Can You Live with a Netbook? Netbook vs Laptop Pros and Cons

Netbooks are all the rage this year, but the smaller size comes at a cost of performance and ease of use. If you wear reading glasses and/or have large fingers, a netbook probably isn't your best choice. Otherwise, if you travel a lot and want something light to keep in touch with the office, a netbook may be just the ticket.

Intel has a handy little chart showing the capabilities of each located at http://www.intel.com/consumer/products/style/netbook.htm. Netbooks allow users to surf the web, do casual online flash-based gaming,IM,chat,Facebook, and watch Youtube videos. If you want to play heavier games, watch DVDs, create brochures in Illustrator, or edit photos - you probably want a nice 15" or larger laptop computer.

If you love the size and the slower performance bothers you, here is a nice article on how to upgrade the SSD on your netbook: http://www.laptopmag.com/advice/how-to/revive-your-netbook.aspx?

Swapping out the SSD should make applications open faster and allow you to store more music and pictures. Be sure to do a complete systems backup before upgrading, and if you have any doubts as to the best SSD to purchase for the upgrade, visit your local computer store and ask first. Better safe than sorry. A new SSD should cost less than $100.