Cheap(ish), light, portable laptop for my sister

[Rummy]

Hello all, this is a request for my sister(a bit similar to tapedeck's thread) however she IS looking for something small and cheap. She isn't very tech savvy, keeps saying notebook but I think she means netbook, but she does have some requirements as follows;

 

Obviously wireless is first key/crucial, she's looking to print stuff but has a USB printer floating about so that's fine, size is kind of important - has to be smallish, some ability for web browsing and playing flash stuff/downloads(by which i presume she means streams), and she'd like it to be able to handle word documents.

 

That is basically her requests, listed in order of preference. I'm asking if any of you guys know something that can do all that, and what'd be best for her/best kinda deal? I'd like for her not to have something too shit, though tbh I don't think she'd notice or care, but just for my peace of mind I'd like the most decent thing what meets all those specs. Anyone know of anywhere with a good deal, or just a generally good model/ones to avoid?

 

 

(Just an aside, the wireless on my router seems to be slowly buggering itself up the bum, would one of these netbook dealies have an ethernet port? Would just be useful til we I fix it/til she moves out)

[Sheikah]

Definitely the Samsung NC10 netbook - I have the white one and my mother has the black. They're small, energy efficient (6-7 hours or so unplugged), quiet, fast (pertaining to web browsing and office applications) and have a great keyboard for a netbook (93% laptop size). It runs youtube videos and the like perfectly smoothly. It has the ethernet port as well as wireless, in case your router has problems. I know it's received great reviews from netbook critic websites, and Raining_Again will tell ya about it too (she's got one), as well as someone else on the forum that I forget.

 

The price should be about £280-300 if you look around. There are matt white, glossy black and glossy blue versions

 

 

I definitely recommend it; one of the best electronic purchases I've ever made!

Edited March 24, 2009 by Sheikah

[Shorty]

I would have to say the Advent 4211. I'm using one right now and it's brilliant, running Windows 7 beta on it flawlessly.

 

Edit: of course, my suggestion is a tiny bit outdated now, but a lot cheaper than the current majority suggestion!

Edited March 24, 2009 by Shorty

[flameboy]

Definitely the Samsung NC10 netbook - I have the white one and my mother has the black. They're small, energy efficient (6-7 hours or so unplugged), quiet, fast (pertaining to web browsing and office applications) and have a great keyboard for a netbook (93% laptop size). It runs youtube videos and the like perfectly smoothly. It has the ethernet port as well as wireless, in case your router has problems. I know it's received great reviews from netbook critic websites, and Raining_Again will tell ya about it too (she's got one), as well as someone else on the forum that I forget.

 

The price should be about £280-300 if you look around. There are matt white, glossy black and glossy blue versions

 

 

I definitely recommend it; one of the best electronic purchases I've ever made!

 

I would second that...I own a white one and love it, best netbook out there.

[Sheikah]

Yup, it's really had the backing from the (relatively few) netbook comparison sites out there. Seems to be the editor's choice and whatnot. It's a gem!

[Raining_again]

Sheikah recommended the Samsung, and I bought the white one. Its teh sex.

[Guest Jordan]

Bare in mind 3 new Samsung NC models are out soon, with insane battery life. The NC310 is coming out, 10 1/2 hours battery, real world usage.

[Sheikah]

Bare in mind 3 new Samsung NC models are out soon, with insane battery life. The NC310 is coming out, 10 1/2 hours battery, real world usage.

Yeah I heard about these the other day from a friend of mine. The battery sounds almost too good to be true (although it'll be great if this isn't just the result of turning every setting to bare minimum and no wifi and sound)...and call me a little image-obsessed, but they're a bit ugly. One of them has a huge Samsung logo on the back which put me right off. :/

[Guest Jordan]

Well if corporate hand jobs aren't your thing from the NC310... try the NC120. Same specs, much nicer to look at (... sort of):

http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/24/samsungs-n120-netbook-joins-the-crew-offers-a-full-size-keyboa/

[Rummy]

Hmm, is it likely the NC10 will drop in price when the new ones hit the scene? Tbh the NC10 seems like it'd do the job, and it looks like the best out there. The others would do the job for her too, but I think the relative price for what you get with the NC10 is much better, but I doubt she'd notice/care, I'm trying to just convince her on it