Thinking of buying a netbook

[LongTallDrink]

I've been unsuccessful in trying to borrow a copy of xp to set up on my mac. Time's a-wasting and I want to get started on LR and LM with my little one, so I'm thinking of buying this netbook for her:

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0665000FS10117643&catid=27003&atab=3&logon=&langid=EN

Does any one know if this is going to give me everything I need to run these programs? They also have an upgrade to 160GB for an extra $100, but I'm really going to be over-extending to get this at all so I'm wondering if I'll need more than the 8GB. I don't plan to use it for anything else at this point.

[nhockaday]

Check out these discussions http://forum.brillkids.com/coffee-corner-general-chat/new-computer/
http://forum.brillkids.com/little-reader/computer-specifications-to-rum-little-reader-smoothly-laptop-or-desktop-which-i/

I think it will be just fine to run the programs. The only problem that I can see is the screen size. It is tiny, and it might make things difficult for a child to see.

[LongTallDrink]

Thank you - I'll check them out. I'm not too worried about the screen size. Bigger would be better, but she's got a real eye for the small stuff - I can't show her the red dot .pps because she focuses on the little number in the lower right corner...

[LongTallDrink]

I'm also thinking of getting a new computer - a netbook that would be specifically for LR and LM. I had planned to run them on my mac with a borrowed copy of xp and boot camp, but that didn't work out and it costs almost as much to buy it as it does to buy the computer with it already installed. This is the one I'm thinking of:

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10117643&catid=

They also have an upgrade to 160GB for an extra $100, but I'm really going to be over-extending to get this at all so I'm wondering if I'll need more than the 8GB. I don't plan to use it for anything else at this point.
Will I be able to hook this up to the tv if the screen proves to be too small?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm so eager to get started on LM especially - Marina's chomping at the bit numbers-wise.

[nhockaday]

It looks like it has a VGA port, so you could hook it up to a monitor, but it doesn't have s-video, so I don't think you could hook it up to your tv.

And BTW, I found it cheaper here http://www.compuplus.com/i-Acer-Aspire-One-AOA110-1588-89-Inch-Netbook-16-GHz-Intel-Atom-N270-Processor-1-GB-RAM-8-GB-Solid-State-Drive-XP-Home-3-Cell-Battery-Blue-LUS030B043-1029253~.html?sid=njtx1ir9x2q9g94

It's just not pink, but it's cheaper. It has XP and the 1 gb of ram.

[LongTallDrink]

Thanks again nhockaday. Yeah, the pink isn't a prerequisite, but the one you found will be more expensive for me after shipping and crummy exchange rate... Nice of you to look though.
What to do, what to do. I really was hoping to be able to just run things on my mac for now, but if I have to pay so much for windows, I might as well reach a little bit further past my means and get something that's not going to interfere with what I have to do on my mac.
Do you think the 1/8gigs is enough? Since I haven't used LR yet, I don't really know what to expect inre how fat it might get with adding pics etc.
I've been so long away from the world of the PC, I suddenly feel like I need my hand held.
 

[nhockaday]

I honestly don't know. That would be a question for Lappy or Shuki, and unfortunately, they are off for the weekend. I'm sure they will get back with you soon though.

[LongTallDrink]

Thanks again. I will wait ever so patiently by the computer...
 

[KL]

wow, looking at the specs it really looks like it's meant for just surfing the web and not much else. Running LR and LM may not be fast, but might be ok.  If there's a return policy you could always try it out and see?

Hard-drive space wise, I think it should be ok if you're not using it to store anything else.  Nikki, how big is your LR folder under My Documents, plus all the external folders with your other media?

[LongTallDrink]

Hi KL,

Yep, I think they're really little road warriors - keep all your bits in one place and surf on the run. The price is attractive (still way over budget, but I've gotta bite the bullet and move before Marina's off to college...), but not attractive enough if LR&LM are sluggish on it. If I have to spend the extra money, I want to make sure it's right. I will look into their return policy - can't hurt to try it out.

Do you have any experience in the used/reconditioned pc market? Maybe I should look in that direction as well.

In the meantime, I've cast my net wider in search of xp or vista. I did get xp from a friend, but it turns out I need ps2 to run with boot camp and his was ps1. No idea what that means, but the instructions are pretty specific. If I happen to be offered a choice, I read somewhere else that vista was better for LR. Is that so?

Thanks for your help.

[nhockaday]

The total size of my whole Brillkids folder is just over 1 gb.

I would say that LR would run much more smoothly on XP. Vista has so many stupid little security settings that it really makes running programs harder than they have to be. Plus, Vista uses a lot of memory to run. You would need 2, preferably 3 gb of ram.

You can find really good quality used or refurb laptops for good deals. You just need to make sure you fully read the description. Try to find one with lots of pictures, and see if it has a warranty or return policy just in case something isn't right. You can find really good deals on ebay, and you can check the sellers reputation by looking at their feedback. If they have good feedback, then chances are they will sell you exactly what they describe. Plus, ebay and paypal have user protection policies in place if you get something that is not "as listed" and the seller refuses to help.

Definitely see if it has a warranty. That's a plus, and if it doesn't you may want to look into getting one through squaretrade.

And...Make sure it comes with a recovery disc or partition b/c you want it to be restored to original settings when you get it, and you may need to restore it later down the road.

[LongTallDrink]

Thanks Nikki.

I'll look on ebay and maybe craigslist to see what I can find. Something with xp installed. I've heard some unpleasant things about vista as well. On the other hand, I've also heard it runs better on a mac, so if someone offers it to me, I might try it. I think it was KL on another forum that said LR ran faster with vista. I guess that's assuming you don't have any problems with it.... My mac has 4gb.

Thanks again for your help,

Laura

[nhockaday]

I currently use Vista, and it's ok. If given a choice, I would choose XP, but it is harder and harder to find these days.

Do you remember where you saw someone say it is faster on Vista? I don't recall seeing that, and I personally don't think it would be, although I could be wrong. I think I have had more problems with LR due to Vista, but I'm not sure cuz I'm not a programmer.

[LongTallDrink]

I can't find the post I read now - I've looked at so much here the last week or so, but it sticks in my mind it was KL that posted it.

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