Advice on netbooks

[ivanovnegro]

I know the time is over for the nice little thingies.
But I need to buy a netbook style laptop, of course something cheap/used. No tablets, nothing newish. I need a keyboard and it has to be relatively small, maximum maybe 12/14". It is for my better half. She needs a little machine for work to carry it around for her Spanish courses.
Hard disk space is not so important. It should have at least 1 GB of RAM and of course I will put Linux on it. I already have some ideas but maybe you could recommend me some models to make the process easier. I only know the little eeePCs were very popular. Though right now Asus produces some really expensive stuff.

[pidsley]

I want a netbook. I have been looking at eeepcs on ebay, and some of them have reasonable specs and go for decent prices. I don't really want to buy one without being able to try the keyboard and touchpad, so I probably won't buy one.

I'd stay away from the really early models, and the 1000HD (it has a 900 MHz Celeron processor) but most of them have Intel Atom processors; my Atom machine is slow, but usable.

Some of the newer Dell Mini machines have Atom processors, so that might be another option.

[rust collector]

Not a netbook, but the office type 12.1" (or 12.5?) notebook/laptops are about the right size, both to carry around, and to use, imo.

I use a hp elitebook 2530p when I bring a computer to work. It is pretty tough (physically)
and it does whatever I want it to, and it has pretty good battery life, for being an old laptop.

There is also the "older" lenovo x series, with a 12,x" screen, which I assume would be good?

These probably have to be used, as they are not cheap machines, but I think they have pretty good value per yourlocalcurrency.

(I got mine for something like 5100 rsd, with a second one for spares, missing the battery)

[doubledutch]

I have a little HP Mini that I absolutely love. Mine's an ancient 210 model with a gig of RAM that I acquired in 2012 because it was too damaged to re-sell (bought it without a HDD with plans to put one in, image it, and flip)... but it's amazed me in daily use, especially on buses, trains and planes it's great. Maybe just make sure the gaps between the keys aren't too chicklet/macbooky.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_st?keywo ... e-asc-rank

[ivanovnegro]

Thanks guys, especially on the Dell Mini and HPs. Did not think about them.
And of course some of the Thinkpads are just perfect. True, I also have to think about battery life if it is a used one.
I will say it right away, I go till 250 Euros. The cheaper the better. :)

[ivanovnegro]

Found this gem for 159 Euros:

http://thinkwiki.de/X200#X200s

This one for 99 bucks but with a defect battery and less disk space.

http://thinkwiki.de/X60#X60s

I prefer the first Lenovo. Battery works, more disk space.

Than something similar I have:

http://www.notebookheaven.de/Gebrauchte ... in-7-DVDRW

But I find it too big and heavy. I am still on the first one.

Then there is another Thinkpad also for 159 Euros but it is bigger:

http://thinkwiki.de/T420

But this one is B quality, some display issues, not a fan of this.

I am still leaning to the first one, the X200s.

Another modern Thinkpad for 169,90:

http://thinkwiki.de/X201

Another one, 179,90:

http://thinkwiki.de/X220

Not sure. The X200 one only weighs 1 kg and something. It seems perfect.

Found the first Lenovo ThinkPad X200 again for only 149 Euros. Maybe that is it. OK, this one is not the 200s. Never mind though.

Then for only 111 Euros with Mint preinstalled and only 3 GB RAM and then the same for 119 but 4 GB RAM, already better:

http://thinkwiki.de/T400

Now it begins to be difficult. The last one is so cheap.

Everything has an Intel CPU and graphics card.

The ThinkPad X200/s or the Thinkpad T400?

[machinebacon]

Portability seems to be a factor for you to consider, so I think it's the X220 (not the s version), especially since you can upgrade the RAM if necessary. And it has quite a good CPU. Sure, the difference is like 60 EUR (50% more than the T400), but simply smoke a pouch of tobacco less a month and you got the money back in after a year. Just my opinion, don't send mail bombs :D

[franksinistra]

Samsung, Asus or Acer Chromebook perhaps? It has decent specs for its price (the new Baytrail model priced less than 200 Euros in your region i think.). It has more than enough RAM and decent SSD size.

[wuxmedia]

I always like the look of netbook chromebooks as an idea, again for the wife, maybe me.
The I end up get the fuck confused out of me.
So this is a good one, oh but there is an new HP version, oh they didn't like it. oh dell do them, and Acer et al. best chromebook reviews: all models over 250 quid. well. didn't want that much spent on it.

Ivan - I don't envy you wading through this huge market, I'd probably stick with an old school thinkpad.

[vic]

Personally I would go for the X220. The 12 inch size is perfect imo, considering portability, and with enough RAM and cpu there is no need for anything else. :)

[franksinistra]

^^ Yup! exactly why only Acer sells those in my region to prevent the usual third world (or third grade) questions like 'is Dell an associate of Asus?' 'is Samsung owns Acer?' or 'Ohhh i see so Chrome is a laptop, that makes my phone a laptop too right? since there is Chrome web browser in it', etc. :)

^ agreed on X220

[archvortex]

I've got an Asus 1215P with 2GB RAM (upgradeable to 4 GB) and an N570 1.67 Ghz that I've kicked the crap out of for 5-6 years and it still keeps on going. The processor is strange in that it actually runs as a 64 bit with 4 GB RAM and runs like a 32 bit with 2 GB or less. Light and easy to pack around, decent battery life and 12" screen. It came with some light cloud browser gateway shit and no OS. A new one is 200 euros here.

[ivanovnegro]

I already decided it to be the X200 (btw, it was not the X220). Even with "only" 4 GB RAM, at the moment we have no machines with more than 2. ;) So that is even an upgrade on our side. Ah, the CPU is also better than on my main machine.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Yep. In the end an old school Thinkpad. Another one.

[machinebacon]

if 4GB is not enough for you, something is wrong :D