Read this First When Looking to Buy a Netbook

Many people looking for advice regarding netbook purchases. That is great but many experienced members here end up answering the same questions over and over again without input from new members. The best thing you can do is go through and answer these questions before asking us which netbook to buy:

1.Screen Size - which screen size were you looking for? There are essentially three sizes out there: 10", 11.6", and 12". Keep in mind that larger screens tend to have a higher resolution and be a little more comfortable for longer viewing. 10" netbooks tend to be a little smaller and lighter in overall size but their lower screen resolutions can be a pain for web browsing, media playback, and office productivity. online wholesale electronic

2.Battery Life - One of the most important aspects regarding a netbook is how long it can last on a single charge. How much do you need for you usage? Remember to keep in mind that manufacturers' estimates are about 1-2 more than what you will likely get in real world situations.

3.Processor - Do you have a preference for something Intel or AMD? The Intel Atom series is widely used in netbooks as it tends to provide the best power efficiency. AMD processors often provide better performance over the Atom line but they aren't as power efficient. In other words, an Atom powered netbook will last longer on a single charge but an AMD powered netbook with generally perform tasks faster.

4.Video - Is this just going to be used to playback standard definition videos or do you want to playback HD content as well? What about YouTube? Most netbooks are fine with 360p YouTube videos but need hardware acceleration for 480p and higher.wholesale electronic online

5.Other Multimedia - Do you want to run iTunes, Windows Media Player, or something else to playback music? What about photo or video editing? Will you be encoding a large amount of music on this or will it strictly be used for video/audio playback and photo viewing? Most netbooks are fine running typical media playback programs such as iTunes along with photo viewing. Advanced photo editing, such as using Photoshop, really shouldn't be done on a netbook.

Pre-installed Operating System - Do you want to stick to the ways of old with Windows XP or do you want a Windows 7 flavor? Maybe you want to break away from that and go with a Linux distro. Just be aware that Windows 7 Starter has its limitations, Windows XP is being phased out, and Linux cannot run most program releases.

6.RAM - How much RAM do you want pre-installed in the netbook? Windows 7 Starter equipped netbooks tend to come pre-installed with 1GB of RAM and can be upgraded to 2GB of RAM. Netbooks coming with Windows 7 Home Premium likely have 2GB of pre-installed RAM and can be upgraded to 4GB. This all depends on the processor and manufacturer though.

Hard Drive Size - Is 160GB enough or do you want 250GB or more? Gauging hard drive size can be tricky. Installed programs can take up a good chunk but most hard drive space is consumed with audio and video files. Most netbooks come with either 160GB or 250GB hard drive. There are some models that you can customize to have lager internal hard drives, such as from Dell.com or hp.com, but they come at a cost.

7.Wireless Connectivity - Are you fine with the standard 802.11g wi-fi or do you want to go all out and get a model with 802.11n and bluetooth? Most wireless routers, both public and private, operate under 802.11g. However, some people may want 802.11n if they have that type of wireless router. The main benefit of 802.11n is not seen in a faster internet connection but rather faster speeds when streaming media over a wireless network.

Expansion Options - Do you want to hook the netbook up to a USB DVD burner, USB hard drive, or something else? Do you want it to have a built-in multi-card reader so you can copy photos off of a memory card that is in your digital camera? What about eSATA? eSATA is a standard used for hooking up external hard drives to computers. It has the benefit of being over 6 times faster than USB 2.0 (the USB standard for most netbooks). However, eSATA is still something that hasn't fully caught on.

8.Brand Preferences - Many people prefer one brand over another. This normally comes from years of experience with particular brands.

Buying Preferences - Do you want to strictly stick to in-store purchases or would you mind buying online? Keep in mind that your credit card company may offer an extended warranty past that of the manufacturer's. Call them and ask.

Try Them Out - One of the best things you can do is go down to your local electronics store and try their models out. It doesn't matter if you are going to buy from them or not, you will still get to experience the hardware. Personal experiences are much more valuable than user opinions.

Price - How much do you want to spend on this? Does that price include any extra accessories or add-ons (RAM, upgrading to something better than Windows 7 Starter, carrying case, warranty) or is it just for the netbook?