Laptop Computers

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Originally Posted by itself

I am also looking for a netbook/small laptop. What I struggle with is the fact that many computers only "seem" to have a life of about 3-5 years.

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Yep. That's why AppleCare is such a good idea. I have a 2006 MacBook Pro and the motherboard failed just a month shy of my AppleCare expiring. They replaced it, free of charge. Thankfully I did not lose any data. I'm usually good about making backups, but had gotten a bit lazy a few months prior.

I know I can automate backing up my computer, but a few years ago I was having trouble deciding between a remote server or an external hard drive. Maybe a good idea to revisit this!

I know you know (and I don't do both, either :rolleyes:) but technically, you shouldn't "choose between" onsite and offsite backup - you really need both to be secure in case of theft, fire or flood, and yet have your backups most quickly accessible in case of a garden variety hard-drive failure.

I'm sure there's a level at which technology is rolled out more slowly than it ought to be, but honestly, I see more of the opposite (companies rolling out new technology that isn't quite ready for prime time). So I don't know that obsolescence in the computer world is really planned - I think it's more that technology is just marching on at an ever-quicker pace ... remember Moore's Law (yeah, I had to look it up to remember the name :p)? (The good news is that according to a cNet article cited in that Wikipedia article, the growth is expected to slow in a few more years.)

we use Carbonite for off site back up. For $50 a year it is a great deal. It's saved us several times as we run an engineering company out of our home. The bonus is it acts as a remote desktop, too.

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

I know you know (and I don't do both, either :rolleyes:) but technically, you shouldn't "choose between" onsite and offsite backup - you really need both to be secure in case of theft, fire or flood, and yet have your backups most quickly accessible in case of a garden variety hard-drive failure.

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Yes, very well stated. I think I've just been very lax at figuring out how much space I'll actually need, what it will cost, and getting it set up. I really should just bump it up on my priority list. After the million other things that need to get done! :p

Thanks, Irulan, for the Carbonite recommendation. I'll take a look at them!

I have one of the first netbooks. Asus Eee900.

Next netbook will have an internal hardrive. The 900's keyboard is just too tiny even for my think small fingers. I also don't care for the touch pad, instead, I use a very small USB mouse. Also check on the battery life or usage time before it needs to be recharged.

The last item is the weight. 2 pounds doesn't sound much but wait until you lug around your "purse" well I carry lots of things in it but the added 2 pounds and the weight of the power pack, external USB drive really does a number on my shoulder.

I still like my net book. I take it with me on my trips.

In addition to a Macbook Air and a Lenovo Thinkpad, I have an Acer One with Linpus, a light version of Linux. I like it quite a bit and it travels with me to check email and backup pictures. It fits in any hotel safety box. Sometimes I've even used it to teach -- OpenOffice is great, opens any MS Office without complain. I also like to use GIMP, a freeware Photoshop-like image editor. One of the best things is that Linux boots and shuts down fast, faster than the Mac and so much faster than Windows.