I need some advice about buying a portable lightweight laptop.

October 4, 2008 3:16 PM

I need some advice about buying a portable lightweight laptop.

I am looking to purchase a really light laptop that I could carry in a backpack or a briefcase and still walk around comfortably.

Basically, if I walk two miles in one direction and a few more in another, all within the span of an hour, the weight of carrying that laptop should not incur any pain on my back, shoulders, or what have you.

I also want this to be an inexpensive laptop great for Internet applications, word processing, listening to music, and watching videos. (It should have built-in wifi. A good keyboard easy to type on would be nice as well.) Since I really don't need it do to anything else, especially handle graphics or play games, it should really be a bargain. Under $500 dollars. (Note: My old 500 mhz desktop let me browse the Internet, watch videos, and listen to music just fine, even if it was a bit slow. But a bit slow is acceptable for me.)

Oh, and last but not least, I want this laptop to run Windows. Reason: I have some great applications on my desktop at home that are Windows-only that I am not willing to part with. I know there are many Linux fans out there, but believe me when I tell you that there are some companies, especially small ones, that develop their programs exclusively for Windows and it is incredibly difficult to find alternatives that perform the same functions. (Sidenote: Macs can run Windows, but that's beside the point, since Apple notebooks are outside of my price range anyway.)

posted by gregb1007 to computers & internet (13 comments total)

Eee, but the keyboard sucks.

I've been using an Eee 901 (linux) as my only PC for a month. It does the job, and is light enough to hold in one hand.

$600.
posted by orthogonality at 3:23 PM on October 4, 2008

You don't mention this... are you fine with netbooks? Like Acer Aspire One, MSI Wind, Asus Eee PC, Dell Inspiron Mini, Lenovo S10, etc, etc. Some of these run Windows.

A Lenovo S10 or Acer Aspire One goes for less than 400, with a real hard drive (80gb). I believe you can even find the Aspire One in some Best Buys... add some $50 to upgrade the ram to 2gb.

Match really light, match inexpensive. Unfortunately match "a bit slow" too (sufficient to play 720p videos, but that's about it).
posted by qvantamon at 3:28 PM on October 4, 2008

I would suggest the eeepc 1000h unless you really want something tiny. I've had the 901 20g since it was released in the states, and while I do love it, the keyboard is pretty small and the 1000h's is just a bit bigger. The 1000h also comes with win xp, a 80 gb harddrive (i'm assuming by listening to music and watching videos you want to have those files stored and not streaming).

A store on amazon.com has one listed at just under $500 right now.
posted by meowN at 3:30 PM on October 4, 2008

eee! They are so light and small that it makes them perfect for the backpack. I don't find the keyboard a problem at all. So obviously do, but I got used to it within a week. You can get eee's for as little as $349.
posted by Gerard Sorme at 4:53 PM on October 4, 2008

err....I meant to say "SOME obviously do..."
posted by Gerard Sorme at 4:53 PM on October 4, 2008

I bought an eee, I really like it, I'd go for the newer one with the hard drive- the novelty of solid state has worn off. But they are really good, keyboard is small, but that's that.

I also have an asus M5- it's a great computer, small, light and works well.
posted by mattoxic at 4:56 PM on October 4, 2008

My wife and I bought our 3 1/2 year old an Acer Aspire One from New Egg ($399, $421w/tax shipped 3-day). It's got a 9 inch screen. 120 GB HDD. 1GB RAM.

On the Aspire One, you can upgrade memory as high as 1.5 GB (512 is soldered to the motherboard, only one upgradeable slot. a 2GB SODIMM isn't possible... I tried). I wouldn't recommend it unless you're REALLY handy with taking apart things like that. Inexplicably, you have to completely disassemble the laptop to get to the hard drive and the open memory slot. There's no access door. (Looks like there is, but thats for the miniPCI slot - which doesn't even have a connector).

I cracked it open and was able to get 1.5 GB of RAM installed, and switch out the 120GB hard drive for a 160 GB that I had laying around. Like I said, you have to completely disassemble to get to it, tho.

The Aspire One with the 120GB has XP installed, and even with 512MB, it ran really well. It has a built in webcam and mic, and Skype runs GREAT on it. The keyboard is even reasonably comfortable, even for someone with "bigger" hands like myself.

If you're running a 500MHZ desktop, you'll be blown away by a 1.6 GHZ Atom-powered netbook.

I think you will enjoy it.
posted by Master Gunner at 4:58 PM on October 4, 2008

I forgot to mention, the only drawback to the AAO is the battery life... about 2.5 hours (it comes with a 3-cell battery). If you're willing to wait a little while, you can order a 160 GB model from Amazon, that will ship with a 6-cell battery (about 5 hours of life).

I wish I could find the 6-cell battery for my son's, but "oh well".
posted by Master Gunner at 5:01 PM on October 4, 2008

Have you checked out the Dell Mini? I test-drove one today, running WinXP, and was highly impressed. Weighs about 3 pounds, didn't seem to add any significant weight to my bag. Worked great streaming Netflix and YouTube - had much better sound and video quality than my Thinkpad. And it's just under $500. The only downside is that the keyboard is on the small side - wasn't an issue for my little hands, but I could see where it could take some getting used to.
posted by chez shoes at 5:02 PM on October 4, 2008

I have to agree with Master Gunner. I've had an Eee 701 (it's for sale now, BTW ;) ) and picked up an AspireOne yesterday. I really like what I see from the AspireOne so far. The Eee 701 was a good portable device for doing basic work and watching TV on the train, but the AspireOne feels a lot more like a full laptop, and the Atom processor in it goes like hell compared to the 701. I picked mine up for $399 CAD from ncix.com, with the 120GB drive, 1GB RAM and 6 cell battery. I live in Vancouver, so I didn't have to mail order it, just walked into their retail store.

As far as your intended uses go, a netbook form factor is perfect. When I lugged my Eee around in my backpack, it weighed less than a reference book, and I never even noticed it was there, weight wise. The AspireOne is a little heavier, mainly due to the battery, but still only about a pound and a half or so. It's inexpensive so if something bad does happen, you won't want to kill yourself, and it's awesome to work with on the go.
posted by barc0001 at 5:13 PM on October 4, 2008

I should add that the AspireOne comes with either Linux or XP, depending on the model you buy. The one I picked up has XP.

Also, NCIX sells a lot of other netbooks (as this new class of subnote is being called). Here's their list. If nothing else, it's good to use as a comparison as their site's forums are attached to each item and are fairly active.
posted by barc0001 at 5:18 PM on October 4, 2008

@chez shoes: We looked at the Dell Mini, but were turned off by the lack of storage space (I think it maxes out at 16 GB).

"Bang for the buck", we went with the Aspire One.

We even bought a Everex Cloudbook from CompUSA and took it back the very next day.

1. The Via C7 processor was AGONIZINGLY SLOW.
2. The screen was 7", and did not render windows correctly.
3. Kept dropping the wireless signal (We were able to return it with no restocking fee because of this - it's a common problem with the Everex Netbook, due to the location of the internal WiFi antenna )
4. Had stuck pixels right out of the box.
5. It was fast enough to run Linux reasonably well, but a DOG at running XP.

If anyone was considering the Everex, I would read reviews first. I absolutely CAN NOT recommend it. Even with the 30 GB HDD.
posted by Master Gunner at 5:45 PM on October 4, 2008

I have an MSI Wind and it works amazingly. 10" screen, 80GB hard drive, keyboard isn't too small, and it ran Windows fine, but I've hackintoshed it.
posted by wackybrit at 6:15 PM on October 4, 2008