Buying a Netbook, Need Suggestions

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confused

Evolving Rapidly...
Hi friends,
i am planning to buy a netbook. I was initially planning to get it from India, until I realized I could get it through a cousin visiting from the US. The price difference is as high as 6k for the Asus EEE 1101HA. The Samsung NC20 costs $500 (=Rs.23500), cant find its exact price in India, does anyone here know it??

My usage would be for:
1>web surfing
2>multisim app
3>light entertainment (music/movies)

Also there is a lan network in my hostel, so the lack of an optical drive isnt a huge issue.

My first priority is bigger screen size, and better performance over battery life. From my research, both 1101HA and NC20 have good screen sizes(11.6" and 12.1" respectively). But the performance of NC20 seems to vastly superior over 1101HA. Also the NC20 seems to perform better than the DELL Mini.

So should i go for the NC20?? Will it be worth it?? Or, are there any better models out there?? Also please mention the price in India, if anyone know it.

Thanks for reading.
 

rang_varma

Broken In
All the Netbooks are same except Gigabyte Booktop M1022

Guys...
The only difference we notice in netbooks is brand names, except that all have the same specs... but check out GIgabyte's Booktop[notebook+desktop] M1022....
It is the best... if you are not satisfied with any of the more popular brands and u need more funcationality with better design and style go for Gigabyte Booktop M1022
*lh6.ggpht.com/_N_D-iY0FFlk/St_cvp7gfoI/AAAAAAAAAAM/JutLILBDoY8/s512/M1022-1.jpg
Specs:
Intel Atom N28 1.66GHZ
1 GB RAM
250GB HDD
WIn 7 Starter
Docking station
10.1 inch HD screen
3.5G....
1.3 MP cam...

Best in the netbook segment....
*lh3.ggpht.com/_N_D-iY0FFlk/St_gCKd3O-I/AAAAAAAAAAk/w-NWnMwbrgk/s512/Booktop.jpg
 

rohanmathew

Reader of Trust 2009
I suggest Acer D250.
visit acer website for specifications.

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Suggestions are based on experience.Try at your risk.
 

rang_varma

Broken In
Guys
Why should anyone go for either a Lenovo or Acer ... with specs of
1GB RAM/160GB HDD/Win XP that is it basically, then go for Gigabyte M1022 it has
1GB RAM/250GB HDD/Win 7 Starter/Docking station/ 3.5 embeded. though a few bucks more but it has 3.5 embeded. 3G services are offered by BSNL in 12 cities. Now to use 3G if you buy lenovo or Dell or Acer, it doesnt even have 35 Antenna built in. So they are useless.
So better go for Gigabyte Booktop M1022 which has 2 version 1. with 3G Antenna built in 2. another model with 3G embeded. It comes with docking station an extra super cool accessory..... 250GB HDD. WIn 7 starter. The best netbook in the segment.
Ordinary Netbook
*lh5.ggpht.com/_N_D-iY0FFlk/SwzFxEcYEQI/AAAAAAAAANQ/r5zIshwtRlQ/TraditionallapconwithLCD.jpg

Gigabyte Booktop
*lh4.ggpht.com/_N_D-iY0FFlk/SwzF1foia_I/AAAAAAAAANU/tQdjqo38w_U/M1022%20with%20LCD.jpg

The docking station apart from providing a host of Ports, D-Sub also charges the battery M1022 simultaneously while you are connected to a bigger screen. Helps ur eyes are not strained when you are working in home and not mobility.
* The above model has some stickers on it. so do not consider that..
*lh6.ggpht.com/_N_D-iY0FFlk/SwYTTtBd9EI/AAAAAAAAAGI/TOrq25m7CpY/M1022%20small.jpg

*lh3.ggpht.com/_N_D-iY0FFlk/SwYTS37dSRI/AAAAAAAAAGE/FC9jdsph_vc/Booktop%20docked.jpg
 

rohanmathew

Reader of Trust 2009
Below is a review done by Anandtech for BookTop

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M1022: Jack of All Trades, Master of None

There's nothing new to say about performance in regards to netbooks. If you're wondering how the M1022 performs, you can read more in the conclusion of our ASUS 1005HA review. In day-to-day use, the Gigabyte Booktop M1022 and the ASUS 1005HA offer virtually identical performance… well, identical except for battery life where the ASUS is clearly superior. And that's the crux of this review. Based on most areas, the ASUS 1005HA is better than the Booktop M1022, except that it doesn't have a docking station and it costs less money.

The result is that the M1022 is a product that tries to blur the line between netbooks and nettops but ends up being inferior in both categories. However, just because the M1022 isn't the best netbook or the best nettop doesn't mean it's a bad product. You can get a good netbook and a good nettop in one package, whereas buying a separate netbook and nettop will end up costing quite a bit more money. For example, you can get the ASUS 1005HA for $350 and the ASUS Eee Box B202 for $270, for a total cost of $620. If you don't need to use both systems at the same time, the Booktop M1022 can fill the same roles for a total cost of $468. That saves you about $150, which is half-way to a second netbook. However, you could easily forego the docking station, use a USB hub with any netbook/laptop, and get practically the same result.

As long as the Gigabyte Booktop M1022 is available for under $500, it has some potential customers. Anyone looking for a netbook with an ExpressCard slot will have few other options. The key attraction of the M1022 is its ability to function as a single system that you can use at home or on the road with a minimum of fuss. You come home, drop it in the docking bay, and you have a nettop. When you need to go out, you lift it out of the docking station and you have a three pound netbook with six hours of battery life. As long as you don't require a high-performance setup, the Booktop M1022 will allow you to go mobile or work at home without the need of syncing data between multiple systems. That's the key draw, and there are definitely people who will like the platform.

So what's our take? At the MSRP of $600 it's simply too much. For $600 we would recommend getting an entry-level Intel Core 2 based laptop and sacrificing some of the battery life a netbook offers, or grab a $300 netbook and $300 nettop and store your data in the cloud when necessary. With such a laptop, you can still plug in a keyboard, mouse, and external LCD -- using a digital connection even -- and you will get substantially better performance. At $500, we would still generally recommend going with a laptop rather than a netbook/nettop hybrid, as all of the above still hold true.

The real customer for the M1022 is going to be someone that wants six hours of mobility with a lightweight netbook who also thinks the vertical docking station is a standout feature. Price can't be a major concern, as we're talking about plugging the M1022 dock into an LCD, keyboard, and mouse, so there's at least another $200 in expenses right there. By the time you factor in the cost of the M1022 and the accessories necessary to use it as a nettop, you're looking at a total price of $700 or more (unless you get a really cheap LCD). There are many notebooks and laptops that fall into that price range where you wouldn't even need a separate LCD or keyboard… mice on the other hand are still far easier to use than touchpads, but they're also very inexpensive.

In the end, the M1022 has some nice features but it faces a lot of competition. The overall package is good, with reasonable battery life and an attractive chassis. The touchpad is also good, though buying a product just because you like the touchpad seems a bit excessive. Returning to the Gigabyte press release, they've pretty much nailed this one: "The differentiator, the feature that sets the Booktop M1022 apart from all the other products, is the Booktop Docking Station." If that's what you want, you've found your next netbook. The docking station works as advertised, but it's not perfect as the dock's Ethernet doesn't transfer data at anywhere near 100Mbit and there's no digital video connection. We're not convinced it's enough for most users.

If you want a single system that you can use at home and easily take with you, the M1022 will fit the bill. We typically look at netbooks and nettops as second or third (or fourth…) computers, as they're not fast enough to satisfy all of our computing wants/needs. If you feel the same, there's not much need for a slow, alternate desktop that's missing some key features. We'd rather have a good nettop using the Ion platform and a dual-core Atom processor that can serve as a silent HTPC, along with a netbook that gets better battery life and has a better LCD. That will cost a bit more, so if money is tight and you don't have or want multiple systems, an entry-level notebook offers far more functionality and performance and you can still connect a few cables to use it as a desktop when necessary. The Booktop M1022 is ultimately about trading performance for flexibility and convenience, and for the cost and features we just don't think the vertical docking station is enough to put the M1022 ahead of other options.

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Suggestions are based on references.Pls try at your risk.
 

rang_varma

Broken In
Hello Rohan....
For the Booktop a total of 6 USB ports 2 VGA ports, 2 LAN ports in addition to 3.5 Antenna built-in/ 3G Embedded.
So the Product is scalable ...
When docked to an external display,

  1. Dock Charges the Netbook
  2. 3-in-1 Card reader is accessable
  3. 6 USB ports available. mouse, printer, mp3, camera can be charged a whole multimedia system can be configured.
  4. 3G module embeded which is not common in many of the netbooks. 3G broadband is available in 12 cities of India and is being scaled up, so with GIgabyte booktop you can be connected anywhere...
  5. Cool touchpad features.....


Well...... the following are some of the
unique features of Gigabyte Bouchooktop M1022
Nice review, but you guys missed out on the best features:
1. Push the right click button when the system is off and those 6 LEDs show you how much battery you have left.
2. The touch pad may be small, but it uses an ELan tech smart mousepad system:
a. Tap with 3 fingers and it’s the same as a right click
b. Drag upwards with 3 fingers and it takes you to My Computer
c. Drag downwards with 3 fingers and it’s the same as Alt Tab – you can jump between windows
d. Drag left or right with 3 fingers for the arrow functions on Firefox – so if I want to go to a previous page of this review I drag left with 3 fingers
e. Move two fingers apart or together to zoom in or zoom out
f. Tap down onto a Jpeg image with 1 finger and drag the other finger around to rotate the image
g. All of these functions are programmable so you can customize it according to your preference
 

rang_varma

Broken In
^^ What is the cost ???
Any website link for getting info and closer pics and all ???

You can visit this blog which has a flash file demonstrating product.

*gigabytelaptops.blogspot.com/

Inspan Infotech has signed up to distribute the Gigabyte Notebooks/Netbooks in India.
shoot a mail to them inform your city for the price : skmishra@inspaninfotech.com
Inform your city in the mail....
*lh4.ggpht.com/_N_D-iY0FFlk/SwYTQ0xmBuI/AAAAAAAAAF0/r2CT6ZHEKpg/2693%20%E8%A4%87%E8%A3%BD.jpg
 

rang_varma

Broken In
^^ But can you give us an average price ??

< Rs 25K......

Remember this is a niche product, with a good design and added functionality........
This product reached the final round of German IFA awards the foremost design awards in the World...
Sku's are
M1022C - 10.1inch 1024*600 LED back lit/No Bt/ 4-cell battery/ 3.5G antenna builtin/ With docking
M1022X - 10.1inch 1366*768 HD LED back-lit/BT/6-cell/3.5 Antenna Built in/with dock
M1022G- 10.1inch 1366*768 HD LED back-lit/6-cell/3.5G embeded/with dock ..

So there is price variation between these 3 skus

Better just shoot a one or 2 line email to : skmishra@inspaninfotech.com

Shoot a mail to him and you are going to get an answer straight out of the Gigabyte distributor in India.
 
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