Advice On A Heresy: Powerbook Replacement
My original 12" Aluminum powerbook is getting a little long in the tooth and I'm considering possible replacements for it down the road. I have very modest needs out of a laptop. I do the standard web stuff. I chat. I write (either RTF or .txt files, almost always). This is *not* my primary machine, even though I use it the most of any of my Macs. I have a Mac at work. I have a Mini and a bunch of external drives with all my media on it. All files are either stored on the mini or on flash drives.
In short, I don't need much out of a portable.
A while back, I bought a Nokia N770 to see whether I could use it when I travel (web, email, chat). Works great with my bluetooth keyboard. Very small. Very light. Limited by its hardware, but it's a very handy gadget that I use almost daily.
I go to Europe about every other year to do research, and one thing I absolutely hate is the weight of my laptop. 5 lbs might not sound like much, but that plus the adapter plus a bag gets heavy after a while.
I travel to conferences at least a couple of times a year. Same weigh issues apply and the same realizations: I'm wagging around all this crap just to check email and surf the web.
So.
I'm thinking about possible replacement. Obviously, I could just get a MacBook and be done with it, but I just don't know that I want to dump $1000 on another laptop only to wind up with the same things bugging me. I'd also kind of like to do this cheaply.
Here's what I'm considering:
1) A Nokia N800. The hardware is much better than the 770 and Linux applications are being ported all the time. I don't mind the screen.
2) An Asus Eee. This is a very intriguing little gadget?especially the 9" one coming out soon. I can deal with the tiny keyboard. I don't need an optical drive (I have an iPod for porting movies around)
3) Some kind of UMPC. I like the Samsung Q1. It looks neat. I like those itty bitty Fujitsu Lifebooks
Can anyone offer any advice on these? Is there something else I could consider? I'd be willing to spend upwards of $2K, but would like to keep it cheaper than, say, $1K.
Thanks in advance.
In short, I don't need much out of a portable.
A while back, I bought a Nokia N770 to see whether I could use it when I travel (web, email, chat). Works great with my bluetooth keyboard. Very small. Very light. Limited by its hardware, but it's a very handy gadget that I use almost daily.
I go to Europe about every other year to do research, and one thing I absolutely hate is the weight of my laptop. 5 lbs might not sound like much, but that plus the adapter plus a bag gets heavy after a while.
I travel to conferences at least a couple of times a year. Same weigh issues apply and the same realizations: I'm wagging around all this crap just to check email and surf the web.
So.
I'm thinking about possible replacement. Obviously, I could just get a MacBook and be done with it, but I just don't know that I want to dump $1000 on another laptop only to wind up with the same things bugging me. I'd also kind of like to do this cheaply.
Here's what I'm considering:
1) A Nokia N800. The hardware is much better than the 770 and Linux applications are being ported all the time. I don't mind the screen.
2) An Asus Eee. This is a very intriguing little gadget?especially the 9" one coming out soon. I can deal with the tiny keyboard. I don't need an optical drive (I have an iPod for porting movies around)
3) Some kind of UMPC. I like the Samsung Q1. It looks neat. I like those itty bitty Fujitsu Lifebooks
Can anyone offer any advice on these? Is there something else I could consider? I'd be willing to spend upwards of $2K, but would like to keep it cheaper than, say, $1K.
Thanks in advance.
Comments
Why aren't you considering it? Go and look at one in a store. They're very impressive IMO.
MacBook Air.
Why aren't you considering it? Go and look at one in a store. They're very impressive IMO.
Mostly, I'm ruling it out because of the cost. Again, that's a lot of money for something I'm pretty much going to use to surf the web on.
I mean, unless the web looks notably better on the MBA!
Really, though, I want something *small*. Not just light. Small.
I'd suggest the Asus EEE PC. The built in Debian OS is already loaded with all the drivers needed to run the hardware inside that tiny machine, so you can get up and running right out of the box, although Linux will take a little getting used to, but no biggie.
The limited storage size of the SSD is quite a huge turn off, but considering that it is used mainly for web surfing, i guess its more than sufficient to store just about everything. And since the small keyboard isnt an issue, i guess it would be the ideal choice. But allow me to warn you before hand that processing and working on txt/rtf files on an EEE is going to be one frustrating affair because of the keyboard's size. (i cant type for nuts on that tiny keyboard. T.T )
as for chatting, it depends on what client you are using. Some of those clients do not work well on Debian.
And its considerably cheap. Mega bonus on that. The specs are quite embarrassing (i remember some posting that it uses an underclocked Celeron), but hey, you dont need an Intel Core cpu to surf the net.
If you are extremely certain that you will not be using your new toy for anything else other than web surfing, then go with the EEE. Avoid using a mobile phone for web surfing, they are not meant for that, no matter how they try to say otherwise.
But if you decide that you may want to do more than just surf the net in the future, then perhaps you may want to consider a full-fledged portable.
And, quite personally, the fact that you are using it for writing is a good enough reason to justify getting a full-fledged notebook. (at least, for me)
Have a nice day.
Now I have the Air and, well, it is a different world. There are times when one or the either is better, but the Air runs circles around the Palm in most circumstances.
I mostly use my Air for writing and research and it is perfect.
I personally am still hoping that Apple releases the rumored UMPC that is supposed to be 1.5 times the size of the ipod touch/iphone. I'd be tempted to dump my laptop if it had a decent version of iWork and worked with a full-size keyboard.
Some things to consider:
Will you absolutely have need for Flash or Java?
Are you comfortable with it's QWERTY keypad?
BRussell beat me to it. Why not the iPod Touch? It has plenty of storage space, will soon have many applications to choose from, relatively inexpensive, will double as your portable media machine, and it has a fantastic UI. I am considering getting one to double as my PDA and iPod
Some things to consider:
Will you absolutely have need for Flash or Java?
Are you comfortable with it's QWERTY keypad?
If the iPod touch would allow me to hook up a BT keyboard, that would be all I'd need, without a doubt.
If the iPod touch would allow me to hook up a BT keyboard, that would be all I'd need, without a doubt.
Yeah, then you may have to wait on that one
Anyway, off topic, here are some new 2.0 screenshots. Enjoy!
Yeah, then you may have to wait on that one
Anyway, off topic, here are some new 2.0 screenshots. Enjoy!
Yup. The touch doesn't have BT, either, I don't think.
Basically, it boils down to this: if my Newton 2100 ran on modern technology, let me chat, surf the web, and use Word/Excel or something like it, I could use it and never look back. Right now, the closest I have is my n770, which I'm using right now to comment on student essays while I watch a DVD on my Powerbook.
Really, I'm looking for a device that just plain may not exist yet, but we'll see. These MIDs and UMPCs are coming along, and I have high hopes that they'll be sexier in the next iteration or so.
The Ubuntu mobile project looks promising, and I'm content to wait until it comes out in a usable way before I seriously consider getting an n800 (which now allows USB host mode?flash drives and keyboards!). That plus some kind of openoffice and my BT keyboard would leave me pretty much set.
Yup. The touch doesn't have BT, either, I don't think.
No, it doesn't unfortunately. My wish would be a keyboard with an iPod dock connector. Something like the current iPod dock with a mini keyboard attached.
Basically, it boils down to this: if my Newton 2100 ran on modern technology, let me chat, surf the web, and use Word/Excel or something like it, I could use it and never look back. Right now, the closest I have is my n770, which I'm using right now to comment on student essays while I watch a DVD on my Powerbook.
Really, I'm looking for a device that just plain may not exist yet, but we'll see. These MIDs and UMPCs are coming along, and I have high hopes that they'll be sexier in the next iteration or so.
We may be pleasantly surprised with Apple if these rumors about a Touch tablet are true.
No, it doesn't unfortunately. My wish would be a keyboard with an iPod dock connector. Something like the current iPod dock with a mini keyboard attached.
I'd want to be able to rotate the screen.
We may be pleasantly surprised with Apple if these rumors about a Touch tablet are true.
Unfortunately, we've been hoping for a long, long time.
No, it doesn't unfortunately. My wish would be a keyboard with an iPod dock connector. Something like the current iPod dock with a mini keyboard attached.
We may be pleasantly surprised with Apple if these rumors about a Touch tablet are true.
I've always thought that the BT keyboard for the iMac always portend something else. How useful is a wireless keyboard for a stationary machine? I'm not saying its useless but a wireless key board would work nicely with a tablet or other MID like device.
In fact instead of a docking station I think Apple will develop components for a 'wireless docking station'. With the BT mouse and keyboard and time capsule we're almost there.