Need Small Notebook

[Powerband]

Going on a motorcycle tour around the country and need to get something to replace this monstrous 17" i have now. My current notebook is pretty powerful, but after 4 years i've learned that i don't neccesarily need this much power.

My main concern though is to have the ability to use photoshop and dreamweaver. Netbooks seem to be a good choice for travel especially on a motorcycle. But i used a friends acer with Atom processor before, and it was really slow, even to just use microsoft word.

So im looking at getting a Lenovo Thinkpad Edge 13 or 14 or the 460 series...but if anyone has used photoshop with a netbook let me know how it performed please, along with the specs.Because the small size and price is very attractive.

also does anyone know of a netbook or 11"-13" laptop that can be connected to a seperate monitor?

No HP please, everyone i know that had one, ended up breaking - everyone.

[keeniau96]

Lenovo bought out the old IBM laptop line. Those IBMs were generally considered the best laptops available, and Lenovo has done very well upholding the quality.

Just about every laptop I have ever seen will have a socket (typically a DB-15) for connecting to external monitor.

[filingaccount]

Looking at your request, there is one laptop that would fit very well.

Lenovo Thinkpad x200si.

It would cost you just a hair below 28,000 baht.

Do NOT get a netbook. They are underpowered to the extreme, and were never meant to do general computing, but only as the name suggests, simple online things.

[kuffki]

Lenovo Ideapad. Excellent little machine, has everything one needs on the road and in home and best part -it will only set you back 10 000-13 000 baht

[seank]

I have a samsung NC10 with XP installed on it and love the netbook. I did buy it in Ireland and not Thailand for 300Euros. It has just as much power as the previous laptop I had bought 3 years ago.

I connect it to the TV when I want to watch stuff on a bigger screen.

[Powerband]

There's so many laptops I can't decide...

[Powerband]

I have a samsung NC10 with XP installed on it and love the netbook. I did buy it in Ireland and not Thailand for 300Euros. It has just as much power as the previous laptop I had bought 3 years ago.

I connect it to the TV when I want to watch stuff on a bigger screen.

have you ever used photoshop on it? ....and what happens when you have 10 internet browser windows open at the same time, along with 2 other programs running at the same time?

thanx

[filingaccount]

I wrote this while ago: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Laptop-netbo...fo-t319781.html

It might help you clear your mind a bit. I still stand by my original comment in the thread though. Forget netbooks for anything serious. Remember, many people who buy netbooks today are upgrading from a PC or laptop that is several years old, and compare their experiences to that old computer.... you are going from a powerful machine, and you would suffer when you experience the performance of the netbook.

There's so many laptops I can't decide...

Edited April 2, 2010 by filingaccount

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

You might also look at the Sony Vaio X Series. I have an older VGN-TXN29N and I also have an Acer netbook. I use the netbook if I'm just doing powerpoint presentations. If I need computing power, I use the sony Vaio. They come in a variety of packages, so you can get the computing power you need with a smaller screen. The X series has an 11.1" screen.

[ballbreaker]

Keep your 17 inch notebook and buy a small netbook for use when you travel. Also keep in mind that netbooks have different power saving modes which you can disable when plugged into AC.

Edited April 2, 2010 by ballbreaker

[rak sa_ngop]

I just bought a Toshiba Portege with the 11 inch screen (24900 baht). I wanted the smallest notebook that came with Windows 7 Home loaded (not the starter version).

This narrowed the range down quite a lot. The HP 11 inch was out of stock (and HP had no idea when it was coming in), Fujitsu had low battery life and a noisy fan, Acer I think only came with Vista loaded, and others makes were too unknown for me.

The Toshiba looks good but the sound volume is low (use external active speakers best)

Battery life is very good, but the weight of the unit is surprisingly high (maybe the display models have the batteries removed to feel lighter)

Apart from that too early to tell whether it has been a good buy. One problem I have discovered is that you (probably) cannot record sound on Audacity from the internet. Audacity only records from the microphone. I am still working on this.

Hope this helps

[Powerband]

My old laptop was a toshiba, but the heat was something else. The keyboard felt pretty flimsy too. Hows the protege in these departments?

I walked around fortune shopping mall this weekend and had a look at a few laptops. Prices are all about the same no matter what store you go to and they don't come with windows installed, its added onto the price.

Some of them don't even have the drivers on disc for you.

The laptops that im considering are also the ugliest.... but powerful

[CHdiver]

I use a Netbook (however Acer is listing it under Notebooks) Acer Aspire 1810TZ. With all the bells and a Intel 1.3 GHz SU4100 Dual Core Processor togeher with a 11.6 inch Screen a nice and fast enough Computer to be my main Computer nowadys. Has also GPRS/EDGE and 3G with all frequencies, you cant really ask for more. Around 27k at the moment incl. external DVD.

[BugJackBaron]

In my opinion netbooks have been defined out of existence. What is the maximum screensize for example?

Laptops are getting to netbook weight or at least acceptably light and with long lived battery performance.

And you won't sudddenly run out of powerr when you decide you need to video edit

or expand into gaming(OK that may be pushing it)

[Powerband]

...there's something that's been bugging me and can't seem to figure out no matter who i ask.

in order to use photoshop without suffering a lethargic pace, does this require something with a separate graphics card? or is on board fine? This is the thing that has me running in circles.

[TexasRanger]

I use an Asus EEPC when traveling and it is great, can run photoshop / autocad etc no problems. Very small light and great battery life.

[ballbreaker]

...there's something that's been bugging me and can't seem to figure out no matter who i ask.

in order to use photoshop without suffering a lethargic pace, does this require something with a separate graphics card? or is on board fine? This is the thing that has me running in circles.

Lots of RAM most important for Photoshop. Separate graphics card not necessary. Check to see if all the processes that load at boot are really needed.

A friends computer was running very slow and I found that 56 processes were loading during boot. Diabled 30 and PC back to normal.

[Powerband]

I use an Asus EEPC when traveling and it is great, can run photoshop / autocad etc no problems. Very small light and great battery life.

You'd make my day if you can tell me the model number and price.

[TexasRanger]

I use an Asus EEPC when traveling and it is great, can run photoshop / autocad etc no problems. Very small light and great battery life.

You'd make my day if you can tell me the model number and price.

Model is Eeepc U20 (I think) and it cost me 400 USD (less than a year ago).

EeePC website

Edited April 5, 2010 by TexasRanger

[farrol]

My girlfriend just bought a HP Probook 4310s, I set it up for her.

It's a great little machine with LED backlit 13" screen, powerful Core2Duo CPU, runs very smooth and quiet, less than 2 kg, built-in DVD drive.

Just 24000 Baht with 2 GB RAM, 250 GB HD.

Quality of Probook supposedly better than the usual consumer notebook, of course not as solid as an expensive business notebook, but those cost you > 35k Baht.

Check out the reviews on the net.