General: Advice Needed (esp From Spodey!) on Mini Laptop

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    • CommentAuthormrscoyote
    • CommentTimeOct 30th 2008
     

    I have been thinking about a mini laptop, and Coyote tells me that Spode is the person to talk to. What do you think of this? http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=225532#features

    The B grade one costs peanuts!!!

    I just thought having a smaller one might encourage me to use broadband on the move more (would be useful).

    In a related discussion, should I get a dongle, or hang out in MacDonalds and Wetherspoons a lot? :D :D

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      CommentAuthorSpode
    • CommentTimeOct 30th 2008
     

    Hmm. I've not used it - but the fact they won't list the CPU type is worrying. For that price, I'd get the 7" EeePC, rather than risk an unknown.

    What do you want a Mini Laptop for? Using broadband on them can be limiting because of the screen resolution. On top of this - most of the Linux varieties won't work with 3G dongles.

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      CommentAuthorKrazyIvan
    • CommentTimeOct 31st 2008
     

    Just a side note, Ubuntu 8.10 is supposed to help with 3G issues. Have not really looked into it much further than reading some overviews though.

    • CommentAuthormrscoyote
    • CommentTimeOct 31st 2008
     

    OK, thank you - you've certainly sorted out the issue of whether I should get a dongle or not, if dongles aren't compatible.

    Thanks for the prompt replies, guys!

    I want to be able to do mystery shopping reports there and then, when out and about, ideally. I think the best platform for this is probably a laptop-ish machine, as I sometimes use Word files (how exportable are these to EeePCs? Does their WP package export and import to Word?????) Carrying my 15" laptop around simply doesn't happen, so I liked the look of the smaller machines (and my laptop is getting a bit elderly).

    I also like the look of the new Blackberry, though, and just heard about the Google Phone yesterday. Should I go down one of these routes instead? It would mean more typing, I guess, as I couldn't (AFAIK) use my Word files - or files stored in any other WP medium, to cut and paste - or am I wrong?

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      CommentAuthorSpode
    • CommentTimeOct 31st 2008
     

    Word files are fine under Linux using Open Office. Ivan is right about the latest Ubuntu - but Ubuntu isn't in use on most Netbooks.

    You could use Word files on a phone - you just won't be able to get the same typing speed up :)

    • CommentAuthormrscoyote
    • CommentTimeNov 24th 2008
     

    Thanks for help so far. OK, I'm still thinking, and now like the look of this. http://shop.vodafone.co.uk/shop/mobile-broadband-devices/netbook?compatible=false

    The way I believe it works is that it really is mobile broadband, with a dongle built in, working on XP (yay!). Disadvantage - MS Works (oxymoron) and although the salesman in Harrods (classy eh? I was there for a reason!) said I could load Office, I wasn't convinced the memory would be big enough. Would I be OK Office? Just Word? Word and Excel? W/E/Powerpt? Am I being ripped off at £15 pm? (I could charge it against tax).

    TIA!

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      CommentAuthorSpode
    • CommentTimeNov 25th 2008
     

    You could always put Open Office on it?

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      CommentAuthorcoyote
    • CommentTimeNov 25th 2008
     

    Mmm, I suggested that! I don't know, does anyones wife listen to them? :D

    • CommentAuthormrscoyote
    • CommentTimeNov 25th 2008
     

    Grrrr to you both! :) Perhaps my question wasn't very clear - it was more about 'is this overall a good machine' (although Coyote, when he suggested open Office, didn't think to say that it will use less memory than the usual Office). ;)

    Correction - he now says he DID tell me that...... ^o

    Anyway, is this machine a good idea on this deal? It's a 2 year contract. I suppose one of the drawbacks is that free wi fi might be available everywhere inside 2 years, and then I will be paying for a connection unnecessarily, and I'd be better off just buying the machine. But the way I am looking at it atm is that this is only £5 pm more than the cheapest Blackberry deal I can find, and will be more convenient for surfing and picking up work, maps etc on the web.

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      CommentAuthorSpode
    • CommentTimeNov 26th 2008
     

    I've not looked at the machine - but I've heard pretty good things. I seem to remember they throw one in when you buy a Dell desktop.

    • CommentAuthormrscoyote
    • CommentTimeNov 26th 2008
     

    Thanks for reply - still lusting after one so will probably sign on the bottom line tomoz!

    • CommentAuthormrscoyote
    • CommentTimeNov 28th 2008
     

    Update - Spode texted me yesterday saying he has some reservations. :o :(

    Waiting with bated breath to hear what they are..... ^o

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      CommentAuthorSpode
    • CommentTimeNov 29th 2008
     

    Well, it's £25 for 1GB of bandwidth. You're essentially paying £20ppm for the notebook, and then you're tied into a deal. Similar situation to the Currys/Dixons post I made a few months back.

    You could buy an EeePC with Bluetooth and then just tether it to your mobile phone for broadband quite easily?

    • CommentAuthormrscoyote
    • CommentTimeNov 29th 2008 edited
     

    Hmmm, not sure I understand the maths (or possibly the precepts underlying the maths)

    Your figures imply that I could get a GB for £5 per month. But I suspect I would have to be on a very different phone deal for this.

    At present Coyote and I are on a very ageing deal originally from OneTel. For a fiver each a month we get 20 minutes, plus free calls to each other and the house landline - suits us fine! OK, 20 mins a month is a strain for me some months, but I suspect the strain would reduce if I had always on email.

    Now, I suspect that to get a GB, I would have to be on a phone deal costing minimum £20 a month. Which means I would be paying an extra £15 on my phone. Which means that effectively the Dell deal means I am paying £10 a month for the notebook, not £20.

    Do you agree? And if you agree, do you then think the Dell is worthwhile?

    (And thank you, folks, for thinking about this with me) :)

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      CommentAuthorSpode
    • CommentTimeNov 30th 2008 edited
     

    Well, on any three mobile contract, it's £5 for 1GB. Might even be for PAYG too. You can get pretty good deals from £12-15 a month nowadays. Let's not forget you'd get a brand new phone with that too.

    £5 for 20 minutes sounds like a pretty poor deal in the long term - but if you're coping, why change... I would have thought you'd have got more out of a PAYG deal mind you.

    I'd have a browse around the three.co.uk website before deciding on anything!

    But to me, paying £25 a month seems a lot of money for what you're getting - no matter how you look at it :) But if it suits, go for it.

    • CommentAuthormrscoyote
    • CommentTimeDec 3rd 2008
     

    Update - the decision for me became nice and clear today.

    The moneysavingexpert newsletter mentioned that any new vodaphone contracts taken out through www.topcashback.co.uk attract cashback of £120, effectively reducing the price of this netbook and connection to £20 a month for 24 months. And it will be reclaimable from tax, as I am buying it to pick up mystery shopping jobs! Bargain (I think). :D

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Copyright Andrew Miller (Spode), 2008