andymcp
Well-Known Member
From time to time there seems to be queries regarding netbooks/notebooks for use on board. I don't really use one, but if I were I thought I'd pass on a recommendation for some kit I bought last week after my old laptop gave up the ghost.
My criteria were similar to what appear to be the on-board requirements: portable, good screen, long battery life, runs 'proper' windows so software packages can be added. Did a hunt around and found the Acer 1810TZ seemed to be getting rave reviews. A proper notebook with decent size keyboard, dual core processor, 3GB RAM, 11.6" screen, and amazing battery life - currently reading 8 hrs remaining at 91% battery life, and this so far proven to be a fair summary of expectation. And that's with wi-fi on, screen at 75% brightness (more than usably bright), VPN connection to office network on, Outlook, browser, word and excel running, plus the usual background stuff like AVG, MSN etc. If I just turn the brightness down a click or two, it goes up to 11hrs remaining.....
Having taking all the freeware that it came with off, it runs like a peach - quick, stable, markedly better than XP ever was. And it's light - 1.4kg all in, very easy to chuck in the bag. Only downside is that it seems to take a while to fully charge. The power brick is also tiny though, so a plus point there.
Understandably, some things had to give at this size - no optical drive and no 3G card built in (though curiously there is a slot for it, so somewhere in the world they are being supplied with mobile broadband built in). I can live with a 3G dongle though, and have a portable DVD drive for when I need to load software that I cant download. There's no bluetooth either, although again the slots exist (as does the hardware switch and the status light...) but never having had it on a laptop I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be missing.
Price-wise, I got it for £449, straight from PC World. There are probably places to shave a few quid off that, but given that this is only £50 more than some of the better netbooks, it struck me as a bit of a bargain.
Absolutely no connection or interest, just a very satisfied customer. If I ever do start taking software on board, it'll be on one of these. Now does anyone know of any good boating software that runs on Windows 7?
My criteria were similar to what appear to be the on-board requirements: portable, good screen, long battery life, runs 'proper' windows so software packages can be added. Did a hunt around and found the Acer 1810TZ seemed to be getting rave reviews. A proper notebook with decent size keyboard, dual core processor, 3GB RAM, 11.6" screen, and amazing battery life - currently reading 8 hrs remaining at 91% battery life, and this so far proven to be a fair summary of expectation. And that's with wi-fi on, screen at 75% brightness (more than usably bright), VPN connection to office network on, Outlook, browser, word and excel running, plus the usual background stuff like AVG, MSN etc. If I just turn the brightness down a click or two, it goes up to 11hrs remaining.....
Having taking all the freeware that it came with off, it runs like a peach - quick, stable, markedly better than XP ever was. And it's light - 1.4kg all in, very easy to chuck in the bag. Only downside is that it seems to take a while to fully charge. The power brick is also tiny though, so a plus point there.
Understandably, some things had to give at this size - no optical drive and no 3G card built in (though curiously there is a slot for it, so somewhere in the world they are being supplied with mobile broadband built in). I can live with a 3G dongle though, and have a portable DVD drive for when I need to load software that I cant download. There's no bluetooth either, although again the slots exist (as does the hardware switch and the status light...) but never having had it on a laptop I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be missing.
Price-wise, I got it for £449, straight from PC World. There are probably places to shave a few quid off that, but given that this is only £50 more than some of the better netbooks, it struck me as a bit of a bargain.
Absolutely no connection or interest, just a very satisfied customer. If I ever do start taking software on board, it'll be on one of these. Now does anyone know of any good boating software that runs on Windows 7?
