Small notebook computers - What to look for?

Why lumber a brick about when you can go small?

With technology advancing rapidly it would be no surprise that one day we will all eventually have a laptop that fits into the palm of our hand. In fact, the technology for this is readily available, but the problem being that untill someone can figure out how we can have the full functionality that a laptops keyboard has as well as a screen that doesn't require a magnifying glass we will have to do with the slightly larger small notebook computers on the market.

On that note small notebook computers are becoming more increasingly popular for the consumer.  They offer a descent size viewing area from 7 inch upwards as well as performance to rival any standard laptop, on top of this prices have been reduced dramatically from over a year ago, and the range of small notebook computers available are vast from different manufacturers, specifications and sizes.

What should you be looking for when deciding to purchase a small notebook computer?  Well I will go through this with you in this article as deciding on what computer to get has been known to be one of the most stressful decisions you could make! This is no surprise considering the tech talk used by companies these days.

What type of small notebook computer?

There are 2 types of small laptops available on the market, these are known as the following:

• Netbook
• Small laptop

The difference between these 2 types is that a netbook is a small laptop aimed for those who have interest in doing simple tasks such as browsing the internet and writing documents for example.  Netbooks have the bare specifications to carry out these tasks, although looking identical physically to a small laptop. Standard small laptops pack more punch and may offer the ability to carry out multimedia functions as well as consisting of a larger hard drive to store more data.

What are you willing to spend?

Before embarking on your journey you must first decide what your budget is. A more expensive laptop doesn't necessarily mean better performance, in fact far from it.  Brand awareness could bump up the cost alone by $100 - $200 dollars or pounds.  If you look around you will find a wide array of netbooks and small notebook computers all with different specifications.

Size of screen?

Size of screen is important, sizes start from 7 inch upwards.  I recommend going for at least 8 or 9 inches up to 12 inches maximum.  Again you may find a smaller screen not suitable for your eyes, so it's best to view a choice of size in person at your local pc store.

Operating system?

The operating system is the interface installed on the computer that allows you to interact with the pc.  Two of the most popular operating systems on the market are Windows & Linux.  Windows is the most common and popular operating system in the world, with alot of features and constant updates.  Linux is a lightweight operating system, known to be easy and simple.  There was a time when linu on a netbook or small laptop was preferred as it didnt hog system resources, buit now most small notebook computers and netbooks have more than enough technology to handle the windows vista and the new windows 7 which has recently been released in 2009.  I personally suggest sticking to windows for software compatibility and reliability.

Harddrive size?

The hardrive is what stores all your programs and files.  Netbooks typically have small hardrives as they were designed for simple writing and browsing tasks.  For small notebook computers a minimum of 40gb is adequate for multimedia users, any more is entirely up to you.

Memory?

Alot of people get confused with a computers memory as they think memory is related to the harddrive.  This is not the case.  Memory or otherwise known as RAM (Random Access Memory) is what handles the speed of tranfer of information on your laptop.  The higher the RAM, the faster your netbook or laptop.  IO recommend getting a minimum of 1GB RAM and 2GB for multimedia usage.

Processor?

As netbooks and small notebook computers are fairly new there is a limited choice in the type of processor available.  This is sure to change over time.  The processor is the brains of the computer that determine what gets done and how fast, a faster proccessor means a faster laptop.  For people who do alot of photo design or multimedia work a fast processor is necessary for the best performance.  To keep this article simple stick to a small laptop or netbook that has an Intel mobile brand processor.  There are processors available for netbooks and laptops  that are specifically designed just to handle simple tasks.  At this moment in time this other brand of processor is known as the VIA brand, if you want to play some basic games, watch video or perform any other multimedia taska i suggest an intel mobile processor.

Thats all you need to know when looking for a small notebook computer.  Look around at the various brands, there are many types with various stylings that will suit your needs.  An important thing to remember is you should always consider the future when purchasing a small laptop, although upgrades are minimal on smaller variations of laptop it is possible now to add more RAM in future if need be.