News - Toshiba announces NB250 netbook will full-size keyboard

[HEXUS]

Smaller keys hampering your netbook experience? Toshiba reckons it has the answer.

Read more.

[spoon_]

Who buys netbooks these days?

I bought one for my missus last year, its stuck in the cupboard somewhere not being used...

[Funkstar]

True many were sold because they were the latest fad (just like a not of tablets that will be sold over the next year), but for some they are incredibly useful.

I have one and use it a lot. when it gets replaced it will probably be by something more like an ultra this and light laptop rather than a "netbook" (one using a CULV processor instead of an Atom). But the general form factor is great for me when I travel.

[jim]

Yeah, Funkstar's spot on.

I'm going to uni in October, and having dragged a 15.4" Dell Studio laptop around 6th Form for 18 months I'll be buying an 11.6" CULV netbook to take with me.

I reckon, coupled with a cheap low-capacity SSD, it'll fit the bill perfectly. Main rig to use when I'm in my room, and the netbook to take around with me. No way I'd choose a proper laptop in preference.

[this_is_gav]

Who buys netbooks these days?

Our school are decorating every class with them. It's important to consider that there aren't just the cheap tat which originally came out with Linux or XP and with some naff SSD which was either tiny, slow or tiny and slow. Things like the Acer Aspire Ferrari One are a fantastic mix between a laptop and netbook - more than enough power for 99% of people, long battery life, Windows 7, dual-core processor, 2GB+ RAM, 250GB+ hard drive, exceptionally light and portable and yet very, very low cost compared to any small laptop. The only negative is the lack of an optical drive.

There are other CULV-based netbooks around too - I'm just can't give an opinion on them as the kids love the Ferrari bling factor.

[scaryjim]

Ebuyer's cheapest conventional laptop is currently £270*. They have 38 options of netbook cheaper than that, including N450 and Z520-based netbooks alongside the traditional N270. 18 of those are < £230. For some people, price is all important, and for websurfing and writing emails Atom + GMA graphics are sufficient. Why spend at least £270 when a £230 netbook will do?

*EDIT: just noticed this is without an OS too, so add ~ £75 for Windows 7...