A hole in the computer industry has been filled. The crazy thing is that no one saw the hole. Let me explain.
With laptops and smart phones, it would seem that the mobile real estate agent’s computing needs are fulfilled. When the laptop is too much to carry, you have the smart phone for email, internet and even document creation. What else would anyone need?
Unfortunately, the smart phone isn’t the perfect mobile companion for everyone. As eye sight goes, those tiny screens get tough to read. On top of that, the thumb-stroke keyboard is only suitable for short messages.
A new class of notebook, the “micro” or “mini”, has hit the market to fill the void between the laptop and smart phone. Equipped with 9-10″ LED screens, full keyboards, webcams, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and solid state hard drives, these mini notebooks make checking email and surfing the internet a real join.
These aren’t laptop replacements. The low power components used in these systems does limit their capabilities, but most real estate agents don’t need a lot computing power on the go. They simply need to write an email, check a listing on the MLS or surf the web and watch an online video or two.
A real benefit to using a low power machine is battery life. Some mini notebooks are boasting 8 hour battery life.
The ASUS Eee PC is the leader in the mini notebook market, but the Dell Mini 9 and HP Mini-Note are new products that are growing in popularity. Prices vary, but some models start at under $400.
There are a lot of configuration options when buying a mini notebook. Operating system, hard drive size and type, memory, web cam, wireless connectivity are all items that you will need to decide upon. You can create systems that are tiny Windows-based laptops or barebones, high efficiency handheld computers.
When configuring your mini notebook, remember that this isn’t going to replace a traditional laptop. You don’t want a lot of power and functionality. You won’t need it. You want quick and easy implementation of basic computing needs.
A few recommended options:
- Solid state drive instead of spinning hard drive – less capacity but faster, more energy efficient and reliable
- Upgrade to the most RAM available
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth – wireless connectivity continues to grow in usefulness
- Quality webcam for Skype video calling
- Linux instead of Windows for the operating system
The choice of Linux is a bit unusual, but well worth it. Windows is slow and a resource hog, Linux will run faster and start quicker. You will be limited on software for the Linux, but that isn’t an issue. Since you are using the mini notebook for just email, internet and docs, web services and free applications like Google Docs, web-based email and Open Office will meet your needs.
You can bet that a mini notebook will be on my holiday wish list.
Hey Chad,
Great post. I really like my 8.9 " Acer Aspire One. It runs XP or Linux has an Intel Atom processor, 1GB DDR, 120/160GB hard drive and anything else you could ask for. All for only $350 or if your a costco shopper its $325.
Check out my vlog about it HERE
-Matt Rains
Oh, sorry forgot to mention. The ASUS Eee PC is being discontinued by ASUS and only the 10" and above notebooks will be released from now on. Also, make sure to check the comparable speed of the solid state drive before you buy it. Most net books solid state drives run at a comparable 4200rpm or less and it makes transferring/uploading data take forever.
Hope this helps. Sorry to post twice I couldn't edit my first post.
Matt Rains
Matt,
Thank you so much for sharing your firsthand experience with a mini notebook. At $325, that Acer sounds like a great product.
I am sorry to hear that the ASUS Eee is going away. I know several people with them and have had nothing but good things to say about them.
I just can't see the need for it … no pun intended. I mean I'm only 50 and wear bifocals but my Treo is very easy to read. Yes it is a bit tedious for a day's full work but I have no problem creating fliers in Word and printing them to a PDF then emailing them to my contact list. I do like the fact that it comes with optional Linux but I'm very familiar with *nix kernel based systems. Unfortunately Calyx Point does not support Linux – unless I missed some big announcement.
[...] Random Feed wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptA hole in the computer industry has been filled. The crazy thing is that no one saw the hole. Let me explain. With laptops and smart phones, it would seem that the mobile real estate agent’s computing needs are fulfilled. When the laptop is too much to carry, you have the smart phone for email, internet and even document creation. What else would anyone need? Unfortunately, the smart phone isn’t the perfect mobile companion for everyone. As eye sight goes, those tiny screens get tough to read [...]
Ken,
That is the great thing about technology, the diverse choices. You are able to choose the equipment that is right for the way that you compute. While a mini notebook may not fill your technology needs, many people are raving about them.
I bought the Aspire had it for 48 hours, returned it — bought a 14" lap top instead. Aspire is really CUTE! Super hard to type on, had to buy "N" wireless adapter to connect to wireless network, have to have external CD drive to load any software not available via a downloadable program…. by the time I bought everything the 14" laptop made more sense– not as CUTE though!
Susan,
My last laptop was a 14" Dell that I really enjoyed. When I was always on the road, it gave me the perfect combination of mobility and power.
The Aspire is a great mini notebook that would be a wonderful compliment to your 14" laptop or even better for someone with a 17" laptop that needs more portability at times.
A mini notebook as someones only notebook computer will definitely not make for a good situation.