[Topgun]

I need a computer for school but I can't decide
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=34-146-840&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Page=2#scrollFullInfo

Is nice for the price but so is this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220857

The difference being that the asus is a smaller netbook and is less powerful. I don't know if I want mobility or power.
Thoughts?

[Solatar]

What are you specifically using it for in school? Note taking? Research? CAD?

EDIT: If you're going to be bringing it to every class for notes, etc. it needs to be a bit more mobile than if you're just going to set it up in the library in the same spot for a large chunk of time.

[Topgun]

Notes, programing, essays, idk school stuff

would that netbook be fast enough to run windows in a vm?

[Nohiki]

Most of my pals ended up playing wow, not doing school stuff anyway, also consider what you're gonna carry it in. If you have a bag large enough to accomodate notebook and all stuff you need than you don't need the smaller.

[Hippo]

would that netbook be fast enough to run windows in a vm?

nope

[Ghostavo]

Netbooks are not really good for virtualization.

The Intel one doesn't have VT-x and the AMD one is a single core, despite having AMD-V.

If you want to mess with virtualization, you'd better get something much beefier, like a core i5/i7 or a Phenom II P9xx.

[Polpolion]

I'd only take the netbook if you also have good access to full desktop computers. Also if this is the case you can probably get away with getting a much cheaper netbook. But if it's you're only computer, you should probably get the laptop just so you don't feel so cramped all the time. IMO nothing can beat a full size keyboard and nice huge 16:10 screen with respects to comfort of use.

Mostly I just run cygwin on my netbook and shell into whatever computer I actually need to use. 

[MachManX]

With Intel, you have to be careful and find out if the processor supports hardware VM.  All of AMD's processors support hardware VM.  Just givin' you heads up.

If you want a system capable of playing WoW pretty good, look for one with a mid-range nVidia or ATI video card.  Otherwise, if you don't care about gaming, just get the cheapest laptop(not netbook) and be done with it.  Stay away from Celeron and Sempron though.

[Topgun]

With Intel, you have to be careful and find out if the processor supports hardware VM.  All of AMD's processors support hardware VM.  Just givin' you heads up.

If you want a system capable of playing WoW pretty good, look for one with a mid-range nVidia or ATI video card.  Otherwise, if you don't care about gaming, just get the cheapest laptop(not netbook) and be done with it.  Stay away from Celeron and Sempron though.

I don't care about gamming but I do want to run a vm every so often.

[Mikes]

Using a 11" X201 Thinkpad with an I7 (low voltage/notebook version) and loving it. (Basically got it for half price with the campus deal too.)

I can only recommend to get something sturdy and reliable (i.e. a business class notebook) if you will carry it around everywhere and want to use it for work/university assignments.
(Asus is aright for cheap netbooks and gaming notebooks...  but i wouldn't want to have to rely on these for work/study.)

[Solatar]

Considering my post above (and your response to it), I'd personally go for the bigger notebook.  It seems far more likely you'll wish you bought it later when you're trying to do something cool than you'll wish you had that tiny keyboard.

[Fury]

If you can give up on the virtualization stuff, I'd keep an eye out for Android 3.0 tablets. Particularly the HTC ones that should be coming in the next few months. A tablet I imagine would be awesome for school work, assuming of course you don't run out of battery at bad time. But that goes for notebooks too. I'd avoid Apple's iPad and iPad2 out of principle. I hate Jobs and his cronies telling me how to use my own hardware. If you ask them, it's their hardware even if you've bought it.

A notebook capable of decent virtualization is a bit beefier notebook, you essentially need enough RAM to run two operating systems and necessary applications. I'd go as far as to say that mobility and hardware good enough for virtualization don't usually go hand-to-hand.

[MachManX]

$415; Not for gaming, but has Hardware VT:-

HP Probook 4520s

Use Promo Code: HPNBR3 ($30 discount; expires on the 23rd)

$450 after $50 rebate THIS SUNDAY; Light gaming, Hardware VT:-

HP DV6-3110us

$610; Medium gaming, Hardware VT:-

Acer AS5745G-7671


And there you go.  Beats your netbook options by a mile at least

[Topgun]

Wow thanks a lot. Ill think about it and let you know.

[S-99]

Netbooks are not really good for virtualization.

The Intel one doesn't have VT-x and the AMD one is a single core, despite having AMD-V.

If you want to mess with virtualization, you'd better get something much beefier, like a core i5/i7 or a Phenom II P9xx.

I believe you actually meant the intel atom being hyperthreaded and not dual core (at least the ones found in netbooks and nettops aren't). I ought to try virtualization on my netbook some time for ****s and giggles. You can get enough memory in them to do an appropriate vm, but the processor in this thing at most is decent for is quake 3 at medium settings. I know i'll get a good laugh quenching my curiosity for wondering how slow it'll run.

A netbook is great for college. Works great for just about everything. I used it for mostly whipping for exams and term papers. Battery life is great. If you get the 10.1 inch model you have a keyboard 93% the size of a normal keyboard and a decent sized screen. You also get a processor that i'm not entirely sure is about as fast as a p3 or celeron 600 or 700mhz.

[Black Wolf]

I love the protability and battery life of my netbook, but I bought it for precisely those reasons, not to having any kind of serious power. If you expect to do anything heavier-duty than web browsing or office type stuff, it's the wrong sort of device, I'm afraid, but if you want something with a real keyboard and sub 1kg, they're really great little devices.

[Ghostavo]

Netbooks are not really good for virtualization.

The Intel one doesn't have VT-x and the AMD one is a single core, despite having AMD-V.

If you want to mess with virtualization, you'd better get something much beefier, like a core i5/i7 or a Phenom II P9xx.

I believe you actually meant the intel atom being hyperthreaded and not dual core (at least the ones found in netbooks and nettops aren't). I ought to try virtualization on my netbook some time for ****s and giggles. You can get enough memory in them to do an appropriate vm, but the processor in this thing at most is decent for is quake 3 at medium settings. I know i'll get a good laugh quenching my curiosity for wondering how slow it'll run.

I never mentioned Atom. I just saw the processors that the laptops linked in the starter post contained. But yeah, using an Atom for virtualization might be pretty painful.

[S-99]

Yeah i didn't click that link, so i misunderstood


Running a vm on my netbook is a little thing i want to do with the computer:p Another one is unplugging a hard drive hosting an operating system. Tossing a running desktop into a pool. Etc.

I use my netbook for everything i do on a desktop. When you use a netbook for a while and you get a hold of a notebook. It makes  a 15 inch notebook seem like a 21 inch. Currently using my netbook as a router where i live to share a dialup connection.