Netbook

Review by Russ Boyer:

I have been in the market for a netbook for over a year now. I have spent many a hour pouring over reviews online, watching youtube unboxings and reviews, and actually doing a lot of hands on in retail stores with all of the options out there. I am thrilled to say that after only 24 hours with the Toshiba NB305-N410WH, I know that I waited for just the right one.

The reviews for its’ predecessor (the NB205) had put that netbook on the top of most professional reviewers list. And, indeed in my own hands on tests, it was right at the top as well. My main concern was the battery that stuck out of the back on that model. I had come close to overlooking this drawback, as I was so pleased with the rest of the model. What kept me from it was a concern I had read from some reviews indicating that sometimes streaming video would skip or get stuck (a universal concern on most netbooks)either due to processor or graphics.

Here is why I LOVE this little fella:

* The battery issue has been totally adressed, and in fact, upgraded. They have redesigned it and no more ugly bulge of battery sticking out of the back. Plus, they now say it has an 11 hour battery. My test of this gave me around 9.5 hours doing very basic surfing and setup. Not quite 11 hours, but am still elated with 9.5 hours. I can now really feel comfortable about leaving the power cable at home for the day. (however, the power cable is actaully fairly small) (Update 1/21/10–In further testing of the battery life, I seem to now be averaging more like 7 hours under heavy usage, meaning video watching and constant use. I am still more than happy with that. Light usage will give you more like the 9.5 hours I mentioned.)

* I’m extremely happy with the performance. Everyone needs to keep in mind that netbooks have never been designed for processor intensive tasks, but this little guy rocks! The new “Pinetrail” Atom N450 platform seems to be a great fit for this netbook. The graphics engine is updated, as well. I have had absolutely no delays in any streaming video on YouTube or Netflix. (I did notice just a bit of stuttering in Hulu only when watching something full screen but this isn’t an issue for me.) Surfing is snappy and responsive, just the way that I like it. For anyone that may have been on the fence about getting a netbook because they were concerned it might not perform, hop right off that fence and get the NB305. Seriously, I have a Macbook Pro and Dell laptop and this one has instantly become my “go to” for surfing on the couch or from bed. And, I know this will be the one I now take anywhere out of the house.

* The overall look and feel of the NB305 is truly “best in class”. My big gripe with a ton of netbooks out there is their glossy covers-especially the black, but even other color glossy covers are fingerprint magnets. They just always look smudged and feel cheap to me. I got the textured white model and just love it. Even though I am sure it is all plastic, too, it just looks more expensive. The cover totally repels fingerprints and just “feels good”. The keyboard and trackpad have received universal love in the previous model and I absolutely agree. The keyboard is extremely easy to type on. No issues at all for me there. The trackpad is truly a selling feature as it is multi-touch. I have this on my Macbook Pro and LOVE it on this netbook. I love being able to do the 2 finger scroll up and side to side. It really makes surfing the web a joy. (I now curse my Dell for not having this.) This model actually reduced it’s weight to 2.6 lbs making it super easy to take with you. The bottom does heat up a bit but I never felt uncomfortable having it directly on my lap. (Update 2/20/10: Ok, there have been times when it has been uncomfortable on my lap. Especially if you are blocking the vents, which is easy to do when on your lap. I now just set it on the protective sleeve I bought for it and we’re good to go.) This new model has sleeker look than previous models, a little more streamlined in the front. Overall, form factor gets a big A+.

So, there are a couple areas for improvement, however, I don’t think they are “deal breakers” given the other areas where the NB-305 excels:

1) The speakers are not great. Actually, they’re pretty bad compared to my Mac and Dell. This is definitely an area to improve on, but have found this to be true of all the netbooks I have been able to hear. I’m not saying that you can’t hear what you are watching, but I will plan on using earbuds for watching video or listening to music.

2) I’m a little bugged that these just come with Windows7 Starter and not Windows7 Home Premium. I feel a little “punked” into having to pay an extra for the upgrade (which was extremely simple and fast, by the way. I was able to do it right online–no need for external optical drive). Some people will be fine with Windows7 Starter as it does allow you to do basic functions, but I ultimatley had to cave in and upgrade. You aren’t able to personalize things in Windows7 Starter, which was a minor but grating flaw. (On a side note, I am really liking Windows7 Home Premium. This netbook handles it fine.)

3) I’m kinda concerned that this did not come with any restore cd’s. Yes, I realize that this doesn’t have a cd/dvd drive, but I guess I just like the comfort of having them if needed. I know that I should back up the system on my own, but I guess I just am not sure what happens if the OS crashes or hard drive has to be replaced. I think there must be new ways to restore, nowadays. I guess I will hopefully never cross that bridge.

4) (Update 2/20/10: It does get quite warm around the vents. This may or may not be an issue for you. I can deal with it.)

Overall, I think you can see that I am obviously extremely happy with this purchase. If you have been waiting to buy a netbook, I would give this one some serious thought. Two enthusiastic thumbs up!

(UPDATE 1/19/10: I did upgrade to 2GB of memory and would recommend it. I didn’t really need to, but can’t resist trying to upgrade my gadgets, and everything is just a little faster and I just watched Heros on Hulu full screen and didn’t notice issues that I had before. I didn’t even mind the speakers come to think of it–although the speakers are still the only weak link hardware wise. Installing the memory is a snap. You just need a tiny Philips screwdriver to remove one screw from back cover, pop out the old, pop in the new, replace the cover and boot it back up. It was recognized by the netbook with no problems. There is a video on YouTube on doing this to the NB205 model and the process is exactly the same for the NB305. Still very happy.)

(UPDATE 2/20/10: The type of memory that I got was the one that Amazon usually suggests: Crucial Technology CT25664AC800 2GB 200-pin SODIMM DDR2 PC2-6400 Memory Module.

I also purchased CaseCrown sleeve: CaseCrown Double Memory Foam Netbook Pouch (White Faux Suede) to Carry the Toshiba Mini NB305 10.1-inch Netbook Very happy with that, too. Fits like a glove and makes it super easy to transport the NB305 and feel it is very protected.

Overall, still extremely happy.)

Review by George Alefantes:

INTRODUCTION

I regretfully gave the Toshiba NB305-N310 three stars after thorough research and intense hands-on evaluation. For the hardware alone, it clearly deserves five stars. But I was generous in only deducting two stars for the software and its nefarious intent.

If you are capable of, and have the time for, a complete reinstall of Windows or Linux and reinstallation of some number of the thirty-seven drivers and utility files from the Toshiba Website, then you will have a five-star netbook.

If you are not, then this netbook, like so many others, will not really be your friend. Or else it will be like a bad friend who spies on you, monitors you, deceives you, and leaves your home wide open while housesitting.

My reasons and criteria for finally selecting this netbook will undoubtedly be different than those of others. But I assure you, I have considered even those elements which did not concern me as well as issues and reviews concerning the other NB305 models that I did not purchase: The NB305-N410 in White, Blue, and Brown.

I will review the Toshiba NB305-N310 while at the same time describing the differences between it and the NB305-N410 models (which are simply different colors).

In advance, I will say that the essential differences between the NB305-N310 and the NB305-N410 are, respectively:

Keyboard Type: Flat Squares — OR — Embedded Buttons

Hard Disk Size: 160 GB — OR — 250 GB

Lid Texture: Shiny and smooth — OR — matte

Color Choices: Black — OR — Brown, Blue, or White

Operating System: Windows XP SP 3 — OR — Windows 7 Starter Edition

Initial Price at Amazon: 9 — OR — 9

KEYBOARD

A lot of netbooks brag about full keyboards, yet the PageUp, PageDown, Home, and End keys are still embedded under the four Arrow keys and require also holding down the “Fn” key to use them. This has been a main sticking point for me.

A few netbooks, like the Samsungs, only embed the Home and End keys and give the other two their own physical keys. The Samsung NC20, though, also provides independent keys for all four functions. It also has a nice 1280 pixel wide screen and a satisfactory battery life. But for me, its 12″ size would have failed my personal requirement of getting a netbook that was smaller than my existing 12″ laptops.

But note that the NB305 comes with two distinct keyboards.

This N310 comes with one type. While the three colors of the N410, like the NB200 Series that is the predecessor of this NB300 Series, come with a different type.

There is some confusion in the nomenclature in the specs, in the early reviews, and even in my own understanding.

Some say the N410 has a chiclet keyboard. Others say, “No, the N310 has the chiclet keyboard. The N410 has a ‘piano’ keyboard.” In the end, they may both be chiclet varieties, but they are quite different.

So let me describe them to you in layperson’s terms.

The N310′s keys are flat, black, plastic squares with white characters. They attach to the base as on a normal keyboard, by sitting on unseen stems. All you see are the flat, square keys and a narrow space around each side, exposing the tray beneath. They are like keys on a normal keyboard except that they are mostly flat and level with the palm rests and are not like little towers rising up from the base.

The keys on the N410, on the other hand, are smaller, leaving much more room around them. And they rise up through holes in the open netbook’s surface much like buttons on a home or cell phone.

Some claim that the extra space around each key makes it more difficult to accidentally press adjacent keys while typing. Sure, but only because it is also harder to hit the key you are actually aiming for.

I found both keyboards acceptable, Even feeling that the N410 was a bit cooler looking, but concluded, like some of the reviewers of the N410, that it was a bit unresponsive, quirky, and slow for doing a lot of typing.

For me, this was the biggest reason for getting the N310 instead of the more expensive N410, despite its having a smaller hard drive.

Let it also go without saying that, for both keyboards, there are no ergonomic issues about size and comfortability. As netbooks go, they are among the very best keyboards out there. I highly recommend both types, at least in Toshiba’s implementation of them.

BATTERY

The NB200 Series predecessor began life with a flush battery that unfortunately didn’t provide much battery life. Toshiba tried to rectify things by including one that stuck embarrassingly out of the back and defeated the whole purpose of such a portable device.

Be thoroughly assured that the battery on the NB300 Series no longer sticks out of the back. Though it does have a slight downward curved protrusion under the laptop such that it raises the back of the laptop, but in a totally useful and acceptable manner.

BATTERY LIFE

I’m getting between 9 and 10 hours and I have the display at its brightest and most other power-saving features unused. So with some parsimony, you can probably get the advertised 11.08 hours. Very nice.

But this does include my having disabled services, deleted and uninstalled programs, and cleaned up a lot of clutter and startup programs.

DISPLAY

I am a bit surprised that Toshiba did not upgrade the resolution on the NB300 Series but stayed instead with the 1024X600.

For portable writing and Internet research, it is more than satisfactory. Besides, the brightness and quality is otherwise superb, and the lower resolution adds to the battery life.

It has not proved to be much of a problem, at all. I keep reminding myself that it wasn’t long ago that the 1024 pixel width was considered spacious. Of course the height does not match the height from those days: 600 instead of 768.

If resolution is a major issue, though, consider the aforementioned Samsung NC20 with a nice standard 1280×800, or the Acer line which pioneered the 1366 resolution.

MOUSE TRACKPAD AND BUTTONS

Like everyone seems to agree, the trackpad is huge for a netbook. It is almost twice as wide as the one on my XPS M1330 laptop. It provides for multitouch for you people who like to pinch things. And the buttons are large, front-sloping, and very nice to press.

RAM

I haven’t bought the 2 GB upgrade yet. I need to do some more research. Toshiba, Amazon, and retail store salespeople are all recommending the 667 GHz. But some reviewers mention that 800 GHz will also work and provides a better experience. So I’m waiting to confirm.

But, you know what, everything’s been totally cool like this for now. Just an occasional slight drag on some videos which I’m sure will disappear with 2 GB.

HARD DRIVE

The hard drives were 160 GB and 250 GB respectively. No big deal. It will just make things a little more cramped when I repartition and place Linux Mint alongside Windows XP, as I do on all PCs.

PHYSICAL ASPECTS

The N310 only comes in black. The N410 comes in brown, blue, or white. Its lid is matted and does not attract fingerprints. The N310′s lid is a shiny black with a faint diagonal pattern on it. It does attract fingerprints. But if you minimize how recklessly you touch it and wipe them off as they occur you won’t face the kinds of apocalypses other netbook users complain of.

The inside of the N310 is a pleasant matte black aluminum around the screen and around the keyboard and on the palm rests and trackpad buttons. The inside of the N410 is silver aluminum, while the frame around the display matches the exterior color.

The netbook sits about 10.5″ x 7.5″, the height varies from 1.5″ at the back to 0.5″ at the front. And, of course, 3.5″ in the middle (just kidding).

The weight is advertised at 2.6 pounds. And I’ll take their word on it, but it seems heavier than my 4.5-pound XPS M1330 laptop. But what do I know? I gained twenty pounds and didn’t know it until I stood on a scale.

Unlike a couple of reviewers of the N410, I have not found the unit to get hot at all. And the air vent on the N310 is on the side. Though one reviewer said the N410′s vents were underneath, I am not certain about that.

OTHER

Across the palm rest, between the trackpad and the first row of keys is a half-circle dip that runs like a trench across the width of the keyboard. It is handy to rest your fingertips in when your are using the mouse.

It also has nicely-gripping rubber feet.

Three USB ports (one can charge cell phones, etc),SDHC Card Reader, 10/100 Ethernet, Wireless B, G, and N, Video Out, Mic and Headphone ports, speakers under the front corners, and a WebCam with its own Mic.

AC ADAPTER

The AC adapter is small and manageable, if you need to bring it along. and its two-piece cord is of sufficient length.

SOFTWARE – OPERATING SYSTEM

As I said earlier, the N310 comes with Windows XP Service Pack 3 while the N410 comes with Windows 7 Starter Edition.

Operating system was, along with battery life, small size, and keyboard, a high priority. I did not wish to get any netbook with Windows Vista or Windows 7, unless I knew I could reinstall it with Windows XP.

I’m sure I could have put XP on the N410 after the fact since it comes on the N310 and all these NB300 Series models have identical processors, motherboards, and video cards. But the keyboard finally clinched it for the N310 and luckily, that was the one that had XP.

During the Vista period, most netbooks still came with XP. Now, with the emergence of Windows 7, what few gains in performance that newer netbooks have achieved have been squandered by Windows 7′s resource demands and Vista-like performance and essence. XP is still the smarter choice for a netbook.

Windows XP came on a single 700 MB CD. Windows 7 requires not just a DVD, but a Dual Layer one, twelve times the size of a CD.

And if that were not enough, you only get the so-called Starter Edition. Imagine, for the first time, an operating system that only allows three programs to be open at a time and doesn’t allow cosmetic or other user changes.

Had I decided to get the N410, I would have immediately reinstalled Windows XP Pro onto it, anyway, and dual-booted it with my favorite Linux, Linux Mint.

SOFTWARE – OTHER

Following closely behind the Windows 7 Starter Edition disappointment is the sheer excess of installed Toshiba and third party applications and the outright offensive levels of tracking and spying they have been designed for.

The junk includes cluttering trial versions of Microsoft Office 2007 and Norton Internet Security, Microsoft Works, all the many violations committed by Adobe, like Flash and the Reader, and all the offenses by Sun Microsystems’ popular Java.

I am still wading through the thirty-seven drivers and utilities that Toshiba, themselves, installs, most of which are running at startup and further draining resources.

But, clutter and resource drains aside, the even bigger problem with the software Toshiba foists on their customers is that it is pernicious in its efforts to spy on, track, and monitor you.

Adobe and Java both install BHOs in Internet Explorer.

Toshiba’s tfbPinger is a shameless spying service that has been made almost impossible to remove, located in multiple places so, like a virus, it can recreate itself after attempts to remove it. It is constantly trying to connect to somewhere. It’s not my job to find out where, just to put an end to it.

Toshiba also welcomes and installs a set of games from Wild Tangent. In the earlier days of Windows 98 and 2000, theirs was one of the most difficult “viruses” to remove from client’s computers. Though, this time, they were, surprisingly, better-behaved during removal than some of the other Toshiba applications and services. I guess they’ve gone legit.

Even the Webcam lights up occasionally, as if taking a picture of me, then tries to connect to the Internet. I guess I should be flattered. But I’m not. Now I know how Robert Pattinson and Elijah Wood feel. I wish.

And Update programs from all the unwanted software are constantly trying to “check for updates.”

There is also a folder in the root with a name like DC6986B7885R807F36D7845CDF that is almost impossible to enter, modify, or delete (it appears to be the repository where the uninstalled Windows resides, since Toshiba does not provide you with reinstallation CDs or DVDs).

And of course, the nefarious Google Toolbar is preinstalled without even asking to accept any license terms.

Certainly no new machine enters our offices or attaches through our network that has not been first stripped down to its bare essentials, repartitioned and reformatted, and then reinstalled with known software and applications.

Whichever model you buy, get the drivers from the Website and reinstall a pure copy of your preferred Windows or Linux.

But if you, instead, intend to work the mess, start by installing a bidirectional firewall that will block all the constant attempts by Toshiba and the other software to secretly contact unknown Websites, to do surreptitious updates, and to turn your computer into a wide-open server (Java in particular).

Then, slowly unravel the mess by uninstalling software, disabling dangerous services, and removing programs from the startup folders and registry (especially the update programs that are always running).

If you don’t intend to secure it, but just to put it to use in your daily life, then your privacy will be an illusion and you will have actually spent money to enslave yourself in some yet unknown manner.

I have, as I said, deducted a mere two stars for either the evil agenda behind the type of software installed or the trouble required to remove or replace it. Both are unacceptable, but, obviously, we have entered that age, in the convergence of politics and technology, where the computer makers like Toshiba and others probably collect additional income from the designated third-party spying entities, and who knows exactly who else, in order to install those parties’ tracking and spying applications and be done with it.

SUMMARY

So there you have it. A Japanese company gladly complying nefariously with entities in the US against our better interests and to our ultimate detriment.

If you’ve got reinstallation software that you trust, and you don’t mind taking the time, then this is a great netbook. If not, I don’t know what to tell you. And I don’t know how possible such independence and autonomy will be in the future.

Windows XP, the last Microsoft operating system that, with some time and effort, can be made safe and secure from cyber criminals and from institutions that should know better. After that, we’re all on our own.

With increased DRM, unfair licensing terms, and the continuation of Product Activation, I, for one, have moved most of my machines to Linux. Linux Mint in particular. It runs great dual-booting on all my newer laptops and even on my older desktops.

It is the antithesis of the trend to use our technology, more and more often, as a tool of enslavement and disrespect. It may be the only hope, despite the wonderful advances in hardware, for the future of free and unfettered computing.

Review by S. Chable:

I received my F1 a little over a week ago, and have decided to get rid of my MacBook. This little red beauty packs a heck of a punch. The graphics can even handle most of my games without issue.

It gets noticed everywhere, and the Ferrari emblem on the cover is an actual 3D emblem (not a sticker). The quality and attention to detail is very well thought out, and for 0 you really will be overwhelmed.

Review by Jackson:

Pros :

- It looks nice.

- Has plenty of space and Ram (250gb and 4gb)

- Has 64-bit Windows pre-installed.

- Not “too much” bloated ware.

- The web cam is pretty good.(for web cam)

- Pretty light weight.

- Screen is pretty good for this size.

- the On-board 3200 is enough for all day-to-day work and a lot of games.

Cons :

- Could use a little more ram (Max is 4GB, prefer 8gb max)

- HDD could be a little faster, 5400 rpm is a bit slow for me, AS my desktop is Dual Raptor soon going to SSD.

- CPU can be a little faster, heat concerns maybe?

- The Keyboard needs a little time to get used to.

- There is no way this thing can get 5 Hours of battery life with the pre-installed Windows setup and stock battery. I would say 3 something Hours, MAX. I will try to do a clean install when I have the time. Then I will post an update here.

My last Ferrari was the 4000, got this Ferrari One for over a week. I would say it worth every penny. I carry it in my bag right now and after a day of running around my shoulder is still ok ! (the old one, which is a full feature notebook, well, it served me well for like 3+ years. kinda heavy)

They should’ve kept the shell like the old one, meaning they should kept it the Carbon Fibre look. Red is ok but … I dont know. I might need some time to get used to.

Oh by the way, Just get the Acer’s extended warranty. You might think its not worth it, but trust me, ACER’s warranty is actually pretty good. When you have a problem, just give them a call, give them your number, everything setup. you get your laptop back in about a week or so. Aftermarket warranty like Square—–, I have them, but I read reviews that if for some reason they cant find a contractor to fix your item, or when they just can’t fix it. They will just “refund” you the total amount of the warranty. I mean thats ok, but I would rather pay about 20 bux more and Get Acer’s own extended warranty instead.

Anyway, for 600 bux. I will get this over any other notebook in the price range.

Review by hwmd:

I bought this for a friend and have been setting up software and updates for them over the past couple of days. I think the styling of the HP Mini is much nicer than the MSI Winds, but I’m getting battery life of 4 hours and change on this for a much better price. I think most folks can put up with that.

The gray, angular design really evokes some of HPs designs from about 3 years ago, like if an HP business notebook and the MSI Wind U100 had a baby together. Or if an MSI Wind had a baby with another MSI Wind, but it turned out the biological father was really an HP business notebook. Anyhow, this goes to say that while this isn’t a Vivienne Tam fashion statement, it doesn’t come across looking like a toy either, as some of the other netbooks do. It feels solid, even without crazy aluminum unibody casing or something like that.

I will say that there are a few quirks in the unboxing process that caught me by surprise. One is the the boot-up/install time. You turn the thing on, and it sits there for 15+ minutes installing Windows, I guess, onto a 30 GB partition of the hard drive. The other partition is ~100 GB, and labelled D:, but this is non-obvious to novice users who might wonder where the heck the rest of their drive space went.

The other unboxing/first-time use thing is that the WiFi and camera have to be turned on with a combination of the Fn key and the top row of F-keys. I’m sure this was in the paper insert somewhere in the box, but it wasn’t obvious to me, and it would’ve been nicer to just have a big fat button with a lighted symbol of what it was supposed to turn on, e.g. a webcam or a wireless/radio symbol. By the way, the webcam image is nothing to write home about, but it does ok for Skype etc. WiFi range is pretty good, though — it almost outslugs the access points I can see from my Macbook. Not sure if that’s good, actually, but it sure ain’t bad.

1GB of RAM seems to do just fine for this XP-based machine; it can feel a little sluggish if you decide to open three different browsers, Microsoft Office, and some video applications at the same time, but if you’re doing that in the first place — on a netbook — then maybe you need a prescription for Ritalin. Maybe this is a function of the processor also, I’m not sure. Certainly this isn’t the machine to be running Photoshop on while you watch re-runs of You Suck at Photoshop.

The keyboard bothers me a little (but then, a lot of things bother me, just a little bit). The period and comma keys are a little narrow for my liking — but it beats the keyboard layout of the Dell Mini 9 and the EeePC I saw over at Best Buy. It’s sort of like if you had a flight of stairs in your home but the last two steps were a little more narrow. You get used to it, but it’s not exactly something you enjoy. That said, in this continued analogy, all the other stairs are close to normal sized, and so I’d say that the keyboard, while certainly not full-sized, comes as close to it as possible while maintaining the compact netbook form factor. The trackpad is a little small for my liking, but this was the case on nearly every netbook I saw.

What’s really impressive about this machine is that for 0, this is a rather solid deal. I can see this particular model — or netbooks like it — becoming increasingly popular with enterprise users down the line, particularly for those users who already have a desktop at their… well… desks. It has ports galore off the sides. It has just enough oomph to run Office 2003 for your basic productivity-type needs, enough space to store your Neil Diamond mp3 anthology. It has an interesting facial recognition and webcam fun/toy app that you probably won’t use.

Oh, speaking of mp3s, the sound from the stereo speakers is tinny but loud enough to do a speakerphone-like conference with someone over Skype. It’s sort of the sound quality that I’d expect from a notebook this size, so I guess my expectations must’ve been not too high to begin with.

So I’m actually going to give this four stars. Then again, five stars would probably notch the price up a bit, at which point you’d probably have to give it four stars because the price was higher than most other netbooks. Thus, we are at an impasse, and so I end my review here.

ADDENDUM (6 months later):

Several months later, I must update my review, after now owning an MSI Wind U100 myself and having experienced the keyboard first-hand. (I wonder how many keyboard reviewers have used that pun.)

The keyboard on all netbooks is a miserable experience. The MSI Wind I suppose is marginally better, but outside of the aforementioned issues with the really narrow comma, period, and forward slash keys, all the keys are sort of tiny. I have big fat fingers, and so this is a problem for me. If you have long, spindly fingers, you may enjoy the keyboard on the MSI Wind U120 and other netbooks. If you have long, spindly fingers, you may also want to audition for commercials that make stuff look big where you’re supposed to hold some new product.

Still give it a four-star rating, though. This is a sturdy little sucker. My daughters have both dropped the machine from wuthering heights, and not-so-wuthering heights, and generally abused the plastic casing to no end. That was the point, by the way — I didn’t want them mangling up my Macbook. But the MSI Wind continues to hold up despite the rough-housing. I suspect that if the kids were old enough to read, they might find the keyboard appropriately-sized for their little fingers. But alas, they aren’t yet reading age, and by the time they will be old enough to read and to type, the keyboard will probably be too small for them. So we are at an impasse, and so I end my comment here.

Review by David Eisenberg:

I’ve owned my MSI Wind, w/6 cell battery, since November, and have no complaints (but, one suggestion). After traveling with notebook computers for at least the past 15 years, it is great to finally have an alternative that weighs less then 3 lbs, has a long battery life, and runs all the software that I normally use on the road.

One suggestion for MSI — ship the netbook w/the Wi Fi turned on, or at least a card with a hint to his Fn F11 to turn it on. I only found out by finding that hint on the internet. Several friends who saw my MSI Wind went out and bought one of their own. They all like ‘em… but all called to ask how to turn on the Wi Fi!

Great computer, not as powerful as my desktop, but perfect for travel. And, the price just keeps getting better!