| A mini notebook computer, otherwise known as | | | | about it for a second, browsing the web, listening to |
| netbook or subnotebook, is a small portable | | | | music, running MSN to see if there are incoming |
| computer with usually a small piece of screen and | | | | instant messages, a file manager in the background, |
| limited memory, computing powers. A mini is usually | | | | perhaps a word processor to take notes too. Atom |
| under 12" of screen size, most often 10" or 11.4"-11.6" | | | | is great at this kind of work but it doesn't like |
| or 12" for short. 10" netbooks usually have a 1024 | | | | encoding or decoding streams of data, which makes |
| pixel wide screen for best internet experience. Most | | | | playing high definition video stressful or impossible |
| web pages are optimized for 1024 pixels thus the de | | | | altogether. |
| facto standard. | | | | An average netbook has 1 gigabytes of memory, |
| Most netbooks are not great at sheer computing | | | | some models even have 2 but the most common is |
| power, they tend to have 1.3-1.6 ghz single core | | | | the smaller configuration. Plenty enough to do |
| processor made by either VIA or Intel. These mobile | | | | everything described above all at once and I don't |
| processors are gutted versions of successful | | | | see a reason why anyone would expect more than |
| processors made by the manufacturer. Intel thrown | | | | that from a mini notebook computer. Cheap models |
| everything out that raised power consumption by | | | | tend to have 160GB hard disk drive, that's enough to |
| more than 1% for 1% or less computing speed. | | | | store 30 DVD quality movies uncompressed and the |
| Atoms therefore lack out of order execution, but | | | | operating system. I have never run out of it since |
| have hyperthreading instead. Both technologies affect | | | | I've had my Asus eee 1005ha with the same |
| the speed of the processor, out of order execution | | | | capacity hard drive, and I've been driving this thing to |
| means that the core can jump back and forth in a | | | | the edge and back for almost 4 months. |
| chain of operations, lack of it causes mathematical | | | | What really sells a netbook is its battery life. Asus |
| calculations to be slower. | | | | has led the herd, they even have a model with 10.5 |
| Nobody really cares about the speed of scientific | | | | hours claimed up time. Tests indicate that they're |
| calculations in a netbook, though. Hyperthreading | | | | slightly exaggerating, but 9.5-10 hours of browsing |
| copies state-registers, which causes the processor to | | | | time is achievable. |
| be able to start executing a program then jump on | | | | It's really fabulous what these little laptop computers |
| to another without forgetting where it was with the | | | | can do. If you have your expectations high, expect |
| first thread. With this technology the processor gains | | | | to be disappointed. If you think they're no good, get |
| about 5% speed in a multitasking environment, which | | | | one, I promise you'll be in for a surprise. |
| often happens while browsing the net. Just think | | | | |