By Marian Merritt | June 2009 Back to Columns

Summary

The new netbooks are everywhere. You’ve seen them around. They’re the lightweight laptops that are smaller in size than the typical laptop computer. The less expensive cost of these machines are certainly attractive in today’s economy, so you might be thinking about them for your kids as a possible alternative to the normal sized laptop. But before you leap, let’s take a look.

Meet the Netbooks

These low-cost, energy-efficient laptop computers are basically mini-notebooks. The screens are much smaller – usually 7 to 10 inches – and the keyboard itself is much smaller too. Because of their small size, they are extremely light weight, making it easy to carry around. In fact, weighing in at less than three pounds, these computers can fit easily in a purse, backpack, or jacket pocket. They’re also cheaper and they’re designed to have a long battery life, so you don’t have to charge them as long or as frequently as your typical laptop.

Is It for the Kids?

The netbook is ideal for college and high school students that don’t want to lug around a laptop from class to class. Instead, they can use the netbook to take notes, do light word processing, surf the Web as needed, and use their email systems for correspondence. For more intensive work, perhaps a laptop or desktop can be used as their primary computer, transferring their notes and other files from the netbook via a disk stick or other USB delivery device. The same concept can be applied to business people looking for a way to lighten their load outside the office.

One idea I heard recently by parents looking to save some money was to get their kid a netbook rather than a traditional laptop. Or, to get a netbook as a travel companion for a summer road trip. But I’m not convinced this is the way to go for every child. First of all, your kids may want to watch movies and play games, right? Well, the netbook is not designed to handle either of these activities. For one thing, netbooks don’t have CD or DVD drives, so watching movies and installing games would have to come from somewhere other than a DVD or game disc.

Leah Norling, a smart and online-savvy mom living in Northern California, bought a netbook for her ten year old daughter, and has found it to be the ideal solution. “It’s so easy for her to use”, says Leah, “and the size of the keyboard is perfect for her little hands.” Leah says that she didn’t feel a full-scale laptop was necessary, and “I really didn’t want her sharing my laptop or desktop with me. I wanted her to have her own computer, but I was looking for something less robust than a laptop. The netbook is simple to use, email is easy for her, and I’ve included security software on it so we avoid viruses and other attacks.”

The purchase of a netbook made perfect sense for Leah’s daughter, but for her 12-year-old son, it wouldn’t have worked. “Her older brother is heavily into games, so a netbook for him just wasn’t an option. He needs a disk drive, the bigger monitor, and graphic capabilities that the netbook can’t provide.” Leah knows that, for her daughter, it probably won’t last forever. “It was a very appropriate purchase for her age and for what she needs right now. I also know that she’ll probably outgrow it in a couple of years.”

Alternate Routes

There are ways to overcome the netbook’s limitations. You can, for example, buy an external drive for DVD and game discs and plug it into the USB port on the netbook. But right there, you’re adding to the bulk of the hardware you’ll need to lug around. Plus, you’ll have to worry about compatibility issues: Will the external drive work with your netbook? Will the software used to read the game or movie be recognized by your netbook? Do you need to install specific “drivers” onto the computer for it to work? On top of all that, you’ll have to plug the external drive into a wall outlet for power, which makes the netbook not as mobile as it should be, and offsets the convenience of that long-battery life I had previously mentioned.

For a movie, you might be able to convert a DVD to a video file and then put it on a flash drive and watch it on your netbook with a media player. But you’ll need the right software for conversion; and there may be copyright protection laws and restrictions that can prevent you from going this way.

Some services, like Netflix, allow you to download movie files, or watch them on their website, and this might be a way to go with a netbook. But the screen resolution may not be the best.

More Expensive Models

There are more expensive netbooks that have additional functionality, but for the most part these computers are designed for only Web browsing and emailing. One popular manufacturer has a model that includes a graphic chip that can be turned on or off in order to extend the battery life when needed. But the low screen resolution probably won’t appeal to all game enthusiasts. I would say that these models are more for very light game playing, not for serious gamers or for kids looking to try out and play a lot of different games. It’s just not a viable solution.

Protecting Your Netbook

Because the main purpose of netbooks is to browse the Internet, some experts feel that they need protection from viruses, malware, and other threats just as much, if not more, than notebooks, laptops, and desktops. So if you are thinking of getting a netbook, or you already have one, make sure that you’re protected with high quality software such as Norton Internet Security.

Summary

So now you know that the primary purpose of netbooks is to work or play on the Internet, have email access, and light word processing. Beyond that, the functionality is limited and to add more to that need might step on the toes of the very attributes that makes a netbook so attractive in the first place – lightness, size, and mobility.

You know I love to hear from you. Please write to me at marian@norton.com.

Related Links

Netbooks: A New Kind of Mobility
Product: Norton Internet Security: The fastest virus, spyware and internet protection you can buy