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go with high end netbook or ordinary laptop?

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Rich'[ard]

Rich'[ard]

Member
​
Joined
Apr 28, 2008
Location
Melb, AUS
yo,

my dad popped the magic question today...as we (my 2 brothers an I) didn't have enough computers to share around. so i'm in the market for a new laptop/netbook now :)

It's going to be for school purposes...but seeing as this year's my last year of secondary school, i might consider buying something more powerful to use through University as well, and i want to go into Engineering/Architecture.

I'm not sure what kind of programs the courses use, but my dad firmly said Netbooks won't be able to handle CAD or w/e is used. is this true?
I'm not clear on the limits of those tiny EeePCs.

i'm looking at the Asus EeePC 1101HA
http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/asus-eee-pc-1101ha/4505-3121_7-33750730.html
it's pretty big for a netbook at 11.6" screen.
the only part that worries me is the CPU. it's an Atom.

if netbooks are too weak i guess i'll go with a normal laptop. if that's the case, how is this one?

Asus K52F
https://www.pcdiy.com.au/product_info.php?products_id=10765

the specs for the K52F are way better - i3 CPU, 4gb ram...the whole lot...yet still pretty cheap.
 
A netbook is not something I would reccomend for CAD, I would want loads of RAM which you never get with a netbook
 
mm yeah, it would be upgradable though correct?
i figure if it's keeping up i could just slap on a 4gb kit in there.

but i think i'll stick with the normal laptop...don't even know why i asked now :chair:
 
I just hate atoms, would rather get a used PM.
I have two notebooks one Vaio X505, use it as my walk around notebook every day, debian makes wonder even with it's 512MB ram and it does the same what I did with it 6 years ago.
Then a AW for editing my photos in lightroom when I am on the move so i need the huge screen, this latter has been upgraded last year from a type A.

My point is depending on what you use it for even the fastest ones might need to be replaced while a slow ULV Pentium M works as a charm for other uses.
Without really knowing what you programs you will run on the university get the biggest fastest one from the budget, and hope it will last until you graduate.
 
I have yet to see an atom netbook board that takes more then 2gb of ram.

I would not do CAD on an atom, a 1.6ghz atom is roughly akin to a 2.4ghz northwood P4.
That's about the same as a single core of a core2duo at 1.2ghz.
 
as said, forget a netbook for CAD, too many people are thinking netbooks are for everything, they are not, the name is what it is for a purpose.

netbook = very basic web / email usage.

my atom struggle on flash pages... and i have the N280 and the new dual core may be a little better but you will be waiting for ever to do any cad work.
 
Mine does flash decently, and will play games of Morrowind's age and older. It's totally decent for a 2002 computer.
 
Bobnova said:
I have yet to see an atom netbook board that takes more then 2gb of ram.

I would not do CAD on an atom, a 1.6ghz atom is roughly akin to a 2.4ghz northwood P4.
That's about the same as a single core of a core2duo at 1.2ghz.
Click to expand...

My 2.4 P4 Northwood is much faster than my Atom. Atoms are more comparable to a PIII 1GHz Tualatin ;).
 
I suppose it depends on what you use. My atom and my 2.4ghz northwood wprime exactly the same.
 
whoa thanks guys,
i'm not sure when the CAD stuff comes into the course, but if it's 1-2 years into the course, the netbook/laptop i get now will probably be too slow by then anyway.

as it seems, i think i'm sticking with a laptop :)

my pick is the Asus K52F:
Core i3 2.26ghz
4gb ram
15.6" HD LED

HDD size is good and it comes with Windows 7 :thup:

what do you reckon?
it all comes to $900 AUD...which seems damn cheap for an i3 laptop.
 
too many people are thinking netbooks are for everything, they are not, the name is what it is for a purpose.netbook = very basic web / email usage.
Click to expand...

you said it best im tired of telling people the same thing some folks make netbooks their main computers and it just dosent work that way.... i have a bunch of people asking me if i can fix their netbooks or if i can make them "faster"

that asus seems nice, nice size and a decente amount of ram ,how much more were the i5 labtops compared to that i3 over in the AU ?

900aud works out to 778 USD ive seen a comparable asus i5 model on the egg for about the same price i dont know how prices are over there though
 
PeterGarcia30 said:
you said it best im tired of telling people the same thing some folks make netbooks their main computers and it just dosent work that way.... i have a bunch of people asking me if i can fix their netbooks or if i can make them "faster"

that asus seems nice, nice size and a decente amount of ram ,how much more were the i5 labtops compared to that i3 over in the AU ?

900aud works out to 778 USD ive seen a comparable asus i5 model on the egg for about the same price i dont know how prices are over there though
Click to expand...
yeah prices are shocking here.
there's another thread in this section i was looking over...about the Alienware M11x which retails for $799 for you guys in USA?
i checked Alienware Australia and guess how much...$1.5k AUD :bang head:

even after i converted the $799USD to AUD it was $926 AUD, so prices here = crap :)

the cheapest Asus i5 model i see is for $1.5k? (asus N61JV).
$900 for the i3 Asus laptop i listed above is already pretty cheap considering it's got the new CPUs.
only drawback is the GMA 4500 graphics...but i guess that's what youo get for $900.
would anybody opt for the T6570 CPU + GT320M laptop over the i3 + Intel GMA 4500 laptop?
for very very VERY light gaming...lol
i3 just sounds beasty! :santa:
 
Last edited:
I use a netbook upgraded to 2GB+ 320GB + Windows 7.

It performs admirably well. However that just depends on what you use it for.

The most important is portability. It is ideal for this, longer battery life and small form factor. Mine is about 1/3 the weight of my Compaq V5000 I traded out of. It had a Sempron 3300, and this atom is just about as fast. In some apps not so much, in other things it is faster.

Important to both laptops and netbooks is USE THE KEYBOARD before you buy. If the keyboard sucks, the best laptop specs won't make up for this flaw. Don't try and talk yourself into likeing it. Either it is good or it sucks.

Keep in mind the upgrade costs. Most laptops/netbooks are lacking in ram and harddrive space. If the cost to max it out is say 150 dollars but you can get the Daddy Mack for 100 more, then spend the money up front. SSDs IMO are not yet ripe, so avoid SSDs until they come standart 200GB+ in laptops.

Netbooks come without a optical drive, so you have to be savy to install an operating system. Opt for a recovery USB. Most Geeksquads will charge you 120+ dollars for this service, so keep that in mind.

I love my netbook and won't go back to a laptop. I will just hope the next gen comes out with quad core netbooks.
 
Brutal-Force said:
I use a netbook upgraded to 2GB+ 320GB + Windows 7.

It performs admirably well. However that just depends on what you use it for.

The most important is portability. It is ideal for this, longer battery life and small form factor. Mine is about 1/3 the weight of my Compaq V5000 I traded out of. It had a Sempron 3300, and this atom is just about as fast. In some apps not so much, in other things it is faster.

Important to both laptops and netbooks is USE THE KEYBOARD before you buy. If the keyboard sucks, the best laptop specs won't make up for this flaw. Don't try and talk yourself into likeing it. Either it is good or it sucks.

Keep in mind the upgrade costs. Most laptops/netbooks are lacking in ram and harddrive space. If the cost to max it out is say 150 dollars but you can get the Daddy Mack for 100 more, then spend the money up front. SSDs IMO are not yet ripe, so avoid SSDs until they come standart 200GB+ in laptops.

Netbooks come without a optical drive, so you have to be savy to install an operating system. Opt for a recovery USB. Most Geeksquads will charge you 120+ dollars for this service, so keep that in mind.

I love my netbook and won't go back to a laptop. I will just hope the next gen comes out with quad core netbooks.
Click to expand...

yeah, i'll be sure to test it out. i'm not too fussed about HDD size. what i coudln't decide is whether i want the compactness and battery life of the netbook or the extra grunt from the laptop.
and i'll be sure to test out the keyboard! also, the thinner the better for me. aesthetics is nearly as important as performance for me...have no idea why. maybe it's just my personality.

PeterGarcia30 said:
srry to hear that the price difference is so much check the graphics comparison here http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Graphics-Cards-Benchmark-List.844.0.html
the gt 320m is 81st & the gma4500 is 167th check the scores and stuff

and here most cpus are compared take a look
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Processors-Benchmarklist.2436.0.html
Click to expand...

thanks for the links man! great help :)

just off topic: the 4850M being ranked higher than the GTX260M is surprising to me :shrug:
 
Bobnova said:
I have yet to see an atom netbook board that takes more then 2gb of ram.

I would not do CAD on an atom, a 1.6ghz atom is roughly akin to a 2.4ghz northwood P4.
That's about the same as a single core of a core2duo at 1.2ghz.
Click to expand...

The eeePC 1210N takes up to 8GB and has a dual core Atom + ION gfx, but it is pushing the boundaries of what counts as a netbook.
 
just off topic: the 4850M being ranked higher than the GTX260M is surprising to me
Click to expand...

yeah ones 18 and the others 19 use that table more as a comparison to see how a video card stacks up against another as you see desktop video cards reviewed all the time and then you have laptop graphics and allot of people are lost as to how they stack up with each other so you can make an informative decision you know.
 
>HyperlogiK< said:
The eeePC 1210N takes up to 8GB and has a dual core Atom + ION gfx, but it is pushing the boundaries of what counts as a netbook.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that Eee PC really isn't a netbook anymore. Its an energy efficient laptop.

Atoms vs. Dual Core the dual core will blow the doors off an atom, so again.... it boils down to portability. No matter how light your netbook or laptop is, if you have to carry an extra batter and charger... kinda defeats the point of portability and being lightweight.
 
A 4850m is a desktop 4850 at low clocks.
A gtx260m has absolutely nothing to do with any desktop GTX gpu.


You absolutely must type on the keyboard, it can look @*%* fantastic but if it sucks you'll be typing at half speed.
My dad's acer is like that, keyboard looks great, types horribly.
 
Compaq currently has the best keyboard as far as Netbooks go, with the newer 10" Asus netbooks a close second. 8.9" netbooks were incredibly hard to type on.

Asus has the higher quality, but compaq/HP has an awesome netbook.
 
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