The 5 Answers to Netbooks
Just because netbooks are inexpensive doesn't mean that you should go ahead and just buy any netbook that you see first. There is an art or skill to shopping for netbooks. Before you make a decision and buy any old netbook, there are a few things that you should consider first:
Consider your wants and your needs - There are two basic types of mini laptops considered netbooks on the market. There are netbooks with Hard Disc Drives (HDD) and there are netbooks with Solid State Drives (SSD). HDD netbooks can store up to 160GB of data on their hard drive, but the drive is not as tough as their SSD counterpart. SSD netbooks, on the other hand, boot very fast and are generally more reliable in terms of performance. They can also withstand impact quite a bit better. The down side of SSD drives in netbooks is that they are notorious for having smaller storage capacities in the affordable range. So what does this all have to do with you and your needs and wants? I guess you just need to ask yourself if you'd rather have a netbook with low storage but boots slower or a netbook with high capacity.
Consider the brand - Netbooks are making a big presence in the market today. The start of netbooks can be dated back to 2007, but there are many different manufacturers and brands of netbooks that are available to compare and choose from today. Different manufacturers have different key signature features like a small keyboard or a larger wide screen. These various brands of netbooks are also known for different offerings which make each brand and model of netbooks a fit for all different types and users of netbooks. Because of this, it definitely pays to do some research on what each netbook offers.
Consider the Operating System - Just like the traditional desktop computer, there is completion between Windows, Mac and others when it relates to netbooks. Many manufactures are set on which operating system comes loaded on their netbooks, but some netbook manufactures will give you the option of which operating system you want loaded on your netbook. Again, this is a user preference that should be weighed when deciding which netbook to purchase.
Read up on reviews from users - Determining the actual performance of netbooks from user reviews can be very useful. To boost sales, manufactures tend to embellish or exaggerate claims of their product whenever they can. Reading an independent product review in a magazine or online article is a good way to get the rundown on a particular netbook model. Various netbooks may also have forums that consumers may submit their reviews to.
Always do comparison shopping - You should never settle and buy at the first price that you see on a shopping website. One good rule of thumb is to compare prices from at least three different sellers of netbooks before making a final decision. Keep in mind things like shipping, handling and warranty to calculate the total overall cost upfront and potentially in the long run. Some sites can resell products like netbooks for less due to purchasing them in a bulk amount and therefore getting a discount overall.
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