The concept of a very small computer was very attractive to me. The ability carry the device around without feeling a burden so that I can do useful things (that one would typically do on a computer) wherever I go was the dream that (for some unknown reason) hatched in my head.
Does a computer exist that would fulfil this dream? To find out, I derived a set of requirements and found the Netbook with the best match. For the most part, this is what I was looking for:
- 6 hour battery life - the idea is to do useful things remotely without a plug. If I am sitting on some mountain doing all the useful computer stuff, anything less just won't cut it.
- Cheap - I was looking at less than $400 (CDN)
- Nice - Good keyboard, pleasant enough screen, solidly built
- Built in camera >1 MP + mic - For Skype....
- XP - Sorry Unix fans - I don't want to fiddle with Unix.
- Wifi /n - Better range than b/g
- Small and Light, of course
I just got it today. What is my overall first impression? I love it! Perhaps the only "ugly" is the 6 cell pack that lifts the back of the computer off the ground. Well, some say the resultant tilt makes for a more ergonomic keyboard. Anyways, after an hour of piddling I got used to it.
I put Skype on, and am happy to say both the audio and video are good. Even with the tiny speakers and the built in mic, I was able to have clear conversations.
The CPU is not very powerful as anyone could tell you. For this machine, the most intensive thing I would do is play movies. I encoded a film with Nero for an Apple IPOD, and played it on Apples QuickTime player. The movie played fine, though the CPU was running around 70%. Bottom line - playing a movie represents the extent of it's practical processing limit!
The computer feels solid and the keyboard has a very nice tactile feel. Unlike other manufacturers offering I have tried, the computer does not flex appreciably.
As for the screen, it is 1024X576 pixels. To be honest, it is quite sufficient for this computer. Colours, contrast and brightness are all good enough for my bad eyes.
So, that's it! I think this is a very neat machine. Now, going back to the dream of doing useful stuff with a small computer wherever - that is the topic that has me very interested. Is it really practical to do serious things with such a small computer? Being small, is there any uglies about using many of the common applications? What would new software look like that allows you to do cool things well - even with the small form factor and slow CPU of the typical Netbook?
Stay tuned!
Thanks for the review, are you doing "useful stuff" and just what is that? Do you still like your Mini 10? I would like a netbook and I just like to surf the web and do emails and watch short clips or listen to wi-fi radio too. Any comments?
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Mike Elrod
Oregon
Useful stuff includes all the normal things like Skype, email, web browsing etc. I am also using it to layout the interior of an old house that is being redone (I am using Sweet Home 3D - available on SourceForge). Of course, I use it to write this blog! I am experiminenting with Open Office. Though it seems OK to use the Mini 10V for word processing, I find it too small for presentations (i.e. using the Open Office 'Power Point' equivelant). As for movies (or short clips), you can see my latest post on that. I actually have a 10V verses a 10 - it is cheaper, and has a lower power CPU etc etc.
ReplyDeleteAlright, I like your endorsement for web browsing as usefull stuff! And that you being a professional that will have weight when I tell my wife! What about WI-FI radio, can it do it? The mini does have speakers, I beleive?
ReplyDeleteThanks again,
Mike in Oregon