@1 Infinite Loop Cupertino CA *Netbook* is the keyword here. Something that can do the above things easily, not halfy. Fanboi.
I'd go with an ASUS, they seem to have some good models out there with fairly decent ratings. Don't think I'd get a netbook myself anytime soon though.
@1 Infinite Loop Cupertino CA For what she wants I'd go with iPad as well. Its not my gadget of choice, but it sounds like it'd work really well for her as long as she isn't doing anything lengthy with word.
Love my HP 311, I honestly forget that it's a netbook when using it, thanks to snappy performance, no major limitations like other netbooks, generous screen real-state, oh and generous battery life.
@The Advanced Kind I'm gonna throw in my vote for the HP Mini 311 as well. I'm using it right now, and apart from the smaller size, the only time I ever think of it as not being a full-fledged notebook is when I'm doing heavy gaming or need to use an optical drive. It's got a (relatively) high resolution screen, and it can handle everything I've thrown at it except newer or high-end games.
@1 Infinite Loop Cupertino CA Agreed. The best netbook is the iPad. (Or no netbook at all.) Yes they may be different, but the iPad does so much more than a standard Netbook. And who cares if it can't run Flash? If you run flash on a netbook, it's bound to freeze.
@n11 I bought the Asus G72gx gaming laptop on Black Friday and haven't turned on my PC since! While this is probably a bit much for this guy's mom I can vouch for Asus' quality. If she doesn't mind the 10 pounds though, they have the G73 quad core now (mine's a Duo, damn!)
@Techgeek94 "And who cares if it can't run Flash? If you run flash on a netbook, it's bound to freeze."
I assume you haven't used a netbook before. Flash runs perfectly fine on my Eee PC 1005HA. I go on youtube and hulu all the time. If I get any sort of hiccups, I'll just change the power mode (Asus hybrid engine) to higher performance.
@Darkroom You guys are idiots. It says that SHE IS NOT TECH SAVY... which means that an iPad would be perfect for her (unless she often goes on Hulu, etc. or she needs the PC version of Quickbooks or another similar program.) I understand that the iPad is useless for people like us, but for someone who wants things to work out out of the box (again, excluding Apple's terrible handling of Flash), the iPad is actually a good choice.
@Techgeek94 I'm sorry, but what netbook are you using that freezes anytime it uses flash? Some mysterious netbook that is 15 years old? If she wants to use the device primarily for Word and the Internet, there could be no worse choice then the iPad. If she wanted to play games and pointless apps all day and pay $500, then yes, the iPad gets my vote. She can get a very nice HP, Dell, or Asus netbook for about half that price and do so much more with it.
@whatpoint77 You're gonna call everyone idiots for supposedly missing that she's not tech savvy, but you missed that she wants Word? iPad is not perfect for her. Besides the fact that Word is unavailable for the iPad, if she's using Word she's doing a lot of typing and will need a physical keyboard.
My wife is not tech savvy, owns an iPhone and she says she specifically does not want an iPad because it does not support Flash. Says she already has one device that doesn't support Flash and has enough problems with using the internet on it. She wants something that can really browse the web properly. The Flash thing is really a major negative for the iPad even among those who don't know much about computers.
So she's in the market for a netbook. And you know I'm being honest about her not being tech savvy because she didn't even know netbooks existed until I told her. (She knew about the iPad because of the hype.) Now she's totally jonesing for one. Just gotta find the right one; they all kinda look and feel similar.
@orangedog She can use Pages, which can export in Word format, so that's a non-issue. On the other hand, if she is going to write a lot, that means a physical keyboard, and while I think the iPad is the best choice for someone who's not tech savvy, it also means that we are getting a 500$ plus 10$ (Pages) plus 69$ for the keyboard dock or some other keyboard. Depends on their budget in the end.
@badjokes I would have to agree, I bought my iPad out of pure curiosity with no real need for it, and it has been surprisingly useful. This week I actually left my laptop at school and have only used my iPad for all my computing needs. Thanks to proper use of push the lack of multitasking hasn't phased me a bit. Assuming his mom is like my mom, word isn't really a necessity for actual documents, but becomes more of a notepad or way of consolidating info. While the iPad isn't great for actually getting work done, it could get away with any documents my mom would create. The only real issue is price, and I don't know how the 500 plus apps plus a case stacks up to net books today...
Doesn't the iPad require a computer to sync with? And setup through iTunes. Needless to say it doesn't take mad computer skills to complete these steps, it still takes some. And yes, he could do it for his mother. My mother's afraid to touch Macs still, so I'd be the nice son and get her what she wants first, and then come over with my Macbook Pro (or iPad if I ever get one) and show it off. Anyways, for the sake of this article:
The best is the Dell Vostro V13, thinner than the macbook air (.65 for the V13 .76 for the macbook air), light, perfect sized screen for a person that certainly feels uncomfortable with a 10' (the V13 is ... 13') And only $500.
@sublimeandetc "How is she going to comfortably sit on the porch with the iPad and a separate keyboard?" She won't. Good point. The same problem would be to sit on the porch with a small netbook - it's just uncomfortable (yes, I handled a netbook). If you are going to really sit and write something - then you use a chair and a table. If you want to edit something quickly even the touchscreen will suffice. And you are forgetting something - all we know about her habits is what we see in the post above - I am merely saying that an iPad can be an alternative - ins't it good to have alternatives?
@1 Infinite Loop Cupertino CA iPad does everything she needs. Pages is only $10 as opposed to even a student copy of Microsoft Office which runs at least $100.
But if I had to pick a netbook...Samsung N315. HP products are crap--get some industrial designers ASAP. ASUS products are tacky and thoughtless looking. Form and functionality are not binary exclusive concepts, products can utilize both. Those that do are the products that are most used and well liked.
I seriously get the feeling that commenting and promoting Apple products on engadget (not that engadget isn't doing that already) is the job of nightshift crew at Apple campus, or at their customer service desks (when they aren't being a bitch about helping).
READ the QUESTION FIRST!
She is not tech savvy, but she is uses a desktop...and needs Word...and proper working Wifi...probably will need a KEYBOARD to type with...possibly a screen that can tilt towards your face, without the sun glaring into your eyes, or hurting your wrist from holding it for too long...
An iPad is a toy, at least for now, and won't be replacing the netbook market. The ratio of netbooks to iPads right now is 50:1 in the market...if you count iPad Nano as well...It is still 3:1 in favour of netbooks...
My recommendation for a netbook...Get an Asus...They invented the category, and still make the best quality netbooks out there at reasonable price...their screen quality is questionable, but acceptable.
@Atkins Perhaps, but open office is infinitely cheaper than that. If she doesn't need Word specifically, there are still a lot of benefits to a netbook.
@Darkroom This just proves that netbooks are still in-demand, contrary to the reports that it's now being mitigated by the ipad fever? As for me, the best netbook is not yet created. Chrome netbook. http://j.mp/chrome-netbook
@1 Infinite Loop Cupertino CA I knew this would happen. Every time there is an "Ask Engadget" post, half the commenters don't even actually read the request. Nevermind that an iPad might work for this guy's mom. This guy is looking for a netbook specifically. The iPad is not a netbook and even Steve Jobs himself has been very clear about that. Another request was that it runs MS Word, which the iPad cannot do. Lets forget about the damn iPad and focus on actual netbooks.
Because it's for his mom, who is not very tech-savvy, it does not need the best specs. All netbooks will meet the basic requirements. However, she wants to use it on the porch, so anything with a glossy screen should be avoided. Matte screens would be best. Other than that, anything from Asus or Toshiba will be solid. It's pretty hard to go wrong when almost every product on the market has identical parts inside.
My mom wants me to buy her an iPad It's gonna be her first computer and I could not imagine something more appropriate to her. She's gonna have to wait a little though, becouse we live in Italy
@1 Infinite Loop Cupertino CA I think it's really sad that I knew that most (if not all) the pro-iPad comments would be downranked into oblivion. It's a perfectly reasonable suggestion given the criteria (admittedly not a lot of info was given), especially since the first thing said was that the mom wasn't tech-savvy. If she's not tech-savvy, then the need for Word can likely be fulfilled with the iPad version of Pages. Maybe it can't, but we don't really have enough information to say either way.
It's fine if you don't like the iPad for you, but that doesn't mean it isn't a great device for other people.
@tvcity6455 Well, usually when people need Word, it involves lots of typing, which I'm sure most of us would rather do on a keyboard than a touchscreen.
@aseaofflames Sometimes that's the case, but I know that my mom often uses Word because she's not aware of a better solution for what she's trying to do. And she's grateful when I show her something better. That's why I don't think the information given is enough to dismiss the iPad as a possible solution.
@aseaofflames Just an additional thought... Clients often come to me professionally saying they want a brochure or this or that. When I start asking them questions about their goals and what they want to achieve, I find that there's actually a much better way to achieve what they were looking to do. Sometimes they're open to it; sometimes they want what they said they wanted in the first place. But if I didn't look deeper into what people really wanted to accomplish, I wouldn't be doing my job well. That's why I don't think it's a bad thing to suggest the iPad even though it doesn't necessarily meet all the initial requirements.
@badasscat Well in my opinion they are all relatively alike..The obvious benefit of a netbook is that you are getting almost the same functionality as a laptop in an extremely portable size.. As long as you aren't heavy into gaming any netbook should be an excellent portable internet device that also has the perk of a full blown windows operating system along with 160 gigs or more of hard drive real estate. Although I tend to enjoy all of the apple slamming I'm sure it would be rather difficult for someone that is not tech savvy to sift through all of these posts..Hopefully this has helped at least someone that's looking for a decent portable computing experience!!
The N9 has arrived. What we can say from our first experience is that we're in the presence of a fantastically designed device with a gorgeous AMOLED screen and some highly responsive performance.
The most commented posts on Engadget over the past 24 hours.
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iPad
@1 Infinite Loop Cupertino CA
iPad gets my vote too
@1 Infinite Loop Cupertino CA
HP Mini 311. American. Capable of 1080p.
@1 Infinite Loop Cupertino CA
iPad
@1 Infinite Loop Cupertino CA I dont think the iPad counts here guys
@1 Infinite Loop Cupertino CA
*Netbook* is the keyword here. Something that can do the above things easily, not halfy. Fanboi.
I'd go with an ASUS, they seem to have some good models out there with fairly decent ratings. Don't think I'd get a netbook myself anytime soon though.
@1 Infinite Loop Cupertino CA For what she wants I'd go with iPad as well. Its not my gadget of choice, but it sounds like it'd work really well for her as long as she isn't doing anything lengthy with word.
@1 Infinite Loop Cupertino CA
Ipad FTW! easily..
@1 Infinite Loop Cupertino CA
I think you mean iPad + Clam Case
@The Advanced Kind
Agree,
Love my HP 311, I honestly forget that it's a netbook when using it, thanks to snappy performance, no major limitations like other netbooks, generous screen real-state, oh and generous battery life.
Yet it is super slim and portable.
@The Advanced Kind
I'm gonna throw in my vote for the HP Mini 311 as well. I'm using it right now, and apart from the smaller size, the only time I ever think of it as not being a full-fledged notebook is when I'm doing heavy gaming or need to use an optical drive. It's got a (relatively) high resolution screen, and it can handle everything I've thrown at it except newer or high-end games.
@1 Infinite Loop Cupertino CA
Another vote for the iPad.....my kid loves my iPad and has stopped using the laptop
@1 Infinite Loop Cupertino CA Agreed. The best netbook is the iPad. (Or no netbook at all.) Yes they may be different, but the iPad does so much more than a standard Netbook. And who cares if it can't run Flash? If you run flash on a netbook, it's bound to freeze.
@1 Infinite Loop Cupertino CA
Yo dawg I heard you like iPads so I put an iPad in your iPad so you can be unproductive while being unproductive.
But seriously, Eee PC rules. I have one, and I love it.
@n11 I bought the Asus G72gx gaming laptop on Black Friday and haven't turned on my PC since! While this is probably a bit much for this guy's mom I can vouch for Asus' quality. If she doesn't mind the 10 pounds though, they have the G73 quad core now (mine's a Duo, damn!)
@Techgeek94
"And who cares if it can't run Flash? If you run flash on a netbook, it's bound to freeze."
I assume you haven't used a netbook before. Flash runs perfectly fine on my Eee PC 1005HA. I go on youtube and hulu all the time. If I get any sort of hiccups, I'll just change the power mode (Asus hybrid engine) to higher performance.
@Darkroom You guys are idiots. It says that SHE IS NOT TECH SAVY... which means that an iPad would be perfect for her (unless she often goes on Hulu, etc. or she needs the PC version of Quickbooks or another similar program.) I understand that the iPad is useless for people like us, but for someone who wants things to work out out of the box (again, excluding Apple's terrible handling of Flash), the iPad is actually a good choice.
@Techgeek94
I'm sorry, but what netbook are you using that freezes anytime it uses flash? Some mysterious netbook that is 15 years old? If she wants to use the device primarily for Word and the Internet, there could be no worse choice then the iPad. If she wanted to play games and pointless apps all day and pay $500, then yes, the iPad gets my vote. She can get a very nice HP, Dell, or Asus netbook for about half that price and do so much more with it.
@1 Infinite Loop Cupertino CA
I VOTE iPad
Now vote me into oblivion!!!!!!
@GrimPanda Done
@whatpoint77 You're gonna call everyone idiots for supposedly missing that she's not tech savvy, but you missed that she wants Word? iPad is not perfect for her. Besides the fact that Word is unavailable for the iPad, if she's using Word she's doing a lot of typing and will need a physical keyboard.
@whatpoint77
My wife is not tech savvy, owns an iPhone and she says she specifically does not want an iPad because it does not support Flash. Says she already has one device that doesn't support Flash and has enough problems with using the internet on it. She wants something that can really browse the web properly. The Flash thing is really a major negative for the iPad even among those who don't know much about computers.
So she's in the market for a netbook. And you know I'm being honest about her not being tech savvy because she didn't even know netbooks existed until I told her. (She knew about the iPad because of the hype.) Now she's totally jonesing for one. Just gotta find the right one; they all kinda look and feel similar.
@badasscat
Could you make up a story anymore fake than that?
@1 Infinite Loop Cupertino CA
i would recommend an ipad in all seriousness. it really is an awesome device. id take one over a netbook anyday.
@orangedog She can use Pages, which can export in Word format, so that's a non-issue. On the other hand, if she is going to write a lot, that means a physical keyboard, and while I think the iPad is the best choice for someone who's not tech savvy, it also means that we are getting a 500$ plus 10$ (Pages) plus 69$ for the keyboard dock or some other keyboard. Depends on their budget in the end.
@badasscat wow good show making that up.
@1 Infinite Loop Cupertino CA Seconded - iPad
@badjokes I would have to agree, I bought my iPad out of pure curiosity with no real need for it, and it has been surprisingly useful. This week I actually left my laptop at school and have only used my iPad for all my computing needs. Thanks to proper use of push the lack of multitasking hasn't phased me a bit. Assuming his mom is like my mom, word isn't really a necessity for actual documents, but becomes more of a notepad or way of consolidating info. While the iPad isn't great for actually getting work done, it could get away with any documents my mom would create. The only real issue is price, and I don't know how the 500 plus apps plus a case stacks up to net books today...
Still laptopless, posted from my iPad.
@1 Infinite Loop Cupertino CA I suggest you to buy Courier or HP slate. Oh wait.. Joojoo!
@whatpoint77
Doesn't the iPad require a computer to sync with? And setup through iTunes. Needless to say it doesn't take mad computer skills to complete these steps, it still takes some. And yes, he could do it for his mother. My mother's afraid to touch Macs still, so I'd be the nice son and get her what she wants first, and then come over with my Macbook Pro (or iPad if I ever get one) and show it off. Anyways, for the sake of this article:
http://reviews.cnet.com/best-netbooks/?tag=centerColumnArea1.0;buyAdvice
The best is the Dell Vostro V13, thinner than the macbook air (.65 for the V13 .76 for the macbook air), light, perfect sized screen for a person that certainly feels uncomfortable with a 10' (the V13 is ... 13')
And only $500.
@sublimeandetc "How is she going to comfortably sit on the porch with the iPad and a separate keyboard?"
She won't. Good point. The same problem would be to sit on the porch with a small netbook - it's just uncomfortable (yes, I handled a netbook). If you are going to really sit and write something - then you use a chair and a table. If you want to edit something quickly even the touchscreen will suffice.
And you are forgetting something - all we know about her habits is what we see in the post above - I am merely saying that an iPad can be an alternative - ins't it good to have alternatives?
@1 Infinite Loop Cupertino CA
iPad does everything she needs. Pages is only $10 as opposed to even a student copy of Microsoft Office which runs at least $100.
But if I had to pick a netbook...Samsung N315.
HP products are crap--get some industrial designers ASAP.
ASUS products are tacky and thoughtless looking.
Form and functionality are not binary exclusive concepts, products can utilize both. Those that do are the products that are most used and well liked.
@nicholas1987ucsb $100? http://www.microsoft.com/student/discounts/theultimatesteal-us/default.aspx
$60 is a great deal fr the top version of Office. I know, I bought it from there.
@clarinetJWD True, good deal. But still, if you are gong to just write text, then Pages is 6x times cheaper and does the job.
Ipad
@dbmitc01
I seriously get the feeling that commenting and promoting Apple products on engadget (not that engadget isn't doing that already) is the job of nightshift crew at Apple campus, or at their customer service desks (when they aren't being a bitch about helping).
READ the QUESTION FIRST!
She is not tech savvy, but she is uses a desktop...and needs Word...and proper working Wifi...probably will need a KEYBOARD to type with...possibly a screen that can tilt towards your face, without the sun glaring into your eyes, or hurting your wrist from holding it for too long...
An iPad is a toy, at least for now, and won't be replacing the netbook market. The ratio of netbooks to iPads right now is 50:1 in the market...if you count iPad Nano as well...It is still 3:1 in favour of netbooks...
My recommendation for a netbook...Get an Asus...They invented the category, and still make the best quality netbooks out there at reasonable price...their screen quality is questionable, but acceptable.
@Atkins Perhaps, but open office is infinitely cheaper than that. If she doesn't need Word specifically, there are still a lot of benefits to a netbook.
@Darkroom This just proves that netbooks are still in-demand, contrary to the reports that it's now being mitigated by the ipad fever? As for me, the best netbook is not yet created. Chrome netbook. http://j.mp/chrome-netbook
@1 Infinite Loop Cupertino CA I knew this would happen. Every time there is an "Ask Engadget" post, half the commenters don't even actually read the request. Nevermind that an iPad might work for this guy's mom. This guy is looking for a netbook specifically. The iPad is not a netbook and even Steve Jobs himself has been very clear about that. Another request was that it runs MS Word, which the iPad cannot do. Lets forget about the damn iPad and focus on actual netbooks.
Because it's for his mom, who is not very tech-savvy, it does not need the best specs. All netbooks will meet the basic requirements. However, she wants to use it on the porch, so anything with a glossy screen should be avoided. Matte screens would be best. Other than that, anything from Asus or Toshiba will be solid. It's pretty hard to go wrong when almost every product on the market has identical parts inside.
@1 Infinite Loop Cupertino CA
My mom wants me to buy her an iPad
It's gonna be her first computer and I could not imagine something more appropriate to her. She's gonna have to wait a little though, becouse we live in Italy
@dionisosx
Delusional!
@dionisosx if it's going to be her first computer, what will she sync it with?
@Engadget... DEFINE NETBOOK!
Then we can talk.
@1 Infinite Loop Cupertino CA I think it's really sad that I knew that most (if not all) the pro-iPad comments would be downranked into oblivion. It's a perfectly reasonable suggestion given the criteria (admittedly not a lot of info was given), especially since the first thing said was that the mom wasn't tech-savvy. If she's not tech-savvy, then the need for Word can likely be fulfilled with the iPad version of Pages. Maybe it can't, but we don't really have enough information to say either way.
It's fine if you don't like the iPad for you, but that doesn't mean it isn't a great device for other people.
@tvcity6455 Well, usually when people need Word, it involves lots of typing, which I'm sure most of us would rather do on a keyboard than a touchscreen.
@aseaofflames Sometimes that's the case, but I know that my mom often uses Word because she's not aware of a better solution for what she's trying to do. And she's grateful when I show her something better. That's why I don't think the information given is enough to dismiss the iPad as a possible solution.
@aseaofflames Just an additional thought... Clients often come to me professionally saying they want a brochure or this or that. When I start asking them questions about their goals and what they want to achieve, I find that there's actually a much better way to achieve what they were looking to do. Sometimes they're open to it; sometimes they want what they said they wanted in the first place. But if I didn't look deeper into what people really wanted to accomplish, I wouldn't be doing my job well. That's why I don't think it's a bad thing to suggest the iPad even though it doesn't necessarily meet all the initial requirements.
@kapanak
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-31747_7-20004369-243.html
@badasscat
Well in my opinion they are all relatively alike..The obvious benefit of a netbook is that you are getting almost the same functionality as a laptop in an extremely portable size.. As long as you aren't heavy into gaming any netbook should be an excellent portable internet device that also has the perk of a full blown windows operating system along with 160 gigs or more of hard drive real estate. Although I tend to enjoy all of the apple slamming I'm sure it would be rather difficult for someone that is not tech savvy to sift through all of these posts..Hopefully this has helped at least someone that's looking for a decent portable computing experience!!