Netbook help

patrickcabenjaminpatrickcabenjamin
edited April 2009 in Hardware
Hi

I would really like a netbook. I'm saving up but i'm not sure which one to get. I need one that'll play basic games like, Quake 3 or Half life 1. Preferably windows, but i'll settle for mac. I'm probably not going to go over 300 unless i suddenly get loads of money. So, my question is, which should i buy.

thanks for reading

:bigggrin::bigggrin::bigggrin:

Comments

  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited April 2009
    The internal components are all virtually identical, but I know the Dell Mini and Wind U100 can upgrade to 2GB of memory. The question really comes down to: Which looks the best to you?
  • MochanMochan Philippines
    edited April 2009
    Not sure if Quake 3 or HL are available on a Mac, but a quick search in Google shows:
    Quake 3 is available but HL apparently is not.

    Anyway I don't think you should be getting a netbook if you want to play games, even basic ones. HL1 will probably pass but Q3 might be too much.

    Other than that you should probably just get an MSI Wind. It's the standard recommendation for Netbook here and pretty much the best bang for your buck at the moment for netbooks. It also fits about into your budget.

    But seriously don't be afraid to get any netbook if you can get one for about $300. Most of them are the same banana, no major differences outside of the obvious things you can see like screen size and keyboard size. Just decide whether you want a 9" or 10" screen, then check out the harddisk/ssd size and check the keyboard to see if you like the key placement/size.

    Optionally check the battery and see if it's a 3-cell or 6 cell or what not; more is better. 3-cell lasts you about 2 hours of "normal" usage 6 cell will do about 4-5 hours.

    Then if you're particular about Touchpads be careful with the Wind the later models have a crappy Syntellics pad which is not as good as the Synaptics pad used on just about every other netbook around.

    And of course check the looks to see if it looks good to you.

    Again my general recommendation is the MSI Wind but you won't do wrong trying the Asus EEE PC 900HA or 901, or even EEE 1000 -- assuming you can get it for the right price (1000 you will probably not get for $300).

    Other Cheaper options that are still good are the old Acer Aspire One, Dell Inspiron Mini, and the HP Mini 1000. Not sure what else is worth getting at your price range.

    The Aspire is probably the cheapest one to get but I think the cheaper model doesn't have a harddisk and only has a small SSD drive. The Inspiron has some nice additional features like a 3G slot IIRC. The Mini has a nice keyboard but I remember it was lacking some features I wanted -- I think it doesn't have an Atom Procie.

    Again I would say the Wind is the best value for the money.
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited April 2009
    u should buy Fatcats MSI Wind its around 300 and u have the choice Xp or OSx
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited April 2009
    http://icrontic.com/forum/showthread.php?t=82984
  • patrickcabenjaminpatrickcabenjamin
    edited April 2009
    Thankyou for the help y'all
    :-)
  • Cliff_ForsterCliff_Forster Icrontian
    edited April 2009
    Is the size of the platform the issue, or is it the price?

    You can buy a better performing notebook PC on sale for about $450 these days, worth saving for it you want any kind of visual experience.

    Also, I am relay thinking about saving about $700 for the HP dv2 ultraportable, I think that's the right mix of features for me. I wan't HD video and basic 3D capability badly enough that I will pay for it.
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited April 2009
    I've had hands-on with both the MSI Wind and the Dell mini 9 and prefer the Wind because of the "normal" keyboard layout and larger screen.

    The mini 9 is smaller, definitely, but the way they re-arranged keys to fit the tiny form factor doesn't sit well with me.
  • FormFactorFormFactor At the core of forgotten
    edited April 2009
    I use a Dell mini Inspiron 910 (9"), luv it. Yea the keyboard does kind of suck, but you can call and say it doesn't work, and they will send you a more normal replacement.

    Quake 3 should run ok, although I have yet to try it. Ill try quakelive and let you know how it runs. Check the Dell outlet for refurbs. You may find a base model for 200, then you could wait for deals on upgrades.

    I run MAC OS X on mine mostly (which was the main selling point for me), but dual boot xp. Ive seen videos of people playing WoW on their mini 9s, and it... ran. its usable with all settings on lowest, so quake3 should run just fine.

    I would say between MSI Wind and dell mini 9, whatever you can get the best deal on is the one to get. I like the dell look a little better, but really you can barely tell the difference.

    Wait, does that MSI Wind take an actual HDD? if thats the case you might want that instead of a mini 9. While SSD are nice, I personally would prefer the capacity of a regular 2.5" HDD.
  • patrickcabenjaminpatrickcabenjamin
    edited April 2009
    Yeah, I'll probably go for the wind
    I've looked on amazon and it's nice and cheapish
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited April 2009
    Wind does indeed have a standard 2.5" HDD
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited April 2009
    I have an Asus EEE 1000 and it is a good little machine too. It is very much like the Wind in all respects.
  • MochanMochan Philippines
    edited April 2009
    The EEE 1000 in my opinion is a better machine overall than the Wind, but it's also about $50 more expensive. So again you weigh the pros and cons of it. For the price of the EEE 1000 I rather get a Lenovo S10.
  • FormFactorFormFactor At the core of forgotten
    edited April 2009
    Well, I would choose msi wind over Dell Mini based on the 2.5" HDD any day! In fact, I might sell my mini, and get a wind... MIGHT! I put a lot of work into this mini, and I still like the Dell look better, but 32GB VS 120GB is a no brainer. Im so sick of hacking for space. I'll prolly throw the Dell on craigslist built up for more than I paid.

    Anyways, last night I played a lil QuakeLive, and it played great! No lag whatsoever. So for older games I think your fine.
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