Okay, I'm no computer whiz so I was wondering, what exactly are netbooks for? I know they are mostly built for doing stuff on the internet but can Microsoft office, for example, work on this? I really wanted to buy one because it's light and cute but those are not good enough reasons ( i like cute stuff). If I only wanted to do homework and surf the net, would it be reasonable or can it not even handle that?

One a side note, do I need any special softwares for the life sci program?

In a nut shell, Netbooks are just less powerful Note books. As a result, they are also lighter/smaller.

You should have no problems surfing the internet/using microsoft office. Just don't plan to play any video games on them.

The idea behind a netbook is that you can take it places and use it to do work on the internet.

It's supposed to be "bigger than a smartphone, but smaller than a laptop (or notebook)".

It's not as functional as a regular computer in the sense that if you want it to last a while (and possibly use specialized/sophisticated software in the future), it probably won't do it for you.

I know that in the work I do (GIS) I wouldn't be able to get by with a netbook.

netbooks are computers which are smaller than notebooks. Their system specs are lower of course (around 1-1.6GHz with 1 or 2 GB of RAM and a 10'' screen)

And of course, they are cheaper than notebooks (around $300-$600)

They can run most, if not all, programs a regular notebook can run. Except video games of course.

Your questions have basically been answered, but as long as your program doesn't require any software, Netbooks are more than enough for homework/surfing. Just try one out quickly and make sure you can be comfortable with the keyboard.

Read this guy's article, it's a good comparison of netbooks and notebooks http://www.joeydevilla.com/2009/05/2...netbooks-suck/

Originally Posted by DannyV

Read this guy's article, it's a good comparison of netbooks and notebooks http://www.joeydevilla.com/2009/05/2...netbooks-suck/

It's not really a comparison article, it's an opinion piece damning netbooks (and trying to act like they're something other than laptops while at it). By that articles same logic, full notebooks should be pointless because Netbooks are more than capable or running most PC applications while being extremely portable, while heavy duty app running can be done at home on a more capable desktop. Laptops are more cumbersome than a netbook, yet less capable than a desktop. By that articles logic, we should be phasing out notebooks (which won't happen since notebooks/netbooks are the same thing).

If you want a much more balanced look at netbooks, read this article + the comments:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10288911-1.html

Having a netbook (which I am writing this on), a powerful Desktop, and a reasonable laptop, I find the netbook to be best at simply browsing the web and being an electronic typewriter.
I've tried doing more fun stuff on it, like downloading music, multitasking, watching videos, and there is a significant lag, even over my 3 year old laptop.
Netbooks, and their components were originally developed for the One Laptop Per Child initiative, and will do the trick if you are on a very low budget, but they are best used as companion PCs to a less portable laptop or desktop.
Though useful, they really don't have the multitasking capabilities needed for a student.

Let me put it this way: if all you have is a netbook as a student, you're probably not gonna be able to do everything that you want(let's say you need to look at a book on a CD for a class). If you have something else(desktop or laptop) and a netbook, then you're in business.

The screen might wreck your eyes. Other than that, I think it's a pretty nice innovation.

umm...no DVD Drive

I would definitely not recommend getting a netbook. They are an absolute waste of money.

They dont have enough processor power, so in a few years, you wont be able to run bigger programs that come out. Also, theres no CD/DVD tray. All round, its pretty useless considering they sell for like 349-399$. You can get a cheap laptop, with "low specs" (but higher than a netbook's specs) for around $450

I think its worth the extra 50-100$ since it will save you headaches in the longrun. Oh yea, and you wont have to squint either cause laptops have a nice 15.4" screen