Buy netbook now v. waiting?

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forkedt

Limp Gawd
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Mar 4, 2009
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I've researched most of the netbooks available currently and am torn between purchasing something now versus waiting a for the newer models (with the new N280 chip) come out. I dont think I'll buy the newer models because of price, but I expect the older ones to be on sale when they are released...

The question is, has anyone heard of expected price drops? If it's not going to be worth waiting I'd rather get mine now so I can switch to using it instead.
 
What are you going to use a netbook for?

I mean if you just surf the web and check email, a newer one with the N280 isn't going to be a deal changing experience.
 
I tend not to do anything intense beyond making dvds - but I'll probably continue using my current computer for that since I'd have to buy an external burner for the netbook. Guess I'll start looking for a good deal on one now, thanks!
 
forkedt said:
I tend not to do anything intense beyond making dvds - but I'll probably continue using my current computer for that since I'd have to buy an external burner for the netbook. Guess I'll start looking for a good deal on one now, thanks!
Click to expand...

If by making DVD's you mean running something like Adobe Premier...ugh, you will throw your netbook out the windows in about 2 seconds.
 
I'd get one now. The new loaded Asus 1000HE is a good bet and the Samsung NC10 is also highly recommended. I have an Acer Aspire One which works perfect for me but if I was shopping today it would probably be the new Asus. These things are not intended to replace your desktop but compliment it. You'll be surprised at how well they perform but some stuff is better left to your more serious hardware which you've already figured out. Enjoy! The little guys are a blast!

P.S. I use mine on the road for photography storage and sorting and then all the mobile PC stuff I need when travelling. They even fit into the little safe in the room of most hotels so amazing to travel with and you can pack them in just about anything. Get a decent padded Neoprene sleeve for yours and a MS Bluetooth 5000 notebook mouse. The sleeve makes a great mousepad in the weirdest places as well! Also bump up your ram to the 2GB max for best performance. HD sizing is your choice, they usually come with a 160GB but I bumped mine up to a 320GB 7200rpm seagate with the built in Accelerometer. If it detects fast movement (falling) it instantly parks the drive heads to protect your data. Seagate is also now shipping a 500GB 7200rpm notebook drive too.

James
 
Thanks, I am planning to use mine for similar reasons (travel on the road, and swap to my real computer for the heavy lifting). I'm debating between the extra for the HE or I saw another HF'er with a 1000h for sale (not sure if he still has it) - would you suggest the HE over it for any reasons?
 
I've tried the asus 1000h, the lenovo s10 and samsung nc10. The NC10 is my favorite. Asus's right shift key threw me off, but maybe they fixed that issue, i'm not sure. It's the thickest of the three. The S10 is the thinest of the three and I would say the best looking one as well. Again the shift key threw me off and the 3 cell battery is not worth the trouble. The nc10 is great, good battery, nice keyboard, and not too bulky. The speakers on it are weak because it's placed face down. The nano silver keyboard sounds good for killing germs but some people isn't too fond of it thinking it's a carcinogen. Either way good luck with your netbook. My nc10 complement my workstation well when i'm not at home.
 
I'm waiting for the next gen with integrated memory controller and VGA. As power efficient as the Atom is, the chipset is the fattest pig imaginable. Next gen is supposedly supposed to include 50% power savings over the current. And Q4 09 isn't that far away.
 
just buy it now. they're so cheap you can buy a new one in 6 months and sell the old one and make up 1/2 the difference at least
 
The netbook market is so new that its almost never a great time to buy if you are worried about pricing dropping / new tech to come out. That said, it sounds like you're ready to dive in and I'd say go for it. My eeePC 900 is still ticking strong going on 1 year and I am still very happy with it.

As for making DVDs, I use my eeePC exclusively to do all of my classical guitar/violin recording even though I have a nice and fast core2 duo desktop available to me. The portability is key. You shouldnt have much of a problem...except, of course, if you want to actually burn the DVDs :p
 
If you're looking for an 8.9" netbook, ASUS is offering a $100 rebate on the Eee 901's. You can get them for about $250.
 
I think that's the one thing I'm not for right now is one with SSD though - I know they're nice but I have a 500GB HDD I that's begging to power my netbook activities. Otherwise I'd probably jump on a good deal like that, thanks though.
 
I just recent bought an Acer Asper One (8.9") and really like it. I'm only using it for surfing the net and tuning my car, so it's perfect size. I do need to get a wireless mouse. Some of the Logitech's have a really small USB receiver so that you can leave it in all the time.
 
Aside from the random Dell deals, prices won't really be sinking all that fast. The 10 inch aspire ones are priced where the 9 inch models used to be at around $350, while the 9 inch models are under $300 in most places. You do get extra bulk going from 9" to 10", but it's still much less than a 15" widescreen laptop.
Next gen of anything will always be better than the current, no matter how long you wait. The netbooks running N270 from last summer/early last year are still doing fine for the tasks they're assigned, and the N280 isn't going to blow you away with the performance improvements. Sure you could wait until Q4 '09, but then again you could save up more money and get whatever else is coming out at that point. Anyone waiting for improved controllers and independent VGA should REALLY think about ultra light notebooks rather than netbooks, b/c I imagine the prices for those will rapidly rise well above the $500 mark.
 
I love my AAO, but If I was looking to get another one I would wait for the Ion based ones to come out.
 
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