Do you travel with technology? For the longest time I’ve been a bit of a technophobe when it came to travel. Just a digital camera and that’s about it. No cell phone, laptop, or any sort of electronic device. The iPod worked its way into the backpack but still there was never a “real computer” until now.
The latest addition to the travelling family: HP 10.1″ Netbook
The latest trend in laptops is getting smaller and smaller. The biggest advantage of that is that they’re cheaper too. An even greater advantage for the travellers amongst us is the size of these devices.
The 10.1″ laptop is a great way to carry around a fully functional computer without really getting too cumbersome in your overall travel packing.
What I Like About The HP Netbook
The size. When these netbooks first came out I was skeptical about ever getting one. It would be too cramped and impossible to read anything on the screen. It turns out I was wrong on both counts. After checking out a lot of different I’ve come to a couple of conclusions:
1. 7″ screens are too small for me. I suspect that checking emails might be OK but any type of document creation is just too cramped.
2. HP has the best keyboard layout for the small format. The 10.1″ has a keyboard comparable to an average laptop which makes it great for typing at a fast pace. Finger pecking on a small keyboard is not for this guy. Why suffer?
What I Don’t Like
Battery life isn’t exceptional. It’s the standard 3 hours of normal use. I was hoping for something a bit more exceptional. And that hoping is what I’ll have to keep doing unless I want to shell out more cash for a bigger battery. Apparently the Intel processor for these netbooks is supposed to improve battery life which is what I was expecting, but alas, it only makes up for the difference in battery size.
Sleep mode on PCs has always be sluggish and in the netbook it’s not much better. The PCs just aren’t the smooth operators that macbooks are. But for a fully functional computer that delivered to your door for less than $300 you really can’t complain all that much.
And That’s It
It’s a great way to travel with technology if that’s your thing. Although an iPad might be a cool way to travel too there is one significant downside. There’s no capability to transfer your photos from camera to iPad directly that I know of, so it makes life a lot easier with a simple laptop.
Do you take tech with you travelling? Would you use a netbook in travel?
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Written by Journeyman
Topics: Product Review, Rants