I just purchased a Dell Mini 10 Netbook the other day (click here for my review!). I purchased the netbook after several unfortunate events happened to my 15.4” widescreen Toshiba notebook. To make a long story short, Windows would no longer start and my screen cracked (really badly).

 I knew it was time to get a new laptop. 

This article will cover my experience with my netbook so far (I’ve been testing it heavily, trust me!)

• What exactly is a netbook?
• Is it conceivable to completely replace a netbook with a laptop?
  
• How much do netbooks cost?
  
• Who should use a netbook?
  
• Who shouldn’t use a netbook?
  
• What are the pros & cons of netbooks?

A netbook is a "mini" laptop that is designed for surfing the internet, using e-mail, streaming video online, playing music & light application use (word processing). They are more affordable than a regular sized PC or laptop because they are smaller and have slower processors than a typical computer.

Netbooks do not have DVD or CD-Rom drives. All data either has to be downloaded via the internet or by using a USB portable drive.

A netbook will typically have a screen of 7, 9 or 10 inches. The smallest laptop is usually around 12 inches. 

Netbooks can run anywhere from $250-$850. A good middle of the line netbook will cost you around $400 and have ample features for most people's needs. The top of the line netbook will be able to handle some older graphical games and have faster processor speeds. The lower end netbooks will have very small hard drives and are perfect for just surfing the internet and reading e-mail.

It truly depends on your needs. If you only use your computer for surfing the web, answering e-mail, taking notes in class and downloading a few pictures, you could very conceivably make the transition.

If you use resource heavy programs such as Photo Shop or play video games like Counter Strike, a netbook will not fit your needs.

Anyone that is looking for convenience and portability for surfing the internet, checking e-mail, taking notes for class, word processing, listening to music, watching streaming videos, etc. will benefit from a netbook.

• Students (netbooks are super portable and have long battery lifes for taking notes during lectures)
• Grandparents (netbooks make phenomenal gifts for grandparents that just need e-mail to communicate with family members.
• Business People (netbooks are convenient to use in the office for checking e-mail and surfing the web)
• Web Surfers (netbooks are great for folks that simply need an affordable way to surf the internet and answer e-mail)
  
• Travelers - (netbooks are more convenient for travel because of their battery life, they are light weight and are less cumbersome to take through airport security.)
  

Before purchasing a netbook, make sure to outweight the pros & cons and take into consideration what your personal requirements are.

Pros

• Longer battery life than average notebook
  
• Lower cost than a regular PC or laptop
  
• Extremely portable; small & lightweight
  
• Large hard drives for music, movies & other files
  
• Great for streaming movies & internet based games

Cons

• Smaller screen/fonts
  
• No DVD/CD-Rom Drive
  
• No high-end graphic cards; no gaming
  
• Keyboard may be harder to type if you have larger hands
  
• More strain on your neck; eyes must focus lower on the screen