We want something light and easy to carry in a portable computer,  a light beer version if you will, less filling but without the after taste of really poor performance.  Who knows when the slick shapeshifting airlines will ask us to pay extra to carry a full size laptop on a plane along with our carry on? 

The problem with the netbooks we tested is they either come loaded with Windows 7 Starter or Windows XP.  I haven’t figured out why the manufacturers of these products didn’t load the systems with at least Windows 7 Premium.  It’s like a cake without the frosting. Do we really have to eat this stuff?  My guess is they want to still sell their much more expensive laptop bricks as the only thing powerful enough to run the “Full Operating System”.   That’s like saying “ObamaCare” won’t cost us any more money!  Some may say that’s stretching the truth a tad.

Windows 7 Ultimate and Enterprise run on the netbook platforms fairly well with a full blown version of Windows 7,  so running the “Light” version really doesn’t make sense to us end users.  The back room manufacturer and the almighty Microsoft may beg to differ.

The ever growing need for encryption on portable gear also leads us to think that we might even have to go with the bitlocker capable Enterprise or Ultimate. 

To make your netbook “Mission Capable” with a full version of Windows 7 capable of running bitlocker encryption (the built-in Microsoft answer to expensive clunky encryption software) you simply go to the control panel on a Netbook loaded with Windows 7 Starter and search for the Windows Anytime Upgrade.  You will have to purchase an upgrade key from Microsoft or from a retailer but in the end it will be worth the cost.

Choosing which mini to buy is another story.   I’ve owned almost every brand and I regret to tell you to stay away from the Dell mini for two reasons.  The RAM in these devices cannot be upgraded to the Atom processor max of two gig and the battery life doesn’t compare with the other minis on the market.  Dell gets the credit of having the first HDMI capable High Def screen (battery sucking though it is) but, they just weren’t thinking when they soldered the RAM to the motherboard giving other manufacturers the edge of just popping a chip in the back of the machine.  RAM is cheap and you can get a $300 mini, upgrade it to two gig of RAM, Windows 7 Ultimate or Enterprise,  and you have a light portable encryption capable. 

I hope Dell will wake up here.   I like the form factor of their minis but they blew it in this hot netbook market by building an inferior machine.

So fellas,  marketing is one thing, but give us some options.  Retool, if need be, but tell us the truth.  We want our frosting with our cake!

 — Christian “Mckay” Ririe

Want more on this topic, send me a note Chris@mckayradio.com or call me at 888-641-3931, and I will email you out our free report.   Print this page to start a library of tips and topics you find of interest

There is a danger in standing on a belief about a particular technology for very long.  I was under the impression that the new LED televisions or “panels” as they are called now (nobody uses a TV as just a TV anymore) are the latest and greatest and we would be wise to “upgrade” to the newest of these thin, sleek devices. 

I was bludgeoned in my ego last evening when I stopped by the local Buy More (shout out to the TV series “Chuck” where they spoof  the store “Best Buy” with “Buy More”).  I was given an education by a young twenty-something clerk on the value of plasma over LCD or LED.  He informed me that my knowledge on the subject was dated and so he began my education.

The problem for the longest time with Plasma TV’s was the “Burn In Factor”  You couldn’t use them effectively as a monitor because if you walked away for any long length of time or left them on overnight you would see a ghost image of your computer screen “burned in” to the screen after you turn of your TV. 

Last year the plasma manufacturers got smart and developed a pixel shift technology which effectively eliminates burn in.  This technology changed the game.  Now you have a high-quality picture with deep blacks and rich color that can be used as a computer monitor or as a TV screen with no burn.  The best part is you can get 67″ plasmas now for the price of a 42″ LED.  The price is right!

The drawback to plasma is power consumption, and that’s about the only drawback that holds water.  Plasma panels will drain more from your wall socket than an LCD or an LED.  However, if you maintain wise viewing habits, and turn off the light and the TV when you leave the room, you can go a long way to helping the planet.

 — Christian “Mckay” Ririe

Want more on this topic, send me a note Chris@mckayradio.com or call me at 888-641-3931, and I will email you out our free report.   Print this page to start a library of tips and topics you find of interest