My netbook is dead. What should I get now?

[TLAM Strike]

My almost two year old Asus Eee PC 10FSPED is in its death spiral. The service desk at the store I purchased it from says its mobo failure, and all I can do its take off my files before it's unserviceable.

So I guess I have to replace it. I want something that I can take notes in class with, write and edit papers with, and maybe use programs like photoshop.

Would a tablet computer be the thing?

Is there a laptop computer that will last longer than that Asus while still being a budget item?

[CCIP]

Depends on your priorities I suppose. Tablets are becoming a viable choice, and I predict that by the Christmas season this year they'll get especially competitive pricing-wise. But they're not the greatest thing for working on papers and typing on, although typically you can plug USB keyboards into them. Laptops are not very expensive these days, and if you have no real demands on them gaming-wise, then you can get a perfectly decent one for somewhere in the $300 range. You can also go for a direct replacement and get a netbook. They are dying out because of tablets, but are still around and pretty cheap and more reliable than yours was.

I think you should decide on whether you really want a tablet, or a laptop, or a netbook first. All of those have viable choices within them.

[antikristuseke]

Acers tend to be good value for money, at least here, have had my 7750g for a little over a year now. Though for your use a 17" might be a bit too much to lug around.

[the_tyrant]

If you haven't seen it yet, check out the Microsoft surface, coming soon to a Microsoft store near you: http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en/us/default.aspx (get the pro edition with an x86 CPU)

I would seriously recommend waiting, since windows 8 comes out in a month, by than you can choose between a windows 8 computer, or a heavily discounted windows 7 computer

[Penguin]

Timber and rope.
Build a catapult and hurl the netbook right into their US hq!
Am I the only one who finds it an insolence when an electronic device doesn't even last 2 years? Do we really have adopted this buy-cheap and throw-away mentality?

I would at least try to write a polite mail to Asus' customer support, to get it repaired on their costs. Asus still give a crap about their customers - well at least here in Europe, but we also have these socialist consumer protection laws that give us a 2 year warranty on all devices.

Sorry, can't help you on the choice of a new device, still got my 7 year old notebook as a mobile comp.

[Skybird]

Tablets: for reading ebooks docs and pdfs, surfing, making quick notes, typical smartphone purposes on a bigger screen. Not for photoediting, precise excel tables handling, much typing, gaming.

My choice for your described purpose: thin notebook.

[nikimcbee]

I'll be getting a "netbook" from work. (Sort of a bonus, I guess) There are no moving parts, everything is solid state. I'll let you know more if I actually get it.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Penguin

Am I the only one who finds it an insolence when an electronic device doesn't even last 2 years?

No.

I think 24 months in the EU is even a legally binding minimum warranty, isn't it.

Correction: I'm sure it is like that - since I just have made use of that when my keyboard broke down after 20 months only. Amazon forst said I should contact Logitech. Logitech said they do not repair it, Amazon has to replace it, due to EU laws. Told that Amazon, they then asked me to send it back, and I got a refund. Bought a new one.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Penguin

I would at least try to write a polite mail to Asus' customer support, to get it repaired on their costs. Asus still give a crap about their customers - well at least here in Europe, but we also have these socialist consumer protection laws that give us a 2 year warranty on all devices.

We don't have such a law, the 12 month warranty which has since expired did cover the replacement of the defective LCD it had. But to extended it I would have needed to buy another warranty that would have cost about half of what I payed for the darn thing.

Sorry, can't help you on the choice of a new device, still got my 7 year old notebook as a mobile comp.

May I ask what brand it is?

[AVGWarhawk]

I have a Acer Tablet. 10 inch screen. It is really just for fun to be honest. It runs Android which I'm beginning to hate. Android has become a mess of updates. My next will contain Windows Mobil 7 or 8.

[nikimcbee]

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

I'll be getting a "netbook" from work. (Sort of a bonus, I guess) There are no moving parts, everything is solid state. I'll let you know more if I actually get it.

oops, I'm thinking of an ultrabook.

[Penguin]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

We don't have such a law, the 12 month warranty which has since expired did cover the replacement of the defective LCD it had. But to extended it I would have needed to buy another warranty that would have cost about half of what I payed for the darn thing.

Oh, I meant a voluntary replacement by their side.
I had luck with Samsung, my LCD slowly died shortly aftzer the 3 year warranty ran out, defective capacitators.
After a phone call, and an email, they said they would repair it - only downsize they didn't deliver a spare monitor, as they do under their warranty. The repair company sent the bill to me, instead of Samsung. They wanted to change the panel too, costs more than I paid originally. They wrote that the panel had a color shading - which was bs. I rang Samsung again, said that I only wanted the capacitators changed, not the panel. Even if I wouldn't pay for it by myself I do not want shady companies to make money on unaware customers - I work as a broadcast professional, 100% color vision, so I can tell a color shading.

Well, they said that the bill was sent to the wrong address and they will take care of it. In the end they put in a brand new panel anyway (on their costs). K, I didn't complain, now I have a monitor where only the frame is old.

The spare capacitators would have cost me only 10 bucks as a private user, but I am not good at soldering and just wanted to give their service a try.

The morale: jut try it - maybe also mention that you are a longterm Asus user, the chief notebook buyer in your company or Ralph Nader's nephew

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

May I ask what brand it is?

It's a HP, NX6325 to be specific. I bought it for my studies, still sufficent for this purpose. I wanted a device with a non-reflecting screen, so this was the only in the lower price range (paid about 450 euros), as to this time only lenovo had them in their high-end notebooks. It has one of the best notebook keyboards I ever seen, very good haptic.
The business line of notebooks usually have a very durability, most companies don't like to piss off the ties

[PeriscopeDepth]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

So I guess I have to replace it. I want something that I can take notes in class with, write and edit papers with, and maybe use programs like photoshop

Take notes and run photoshop are two very different things.

You probably want something with one of the higher end Intel processors (a half decent integrated GPU) for any sort of photoshop, 4 gigs of RAM, and SSD.

Not really a netbook at that point, I guess?

PD

[CCIP]

Originally Posted by PeriscopeDepth

Take notes and run photoshop are two very different things.

You probably want something with one of the higher end Intel processors (a half decent integrated GPU) for any sort of photoshop, 4 gigs of RAM, and SSD.

Not really a netbook at that point, I guess?

PD

I wouldn't say those are a requirement. They're nice to have and will improve your photoshop experience, especially if you're doing high-level work there (like actually using it for painting), but it's not something you actually need. Photoshop isn't something that requires that much real-time beef, especially with more basic things, which a netbook can do with relative ease. I've tried Photoshop on 4-year-old dual-core netbooks, and while it's not exactly something I would do serious work on, if you wanted to throw some quick layers together or color-correct a few photos, it will do.

[Herr-Berbunch]

I know the_tyrant is a big fan but try Windows 8 before you potentially get it. I tried it at work yesterday and didn't particularly like it's child-like 'start' screen, although once you get past that to the desktop it at least looks more normal.