Best Netbook for under $350 (Traveling for 3 weeks)

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TheSandman2236

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Hey guys -- I'm traveling to Europe for 3 weeks during Christmas and I really don't want to take my $2000 Macbook Pro with me for that duration. I basically need a small machine to surf/email and maybe watch a few SD movies. Maybe even some starcraft or some old school games/ emulators. I'm also going to be using this machine to transfer pictures im taking from my D60 to an external HDD. (No post processing). Can you guys give me any suggestions?

Also I'd like to mention I'd like to install Windows 7 eventually -- but OS doesn't really all that much to me.
 
Dell mini 10v its the cheapest and for under 350 you can add the 6-cell which will give you over 6.5 hours of battery life.
 
Does anyone really know the main differences between the N series and Z series of Atom Processors? Which is better?
 
Edit: Thought I had a definite answer but apparently I did not. But what I do know is noted below:

The N series was meant for netbooks while the Z series was meant for lower power devices such as MIDs.
CPU voltage on the N is higher than the Z.
Chipsets (and thus graphics) are different; the N is usually paired with the GMA950 while the Z is paired with the GMA500.
Code: 
GMA950                       GMA500
-higher clockspeed           -lower clockspeed
-higher mem bandwidth        -lower mem bandwidth
-no dx10, opengl 1.4         -has dx10, opengl 2.0
-no special video            -has video playback
playback acceleration        acceleration
The GMA950 does perform faster in tests than the GMA500 while the GMA500 supports newer technologies.
Overall performance tests seemingly show the N to be faster than the Z at the same CPU clockspeeds.

The lines have been blurred though and manufacturers have not necessarily followed Intel's original intentions especially due to the new higher-performing Zs that have been released this year.
 
Last edited:
Nanoha said:
Edit: Thought I had a definite answer but apparently I did not. But what I do know is noted below:
The N series was meant for netbooks while the Z series was meant for lower power devices such as MIDs.
CPU voltage on the N is higher than the Z.
Chipsets (and thus graphics) are different; the N is usually paired with the GMA950 while the Z is paired with the GMA500.
Code: 
GMA950                       GMA500
-higher clockspeed           -lower clockspeed
-higher mem bandwidth        -lower mem bandwidth
-no dx10, opengl 1.4         -has dx10, opengl 2.0
-no special video            -has video playback
playback acceleration        acceleration
The GMA950 does perform faster in tests than the GMA500 while the GMA500 supports newer technologies.
Performance tests seemingly show the N to be faster than the Z at the same CPU clockspeeds.
Click to expand...

Thank you VERY much for the answer. Though at this point -- which would be better for a netbook? The GMA500 has video acceleration and DX10 support for Aero.
 
TheSandman2236 said:
Thank you VERY much for the answer. Though at this point -- which would be better for a netbook? The GMA500 has video acceleration and DX10 support for Aero.
Click to expand...
My instincts tell me that the Zs would be a better choice due to the newer technologies. Worrying about slight differences between speeds may not be important when choosing a netbook. However, those are just my thoughts about the issue. Perhaps waiting for more input from other people may be wise.

In the end, I think issues unrelated to the specific CPU series used will prove to be more important. Features (brand, keyboard, screen, aesthetics, ergonomics, size & shape, ports, software and other related components) will most likely be the determining factors. Unfortunately I am not particular experienced with the various netbook models out there. I have only used a Dell 10 and an Asus (I do not remember the specific model.)
 
Nanoha said:
My instincts tell me that the Zs would be a better choice due to the newer technologies. Worrying about slight differences between speeds may not be important when choosing a netbook. However, those are just my thoughts about the issue. Perhaps waiting for more input from other people may be wise.

In the end, I think issues unrelated to the specific CPU series used will prove to be more important. Features (brand, keyboard, screen, aesthetics, ergonomics, size & shape, ports, software and other related components) will most likely be the determining factors. Unfortunately I am not particular experienced with the various netbook models out there. I have only used a Dell 10 and an Asus (I do not remember the specific model.)
Click to expand...

How do you like your Dell? Dell Mini 9, 10, or 10v?
 
I used the Mini 10. Honestly, I think it worked well but there wasn't anything particular to rave about; I'm somewhat neutral about it. I can however mention that I found the trackpad sometimes difficult to use (the mouse buttons is the trackpad itself similar to how current Macbook Pro trackpads are but the implementation on the Mini 10 is not phenomenal) and that the battery life isn't particulary great (I get a little bit more than 2 hours with Wi-Fi use; I'm not sure how battery life is for other brands of netbooks though I think they're sometimes longer at around 3-4 hours). I did find the keyboard size comfortable however; I noticed some netbooks have relatively cramped keyboards.

Dell netbook owners seem to be satisfied overall though, but I haven't found the response to be overwhelmingly fanatic other than from Hackintosh users. There are of course many other companies to consider (Asus, Acer, Lenova, & HP).
 
It works flawlessly check out www.mydellmini.com for how to guides. With the 6-cell battery the mini gets over 6 hours of battery and the N series processor support both dx10 and Aero so really it is up to you but if you want a quiet netbook the mini 10v is the way to go as it is fanless.
 
prodigee said:
With the 6-cell battery the mini gets over 6 hours of battery and the N series processor support both dx10 and Aero so really it is up to you but if you want a quiet netbook the mini 10v is the way to go as it is fanless.
Click to expand...
Ah yes, my battery life experience with the much smaller 3 cell.

But wait, I thought the N didn't support DX10.
 
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You may be right with the DX10 but they do run Aero just fine, and really why would you need DX10 if you can't even begin to contemplate gaming in DX10 on netbook.
 
Note you can only Hackintosh the N not the Z due to GMA500 not being supported. So only Dell 9, Dell 10v and others.

My personal favorite is the HP 2140. Excellent keyboard.
 
I own a few of these, amazingly. :)

Overall I like the new Toshiba NB205 the best. It combines the keyboard of the HP 2140 with the best trackpad available and all the right ports and build quality. The battery life appears to be second to none in terms of netbooks. It's also cheap and extremely well built. Only downside I've noticed is a quiet speaker.

Next the 2140 which feels a lot like the Toshiba but seems to cost a bit more and run somewhat slower.
 
lixuelai said:
Note you can only Hackintosh the N not the Z due to GMA500 not being supported. So only Dell 9, Dell 10v and others.

My personal favorite is the HP 2140. Excellent keyboard.
Click to expand...

Yeah like what lixuelai said, the GMA500 has very bad support for hackintoshing and in the linux community.

I can also agree that the HP 2140 is awesome. After doing much research I went with the HP Mini 2140 with the 6 cell and 1366x768 screen, its gorgeous but most likely out of your price range.

I would check out the newer HP Mini 110's for something that might fit in your budget.
 
I actually just traded my PS3 here on the forums for an HP Mini 1035nr (wasn't using the PS3 AT ALL). We'll see how it goes! Only thing it cost me was shipping :p
 
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