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Chapter 1

Everything You Need to

Know about Netbooks

In This Chapter

▶ Understanding what a netbook is

▶ Choosing a netbook

▶ Getting started with a netbook

▶ Using a netbook

▶ Adding accessories and hardware

▶ Handling technical issues

▶ Getting information from the Internet

o you want to know about netbooks? Well you’ve come to the right

place. Obviously, this entire book is about the Lilliputian laptops, but in

this chapter, I distill essential information to give you an overview of every-

thing you need to know about netbooks.

After you read this chapter, you should be able to talk knowledgably about

netbooks at cocktail parties, and you may even gain a reputation for being

techno-savvy — be careful though, as such status often results in a never-

ending stream of phone calls from family and friends asking for help with

their computer problems.

In addition to the big picture view, this chapter also serves as a roadmap

to the rest of the book. In the coming pages, I refer you to specific chapters

where you can get more info about a certain topic or find out how to get your

netbook to perform a specific task.

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COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL

Summary of content (14 pages)

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Chapter 1 RI AL Everything You Need to Know about Netbooks TE In This Chapter ▶ Understanding what a netbook is MA ▶ Choosing a netbook ▶ Getting started with a netbook ▶ Using a netbook ▶ Handling technical issues S GH TE ▶ Getting information from the Internet D ▶ Adding accessories and hardware PY RI o you want to know about netbooks? Well you’ve come to the right place.
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10 Part I: Getting Started with Netbooks Netbook Nuts and Bolts More than likely, you’ve wondered just exactly what a netbook is and how it’s different than a laptop. Here’s the lowdown. A netbook (also called a minilaptop, sub-notebook, or mobile Internet device) has these key features: ✓ Compact size and light weight: Netbooks are lighter, usually below or right around 3 pounds, and come in a smaller case than a conventional laptop.
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Chapter 1: Everything You Need to Know about Netbooks processors compared to full-size laptops. All of this helps keep the costs down, which is a nice segue into the next bullet. ✓ Affordable: Netbooks are currently priced between $250 and $600. Many are under $400, with the average price falling on a regular basis. When you see a netbook for the first time, you may be surprised by its size. However, don’t let the toy-like appearance of the mini-laptop fool you.
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12 Part I: Getting Started with Netbooks are priced between $250 and $600 — with many models in the $350 range. (I expect the entry-point models to drop to around $200 or perhaps even lower, so make sure to look around at prices.) Just like most other computers, the more money you spend, the more whistles and bells you get. Don’t dismiss low-priced netbooks, though. In most cases, they provide more than enough function to get basic tasks done. Next, sift through the features.
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Chapter 1: Everything You Need to Know about Netbooks ✓ Screen size: Netbooks generally come with screens ranging from 7 to 10 inches, with different levels of resolution. Ten-inch screens are the standard these days. Smaller-screen models are more compact (see Figure 1-2) but have smaller keyboards and don’t have as much screen real estate — which means more scrolling when browsing the Web. Figure 1-2: Check out the size difference between a netbook with a 9-inch screen and one with a 10-inch screen.
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14 Part I: Getting Started with Netbooks can. If you remember your statistics class, the larger the sample size, the more meaningful the data. ✓ If you get a chance, find a local retailer who stocks netbooks and check them out in person. In the early days of netbooks, this was tough because only online stores carried the little laptops. Now, more brickand-mortar retailers are stocking the wee computers, as my Irish cousins call them. ✓ Shop around because prices can vary — especially online.
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Chapter 1: Everything You Need to Know about Netbooks Netbooks and Networks The word net in netbook doesn’t apply to a hair net, fishing net, or Annette Funicello. Nope, net refers to Internet (or network), because when connected to the Net, the little laptop really shines. All netbooks have an 802.11 wireless card for connecting to the Internet. If you’ve used Windows to connect to the Internet, a netbook works the same way. That means you need to do the following: 1.
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16 Part I: Getting Started with Netbooks ✓ Listening to music ✓ Instant messaging and using Skype ✓ Working on word processing and spreadsheet documents when away from a primary computer ✓ Viewing digital photos ✓ Traveling (especially on airplanes, trains, and buses) If your netbook uses Microsoft Windows as its operating system, it’s compatible with all Windows programs — with the exception of some games.
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Chapter 1: Everything You Need to Know about Netbooks Figure 1-3: Zoho: Web-based productivity software on a netbook. Most netbooks are about the size of a portable DVD player. In addition to size, they also share the ability to play movies. Because netbooks don’t have built-in DVD drives, you’ll need to purchase an external drive that plugs into the netbook’s USB port if you want to watch a movie on a disc.
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18 Part I: Getting Started with Netbooks Figure 1-4: Playing Solitaire on a netbook. If your favorite game requires a lot of graphics and CPU (also known as the processor chip or the central processing unit) power, don’t hold your breath that it will work to your satisfaction on a netbook. Also, just because a game runs on a netbook doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have fun playing it — keep in mind the small screen and touchpad.
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Chapter 1: Everything You Need to Know about Netbooks In addition to electronic threats, a netbook’s small size makes it a tempting target for theft. (The small size also makes it more prone to accidental loss.) There are a number of ways to reduce the chances of this happening and to protect your data just in case it does. In the chapter on security, I also discuss physical security approaches to keep your netbook out of harm’s way.
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20 Part I: Getting Started with Netbooks Netbooks typically don’t have as much hardware as comes with a full-size laptop (no DVD drive, dialup modem, mouse, and so on). However, most netbooks have at least two USB ports that you can use with all sorts of external USB devices. That includes flash memory drives, external hard drives, and DVD/CD-ROM drives (such as the one shown in Figure 1-5). You can find much more on expanding storage for your netbook in Chapter 14.
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Chapter 1: Everything You Need to Know about Netbooks Underneath the hood First off, if your netbook came with Windows, you can make various tweaks to the operating system to improve performance and free up drive space. In Chapter 19, I tell you about various tune-up hints and tricks. Related to the operating system are drivers — and I’m not talking about motor vehicle operators or what Tiger Woods uses. Drivers are programs that allow the operating system to interact with a computer’s hardware.
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22 Part I: Getting Started with Netbooks compared to the Great American Novel you’ve been working on for the past couple of years, a final paper for a class, or a sales presentation for work. Enough said. In Chapter 17, I fill you in on various backup strategies and discuss restoring your netbook back to its original state if something bad happens.