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Jewish World Review
Dec. 5, 2008
/ 8 Kislev 5769
Buying game has changed
By
Mark Kellner
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
You want to get a computer for someone, but don't
know what to do. What's more, the game is changing this year, both in terms of
retailers and the models they offer.
•
NETBOOK? Perhaps. Go anywhere even Costco and you'll find "netbooks," tiny
portables with small-ish screens, hard drives (if any) and about a Gigabyte of RAM.
Some have Windows pre-loaded, others rely on Linux, while others still would connect
via a network to a "cloud" computer where your operating system (and data) reside.
They seem very cute, and very popular: my spousal unit (as the Census Bureau folks
term her) is enamored of one.
I haven't played with the Windows-based devices all that much yet, but my chief
concern is the relatively small screen size of 8.9 to 10 inches diagonally for most
models. My aging eyes wince at this, even though it might work for many people. I'd
try to find a 12-inch display on a netbook, but that's me. I'd also want to see more
RAM, or at least the chance to add more. And, forget about optical drives: if you
want to watch a movie, you'll need an external drive of some stripe, which kind of
defeats the tiny, super-portable concept.
On the Linux side, and especially for the smaller computer users in your world, the
OLPC, or One Laptop Per Child, XO model which runs on electricity and a
hand-crank-charged battery is a great choice at just under $400 at amazon.com.
No, it's not the world's most sophisticated computer, but the only way you or I can
buy one is to pay enough to let the OLPC folks give one to a child in the developing
world. That alone makes it worthwhile.
•
NOTEBOOKS. There are some new entrants this holiday season, most notably Samsung,
which is bringing some nice models (including a Netbook-ish one) to the States under
their own brand. None were provided for review at this time, but let me say that
I've not yet found a "bad" Samsung product overall. On that basis alone, I can
suggest they're worth checking out. However, you'll have to go online to Amazon.com,
NewEgg.com or Buy.com if your local BestBuy doesn't have them handy.
I remain a huge fan of Hewlett Packard's products for the home, especially the dv5t
series of notebook computers. They shine, and not just in appearance. The screen
size is decent, the graphics quality is great, you can get an HD TV tuner for
watching on the run, and yippee some models even have a Blu-Ray disc player.
As far as entertainment goes, you can't ask for much more. And, HP products seem to
be everywhere, so finding them is easy. (There's even a "green" packaged notebook,
though not in the dv5t family, being sold at Wal-Mart, which I think truly defines
bargain.)
Dell also has some serviceable items this year, and they're pumping out bargain
prices to draw in shoppers online at www.dell.com. If you've been happy with that
brand, it might be worth investigating.
On the Mac side, of course, Apple holds the reins, and I like their newest
notebooks. The brilliance of the newest MacBook and MacBook Pro computers shines in
every dimension. The only downside, so far, is the lack of Blu-Ray disc players as
an installed option. Perhaps this will change in 2009; one can only hope!
Why do I stress portables over desktops? It's a mobile world. If you want to be more
comfortable at home, docking and display options are plentiful and reasonable in
cost, so grab the advantage of portability while and when you can!
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Mark Kellner has reported on technology for industry newspapers and magazines since 1983, and has been the computer columnist for The Washington Times since 1991.Comment by clicking here.
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© 2008, News World Communications, Inc. Reprinted with permission of The Washington Times. Visit the paper at http://www.washingtontimes.com
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