dual-core processor, roughly a 14-15″ screen, and wasn’t all that heavy.  I believe the price was in the five-hundred dollar neighborhood.  Not too bad.

Meanwhile I was left with an unfulfilled task.  Did I mention that the laptop also had to come with XP out of the box?  The VIP hates Vista, as does most of the people who have used it.  I wasn’t going to install XP after the fact either - my life would become (more) miserable for it.

Since we’re a Dell shop, I checked their website.  The matches I got back for ultra light were frightening in size, weight, and price.  The rep suggested perhaps a Mini 12, which, to be honest, I had been considering.  I can’t stand the Mini 9 but the Mini 12 seems to correct most of its deficiencies (keyboard and screen size).  Not that it matters here but they’re also available with Ubuntu linux.  I’m awaiting a quote, as the Minis are not available under our corporate account.  They come with XP Home stock.

Dell is crafty.  When I located the Mini 12, the site indicated they started at $399.  This thrilled the VIP.  I told her it would be more expensive by a bit.  By the time I got done, the list price was something over six-hundred.  We like to order three year warranties plus accidental coverage.  If a laptop’s screen breaks, it’s not covered unless you have `Complete Care’.  Crafty.  [fyi, my E4300's screen broke three weeks after I turned it on.  The replacement display broke in-transit.]

CASE TWO: A portable notepad for travel

If it’s possible, an even more important person, in the person of THE OWNER, wanted a portable unit for taking notes on the road.  He’s not really picky - it just has to work.

With his approval I got an Asus EEE 1000, onto which we put EEE-Ubuntu.  Only last week I heard that he wasn’t all that happy with it and wanted a different one.  Unfortunately he neglected to tell me, ensuring that his request would go unfulfilled.

One email later I learned that the main dislike was the keyboard.  I understand this because it’s my second least-favorite part of a netbook.  My first is the display.  It’s just a personal thing: I like lots of screen real estate.  The mondo-bizarro size and resolution of netbook displays guarantees a difficult time and lots of scrolling.

Since we established that the Asus units were not going to work for him, I was left a bit flummoxed.  I figured why not and decided to let him try a Mini 12 also.  I will order one for both people to evaluate and order another if both want one.

SEMI-RELEVANT OBSERVATION(s)

Regardless of what you call them or what class they’re in, smaller laptops are a varied crowd for varied needs.

You can get a netbook, which seems to be largely a laptop with a 9″ display, an Atom processor, and in most cases, Windows XP.  [Hint: order as much RAM as you can get.]

You can get a netbook with only a larger display and keyboard, up to about 15″.

You can get a slightly smaller and lighter, full featured laptop.

You can get a thin laptop with full performance at three times the cost of a netbook.

Or you can get a plain old laptop, whatever that is these days :)

Updates to follow….