Can A Netbook Be Your Only Computer?

[guimaster]

Hey all,

I have been deciding what to do lately for my future computing needs. My laptop "Dell Latitude" has served me well since 2007 when I bought it refurbished for $199, despite originally being released in 2003. I maxed the Ram and it has been pretty good except for that a button broke (attached a keyboard to it). I was surprised that 10.04 and 10.10 actually run well on it. They are almost as responsive as 8.10 was for me.

Anyway, I still wanted something new but what route to choose?

Laptop only? Nah, too big to be comfortably portable.
Desktop only? Nah, not portable at all.
Laptop & Desktop? Nah, overkill.
Netbook & Desktop? Hmm... Not bad....
Netbook only? Is that possible?

I bought my Acer AspireOne netbook for $299, while thinking of going the Netbook & Desktop route. The only games I play - and not very often - are Diablo II and Civilization III. I also use Full Tilt and Poker Academy which could be classified as games (I run these in XP so I wonder how Virtualbox will perform running XP on the netbook. XP drivers are available for it too - I think - should I need to dual-boot). The point though is that none of the software that I use requires powerful hardware.

So what I have been thinking lately is this: Buy a new monitor, attach a usb keyboard and mouse, upgrade my netbook ram and I can have the best of both worlds - portable and desktop - for not too much money. The VGA out on Netbooks gives really good resolution - I have read. As well, Optical Drives are no longer a necessity with flash sticks coming down in price but I could still buy one to attach via USB. An internal DVD Burner isn't very expensive and you can buy a case to hold it in and connect via usb, or just buy an external drive.

Has anyone else thought of using such a setup as their primary computer? It is a great idea for a secondary computer as well. I just don't see the point in having to worry about networking and synchronizing with a seperate Desktop OS when it is just me using them.

Honestly, I would like to promote this potential with netbooks as Ipads are doing really well right now and are stealing away some netbook users in the process. Ipads can't double as a desktop computer!

[Paqman]

I wonder how Virtualbox will perform running XP on the netbook.

It wouldn't. Dual boot if you want access to Windows. I have a copy of XP on a netbook especially for playing Civ 3. It works alright, except for the minimum resolution for the game being 1024x768, so you have to scroll up and down a little. Obviously if you were plugged into a monitor that wouldn't be an issue.

[Oxwivi]

I wouldn't know about netbook with maxed out RAM but everything other than your games should work fine. For example, a Flash game (like Farmville - no I don't play it, my sis does) runs, but it's very laggy. If netbook's VGA capability improved, I'd be happy with netbook only with your requirements.

Though I don't know the details, but AMD Fusion or something sounds promising (apparently, it's CPU x VGU).

[linuxforartists]

Netbooks are really attractive for their small size and long battery life.

What holds me back is I like to have a dedicated graphics card and be able to run multiple applications. For now, I'd probably go for one of those "ultra-portable" laptops with 11" to 13.3" screens.

[LowSky]

forget running anything with adobe flash on a netbook

[endotherm]

some will say yes, but I've never been one of them.

[nlsthzn]

Video playback on a standard netbook is just not there yet (the new line of AMD processors with graphics on the CPU seems promising however)... but I have the same dilemma as you, got a desktop, laptop and netbook and it is just to much... would like to scale down to the one perfect solution (which I have not found yet) :/

[aysiu]

If you plan to use your computer for gaming, I would recommend against having a netbook be your only computer.

That said, my netbook was my only computer for over a year (until my wife got a new Macbook Pro and gave me her old one).

If your computing needs are basic, there's no reason a netbook can't be your only computer. The ones they sell these days have plenty of hard drive storage (that was my only beef with my netbooks--the first I got had a 4 GB SSD drive, and the second has a 16 GB SSD), with about 250 GB being pretty standard. Most netbooks now have nearly-full-size keyboards, up to 2 GB of RAM, and a 1.6 GHz processor. If all you want to do is email, browse the web, organize pictures and music, and type up an occasional document, a netbook is perfect for you.

[czr114]

If it can, then a person probably doesn't do very much with their computer.

The screen size alone is a huge productivity killer. If the netbook is docked to a large LCD in a desktop setup, it defeats the purpose, makes it questionable whether it's still a netbook, or just a woefully-underpowered and very expensive desktop.

Given current hardware, netbooks are only useful for extremely limited tasks, and they're not cost-effective per unit of hardware resources. Given the demands of miniaturization, they'll likely be behind less-mobile counterparts for as long as engineering is a challenge.

At this stage of hardware advancement, they should be seen as substitutes for smartphones where more screen and a real keyboard is needed, not substitutes for real laptops or desktops where capabilities are plentiful.

[speedofdark]

What holds me back is I like to have a dedicated graphics card and be able to run multiple applications. For now, I'd probably go for one of those "ultra-portable" laptops with 11" to 13.3" screens.

What he said. :)

I'd go for a ultra-portable, still count my acer timelinex 14.1" as one though. It has 8h to 12h battery life. I also suggest buying a ssd, but that's probably over your budget.

[del_diablo]

High-end notebook is more or less really really good.
There is several problems to avoid:
*Remember to get a powerful enough GPU(i got a 3470, its more or less to weak, radeon 9800 delivered a more stable framerate)
*Make sure to get a good enough CPU(highend notebook its generally nit ap roble,
*Make sure that the PC got some build quality
*Make sure the PC actually got more than 1 and half hour of battery life
*MAKE sure to get a 4/3 screen, its hard to find, but it really makes a difference, and make sure its has high resolution.

[Paqman]

forget running anything with adobe flash on a netbook

Eh? Flash runs fine on netbooks.

[Kimm]

During summer, my eeePC 1000HE is the only computer I have. It works fine, this last summer I had it connected to a 21" LCD-Display and it served as a decent "desktop hybrid". Its usable for most things, but lag is definitely to be expected. I could use it for some simple editing in Inkscape and The GIMP... but video over 480p lagged.

[laurenbanjo]

Go with netbook and desktop. Sometimes I can't see things on here because the screen is too small and can't display a huge picture well or a video game or something.

[endotherm]

my biggest problems with my netbook are the keyboard and mousepad (and that HP makes it really hard to disable the touchpad sometimes). I could not imagine trying to type seriously on it, and and mine is about as high-end as netbooks get (custom HP Mini 311).

[3Miro]

People's needs vary, however, most people will need more than netbook. I have a desktop and a laptop, netbook is way too weak for me. I am thinking of getting a 7 pound laptop just oto get more power, but that is me.

You can go for a laptop + netbook, that way you are mobile either way and you don't have to carry the heavy laptop if you don't have to.

[snowpine]

My biggest concern with having a netbook as my only computer would be theft.

[pwnst*r]

"no"

[czr114]

The netbooks themselves are underpowered.

In an attempt to juke the stats for battery life, while keeping costs contained, they've underpowered the GPUs, at the cost of burning more CPU (and burning more energy) when doing the things people actually do, not the hypothetical idling or testing. That doesn't make them a bad product, persay, only a bit disjoint in hardware selection until the technology matures.

GPUs are becoming increasingly important for smooth, fast, and power-efficient computing. Rendering content on the CPU is costly, whether it be 2D layout, 3D graphics, or hardware-decoded video.

That's why Flash is a battery killer on netbooks. Firefox 4, with its hardware acceleration, will be a huge battery saver.

This problem happens in laptops, but to a lesser degree. Low-end laptops still have woefully underpowered GPUs, relative to the actual usage balance between tasks which belong in CPU and those which belong in GPU.

[Ric_NYC]

I hope not!

[t0p]

My little netbook can do quite a lot. As well as taking it out with me, I often connect it to an exterior monitor and keyboard/mouse at home and it's fine for web browsing, email, basic photo editing, word processing, and so on and so forth. I can even watch some video files on it, if the bitrate or whatever isn't too big.

But there's stuff the netbook just can't do. For instance, VirtualBox is a joke. Gimp works, but it takes ages to do anything beyond cropping, rescaling etc. Good quality video is impossible. But my old desktop machine does all those tasks with barely a murmur.

So I say: No. Get a desktop computer for more intensive tasks, or you might end up smashing your netbook against the wall in frustration.

[Brent0]

The simple answer is NO.
I have a netbook and it isn't nearly powerful enough for what I do at home. It's okay for anything on the go.
And Flash is indeed sluggish on most netbooks.
The newer models with dual-core Atoms and Ion chipsets do work well but by then you are close to the power of a laptop with a smaller screen.
In other words, it's not worth it unless you don't run any demanding applications.

Edit:
Oh I forgot.
Don't forget your external mouse when you buy a netbook. The trackpads are a pain.

[MasterNetra]

http://www.system76.com/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=105

If you don't mind the screen size being 10.1, its got 2GB of ram and a acceptable Graphics card. It should be sufficent for running at least Civ III via wine, dunno about Diablo II haven't played that in a while and last time I did was one windows.

[sgosnell]

I've been using a netbook as my only computer for a couple of years. I gave my full-size HP laptop away, and I haven't bothered to turn on my desktop for at least a year. Flash runs fine, and the screen and keyboard size aren't issues at all. I can type faster on my EEE-PC 900 than I can on a full-size keyboard, because I don't have to move my fingers as far. It does take a little practice, but a day or two was plenty for me. The screen is fine, although the vertical area is smaller. Everything is a compromise of some sort, and vertical screen size is a compromise I'm more than willing to make, in return for portability. Right now I'm on my sofa, typing away, and not in the other room at the computer desk, away from my wife. A desktop ties you to one place, and a big laptop is hot and heavy. I got very tired of lugging one around, and I quit. I will never again buy a big laptop, and not willingly anything larger than a 9" screen. I don't give a rat's a$$ about gaming, so I don't need anything bigger or faster, My little EEE does everything I want, as quickly as I want, and I'm going to be very unhappy when I have to replace it with something else in a few years.

People who flatly say that a netbook can't be your only computer have no idea what they're talking about. It might not be their only computer, but it will work fine for many, if not most, people. If you insist on playing Windows games, then you don't want a netbook. If you just want a computer always available, with long battery life and ease of use, then you may. There is a reason there are many different types and sizes of computers for sale. Buy what works for you, and let others do the same. For me, a netbook works, and the smaller the better. I won't willingly buy one with a 10" screen, but lots of people do.

[coolbrook]

The keyboard will be too small for any heavy word processing. I already have a beef about Notebooks that don't have ergonomic keyboards.

[matt_symes]

With netbooks its horses for courses. What they were designed for they do very well. What they were not, they do poorly.

Could it be my only computer. No. Then again i need more than a netbook can do.

[MyR]

I like my laptop/netbook combo because both are portable! I move a lot.

[Khakilang]

If you travel a lot and need to access your mail and browse the net. Than get a netbook. But if you serious on game. Desktop will give you the ultimate gaming experience with dedicated GPU and plenty of RAM.

I would say get both netbook and a desktop. If you have the budget of course.

[Aearenda]

For the last couple of years I have used a netbook and desktop combo. I only turn the desktop on about once a fortnight; when I'm at home I plug a 1280x1024 screen, full-size keyboard and mouse into the netbook, using a USB hub built into the screen.

I use the desktop for photo processing and Virtual Box. The netbook does everything else just fine, but I'm not a gamer, and I don't do heavy usage away from home so the screen/keyboard size isn't a problem. The netbook is an original Acer Aspire One AOA150 which has a 120Gb conventional disk drive and 1Gb RAM; I added a 6-cell battery to get 4 hours or so, and almost never carry the battery pack.

The only real way to find out is to try it!

[theraje]

With netbooks its horses for courses. What they were designed for they do very well. What they were not, they do poorly.

^ This.

I own a netbook. It does everything I want. Of course, when I do want to do something processor- or graphics-intensive, it behooves me to use something more suited to those tasks.

In other words, if I do anything I normally do every single day, then yeah, I could get past the tiny-tiny keys (I have a 9-inch model) or hook up a USB keyboard, and the tiny-tiny screen (again, 9-inch screen... and maxes out at 1024x600), or hook up a monitor.

But if I want to do some of my more specialized stuff - video conversion, digital sketching, gaming, that sort of thing - I want my more-powerful computer. If you don't do any video stuff, graphics stuff, etc., then I can see you getting by with just a netbook. Otherwise, I would use it as a more portable "secondary" computer.

[drawkcab]

You can bundle up a netbook with a full-sized keyboard (if you do a lot of writing) an external monitor and an external hard drive.

As long as you don't expect very much in terms of multimedia and gaming, this set up will save you a lot of cash.

[theraje]

You can bundle up a netbook with a full-sized keyboard (if you do a lot of writing) an external monitor and an external hard drive.

As long as you don't expect very much in terms of multimedia and gaming, this set up will save you a lot of cash.

Yeah, I do this with my 901 when I'm not out on the road. It's nice for most "mere mortal" tasks. And if you already have a computer, chances are you have all that stuff available anyway.

But I do have one nitpick:

If you do a lot of writing, do it on a tablet. Keyboards are more preferable for typing. ;) :D :P

[nlsthzn]

Currently a few people I know are getting themselves more powerful laptops, gives you portability and still access to games... my only gripe with this is battery life on these are never that good and they tend to get heavy after a while...

[smallsmatt]

The<a href="http://stordok.com">document storage</a> is excellent and great idea for a secondary computer.

[Sean Moran]

I'm not yet ready for a netbook - my fingers are too thick to type on a keyboard like that. I took my first swim in the laptop pool almost one year ago though, and seem to have made the adjustment without too many tears.

I still have the desktop machine back in Australia to transfer all my data from this Compaq Presario CQ60 laptop (w/160Gb HDD) to the main machine w/320Gb. So, data storage is the primary concern. Must be able to put everything on DVD each month, and/or transfer the data on your netbook to a nice big desktop machine back home that doesn't get wet when you're standing at the bus-stop waiting for a bus in the rain.

As for the rest, I reckon USB is the magic anagram, because I have my fullsize keyboard back in the suitcase at the hotel I checked out of yesterday morning, and I nice pair of speakers that plug into their own USB power for the ampilifier - they come with me because I never can tell when I'll be in the mood for some music. I've got my aircard and my ZyXEL modem all ready to plug in as needed, and half a dozen flash drives to read all my favourite data from, and even a little USB lamp+fan that plugs into the power-only USB adaptor when it's hot or dark here in the room.

I bought two separate USB connectors that each allow one input and four outputs. One gets hooked up to a USB port in the laptop (for data) and the other is hooked straight into the mains power, (for the music amplifier and lamp/fan etc.).

The best thing is that little Lucy Laptop fits in my rucksack, even in her carrycase. So, in answer, yes, a netbook can be your only computer, after a little practice.

[sgosnell]

IMO flash memory is a better choice for backups than optical media. DVDs will degrade over time, and the storage capacity is low, while you can buy pretty big flash memory devices for not a lot of money, and they are extremely durable. There are reports of SD cards having nails through them, and they still worked. Scratches, high temps, sunlight, and what have you don't affect flash devices, but they will make a DVD worthless very quickly.

[ctrlmd]

Can A Netbook Be Your Only Computer?

nope not even a laptop can serve my needs

[marl30]

I would say yes if you also have a portable cd/dvd-drive. It would reduce all the hassle getting programs you bought on cds/dvds installed.

[Rachel_Eliason]

I have used a netbook as my primary and frequently my only computer for more than three years now. (an Eee Pc for two and half years and an Acer aspire one now) It depends a lot on your needs/wants. I don't game much. I don't do much multimedia. For basic writing and text based web surfing, a netbook is more than sufficient.

In fact if you are a cheap skate like me, you barely notice the difference. Technology grows so fast that my latest netbook has more capability than the ancient tower I have...

[sgosnell]

The number of Linux programs I've bought on CD/DVD is exactly zero. I have a drive that I removed from my old desktop, along with a USB connection cable so I can connect it to my netbook, but I almost never use it. All my programs, backups, etc are on flash drives, or on my portable USB HDD. IMO CD/DVD drives are pretty much obsolete, unless you're still using Windows.

[Spice Weasel]

The number of Linux programs I've bought on CD/DVD is exactly zero. I have a drive that I removed from my old desktop, along with a USB connection cable so I can connect it to my netbook, but I almost never use it. All my programs, backups, etc are on flash drives, or on my portable USB HDD. IMO CD/DVD drives are pretty much obsolete, unless you're still using Windows.

Even then, external CD/DVD drives are quite cheap.

[cloyd]

I've used a netbook for most of this last year. I'm not a gamer, use it for work . . . that means word processing, spreadsheets, email. It surf the net fine. Videos sometime heat the thing up a bit (mine is a somewhat larger netbook with 2gig ram and 250 gig hard drive). Recently I started using my better laptop, because it was just too good a machine not to use. The netbook works, but it works hard. The bigger laptop processor isn't working itself to death all the time. I can use it for everything except burning cd's and dvd's, but I am using it at home for non-work tasks, or when I travel . . . it is much lighter. Dropbox has recently helped me keep files in sync between the two machines. The netbook is nice for traveling.

Note: When I use it at the office, I use a standard keyboard. The screen doesn't bother me, but a larger keyboard when I'm at the machine for hours typing is pretty nice.

All in all, the netbook can do for your only computer, but you may not like it. It'll get you by, but most likely you'd really enjoy using a larger machine.

[TheWeakSleep]

As it stands right now, I use a netbook as my only computer. I'm in college right now and I use it for school, though I want to get a decent desktop whenever I can justify the cost. It's a pretty standard netbook, though slightly larger then some of the other ones I've seen. Diablo II runs great through wine, I used to have it installed along with starcraft and warcraft III, though I don't play many games at all save for some via emulators. I do minimal python and ruby scripting, and while the screen isn't as large as would be preferable, it does it's job. So yeah, I think that a netbook can be your only computer as long as you don't expect it to be more than it is. As for the virtualbox issue, it would be easier to dual boot windows or use wine, and I've had a lot of luck with wine.

[mamamia88]

I have a netbook. It's not very powerful but it does what I need. I find myself using my main laptop (a 17" hp I use like a desktop) less and less. It's just more convenient for me to sit in front of the tv doing my college homework and surfing the web. I personally like the combo but surely it could be your only computer

[johntaylor1887]

forget running anything with adobe flash on a netbook

Why? Flash runs good on my Acer Aspire One netbook.

[gintovan]

Though it's not really a netbook, my only PC now (after selling my monster desktop pc 3 months ago) is an i3 cpu and integrated gpu, 13" Acer 3820t. I use it for everything from browsing to web-development and python to smalltime gaming and 720p video. But then again I don't use Virtualbox or any other really heavy things.

I do perfectly fine with this laptop and make most of my living from it, and yes I am sure even a 12" netbook could serve my needs.

[guimaster]

Hey all,

I'm pleasantly surprised to see that my thread has received so much interest - and because this topic has been so popular - I would like to tell everyone about my experience. My hope is that I can help out anyone else who shares this idea with me. Here goes:

I have now completed setting up my desk with my new Notebook(Desktop) computer. I have a 19" Asus monitor, a Logitec wireless keyboard and mouse set (one USB adapter only required), I have also purchased an external Asus DVD burner drive. As well, I have a USB hub and a laptop cooling fan from my old laptop. Note: The monitor and keyboard/mouse are an expense that not everyone will incur, as most people will have these things to begin with. The majority of people will not have an external DVD drive so this would be an extra expense to consider. I also had to open up my Netbook case and insert a larger stick of ram. This was a pain on my particular Netbook model, but I think most new Netbooks are very friendly for user upgrades.

Impressions:

I have XP running in Virtualbox inside Ubuntu. I haven't tested Civ III or Diablo II in it yet, but I have tested a higher-end Poker video game and it ran flawlessly. I tend to find that everything will run really well when I first start, but if I try to multi-task - while running Virtualbox - the Netbook will be less responsive and a reboot will be required to get the performance back. Maybe there is a way to re-optimize Ubuntu's performance without a reboot but I don't know.

I love the mobility of my Netbook - but there is a small pain having to unplug and replug everything when I want to move my Netbook, so I tend to keep it plugged in all day and only unplug at night before I go to bed. There are docks out there with built-in video, but this is a large expense and the reviews on video quality are always very poor. A dock would also be another - large - expense and I don't think the value is worth the price. Having the USB hub is a benefit to me, as it helps to reduce the number of cords that I need to plug in.

My only regret is that I didn't buy a more powerful Netbook. When I first purchased the Netbook my intent was also to buy or build my own Desktop and use both. I figure that one of these newer Netbooks with the AMD processor and the 11.6" screen would have been a much better choice. (Acer Ferrari One?) An 11.6" screen would result in probably a 100% size qwerty keyboard rather than the cramped typing I get with the 10.1" screen. Oh well, next time.

An alternative option for people is to go with a 13" Notebook plugged into a large external monitor instead. Yep, it isn't as portable, but they do come with a built in DVD drive. They also typically have more power for the price in exchange for portability. I wouldn't go this route, but others may do so if they prefer.

All in all, I am very happy. I would like to run XP for gaming in Virtualbox and I am hoping that I can with my 1.67 Ghz processor and 2GB ram. If not, I can always run it directly on the drive.

GuiMasTER

[flukeairwalker]

I've been going the netbook/desktop route for almost a year and I'm fine with it. I use the netbook for everyday use both outside and around the house, and whenever I need more power I switch to my desktop. The way I see it is if you need more processing power than a netbook offers, then you shouldn't be moving around when using it.