All Things Netbooks

In the world that we live in today, purchasing a netbook is something that is smart and people from all walks of life are getting one. They are very popular and such a good investment. Let’s talk about what makes them such a good purchase and how easily they get incorporated into our daily lives.

First of all, the price of a netbook is pretty fair with respect to what you are paying for, and the size of a netbook is perfect. You can expect to spend usually under $400 for a totally portable computer that will fit in nicely with your current computer station setup. Remember, too, that if you have to replace it, the cost will be a lot less than if you had to replace your desktop computer. Another good thing about it is you can just put it into your backpack, briefcase or handbag and continue on to wherever it is you have to go. You will not have to worry about any power concerns because, on a full charge, you will be able to use it during a meeting and off and on throughout the rest of the day.

Netbooks are pretty much bought to be secondary computers and not to be used as the main one. They are great as portable computers and to augment laptops. The applications that are new and current just require you to be authenticated; thus, it makes no difference whether you are at the office on a personal computer, on a netbook, or on the go with your primary laptop.

The fact that netbooks can be docked is such a great feature. They can be quite easily connected to peripherals by standard USB and Ethernet connectivity. You can dock a netbook at home to have a secondary system. If you bring it to your office, the system it is transformed into will be as good as it is on the go. If you should need an external USB keyboard, drive and mouse, they are there. Something else you could do is to share disk resources, printers and scanners by networking with the computer that is the main one.

When you think about what netbooks are really used for, you will understand how they cannot be underpowered. Chatting on the go, sending e-mails, enjoying multimedia and browsing the net are basically what they are used for mainly. There is not a need for them to have full power because they are not used for any work that is serious; the main computer is for that work.

It is going to be such a big deal when built-in connectivity space on a netbook gets going; the potential for this is there. When it is priced and promoted right, it will be very popular. You will be able to use the applications on netbooks that are network-based no matter if you are riding along in the car or sitting at a hotspot cafe that has WiFi capabilities. It is just a matter of time until this comes about.

As you can see from reading this article, netbooks are here to stay and eliminate the need to carry a heavy laptop all over the place. Such tasks as word processing, excel, Internet, e-mail and video can be handled much easier with a netbook. And, if those are the only things that you are using your computer for, it just makes good sense to spend $400 or less on a netbook rather than $1,000 or more for a laptop.

Being a big PC gamer while having to constantly be on the move can be a drag, especially if you can’t stand being away from your tricked out gaming rig for long periods of time. But dragging around your gaming rig, along with your custom screen, keyboard and optical mouse, can be an even bigger drag. Having an ordinary laptop for the road just isn’t going to cut it, so what can you do?

The solution is to invest in a gaming laptop. Just think of it as a portable gaming solution – you get to have the most powerful processors and video graphics in a package that’s easier to carry around than your gaming tower. With a gaming laptop, you can do nearly all of the things that you would be able to do with your desktop gaming rig without having to lug a colossal tower around.

The first thing to consider when buying a gaming laptop is how big you want it to be. Gaming laptops range from 15” models that are convenient for carrying around to 18” models that offer the largest screens and the best video graphics cards available. Laptops are generally referred to by the size of their screens, so keep this in mind when choosing one. Also keep in mind how often you plan on carrying around your gaming laptop before choosing a size. Most 17” and above laptops are considered “desktop replacements” and thanks to their size and weight, these models aren’t recommended for constant carrying around.

Gaming laptops come with a variety of processors, mostly from vendors such as AMD and Intel. Most of these laptops will come with processors featuring multiple cores and the ability to be overclocked in small amounts for a decent boost in speed and processing power. Most games rely heavily on both processor and video graphics power, so having the most powerful chip you can buy can make a great difference when it comes to overall performance.

Dedicated video cards from ATI and nVidia are the norm in gaming laptops. These video cards are much different than the “integrated” graphics solutions found in other laptops. For one thing, dedicated video cards are actual video cards that are designed around a particular laptop model and attach to the motherboard via a slot. Only a few of these cards are upgradeable, since most feature proprietary shapes that won’t fit in other laptops. With faster dedicated memory and improved graphics chipsets, dedicated video cards can handle the needs of even the most hardcore gamer.

When it comes to system memory, gaming laptops are able to accommodate gobs of it. Most laptops are now able to hold and use up to 8GB of system memory, although some laptops can only use 6.8GB thanks to chipset limitations. Most companies will supply their gaming laptops with 2GB of RAM at the minimum, with options to upgrade during the order process.

These systems can put a hurt on your wallet. $1500 is the minimum price one should expect when buying a gaming laptop. When it comes to custom made laptops, the sky – and your bank account – is the limit, with systems coming in at $2500 and beyond. So whether you want an affordable system that can handle all of your current games, or if you want a system that can make others weep, you should be able to find exactly what you want.