Netbook reviews: How to buy a netbook
Try out the netbook in a shop before you buy
Where should I buy a netbook from?
Buying a netbook at a high-street retailer
The main advantage of buying at a shop when searching for the best netbook is you can try out the netbook you're interested in and make sure you like the feel of the netbook.
Features such as the keyboard and the touchpad can differ quite considerably between netbooks, so even if you end up buying your chosen netbook online, it’s worth going along to a shop to try it out first.
Buying a netbook by phone
Buying a netbook by phone can mean you can ask for advice and often get a more competitive price than from a shop. You don’t get to try out the netbook in advance, though.
Buying a netbook online
Online is where you'll find the real savings on netbooks, but the downside is you'll have to navigate the computer jargon yourself. Plus, you don't get to see your chosen netbook first hand.
If you’re going to buy your netbook remotely, we would always recommend popping along to your local computer retailer first to see if they have the netbook you’re looking for in stock. This means that you can try out the keyboard and make sure that you’re happy with the screen size before you buy your netbook.
Even if the retailer doesn’t stock a netbook with identical specifications to the one you’re planning to buy, the netbook's chassis, keyboard and screen are all likely to be identical.
Read the Which? reviews of online retailers.
What should I look for when I buy a netbook?
Netbook battery life
If you want to use your netbook on the move, you’ll want a netbook with good battery life. Some netbooks come with alternative, longer life batteries, so you may wish to opt for one of these netbooks if battery life is important to you.
Netbook touchpad
As netbooks are smaller than laptops, their touchpads are smaller, too.
If you’re choosing between netbooks in a shop, pay attention to the size and position of the touchpad. In some cases, netbook manufacturers have really reduced its size – its height can get compromised, for example.
If you imagine how you would use the netbook's touchpad, it’s important that there’s enough space for you to make a nice, smooth motion with your finger rather than having to make a series of short strokes due to the lack of room on the netbook's touchpad.
Try the netbook's keyboard, as some are quite cramped
Netbook keyboard
Try out the netbook's keyboard before you buy. Make sure you’re comfortable with the size and spacing of the keys, as some netbooks have very cramped keyboards.
Keys such as the right shift key and the cursor keys often get made smaller in order to fit everything into the netbook, so make sure you’re happy with the size of these keys on your chosen netbook if you use them frequently.
Portability of your netbook
If portability is key, check the weight of each netbook. You’ll need to compromise on screen and keyboard size, though, if you opt for the lightest netbooks on the market.
What if I want to use mobile broadband with my netbook?
If you plan to attach a 3G mobile broadband dongle to your netbook, opt for a model with the Windows XP operating system rather than Linux, as you may encounter compatibility issues with the latter.