{"id":222,"date":"2008-12-16T07:00:20","date_gmt":"2008-12-16T12:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/onceuponageek.com\/?p=222"},"modified":"2008-12-15T23:31:24","modified_gmt":"2008-12-16T04:31:24","slug":"laptop-troubles-while-on-vacation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/onceuponageek.com\/wordpress\/2008\/12\/16\/laptop-troubles-while-on-vacation\/","title":{"rendered":"New Netbook Purchased While on Vacation"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Sorry I didn’t have a post on Monday.\u00a0 I’m finishing up a week of\u00a0vacation\u00a0in\u00a0Colorado at the gorgeous\u00a0Charter at Beaver Creek resort<\/a> (see picture above, and more about the vacation itself later this week).\u00a0 On the first day out here, my\u00a0old laptop finally gave out.\u00a0 The hard drive has been threatening to die for a couple years and it finally decided that it was time to move on to the next plane of existance.\u00a0That next plane just happens to be the trash heap, by the way.\u00a0 Given the problems I’ve had with that laptop I decided that rather than repairing it, purchasing a new one was the way to go.<\/p>\n

Being without internet access was difficult for me (because I’m an addict), but even worse for my wife who was supposed to be working.\u00a0 I had to decide whether to buy a new laptop while still on vacation in Colorado, or wait until I returned home.\u00a0 So I reached out the awesome guys over at THE UNIQUE GEEK <\/a>and asked for their advice about purchasing a new laptop.\u00a0 They really came through with some fantastic suggestions!\u00a0 Ultimately my buddy Ed and I talked about all the options and we agreed one of these new fangled “netbooks” was the best way for me to go.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Acer<\/a><\/p>\n

So I’m typing to you right now on my new Acer Aspire One A150 netbook<\/a>.\u00a0 It’s taking some adjusting, but it’s pretty cool.\u00a0 The basic idea behind a “netbook”, rather than a regular laptop, is to be ultra-portable.\u00a0 They are designed to be\u00a0very small, light-weight, low-cost, energy-efficient, and\u00a0primarily used for internet based services such as web browsing, e-mailing and instant messaging.\u00a0 I only see three major differences between a netbook and a standard laptop: (1) netbooks are obviously much smaller; (2) netbooks don’t have very powerful video cards, so video gaming isn’t really an option; and (3) netbooks don’t have a CD-ROM\/DVD drive.\u00a0 The CD-ROM\/DVD drive issue gave me pause during my shopping.\u00a0 I wasn’t sure I wanted a laptop without a CD-ROM\/DVD drive.\u00a0 Then Ed and I talked\u00a0further and there are other options.\u00a0 Such as I can network my desktop with my netbook and run CD-ROMs\/DVDs from my desktop directly to my netbook.\u00a0 Alternatively,\u00a0I can copy a CD-ROM\/DVD onto a thumb drive (using certain applications) and run it on my netbook with the thumb drive.\u00a0 Finally, I can simply buy an external CD-ROM\/DVD drive if I get desperate.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The stats on this little netbook are pretty good: 1 GB RAM, 120 GB hard drive, built in webcam, pre-loaded with Windows XP, runs applications as quickly as a 1.6GHz Celeron-based laptop, and only weights 2.7 pounds.\u00a0 The best part is that it only cost $350.\u00a0 As far as I’m concerned, that is a pretty good deal.<\/p>\n

I know I don’t typically get real technical here at ONCE UPON A GEEK.\u00a0 Sorry if I got too deep in the details for you, but I’m excited about this new computer.\u00a0 If anyone is considering a new laptop, I’d recommend a netbook.\u00a0 Pretty cool!<\/p>\n

Tell the world about ONCE UPON A GEEK:<\/h3>