Mini Computers Are Cool - Buy a Netbook Now Or Wait?

By Brenda Ballentine
Tags:notebook computers,notebook computersMini Computers Are Cool - Buy a Netbook Now Or Wait,Mini Computers Are Cool - Buy a Netbook Now Or Waitnotebook computers notebook computers
One of the hottest trends to happen in the PC world is the netbook computer craze that's sweeping the country. Netbook computers are mini versions of the popular and very portable, laptop computer. Most laptops are between 14 to 17-inches long and can be quite heavy when lugging them around from place to place. This is one area where netbook computers have an advantage. They are typically small and lightweight, with an average screen size of 8 to 12-inches.


The Benefits of Owning a Netbook

Besides their lightweight size, a huge benefit to buying a netbook over a laptop is the big discount in price. While the lowest cost laptops are around $800, a netbook ranges in price from $300 - $500. This is a great value when you've got to purchase a computer on a tight budget. It is widely thought that the explosion of the netbook in popularity is largely due to their low cost.

Current Netbook Computer Offerings

Right now, when you buy a netbook, you must realize that you're not going to get the same computing power and software capabilities that you do in a regular laptop. Most netbooks have smaller keyboards, to accommodate the limitation in size, and have a minimum of 160 GB of hard disk space. This is enough to do the basics.

You can access the internet and do standard word processing, along with some spreadsheets and basic photo editing. Game playing capacity is limited, so it's not for heavy duty gaming. However, these are great computers for students of every age who need the convenience of a laptop, but couldn't ordinarily afford one.

Netbooks mostly run on the windows XP operating system, which is a comfort to those who dislike Vista. Some netbooks also offer the Linux system, which is less popular but highly efficient. Choose the system that you're most comfortable with.

Should You Buy a Netbook Now or Wait for Later?

The future of netbooks is quite exciting, with major manufacturers gearing up to offer more features and computing power. One of the big things coming up in the computer world is the introduction of Microsoft windows 7 in late 2009. Windows 7 is replacing the much hated Vista. Future netbooks will include this new operating system.

Basically, if you are comfortable with windows XP and the current capabilities of today's netbook computer, then you should grab them now while they're still available. When Vista came along, many people with newer laptops wanted to switch back to XP, but were unable to because of compatibility issues. If you don't want to take a chance right now on a netbook with a new operating system, then now's the time to grab one.

On the other hand, if you are eagerly anticipating the arrival of windows 7 and want more capabilities than the existing netbooks of today have, then you'll want to wait for the newer models coming down the pipeline soon. These newer models, may or may not be more expensive than current editions.