Skip to main content

Notes from the Netbook

Well, it has been done.  I have bridged the gap from my smartphone to my desktop.  I write now from my shiny new ASUS Eee PC netbook.  Now that I've owned this marvel of compact technology for 24 hours, I've formed a couple of opinions about the usefulness and hangups of these nifty, cheap and fashion forward devices.

What I like:
I love that it's tiny.  I love that it has a webcam, can access the internet and I can use it to write a novel of epic proportions.  It's easy to use, and even the smaller keyboard is comfortable to use.

What I don't:
I'm really disappointed by Windows 7 Starter.  I can't even change my desktop wallpaper.  And believe me, I tried.  For two hours.  I read blogs, tutorials and forums.  Starter has some major limitations when it comes to available services, which makes for a pretty disappointing out-of-the-box experience.

What I miss:
Since I purchased the Netbook soley for the ability to write on the go, I don't miss much.  The Netbook doesn't play DVDs.  It doesn't even have a CD reader.  It doesn't have steller sound, and it's doubtful that I could jerry-rig any kind of media program and have it run smoothly.  But, that's ok with me.  When I want to play video games or Photoshop an image to make myself look 15 pounds lighter, I'll use my desktop PC when I'm at home.

My suggestion:
If you are looking to be able to edit music, burn DVDs, create digital art or create your own YouTube empire then you probably want to go ahead and spend the extra change to get a full laptop.  But if all you want is something to tap away an e-mail on without getting thumb-cramps from your Blackberry, or write your memoirs in the park; then a netbook might be right up your alley.  When shopping for Netbooks you will find that most of them carry roughly the same level of features, so rather than get tied up in the number of USB ports or the size of the hard drive make sure that you find one that has a keyboard that is comfortable for you to type on and a screen that repels glare and you can read.

And those are my notes on the ASUS EeePC netbook, written from my Netbook!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

True Midnight Ramblings

Ah, July.  Normally a time of constant celebration, this month has been especially trying and filled with sleepless nights and wandering days.  I am looking forward to August when friends return from far off places, grief will be a little closer to subdued, and life will begin to return to normalcy (I hope). In a fit of sleeplessness spurred from a sorrow filled day on the horizon, a late-night emergency and lots of random thoughts and feelings I decided to hover around the internets a while until my eyes start to feel a little more heavy.  I had received a notification that there have been some updates here on Blogger/Blogspot and so I decided to check them out now that I am left with very little to do for the next 8 hours or so. You may notice that this blog, as well as my other two blogs ( A Smaller Bottom and Meet Your Marker ), has received a sudden face-lift.  I was really surprised at the new backgrounds and customizations on the templates toolbar, and ha...

Getting Ready...

... for my very first author appearance in November. It's exciting! It's nerve wracking! It's a great opportunity! It's terrifying! It's going to be a great way to kick off the holiday season! I've got some books on order so there will be copies of both Age/Sex/Location: Love is Just a Click Away and A Giraffe In The Room available for sale. This is my first step into taking my writing on the road - maybe 2014 will include a book tour if this goes well...?

Don't Wait

I awoke Friday morning to a message from someone whose name was only vaguely familiar. Laying in bed, scrolling through Facebook on my cell phone, I opened the message. It was a quick note from a woman who was good friends with a woman who I have been close to for over a decade. I read it, and reeled with shock. My friend, a woman who had been with me through the best and worst of times, is gone. Taken from this life because of a driver who didn't stop at a stop sign on a country road. "Accidents happen," many say. It's true, but it isn't right. We never know when our time is going to be up. Today might be your last day, or mine. There's no way of predicting what will happen tomorrow... this evening... fifteen minutes from now. There are many tragedies stemming from this simple accident. First, a mother with fierce love of her two teenage children was stolen from them. A woman who was a pillar of support for so many has fallen from their list of who to cal...