Today I continue my posts about netbooks. Like any PC, the netbook needs a drive for storage. You have three types of options here. You can get a hard drives which has a lot of space, is cheap, and is fast. An alternative is a solid state drive, which is similar to a flash drive. Finally there are hybrid drives which are a mix of hard and solid state drive properties.It is possible to build your own netbook. You can go to a netbook seller and customize the options you want in your netbook as you would with a laptop or desktop PC. The amount of memory (RAM) required in a netbook is a point of debate. If you choose Linux for your operating system, you might be fine with 512MB RAM. However Windows XP will work better with 1GB.
Netbooks do not come with built in CD-ROM drives. If you need access to one, you can get an external one. Netbooks usually come with WiFi network support built in. However be warned that many models have a button you must push to turn the WiFi on. Netbooks are good in that they usually do not have the load of troubling preinstalled programs when you get them.
If you want to transfer files to your netbook, it is best to use a USB drive. Or you could use an external hard drive. Finally you can map a network drive to copy files as well. There is a Files and Settings Transfer Wizards to assist with big transfers. Note that this tool cannot move programs to your netbook. It only works with computer files.
You should get a second battery for your netbook. The thing weighs just three pounds. But its battery life is limited between charges. When you opt for the Windows XP operating system option, you normally get Windows XP Home Edition (as opposed to Windows XP Professional). Since there is no CD-ROM, you can choose instead to install many programs directly from the web. Or you could access a CD-ROM that is attached to the network.
I got a little more to say about netbooks. Look for my next post to wrap this subject up.
