Netbook for Photo Backup

[pierces]

Ok Dave thanks. I was going to look into Elements when a photo instructor from my old university said the full version was the only way to go. The issue is that I really do not want to alter my photos that much with the exception of color and light etc.

 

Photoshop is the only "real" editor.

 

Mac is the only "real" computer.

 

"Real" photographers always shoot RAW.

 

Canon is the only "real" pro camera.

 

If anyone tells you there is only one "real" option for anything, they are not a "real" authority. It constantly amazes me how many people get into the position of "educating" others when their knowledge is based more on belief than on research driven by curiosity. The narrower the view, the more you miss.

 

Can you see me standing up here on my soapbox? :D

 

Back to the point. :p Elements is an amazingly powerful program that is fully capable of handling RAW, layers, plug-in filters and levels. There are a few things that it won't do like chromatic aberration removal, but buying Elements for $79 and adding a couple of $50 filter packages as you need them for specific functions makes more sense than paying $700 for Photoshop and never, ever using 95% of it's features.

 

Dave

[Rosieo]

I've had my Acer Aspire 10.1 inch netbook for about a month now. I bought it through Costco because I wanted to be sure I liked it. You have 90 days and you can return it for any reason for full refund, no restocking fee. Of course I am keeping it, I just love it! It cost $349 and came with a case and a mouse. I never use the mouse and the case is just what I need. It is quick and snappy and perfect for me. I have Open Office on it and Picasa and both run perfectly. I called Acer and they sent me out all the back up disks I would need it I ever had to reformat it. But to do that I would need an external CD/DVD but I'll worry about that later...and I hope I don't need to worry about that! The small keyboard hasn't been a problem at all, I have adjusted to it just fine. Now I can't wait for my trip to Alaska in 3 weeks, it will be coming with so I can organize all my photos.

[Colorado Kat]

I've had my Acer Aspire 10.1 inch netbook for about a month now. I called Acer and they sent me out all the back up disks I would need it I ever had to reformat it. But to do that I would need an external CD/DVD but I'll worry about that later...and I hope I don't need to worry about that!

 

Well, if you ever need to reinstall, you can go buy an external drive, or borrow one. I'll have to see if ASUS will send me back-up disks. Did you have to pay for them?

 

Kathy

[Jade13]

I still want to know the pro's/cons of Acer vs Asus with 10" screen and 160Gb hard drive? Is one smaller/lighter?

[pierces]

I still want to know the pro's/cons of Acer vs Asus with 10" screen and 160Gb hard drive? Is one smaller/lighter?

 

Aspire One 10" 160GB w/6-cell battery Model AOD150:

 

Dimension 10.23" x 8.01" x 1.31"

Weight 2.9 lbs.

Keyboard is 89% of std. laptop (whatever that standard is)

LINK TO KEYBOARD IMAGE

 

eee PC 10" 60GB w/6-cell battery Model 1000H"

 

Dimension 10.47" x 7.53" x 1.50"

Weight 3.2 lbs.

Keyboard is 91% of std. laptop

 

I like the layout of the Acer better, but the EEEPC is slightly larger. Host Sheila has said thet the EEE's keyboard takes some getting used to, but is easy to work with.

 

Just like the top camera models...they're both good and it comes down to personal preference! ;)

 

Dave

[Jade13]

Aspire One 10" 160GB w/6-cell battery Model AOD150:

 

Dimension 10.23" x 8.01" x 1.31"

Weight 2.9 lbs.

Keyboard is 89% of std. laptop (whatever that standard is)

LINK TO KEYBOARD IMAGE

 

eee PC 10" 60GB w/6-cell battery Model 1000H"

 

Dimension 10.47" x 7.53" x 1.50"

Weight 3.2 lbs.

Keyboard is 91% of std. laptop

 

I like the layout of the Acer better, but the EEEPC is slightly larger. Host Sheila has said thet the EEE's keyboard takes some getting used to, but is easy to work with.

 

Just like the top camera models...they're both good and it comes down to personal preference! ;)

 

Dave

 

Thank you!

[ludocdoc]

I apologize that I can't post HOW to do this (perhaps someone else reading?) but I almost bought a netbook for the cruise I just returned from do do email. I'm not slick with Outlook, but I'd think you could set it up to download your emails, then disconnect and read the emails and write all your replies, then reconnect and upload them all. Most ships have wireless now, so you'd be online for a minute or two downloading, and another minute or 2 uploading -- much cheaper than staying online while you read your messages. I'm sure there are tech savvy folks out there doing this already on laptops, but the netbooks are much lighter and would seem ideal.

[pierces]

I apologize that I can't post HOW to do this (perhaps someone else reading?) but I almost bought a netbook for the cruise I just returned from do do email. I'm not slick with Outlook, but I'd think you could set it up to download your emails, then disconnect and read the emails and write all your replies, then reconnect and upload them all. Most ships have wireless now, so you'd be online for a minute or two downloading, and another minute or 2 uploading -- much cheaper than staying online while you read your messages. I'm sure there are tech savvy folks out there doing this already on laptops, but the netbooks are much lighter and would seem ideal.

 

A good technique and a good suggestion. I read fast, but my typing skills are...shall we say "expensive" on a cruise ship. :o

 

I found that GMail from google can be set to store your mail offline and can let you compose locally and then connect. I think Hotmail is either doing this now or will soon.

 

For regular accounts, there are free clients like Eudora or Thunderbird that would work fine on a netbook.

 

Again, good suggestion!

 

Dave

[Rosieo]

Well, if you ever need to reinstall, you can go buy an external drive, or borrow one. I'll have to see if ASUS will send me back-up disks. Did you have to pay for them?

 

Kathy

 

No I did not have to pay for them. I called and they were mailed out to me. I think it took about 5 days to get them.

[BallFour4]

I am typing this on my new Acer 1000HE and so far it is a nifty little machine.

 

Some logistics. I switched to a a new MacBook when the aluminum models hit the streets. Went cold turkey and love it.

 

I have a small weekend DJ business and use the Mac. While Macs are nice I was not going to purchase a second one for backup. The netbook was the answer.

 

My first purchase was the HP model with a 16 gig solid state drive. Over The Christmas holidays our college girl came home and adopted it for good. She used it during track season when they traveled to meets. That made sense to me versus a hard drive machine and shock from planes, trains and automobiles :)

 

The Asus was a minor impulse buy as I went to Best Buy to look at the sub $500 machines with the best value for money.

 

I stripped all the nonsense software off and loaded iTunes, Picasa, Open Office, AVG and Mozilla. Mix in about 11,000 Mp3's, several movies from iTunes and I have about 33 gig left.

 

If looks could kill this machine would be a felon. The piano black color is a fingerprint magnet, but a wipe down with a damp towel daily makes sense.

 

Two weeks have past since purchase and we have invested in a Microsoft wireless mouse and soft case. My wife and daughter love this thing. Our coffee table is it's new home.

 

I might increase the RAM but so far no real gripes. I disabled the Quick Start of Open Office and dumped the quick start data from msconfig for iTunes.

 

We also decided against taking the Canon 50d on the cruises. The new Rebel with SD memory is a nice match with direct transfer from chip to hard drive. I decided to not erase anything from the SD cards on the cruise and will pack more memory instead.

 

I'd like to see and hear of experiences of firmware updates so far and what your experiences are for memory upgrades to two gig of RAM.

 

Geeks Rule...

 

 

.

[Donald&Margaret]

I am typing this on my new Acer 1000HE and so far it is a nifty little machine.

 

Some logistics. I switched to a a new MacBook when the aluminum models hit the streets. Went cold turkey and love it.

 

I have a small weekend DJ business and use the Mac. While Macs are nice I was not going to purchase a second one for backup. The netbook was the answer.

 

My first purchase was the HP model with a 16 gig solid state drive. Over The Christmas holidays our college girl came home and adopted it for good. She used it during track season when they traveled to meets. That made sense to me versus a hard drive machine and shock from planes, trains and automobiles :)

 

The Asus was a minor impulse buy as I went to Best Buy to look at the sub $500 machines with the best value for money.

 

I stripped all the nonsense software off and loaded iTunes, Picasa, Open Office, AVG and Mozilla. Mix in about 11,000 Mp3's, several movies from iTunes and I have about 33 gig left.

 

If looks could kill this machine would be a felon. The piano black color is a fingerprint magnet, but a wipe down with a damp towel daily makes sense.

 

Two weeks have past since purchase and we have invested in a Microsoft wireless mouse and soft case. My wife and daughter love this thing. Our coffee table is it's new home.

 

I might increase the RAM but so far no real gripes. I disabled the Quick Start of Open Office and dumped the quick start data from msconfig for iTunes.

 

We also decided against taking the Canon 50d on the cruises. The new Rebel with SD memory is a nice match with direct transfer from chip to hard drive. I decided to not erase anything from the SD cards on the cruise and will pack more memory instead.

 

I'd like to see and hear of experiences of firmware updates so far and what your experiences are for memory upgrades to two gig of RAM.

 

Geeks Rule...

 

 

.

 

 

I've had the 1000HE for about 2 months and it's a great little machine for the money. I installed the 2 gig memory and did not notice much of a difference in speed, but I mainly use it for surfing the net. The built-in wi-fi is not as strong as my full size Dell laptop. In the same location in my house, with the Dell laptop getting a wi-fi reading of "excellent" my Asus 1000HE is only getting a "good" reading. and in some areas of my house the Asus will not get a signal and the Dell will get a signal.

The other little problem is the keyboard. Asus says that the keyboard is 94% of a normal size keyboard but I find it cramped to do any extensive typing ( I have slightly large hands). Another little qwerk is the hard drive is partitioned almost in half (80 gig / 80gig), so I guess I could repartition it but I'm affraid that I will loose the back up data that is on the D drive.

I don't want to sound negative about this netbook, I really love it, I just have these few small issues with the machine. The greatest thing about it is the battery life. If you set it up properly to save energy, you can really get 9 hours of light usage from it. If you are using it heavily, you can expect about 6 full hours of use. the battery will definately last for a coast to coast flight with some to spare.

As far as playing DVD's... I download the DVD to a thumb drive on my desk top computer and then download the movie the netbook or store the movie on a SD card and watch it on the plane, trane or whenever.

Also, my 1000HE came with a restore DVD disk. If you have an old computer with a DVD drive, you can take out the drive from the old computer and buy a USB to SATA cable for about $25 and use that for reading or writing DVD's when necessary.

[chipmaster]

Here is a nice little place where you can see just how fast or slow your latest CPU is :D

 

http://www.anandtech.com/weblog/showpost.aspx?i=600

[s2k000L]

Just got my netbook today - It's plugged in and charging. Looks nice. I got the ASUS Netbook (10" screen, 160 gig drive) - Amazon

 

One thing to watch out for: Get the largest keyboard you can. I believe mine is 92%. There are a few I tried out in stores, and they drove me crazy - just too small.

 

Another thing - If you buy an ASUS from BestBuy, there is something made especially for them to sell - not the typical. A slightly different letter designation at the end. Read the reviews - many folks were fooled, and they were unhappy with the variation they got.

 

I got the 6 cell battery with 9.5 hours of life - haven't tested it out yet - I view it as miles per gallon estimates for cars. In a perfect world......

 

Any suggestions for putting a couple of my already owned DVD movies on the netbook? I don't want to do anything illegal, but it is nice to have a movie you like when you fly. I understand there are "issues" because everyone is concerned about piracy.

 

Kathy

 

Here's my solution:

 

I'm currently on my third Netbook (first one was Asus eeePC 701, second was HP MiniNote, and current is Acer Aspire One), so I've had my fair share of experience with three different vendors. All had their pro's and con's--you've really got to try them on for size to see which one fits best.

 

For loading movies onto your machine, there are a number of programs available on the net that can convert DVD's to various video formats. I currently us PQ DVD (retail $40USD) that allows me to convert DVDs to MP4 format (which is compatible with iPOD and BlackBerry devices). This program allows you to control the audio and video settings--better quality means more memory/space. I typically record the movies so that they are no larger than 500-600MB. So, I currently have either MP4's or WMV's on the local hard drive. So, with a 160GB HD, you can imagine that there's quite a few movies for my viewing pleasure. Right now, there's probably 40 movies waiting for the upcoming flight and cruise.

 

Lastly, purchased an extended 9-cell battery on Amazon.com to really cover all bases. Now, I'll be running QuickTime and/or Windows Media Player, all the movies, and the original 6-cell battery and backup 9-cell battery. Heck, I may never have to charge the darn thing til halfway thru the trip :)

 

Hope that helps!

[Jade13]

Here's my solution:

 

I'm currently on my third Netbook (first one was Asus eeePC 701, second was HP MiniNote, and current is Acer Aspire One), so I've had my fair share of experience with three different vendors. All had their pro's and con's--you've really got to try them on for size to see which one fits best.

 

For loading movies onto your machine, there are a number of programs available on the net that can convert DVD's to various video formats. I currently us PQ DVD (retail $40USD) that allows me to convert DVDs to MP4 format (which is compatible with iPOD and BlackBerry devices). This program allows you to control the audio and video settings--better quality means more memory/space. I typically record the movies so that they are no larger than 500-600MB. So, I currently have either MP4's or WMV's on the local hard drive. So, with a 160GB HD, you can imagine that there's quite a few movies for my viewing pleasure. Right now, there's probably 40 movies waiting for the upcoming flight and cruise.

 

Lastly, purchased an extended 9-cell battery on Amazon.com to really cover all bases. Now, I'll be running QuickTime and/or Windows Media Player, all the movies, and the original 6-cell battery and backup 9-cell battery. Heck, I may never have to charge the darn thing til halfway thru the trip :)

 

Hope that helps!

 

What did you not like about the Asus so you moved to the Acer? I understand that you now have a 160 GB hard drive. Do either of the newest models of Acer or Asus have more memory so may be better auited for either the movies or photos?

[pierces]

What did you not like about the Asus so you moved to the Acer? I understand that you now have a 160 GB hard drive. Do either of the newest models of Acer or Asus have more memory so may be better auited for either the movies or photos?

 

They are almost identical in specification. The Asus has a longer battery rating, but that is likely how it is tested (WiFi off, LCD dimmed, etc.).

 

I have played with both and only prefer the Acer only because of the more conventional keyboard (but could easily live with the Asus). They both have:

 

- Intel Atom processors (270 1.60ghz in the Acer, 280 1.66 ghz in the Asus - real world difference = not much)

- come with 1GB RAM upgradeable to 2GB (both have one SO-DIMM slot so you have to buy a 2GB stick and toss the installed one)

- integrated wireless networking (WiFi 802.11 b/g...though some sites list the faster "n" protocol for the Asus)

- three USB 2.0 ports

- built-in webcam

- 160GB hard drive

- 1024x600 screen

- RJ-45 standard ethernet port

- no DVD drive built in.

 

As I said...I like the Acer keyboard better. There was no other real deal-maker/breaker for me. It may end up coming down to who has the best deal when I'm ready to pull the trigger and buy one.

 

My 2¢...

 

Dave

[s2k000L]

What did you not like about the Asus so you moved to the Acer? I understand that you now have a 160 GB hard drive. Do either of the newest models of Acer or Asus have more memory so may be better auited for either the movies or photos?

Well the eeePC701 truly was the initiator of this whole netbook craze. As it was the first to be introduced, it was very small, 4GB SSD hard drive, small screen, and finally ran Linux. Those spec's were truly innovative. However, I soon lost my wireless connection with Verizon Wireless USB720 modem, and needed to switch to connectivity with my BlackBerry (tethered modem). Linux is not supported by BlackBerry, hence my search for a new machine running WinXP. I was running short on time, and went to my local Costco to pick up the HP MiniNote the day before Christmas Vacation. Soon after (~1month later) the prices dropped enough for me to switch over to Acer.

 

IMHO, the HP has a nicer layout of keyboard, but the price was the deal breaker. Most of these units are all comparably priced, so it comes down to your personal preference and feel. The newer Asus machines look very sleek, as they are trying to recapture the market. Acer had taken away the top spot with number of units sold back in the first quarter 2009. Not sure who's in the lead right now.

 

As for mobile computing (ie pics, movies, surfing) they're all good! Can't go wrong with a netbook!

[Jade13]

Well the eeePC701 truly was the initiator of this whole netbook craze. As it was the first to be introduced, it was very small, 4GB SSD hard drive, small screen, and finally ran Linux. Those spec's were truly innovative. However, I soon lost my wireless connection with Verizon Wireless USB720 modem, and needed to switch to connectivity with my BlackBerry (tethered modem). Linux is not supported by BlackBerry, hence my search for a new machine running WinXP. I was running short on time, and went to my local Costco to pick up the HP MiniNote the day before Christmas Vacation. Soon after (~1month later) the prices dropped enough for me to switch over to Acer.

 

IMHO, the HP has a nicer layout of keyboard, but the price was the deal breaker. Most of these units are all comparably priced, so it comes down to your personal preference and feel. The newer Asus machines look very sleek, as they are trying to recapture the market. Acer had taken away the top spot with number of units sold back in the first quarter 2009. Not sure who's in the lead right now.

 

As for mobile computing (ie pics, movies, surfing) they're all good! Can't go wrong with a netbook!

 

Ok, Ok, thanks for the details. I just received something in the mail from Dell. Their Mini 10 with 6 cell is now $399.00 but another $40.00 for a cool color. It comes with XP, Intel Atom Processor Z530, 1GB Memory, 160Gb hard drive and bult-in 13MP WebCam (what do you do with that?)

[pierces]

Ok, Ok, thanks for the details. I just received something in the mail from Dell. Their Mini 10 with 6 cell is now $399.00 but another $40.00 for a cool color. It comes with XP, Intel Atom Processor Z530, 1GB Memory, 160Gb hard drive and bult-in 13MP WebCam (what do you do with that?)

 

1.3MP not 13MP. Unless they are getting into broadcasting!:D

 

The webcam allows you to use your netbook as a video phone or to provide a small, jerky image of yourself while chatting with potential stalkers.:eek:

 

Seriously though. the webcam has some good uses like webcasting a family event to a soldier-relative overseas or something like that. It's not a real important feature in my shopping list.

 

Dave

[s2k000L]

Ok, Ok, thanks for the details. I just received something in the mail from Dell. Their Mini 10 with 6 cell is now $399.00 but another $40.00 for a cool color. It comes with XP, Intel Atom Processor Z530, 1GB Memory, 160Gb hard drive and bult-in 13MP WebCam (what do you do with that?)

Well, if you're willing to spend that much on a Dell Mini10, I would suggest waiting a couple of more weeks and getting the Asus EeePC 1008HA. It will have the new 'seashell' design, very sleek and light weight with all the same specs. It will retail on places like amazon.com for $429.99, but will not be released for at least another two weeks or so. BTW, 1.3MP built-in webcam is for video conferencing and/or live chat (and you can send pics as well).

 

I'm sure once this model is released, you'll see another drop in price from all the manufacturers. Best advice is figure out what your budget is, and pull the trigger. They're all good!

[eliza43]

I used to not end up being very pleased with how my color prints came out.

[Colorado Kat]

Deciding when to buy is kinda like hitting a moving target. As soon as you get one, there will be a better/cheaper model out there. It was kind of good that I had a deadline - I knew I had to decide and grab immediately.

 

I've been so busy that all I've done is charge my netbook up, and haven't even installed the new memory yet. Maybe I'll have time tomorrow. The end of the school year is always very hectic with teens in the house.

 

We leave in 8 days for our cruise, and I've just realised I've misplaced my passport. I think that had better be priority #1 for my time. I had it just a few weeks ago.

 

Kathy

[s2k000L]

Deciding when to buy is kinda like hitting a moving target. As soon as you get one, there will be a better/cheaper model out there. It was kind of good that I had a deadline - I knew I had to decide and grab immediately.

 

I've been so busy that all I've done is charge my netbook up, and haven't even installed the new memory yet. Maybe I'll have time tomorrow. The end of the school year is always very hectic with teens in the house.

 

We leave in 8 days for our cruise, and I've just realised I've misplaced my passport. I think that had better be priority #1 for my time. I had it just a few weeks ago.

 

Kathy

Yeah, probably better off looking for the trusty ol' passport first! Hope you enjoy the trip!

[ciara]

just throwing my hat into the ring!!!!!

I have just recently bought a Samsung NC10 for £300 - a great little notebook - battery life approx 6 hrs - have added memory to it.

Am really pleased with it

[Jade13]

As far as Asus vs Dell vs Acer, how hard is it to set up the WiFi? I would probably use a gmail account because Comcast does not work in a lot of places. What needs to be installed? We are going on SilverSeas next?

[pierces]

As far as Asus vs Dell vs Acer, how hard is it to set up the WiFi? I would probably use a gmail account because Comcast does not work in a lot of places. What needs to be installed? We are going on SilverSeas next?

 

All three run XP and WiFi is pretty well wizarded. It's usually the operating system that gives you fits and they are all pretty easy nowadays.

 

Dave