Netbook Spags...

[Suu]

I'm looking at a few models since prices have gone way down, and I'm considering a purchase. Basically I would be using it for travel, note-taking, and giving presentations at panels, so it would have to have VGA output and be able to pull Open Office (I don't have Powerpoint and it's too goddamn expensive to add it on anyway!)

What models are floating around that you all have? What's the best deal? And can I get a presentation to play on one of these? Linux is fine as long as I have no issues with cross-compatibility from my Windows PC where I'll be making the presentation first.

[Vaud]

I've had the Aspire One since they first came out... not the shiniest fanciest thing around, but it's lasted well.  It's been dropped, it's had beer spilled all over it, it's been sat on, slept on until it overheated, and the fucker still gets the job done.  

What price range are you looking for though?  That pretty much decides your options for performance.  I mean, this little puppy will give you excellent performance compared to most other netbooks, but it'll cost you more too.

EDIT: Usually there's a price-perf sweetspot with hardware, but as far as I know, these netbook models aren't so drastically different as to create a wide gap in price-perf.  I can take another look at some prices later, but the closer to 400 you get, it looks like nicer models are in that range, and if you just need basics on the cheap, you shouldn't be spending more than 100-200 dollars.

[Lyris_Nymphetamine]

The only advise I can give you is this:
always make sure its got a 6 cell battery (or else you'll only get 3 hours out of it)

You should be able to, from most places, get a demonstration. Office supply stores and multimedia stores which sell computers generally show off a working model of the netbooks.
You shouldn't be spending more than a few hundred for one anyway.

[Suu]

yeah, I wasn't looking for anything that can cook me breakfast, just let me surf the net, take some notes in class, play music/movie from a flash drive, and show a Powerpoint.

[Suu]

Also, I <3 New Egg.

[Luna]

I'll let you play with my netbook one of these days soon, see if it's what you're looking for.

[Vaud]

Also, I <3 New Egg.

So do I!  

Although I am pretty disappointed to see that they're selling the Aspire Ones for more than I paid for mine almost three years ago.  WTF!

[Suu]

I'll let you play with my netbook one of these days soon, see if it's what you're looking for.

If you let me put Open Office on it, can I borrow it for Anime Boston? I want to do Powerpoints this year instead of handouts. Those kids don't deserve printed paper.

[Luna]

I'll let you play with my netbook one of these days soon, see if it's what you're looking for.

If you let me put Open Office on it, can I borrow it for Anime Boston? I want to do Powerpoints this year instead of handouts. Those kids don't deserve printed paper.

If it'll run Open Office, sure thing, that's what it's for, to bang around places where I don't want to drag my real laptop (which is, goddamnit, not booting since the landlord spent all day yesterday fucking with the power.)

[Richter]

Yours is Windows 7, right Luna?  It should Open Office FINE.  (My windows 7 Laptop and netbook (Linux) both do)  The only issues come in going from MS office to Open Office.

Look around, but I'm not certain how available linux ones are currently. 

A netbook WILL do what Suu asks of them.  RAM and OS upgrades are the most frequent things to do to them to get the more capable-er.  (less an issue with linux.)

[Suu]

I don't have Powerpoint, so it would go from Open Office Presentation to the same program.

[Luna]

We can check it out this week, see if it'll do what you need it to do.  You WILL want to find out if I've got the right video output, and maybe pick up a cable, we didn't have the correct cable to throw it up on the screen at Richter's last weekend.

[Jasper]

I've had an acer aspireone since late 2008, and it's never had any problems doing all of the things you mentioned.

Under Ubuntu, it has utterly failed to do Skype videoconferencing, even though the camera works in other programs, despite hours of reading help threads and tinkering in the commandline.  Forget Skype under ubuntu.  If Skype isn't important to you though, it's a great little laptop.

[Richter]

Most have VGA out, but newer HDMI, etc., may not be there.  Also check what resolutions it can support.  (My 1st gen. Asus EEE was limited in this regard, but I'm guessing it's not an issue in newer ones.)  

[Jasper]

Most have VGA out, but newer HDMI, etc., may not be there.  Also check what resolutions it can support.  (My 1st gen. Asus EEE was limited in this regard, but I'm guessing it's not an issue in newer ones.)  

Oh yeah.  Me too.  My acer has failed to run a vga to HD bigscreens.  Gets a "NO SYNC SIGNAL" message onscreen.  Probably not enough power to spit out that many pixels.