Published: May 30, 2009 12:00 am      

Tech, G.P.: Netbooks look great for the basics

Years ago, being honest in a Playboy interview, Jimmy Carter admitted his lust. If I'm going to be honest, I suppose I should do likewise and admit my lust, too.

Now, don't get too excited. He was talking about women, and I'm talking about computers. After all, this is a column about technology.

I want a netbook.

If you don't know what a netbook is, it's a really, really small computer. Like a laptop's baby brother, about the size of a hardcover novel.

To understand, we need a flashback.

Back when Jimmy did that interview, I was a young staff photographer at the newspaper you're reading. For 19 years, I earned my living taking pictures for the paper. A necessary part of that job was hauling camera equipment around all over the place.

Everywhere I went, I had at least one five-pound camera around my neck, many times two and sometimes three. And then there was the camera bag, with its electronic flash, batteries, extra lenses, containers of film, and other miscellaneous things.

I was probably carrying 40 pounds of stuff most of the time. You can imagine how that could get old after a while (but at least it kept me slim).

Then I moved into the computer department. The memory of carrying all that camera gear stayed with me, though, and I sold off all my professional gear. After a while I bought a little, light, rangefinder-style digital camera.

It made a world of difference in my picture-taking life. Obviously I couldn't do all the things I was able to do before, but I could do all the things that I wanted to. And the freedom I felt not having to carry around and watch over all that stuff made me feel like I was born again.

Now, back to today.

I have lots of computers. New ones, old ones, servers, all kinds of things. I had a laptop for a while, but it's gone now, as a result of changing employers.

When I had he laptop, it reminded me of carrying all that camera gear, although it wasn't nearly as bad. Still, there was a good-sized carrying case, and it had to be 10 pounds, at least.

I do miss having it, though. It was very handy.

So now they've come out with these netbooks, and the idea has been percolating in the back of my mind for a while. I think a netbook could do for me what the rangefinder camera did.

Provide the functionality I want, with the convenience I like.

You can carry one with one hand. If I were a woman, it might fit in my purse.

Now, they're not as powerful as a normal desktop or laptop, but the point is that they have enough power and features to do most of what I use a computer for. That would be surfing the Web, e-mail and writing.

If you need a lot of computing power, for graphics content creation, or hard-core program compilation, or playing heavy-duty games, a netbook wouldn't be for you. You'd be better off getting a regular-sized notebook, in which you can get a lot more power.

But if you just do normal things, they're hard to beat.

Everyone I know who has gotten one is almost giddy about it. They come up to me and tell me how much they love it, kind of like sharing a secret with me. Raised eyebrows and grins almost always accompany the conversations.

Their greatest feature is that they are small enough to easily carry around, while being big enough to comfortably use. Their second greatest feature is that they're relatively cheap.

Smart people don't like to gamble on the bleeding edge of technology, and the concept has been around long enough now so that a number of manufacturers have mature products out there.

Prices start at around $300, and you can get a nicely featured netbook for around $400.

That's about half of what that little rangefinder camera cost me, back when I got it. If a netbook gives me half of the satisfaction that the little camera did, I will be a happy man.

Bruce Endries is former systems manager at The Daily Star. He can be reached by e-mail at techgp@dailystarmail.com.