[PLUG] Need Advice: Netbook for Christmas?

[Casey Bralla <MailList@nerdworld.org>]

I've been considering using some (well, all of it, actually) of my Christmas 
loot to buy a netbook.  But I'm worried that I may find a netbook too slow and 
confining.  What does the group think?  Are they "worth it"?

Here is what I'm looking for in a netbook:

1.  Excellent portability
2.  Long battery life (should be able to fly to Europe (~ 6 hours) on a 
battery charge
3.  Linux (natch)


I don't have anything really "practical" I want to do with it.  It would 
really be a toy, but hopefully a toy with some utility.  I'll want to do some 
surfing, maybe some real work (in short spurts) and also use it as a fancy 
iPod music player.  (playing flac files, of course)

I don't want a tablet because I want a true keyboard, even if it is smaller 
than most notebooks.

I've got my eye on an Asus with a dual-core atom.  By the time I buy the extra 
GByte of RAM and a bluetooth mouse (I hate track pads), it will be in the $350 
range.

However, I could also bust my budget and get a budget laptop for $450.  This 
would give more performance, but less portability and shorter battery life.


My fear is that the netbook will be cool to play with for a while, but will 
simply be too confining (too slow, too small a screen) to hold my interest.

Has anyone bought a netbook recently?  How do you feel about 6 months later?  
Would you buy one again if you had it to do over again?
-- 

Casey Bralla
Chief Nerd in Residence
The NerdWorld Organisation
http://www.NerdWorld.org
___________________________________________________________________________
Philadelphia Linux Users Group         --        http://www.phillylinux.org
Announcements - http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-announce
General Discussion  --   http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug