Netbook allows you to access the net for both work purposes and for personal stuff. As a working mum with two kids, it means I can spend time on the train doing things I’d otherwise have to boot them or my husband off the home computer for – like researching a family holiday for example, or doing my food shopping on it. I’ll admit it’s not brilliant perhaps for shopping on clothing websites (though maybe that’s a good thing!) because obviously the screen size is smaller – about 22cm as opposed to about 39cm on your average laptop.
You can also check my personal emails, and one of the things I really like is that I be comfy on the sofa at home and have an eye on the telly as I use it, rather than having to sit up at a desk to use the PC. A friend of mine often downloads and listens to podcasts on hers while she’s commuting, rather than putting up with an erratic DAB signal which is unfortunately the case when you’re travelling. And another great use for it is that it has enough capacity to accommodate my camera memory card, enabling me to visit my mum and show her the latest pictures of her grandchildren!
It was incredibly easy to set up, and it takes about as long as a mobile phone to charge, giving me about 3 hours of battery life. I rarely find there’s any problem with network access on the train and at home, but if I wanted to use my netbook in other locations, or even on holiday, I could always buy a mobile broadband “dongle” from one of the mobile phone companies in order to get total roaming. Obviously I can also use a USB memory stick with it, and if I wanted more storage, I can buy an SD card to crank it up from 120GB, just as I’d do with a camera.
Lots of pros, you say – what cons? As long as you appreciate the netbook is essentially for communications rather than processing and storage, and you’re ok with a smaller screen, I think you’d come to love it too. I may not even use it every day, as I must admit I can feel a bit weighed down with my Blackberry, work laptop and Acer - but I’d far rather be working or surfing on the way to or from work so that when I walk through the door I can run around with my children!
And apart from the fact that the netbook looks so cool and neat, it weighs less than a kilogram and fits in my handbag – and that has to be a huge plus!
But it depends on you personal preference...
