Like anything but especially in the world of consumer electronics, netbooks have pros and cons. They offer a highly portable platform and provide ample power to perform basic functions, but they might not be suitable for everyone.

First Limitations

Sporting an Intel 1.6GHz CPU and a gigabyte of RAM you can expect to run most applications without any problems. But some models have some problems if it comes to video. YouTube videos for example may be slow and bandwidth may not be quite adequate. You may see some pixelation or fits and starts. Watching films off the Internet may or may not be possible but this depends on your unit and connection.

That same limitation occurs even more when playing games. Some will work, but no one should expect to get the kind of crisp, smooth play they got used to see on a high-end laptop. No netbook will perform anywhere near what a fully-decked out gaming desktop is capable of.

First Advantages

Still, for a machine that - by current standards - offers modest specs, it’s amazing what these little things are able to deliver. PowerPoint presentations work just fine on most and display clear text and graphics, along with lively animations.

That relatively small CPU and memory (by today’s standards) affects all applications to a certain degree, of course. Spreadsheets won’t load quite as fast and saving a large document will also take a little bit longer. Part of that limitation is not the CPU or memory, but the hard drive. Some offer only SSD drives which, while faster in theory, are sometimes slower in reality than laptop hard drives.

That hard drive also tends to be much smaller than the monsters which are available as a standard on today’s laptops. Some offer drives as large as 160GB, so the situation is really not much of a drawback when you think that 80GB was as large as the largest desktop offered only a couple of years ago. Others provide only a relatively modest 8GB.

Some netbooks have drawbacks that go beyond the electronics inside. Since their main purpose is to be taken on the road, some models are made almost entirely of plastic apart from the metal internal parts, of course. That makes them truly lightweight, but plastic isn’t always plastic. Some types are more durable than steel. Others are worse than the material of a cheap toy for kids. It’s something to consider when evaluating the one you want.

Heating used to be a problem on some early models, and it still can be on a few in certain situations. Only a few suffer from the extremes that would shut down a system a couple of years ago. But they can get a little warm to the touch, especially if you prefer to hold it on your thighs while you type. Wi-Fi contributes its part to that issue.

Most do a fine job in this area, though, as long as you avoid plugging up any vents and manage a good airflow around the unit. None have fans, but the small heat sink atop the processor has to dissipate heat to the air and fresh air has to come inside to cool the unit.

Difference between laptop and netbook

The keyboard is the biggest annoyance for many netbook users. All are smaller than a standard laptop and some people have a hard time to adjust themselves to that. For students with smaller than adult-sized hands that could actually be an advantage. If it’s important to you, look for a unit like the HP 2133 Mini-Note that provides a near-standard size and feel.

It’s not always about the money

The price difference should be only a small consideration overall. It’s true that netbooks are not as expensive as a full-sized laptop, sometimes as little as half the cost. But, you get what you pay for. For many people, saving only a few pounds of weight and $100-$300 doesn’t make up for what you have to give up in performance and capacity. It’s better to spend a little more and carry a little more but you are happy.

Final Decision

But for those who are looking for a truly portable great performer - and who don’t require all the extras that today’s laptops can provide - a netbook seems like the perfect choice. They’re becoming so powerful and so flexible that many people can just afford not to consider a laptop at all. As with any purchase, the decision comes down to a personal one.