netbooks

[haven]

A couple of reviews caught my eye recently. The first describes the HP Mini 2140, and the second details the Asus EEE 1000HE.

Liliputing has a complete review of the HP Mini 2140, the big brother to HP's original netbook, the 2133 Mini Note. The 2140 uses the same Intel Atom processor and LCD display that most other netbooks use, but adds features that increase the durability of the machine (a sturdy aluminum/magnesium case, steel pins in the LCD hinge, an accelerometer that parks the hard disc heads when it detects that it might be falling, and a spill-resistant keyboard).

The 2140 also includes an ExpressCard slot accessible from the outside of the machine. This allows you to add peripherals like a high speed modem, GPS, TV tuner, Firewire interface, or external SSD drive.

The 2140 LCD screen is a 10 inch, 1024 x 576 pixel model, a little less than the standard 1024 x 600. An optional 1366 x 768 pixel display will be available in a month or so.

So you pay more for the 2140 (usually $450 for a unit with a 3 cell battery), but you get more, too.

Here's the link to the Liliputing review
http://www.liliputing.com/2009/03/hp...40-review.html

Laptop Magazine has a complete review of the Asus EEE 1000HE, the netbook that several reviewers say is currently the best netbook with 10 inch display. The 1000HE has a great keyboard, a 1024 x 600 display, 160 GB hard drive, 1GB RAM and Windows XP. The 1000HE is a few ounces heavier than the competition, but this is due primarily to a larger battery that gives 7 to 9 hours of runtime.

Here's the article
http://www.laptopmag.com/review/lapt...pc-1000he.aspx

The 1000HE is available from lots of sources. Price is around $390 delivered, sometimes less.

[AndrewP]

Laptop Magazine has a complete review of the Asus EEE 1000HE, the netbook that several reviewers say is currently the best netbook with 10 inch display. The 1000HE has a great keyboard, a 1024 x 600 display, 160 GB hard drive, 1GB RAM and Windows XP. The 1000HE is a few ounces heavier than the competition, but this is due primarily to a larger battery that gives 7 to 9 hours of runtime.

Here's the article
http://www.laptopmag.com/review/lapt...pc-1000he.aspx

The 1000HE is available from lots of sources. The best deal I see today is $330 plus $10 shipping from www.buydig.com
http://www.buydig.com/shop/product.a...S1000HABLK001X

Running the 1000HE and really like the small package. THe screen is great for such a small computer. It runs Topo USA seemlessly, though I did turn off the 3-D to decrease the processor demands.

Unlike most netbooks, the 1000HE has very easy to replace memory and it's accessable through the HD door. I upgraded to 2GB and it does run the Topo a bit faster.

The $330 price is good, I paid $340 and shipping, so the price is coming down a bit.

[stevenmd]

Which netbook would be the best for email, internet machine surfing, and possibly quick books, nothing else?

I am not tech savvy so any word about bytes, memory, MB(???), or such will lose me. My own cell phone confuses me. Although I do know how to use an external hard drive and a USB memory stick.

If I can't load quick books onto the netbook I suppose I could load it onto the laptop, storing it on the external hard drive, then transfer it from the external hard drive to the netbook. I really don't want to carry the external hard drive around if the netbook can't handle running quick books, which, if that's the case, I should just go with another laptop.

[off-roader]

Running the 1000HE and really like the small package. THe screen is great for such a small computer. It runs Topo USA seemlessly, though I did turn off the 3-D to decrease the processor demands.

Unlike most netbooks, the 1000HE has very easy to replace memory and it's accessable through the HD door. I upgraded to 2GB and it does run the Topo a bit faster.

The $330 price is good, I paid $340 and shipping, so the price is coming down a bit.

Hope this isn't too far off thread.

I'd stay away from using HDD's off road. The jarring they will take will destroy them in no time.

Instead use a solid state drive.

I currently use an Acer One w/ 8GB SSD & 8GB of SD storage and an extra SD slot. With the 8GB card, I have more than enough room to run NatGeo's Hi Res topo California software and MS Streets and Trips. I also upgraded the 8GB SD card to 16GB for even more room (it was only $20 for the 16GB SD Class 6 card).

Here are 2 pics of my mount setup in both my 1989 and 1996 Montero's. The first is of my 89 w/out the laptop attached and the 2nd is of my 96 with the laptop attached. I fabricated the mount from plate aluminum with the help of a friend although really anyone could do this with simple woodworking tools (jig saw, & drill).

[sundaypunch]

Hope this isn't too far off thread.

I'd stay away from using HDD's off road. The jarring they will take will destroy them in no time.

There are some people that have posted in this thread that they have had no problem with HDD's. Supposedly on washboard & offroad.

I have no experience with them but would like to hear more opinions as I am considering a netbook.

[geoffff]

My friend has a sportsmobile that he takes to Mexico regularly (http://octopup.org/sportsmobile/). He's running a Fujitsu lifebook.

Here are some details on the Fujitsu touchscreen computer I have mounted in my Sportsmobile:

http://octopup.org/sportsmobile/computer-gps.htm

My mount is something I put together with a swivel mount I found at a surplus store, and some custom-bent steel & cloth:



So far I haven't had any hard drive problems with the Fujitsu, or with my older Toshiba Libretto solutions.

[edit: actually, that's a lie. Now that I think about it, I did have a hard drive gradually fail a year ago, but I clone my drive using http://www.apricorn.com/products.php?cat_id=52 so getting back up to speed again was quick.]

-- Geoff

[sundaypunch]

The 1000HE is available from lots of sources. The best deal I see today is $330 plus $10 shipping from www.buydig.com
http://www.buydig.com/shop/product.a...S1000HABLK001X

That link appears to be for the cheaper 1000HA. The cheapest I can find the 1000HE is around $370.

I'm ready to pull the trigger on one if I can find a deal.

[Sportsman Matt]

I've been experimenting with my netbook and laptops for a couple months, maily for internet usage while away from home and the WiFi Cable setup I have at home.

I'm using for my daily usage an Acer Aspire One, 160GB SSHD, 1 GB Ram. I love it, although the drawback is the lack of battery time, as the factory battery gets about 2 hours out of a charge. Recharging takes 1 to 2 hours, so it's sort of a draw. I linked my laptop to my Nokia 6301 T Mobile Cell Phone, and as long as I have service, I have internet access. Drawback is it's slow like dial up, so no streaming video footage unless you can store it and watch it later. I have tried it with the HP laptop also, and get the same results. Biggest thing is with the laptops and netbooks, the vibrations aren't a real problem unless your shaking it so violently that the regular hard drive looses track of it's position. I myself prefer the Solid State Hard Drive in the Acer, it's quiet, uses less power, and resists motion bumps rather well, but I haven't had anything to cause a physical crash of the hard drive yet.

[flyingwil]

DIY Acer Aspire One UMPC

ToDo forum member stretracer18 loved his Acer Aspire One netbook, but wanted a touchscreen slate version instead; Acer not being forthcoming with such a UMPC, he created his own. Now we’ve seen touchscreen modifications of netbooks before, but this is a full case reworking: the top and bottom sections of the Aspire One have been screwed together minus the keyboard in-between, with the lid flipped round to give access to the display (with touchscreen panel) and webcam.



Right now the Aspire One is only moderately altered - internally, anyway - with a 1.6GHz Atom processor, 1.5GB of RAM and an 8GB SSD. Next step might be upgrading the internal storage to an 80 or 120GB hard-drive.

OS is Ubuntu, which supports touch input, and the modified display itself used a basic 8.9-inch touchscreen kit. I’m not sure how much the slate weighs now, but I imagine - without the keyboard and hinge sections - it’s actually less than the 2.2lbs of the original Aspire One.

Some other photo's on the forum, but it is all in Spanish.

[haven]

Sundaypunch is right -- the link I posted was to the less expensive older Asus EEE 1000HA. The cheapest non-eBay price I could find for the 1000HE is about $390, or $375 on eBay. I edited my post to correct this error.

Good deals on models with 9" display continue to appear. Yesterday, it was the Dell Mini 9 for $199 (Ubuntu Linux, 8 GB SSD, 512MB RAM), a few days earlier I saw a refurbished Asus Eee PC 900A (Xantros Linux, 1GB RAM, 4GB disc) for $180.

A good place to keep up with netbook sales is http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/hot-deals/ Search for "netbook"

Chip Haven