Netbook reviews: Features explained
Netbooks have a touchpad rather than a mouse
Netbook touchpad
Like laptops, netbooks come with a touchpad or trackpad rather than a mouse.
A touchpad is a small, rectangular, touch-sensitive surface beneath the keyboard that’s used for moving the cursor across the screen and for issuing commands.
Typically, one or two clickable buttons beneath or beside the touchpad act like mouse buttons.
A touchpad is more fiddly to use than a mouse, and netbooks’ touchpads are particularly small, but it’s possible to attach a mouse instead if you prefer. You’ll need a USB port available for this, though.
Keyboard on a netbook
Unsurprisingly, a netbook’s keyboard is even smaller than the ones that come with a laptop. And, of course, the smaller the netbook, the smaller the keyboard.
Some netbook manufacturers make very good use of the limited space available, though, fitting the keyboard across the entire surface of the netbook’s chassis.
Because of the limited amount of space available on a netbook, you’re likely to find that the keys on a netbook’s keyboard are closer together.
Some keys may also have moved in order to fit everything into the netbook, while others may have been reduced in size – the cursor keys and the right-shift key tend are more likely than others to have received this treatment on a netbook.
As the keyboard is built into the body of the netbook, you’ll find that it’s not as comfortable to use as desktop keyboards. It’s a good idea to try out a netbook’s keyboard before you buy, to ensure you get one you're comfortable with.
While their size and weight makes netbooks ideal portable devices, there’s nothing to say that you can’t use your netbook at home. If this is the case, you always have the option to plug in a larger keyboard and a mouse to make things more comfortable.
Netbook ports and sockets
Netbooks come with USB ports so that you can add peripheral devices. Pay attention to where these ports are placed on the side of the netbook.
If you have a bulky USB device (such as a chunky USB key), make sure there’s sufficient room between the sockets, so that plugging your device into the netbook doesn’t obscure the adjacent port.
Battery in a netbook
While all netbooks come with a power supply for connection to the mains, they also have an internal battery for use on the move.
Netbook batteries are lasting longer and longer, and you can expect the best of them to last around six to eight hours. Using the netbook's wireless connection will drain the battery more quickly than day-to-day office tasks.
For more on making the most of your netbook battery, read our guide to saving battery power when using your netbook or laptop.
If battery life is particularly important to you, check whether the netbook manufacturer offers a long-life battery for your chosen model.
Netbook webcams
Most netbooks come with a webcam built into the lid, just above the screen. This is a mini camera which allows your image to be beamed across the internet to friends and family.
The processor is the main brain of your netbook
Processors in netbooks
The processor is the main brain of your netbook. It performs all the calculations your netbook makes every second. The speed of a processor is expressed in cycles per second, the unit for which is hertz (typically megahertz and gigahertz).
Many netbooks boast Intel’s Atom chip. Atom chips are designed specifically for mobile devices and aim to give you more computing power while using less battery power. Rival chips are now on the market, though, such as AMD’s Neo chip.
A netbook's memory (Ram)
Ram (random access memory) is a type of short-term memory. The processor uses the netbook’s Ram when it wants to perform tasks.
Consequently, the speed at which the netbook's processor can operate is determined by the amount of Ram.
Netbooks come with less Ram than many laptops – typically 512MB or 1GB. For a faster experience, opt for 1GB netbooks but expect to pay more for the privilege.
Storage on a netbook
Netbooks come with one of two types of storage – a hard disk drive or a solid state drive.
Hard disk drive
The HDD (hard disk drive) provides long-term memory for data storage – measured in gigabytes (GB).
We recommend getting a minimum of 100GB hard disk space, as storing video, high-resolution photos, music and software uses up lots of space. If in doubt, go for more hard drive space if you can afford it.
Solid-state storage
Many netbooks use solid-state storage rather than a conventional hard drive to store data. This uses less power and, since it has no moving parts, is more rugged.
Initially, solid-state drives offered less space than hard disk drives. However, solid-state drives are getting bigger, and it’s now possible to get solid-state drives with 60GB of space.
If you need extra storage space, and external hard drive may be the answer.
Netbook screens
All netbooks come with their own built-in LCD screen. Screen size has a direct impact on the size of the netbook itself.
As netbooks are very small, screens are small, too – typically 8 or 10 inches. A larger screen usually means you’ll get a larger keyboard, but your netbook will weigh more, too.
Graphics on a netbook
Don’t expect to find top-notch graphics in your netbook.
Netbooks come with integrated graphics. Integrated graphics operate using a chunk of the netbook’s memory (Ram), and are fine if you’re just planning to do basic, everyday tasks.
Netbooks are built for everyday tasks rather than power-hungry ones, so they’re unsuitable for serious gaming.
If you want a mobile device on which you can play games or use video-editing software, you really need to opt for a laptop that has a separate graphics card. Separate graphics cards have their own memory, so they don’t take up your laptop’s valuable Ram.
Operating systems available on netbooks
An operating system is the software that runs your computer.
Netbooks tend to come with Windows XP installed, and somw newer models now come with Windows 7. However, some have a version of Linux (called Ubuntu), another type of operating system, installed.
Linux is less demanding than Windows XP in terms of specifications, so you’re likely to find it on lower-spec netbooks. It’s a user-friendly system, but you may experience some compatibility issues.
For example, Linux users may have trouble using their netbook with a mobile broadband adaptor.
Absence of optical drive
Netbooks don’t have built-in optical drives for CDs or DVDs. This means that if you want to install programs onto your netbook from a disc or burn to a disc, you’ll need to attach an external DVD drive via one of the netbook’s USB ports.
There are alternative ways to transfer data to and from your netbook, though, such as via a USB key or across a wireless network.
Wireless connectivity on a netbook
Netbooks include built-in wireless connectivity. This means that you can connect your netbook to your existing home wireless network or use your netbook to go online at a wireless hotspot while out and about.
The latest wireless protocol is 802.11n, though you’ll find that most netbooks still use the older 802.11g protocol.
The speed of this is perfectly good, as you’ll only really benefit from the fastest connection if you are transferring large amounts of data across your wireless network.