Need Advise On Netbook

[webfact]

I am planning to purchase a netbook in near future. I'd like to know if netbooks with 2GB Ram are available in Thailand.

My second question: are they distributed with W7 already?

What is the best brand. My budget is 25K Baht max.

Thanks

[garyh]

I am planning to purchase a netbook in near future. I'd like to know if netbooks with 2GB Ram are available in Thailand.

My second question: are they distributed with W7 already?

What is the best brand. My budget is 25K Baht max.

Thanks

This one has no operating system but is under your budget. http://www.shop4thai.com/en/product/25781/

[endure]

I am planning to purchase a netbook in near future. I'd like to know if netbooks with 2GB Ram are available in Thailand.

My second question: are they distributed with W7 already?

What is the best brand. My budget is 25K Baht max.

Thanks

All the netbooks I'ever seen have had 1GB in them. I believe that Intel (or maybe Microsoft) place restrictions on the amount of RAM a netbook can have. They're usually upgradeable to a maximum of 2GB. I have an MSI Wind which I upgraded. It's quite a good little machine with a nice keyboard but the battery life is poor. I think that later models have much better battery life. The Samsung N120 is supposed to have a battery life of 10 hours and gets good reviews. I don't know if it's available in Thailand.

[d0ndela]

for 25k baht you can get pretty much all netbooks on the market except for a few special HP designer models, and HP netbooks are crap anyway.

Th netbooks are starting to come with Windows 7 pre-loaded now. Acer Aspire One has a series out already with Windows 7 Starter edition, and HP has some as well, but I would stay clear of HP netbooks (based on several netbook big tests in PC World).

The one garyh linked is obviously not a netbook as it has 14 inch monitor and no atom processor. And endure is right in saying that all netbooks comes out of the box with 1 GB RAM. Most models can be upgraded to 2GB with regular SoDimm RAM.

In general Samsung and Asus netbooks seems to win most netbook tests, so that would be a good option. I recently bought a Samsung GO N310 but ended up being a bit disappointed over the battery life, because in Thailand they sell this model with a 4-cell battery instead of the 6-cell they have in the US. Upgraded mine to 2GB right away as well, was very easy just like a notebook with a "hatch" underneath that can be removed, unlike the first netbooks where you had to remove the keyboard.

If you need info on specific models, and want to know if they can be bought with Windows 7 already installed just ask WF, and I will find out.

[thunder30101]

I have an acer aspire aoa150 bought in march of this year, came with xp and i recently upgraded to win 7 which seems to be working okay, I got the 6 cell battery which has great run times of 4-5 hours but is already getting shorter. I really liked it at first but I wouldnt buy another one, the biggest problem i have is the small screen is very hard on the ole eyes and the small keyboard is hard to get used to and with the 6 cell bat the weight goes up to almost that of a full size laptop. My biggest complaint though is the screen has already cracked and been replaced, due to the small size there is not much case integrity, meaning lots of flex in it, so whatever one you buy look for a sturdy case design. I believe the aspire will only do 1.5 gb mem due to it having .5 gb hardwired and .5 replaceble with a max 1 gig chip but i may be wrong.

[gcrutcher]

I have an Asus 1000HE.

It originally came with 1GB RAM, 160GB Hard drive, no operating system.

I paid 14,800 baht for it.

I upgraded to 2GB RAM for 800 baht, changed the hard drive to a 320GB, 7200 model (2800 baht).

The great thing about this netbook is the battery life. Specs say 9.5 hrs max.

I usually get over 5 hours with a lot of use, and more than 6 hours with lite use (Internet browsing).

It is also very light in weight compared to my acer, 15in laptop.

I am running Windows 7, Windows XP and Ubuntu Linux on it. ( I do some phone hacking).

I also use this netbook it class when I teach, as it works well with out 720p projectors and audio system.

If I had to buy all over again, I would still choose this brand/model.

Gary

[klikster]

I can recommend what NOT to buy, a gloss black.

Buddy bought it for me in BKK. Besides showing every speck of dust, the glare from the surfaces of the bezel and area around the keyboard are extremely distracting and strauns these tired old eyes. I could make it work in my condo room, but sitting here in a hotel in BKK, not so.

And I remember once swearing I would never buy another keyboard with black keys. *beating head on wall*

I'm off tomorrow to Sirikit to try and find a substitute. Looks like my buddy's kid gets a new netbook.

[keemapoot]

I just bought one yesterday in Pantip from the Mouse store on the 2nd floor. I bought an Acer Aspire One (they come in red, blue, black and white) for 13,400 net, including tons of free gifts. It has everything you could possibly want in a netbook, but I then took it to another shop and upgraded the ram to 2GB for 1500/Baht. However, it is preloaded with legal windows xp sp3, not Windows 7. From what I've read, Windows 7 is not a big improvement on XP sp3.

I looked at all the other brands, and Acer offered the best deal on an Atom n280 machine, including built in webcam, speakers, mike, and extremely bright screen. I looked at the Samsung, Asus, etc., and other machines, but this was the best buy.

[pjclark1]

I am using the Samsung NC10 at this moment.

Works very well and battery lasts about 5 hours.

I have a Vodaphone MD950 dongle in the side with a DTAC SIM, gives me internet access all over.

(200bht for 100hrs access a month)

[Veazer]

I just picked up a Acer 1810T for a friend, massive improvement over my Asus 1000H

1366x768 screen res vs 1024x600 for most netbooks.

11.6" screen but still roughly the same weight.

320GB drive

Core2 Solo CULV processor instead of Intel Atom, huge improvement.

Nice keyboard

Gigabit LAN

HDMI out

Downsides are a glossy screen, which i don't mind but many people despise.

There's a dual core version in the states, not sure if it has made it to thailand yet. Definitely worth a look.

OTOH, acer online support has been a massive headache, i don't know how well the local support is. Good luck in your search!

[d0ndela]

I just picked up a Acer 1810T for a friend, massive improvement over my Asus 1000H

1366x768 screen res vs 1024x600 for most netbooks.

11.6" screen but still roughly the same weight.

320GB drive

Core2 Solo CULV processor instead of Intel Atom, huge improvement.

Nice keyboard

Gigabit LAN

HDMI out

Downsides are a glossy screen, which i don't mind but many people despise.

There's a dual core version in the states, not sure if it has made it to thailand yet. Definitely worth a look.

The question is if you could call this a netbook?

If your definition of netbook is only the monitor size, then maybe yes. But a Core2Duo processor will never be a netbook (at least in my head), it defeats the whole point of netbooks, it's just a small notebook.

Most brands now makes notebooks with 11.6" monitors, but they don't label them as netbooks.

[MJo]

Asus 1000 or 1101 and just for the sake of battery life. i went for the 1101 due to 11" screen i wanted. Even if it has slower processor the screen did it for me. Better size and resolution. Battery life is good, easily 6 hours watching a movie and 8+ for just browsing the web. Spec says 11.5 hrs max but that propably needs power saving mode or wifi turned off.

Weights about 1 kg so light as well. Comes with XP, tried linux but battery life dropped half so back to XP. W7 propably drains battery faster as well and not sure if the processor is fast enough to run it.

Got it from singapore and got free external DVD burner and other stuff as freebie.

[Veazer]

The question is if you could call this a netbook?

If your definition of netbook is only the monitor size, then maybe yes. But a Core2Duo processor will never be a netbook (at least in my head), it defeats the whole point of netbooks, it's just a small notebook.

Most brands now makes notebooks with 11.6" monitors, but they don't label them as netbooks.

I think trying to find a distinct line between what is a netbook and what is a notebook will be difficult at best and ultimately doesn't gain anything. The real question is are you happy with the size and specs of your purchase?

further, i think deciding that something can't be a netbook because it has a decent processor doesn't really make a lot of sense to me. I really don't get your statement that having a CULV duo "will never be a netbook (at least in my head), it defeats the whole point of netbooks". How? They've been matched with a far more efficient chipset and the runtimes are far better than the average Atom netbook. What is lost? Where's the defeat?

If forced, i'd be more likely to categorize 'netbooks' based on price and weight/size. As i said, the 1810T is just a little heavier than my 1000H, but has a far better battery life and specs. The price is a little higher, but still much less than a pricey "subnotebook" with higher specs and a much higher pricetag. It's an excellent compromise between the bog standard 1.6GHz atom / 160GB drive / 1024x600 netbooks that everyone is cranking out and a real laptop. It's one of the first machines to fill the niche between while still letting the price lean towards the netbook camp. I'm not a complete fan of Acer, but i'll give them some credit for what they've manage to put together.

[keemapoot]

As I mentioned, I just bought the new Acer Aspire one. It's a 10.1 inch screen, and Atom n280, so definitely a netbook, but Acer also threw in an external DVD/RW superslim, so at your desk, it can do anything a regular notebook can do. I'm testing the 6-cell battery now, and it is getting over 7 hours. I also got two free carry cases, one slim protector, another larger, keyboard protector, mouse, cleaning kit, 1 year kapersky antivirus. 13,000 Baht hard to beat.

[Crushdepth]

but I would stay clear of HP netbooks (based on several netbook big tests in PC World).

Maybe look around at some other reviews. HP netbooks are consistently among the most favoured, eg. the HP Mini 2140, and the new HP Mini 5101. The designs are excellent and the build quality is much better than some of the budget brands.

Edited November 6, 2009 by Crushdepth

[MikeWill]

The question is if you could call this a netbook?

If your definition of netbook is only the monitor size, then maybe yes. But a Core2Duo processor will never be a netbook (at least in my head), it defeats the whole point of netbooks, it's just a small notebook.

Most brands now makes notebooks with 11.6" monitors, but they don't label them as netbooks.

I think trying to find a distinct line between what is a netbook and what is a notebook will be difficult at best and ultimately doesn't gain anything. The real question is are you happy with the size and specs of your purchase?

further, i think deciding that something can't be a netbook because it has a decent processor doesn't really make a lot of sense to me. I really don't get your statement that having a CULV duo "will never be a netbook (at least in my head), it defeats the whole point of netbooks". How? They've been matched with a far more efficient chipset and the runtimes are far better than the average Atom netbook. What is lost? Where's the defeat?

If forced, i'd be more likely to categorize 'netbooks' based on price and weight/size. As i said, the 1810T is just a little heavier than my 1000H, but has a far better battery life and specs. The price is a little higher, but still much less than a pricey "subnotebook" with higher specs and a much higher pricetag. It's an excellent compromise between the bog standard 1.6GHz atom / 160GB drive / 1024x600 netbooks that everyone is cranking out and a real laptop. It's one of the first machines to fill the niche between while still letting the price lean towards the netbook camp. I'm not a complete fan of Acer, but i'll give them some credit for what they've manage to put together.

Well put, Veazer. I'm with you on this one. Call them 'netbooks", 'notebooks' or 'ultraportable' isn't a substantive matter, just semantics.

BTW, where did you bought your Acer 1810T? How much is it? Does it comes with OS?

P.S. I've noticed that it supports up to 4GB of RAM. - (OP raised the RAM issue.)

Edited November 6, 2009 by Condo_bk

[Veazer]

Well put, Veazer. I'm with you on this one. Call them 'netbooks", 'notebooks' or 'ultraportable' isn't a substantive matter, just semantics.

BTW, where did you bought your Acer 1810T? How much is it? Does it comes with OS?

P.S. I've noticed that it supports up to 4GB of RAM. - (OP raised the RAM issue.)

it was purchased in Chiang Mai at Panthip, an Acer dealer on the first floor. It came with Vista but i believe there's a Win7 upgrade option, i went with XP. I believe the coworker paid around 24K for it, not positive.

And yes, it does support 4GB memory. Also the processor is 64 bit, so 64-bit OSes are a nice option.

[webfact]

Thanks guys

great advise to pick from.

Now I'm sure I will make the right decision.

[MikeWill]

Let us know what is "the right decision".

[Deke]

My three month old Asus 1000HE does everything that my three year old Sony Vaio can do. The only difference to me is the physical size. Because of the small size the Asus is great when I'm out and about in Bangkok and just looking to answer a few Emails. On the other hand, if I'm heading to the job site for a few days, the larger screen size of the Sony is much easier on my aging eyes.

[keemapoot]

Yeah, the 1 kg weight, small size, amazing battery life, and quick bootup are the reasons I bought the netbook, for my traveling abroad often. I got tired of lugging my notebook around. However, connecting to a a larger monitor at home I don't see why you couldn't use one as your main computer.

[d0ndela]

Well put, Veazer. I'm with you on this one. Call them 'netbooks", 'notebooks' or 'ultraportable' isn't a substantive matter, just semantics.

BTW, where did you bought your Acer 1810T? How much is it? Does it comes with OS?

P.S. I've noticed that it supports up to 4GB of RAM. - (OP raised the RAM issue.)

I believe the coworker paid around 24K for it, not positive.

Yep the list price in the Acer catalog is 24,900 excl VAT, includes extra bag, Kaspersky Anti-Virus and the External DVD writer like most other Acer netbooks. And the OS is Vista Home, but I guess they must soon change them to come with Win 7 pre-installed instead.

Definitely looks like an exciting contender for a high-end netbook.

[MikeWill]

What are the exact specs of the Acer 1810T for 24,900 excl VAT ?

i.e.

how much RAM installed?

is it six-cell, 5600-mAh battery?

hard disk size/speed/model?

d0ndela, you mentioned External DVD writer, is it blu-ray by any chance?

is it Wi-Fi enabled?

what about Bluetooth?

Warranty - how long?

What is the Mobile Broadband ?

Anything else?

Maybe we can make a group order and get some discount, if sufficient number of TV members are interested!

[tj916]

Might be a bit big for you, but I bought an Acer Aspire 4810T. Fantastic battery life, great DVD playback, and nice and slim. Very pleased with it.

[d0ndela]

What are the exact specs of the Acer 1810T for 24,900 excl VAT ?

i.e.

how much RAM installed?

is it six-cell, 5600-mAh battery?

hard disk size/speed/model?

d0ndela, you mentioned External DVD writer, is it blu-ray by any chance?

is it Wi-Fi enabled?

what about Bluetooth?

Warranty - how long?

What is the Mobile Broadband ?

Anything else?

Maybe we can make a group order and get some discount, if sufficient number of TV members are interested!

Specs are as follows:

Intel Centrino Processor Technology

Intel Core2 Solo processor SU3500

(14GHz, 3MB L2 cache, 800MHz FSB)

-Mobile Intel GS45 Express Chipset

-Intel Wireless WiFi Link 5100

Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium

2048MB DDR2-667 (Max 4GB)

320GB HDD (5400rpm), Weight 135kg

Battery life: Approximate 8hrs*

10/100/1000Mbps LAN,5-in-1 Card Reader

Integrated Bluetooth 21+EDR

116” HD (1366 x 768 pixel) Acer CineCrystal LED-backlit TFT LCD 16:9 aspect ratio

Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD

Acer SignalUp InviLink Nplify wireless technology

Dolby Sound Room, HDMI port with HDCP support

Acer CrystalEyes Webcam

1 year warranty (International Travel Warranty)

The external DVD is not blu-ray I'm pretty sure. They give out their cheapest external drives with their netbooks, and blu-ray drives are more expensive, especially burners which are almost 10,000 baht.

The 1810 comes in two colors: Sapphire Blue and Diamond Black

[tutsiwarrior]

Yeah, the 1 kg weight, small size, amazing battery life, and quick bootup are the reasons I bought the netbook, for my traveling abroad often. I got tired of lugging my notebook around. However, connecting to a a larger monitor at home I don't see why you couldn't use one as your main computer.

yeah...my 1000H has a button on the keyboard for that specific purpose (connecting to a monitor)...

I gots mine in Jeddah; the 1000HE only had arabic XP so I took the older model at a discount...kicks ass on the old HP Pavilion that I purchased in 2006 in Bahrain...will always be using AC power supply so don't care much about battery life

[quiksilva]

This is the netbook / small notebook I have had my eye on for a while now. Its tiny but is capable of playing HD movies and even games like COD4!

Two versions of the netbook are on offer. The Lenovo IdeaPad S12 29595FU has 2GB of RAM and a 250GB hard-drive, while the IdeaPad S12 295954U gets 3GB of RAM and a 320GB hard-drive. Both models have a 12.1-inch 1280 x 800 display, Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz processor and of course NVIDIA’s Ion graphics chipset and Windows 7.

Connectivity includes WiFi b/g, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and an HDMI port, along with the usual USB 2.0, audio in/out and multiformat memory card reader. The 29595FU S12 starts at $599, while the 295954U S12 starts at $649.

http://www.slashgear.com/lenovo-ion-toting...helves-2862010/

Edited November 9, 2009 by quiksilva

[quiksilva]

Ok changed my mind now that i have heard what Asus are bringing out:

Eee PC 1201N

Display 12.1" LED-backlit WXGA screen (1366 x 768)

Operating System Genuine Windows 7

CPU Intel Atom 330 Dual Core processor

NVIDIA ION Graphics

Default Memory DDR2 SO-DIMM 2GB/3GB

Storage 250GB HDD/320GB + 500GB ASUS WebStorage

Wireless Data Network 802.11b/g/n @2.4GHz, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR

Battery Life 5hrs, 6-Cell 63Wh Li-ion Battery

Multimedia Camera 0.3M Pixels (with digital zoom function)

Audio Codec Hi-Definition Audio CODEC

Speakers Stereo Speakers

Built-in Mic High Quality Mic

Interface 1 x VGA Port (D-sub 15-pin for external monitor), 1 x HDMI, 3 x USB 2.0, 1 x LAN RJ-45, 2 x Audio Jack (Head Phone / Mic-in), Card Reader: MMC/ SD(SDHC)

Physical Dimensions 296mm (W) x 208mm (D) x 27.3~ 33.3mm (H)

Weight 1.46kg (3.22lbs)

Colors Black, Silver, Blue, Red

Out in Jan in the UK for 399 sterling

[gtm2k]

I am planning to purchase a netbook in near future. I'd like to know if netbooks with 2GB Ram are available in Thailand.

My second question: are they distributed with W7 already?

What is the best brand. My budget is 25K Baht max.

Thanks

This one has no operating system but is under your budget. http://www.shop4thai.com/en/product/25781/

I bought this one for 20K from Pantip, and guess wat...it came wid 3GB of ram

Of course, at least 1GB of the 3 came free wid it.. as the sales guy said.

[bud69er]

IF YOU CAN GET A ACER, IVE HAD MINE NOW 2YRS+ ITS WORK FINE HAD NO PROBS WITH IT, THEY STRAT FROM 18,000baht. if you can dont get a note book with a built in web cam, get your own web-can (USB) as when there a prob with the cam it will cost you lots to fix, just get 1 with built in mic. good luck.