Toshiba Satellite L645D-S4036 Over the past months of August and now into September, I poured over all the latest Netbook Reviews from Cnet to Amazon to Engadget, attempting to find the best 12 to 13-inch Netbook, either currently available, or about to be released by the end of September. These models cost more than the Wal-Mart, Best Buy $299 Specials, because the are definitely Upgraded in the CPU, GPU & RAM area’s.
I was looking for something lightweight, with stable operating system, that would be great for Email, Skype, documents, movies, photos, & music; and if it had a SuperDrive, that would make it pretty sweet.I had been keeping my interest in the ASUS Eee PC Seashell 1201N-PU17-BK 12.1-Inch Black Netbook – for around $480.00; since it was loaded with Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit, and NOT the dinosaur XP OS, which was the main reason I switched over to Mac, after many years of pure hell and frustration, besides Mac works extremely well in my Scientific environment. Engadget did announced that ASUS was releasing the next souped-up evolution of the 1201N, being the New 1215N, in July, which was suppose to be retailing for over $500 bills. So I contacted ASUS and was emailed back a response that the 1215N, was indeed due to release in September. However, Promises made … Promises Not.
I then made an interesting discovery of a web site, with the first word that describes a farm animal that cries, “Moo”, plus Boom; and they had a late model Macbook, MC516LL/A, 13.3 inch, with a SuperDrive for $650 + Free Shipping, it was a No Brainer, when I compared it with these ASUS Netbooks. I haven’t looked back!
Perhaps this review will be of some help to those considering buying a Netbook that will last more longer than most Netbooks and have the capacity to grow with your demands.
My Criteria was as follows:
* 12 to 13-inch screen, LED-Backlit display (1366 x 768) or widescreen resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels*
* A Mac 1.6 GHz or faster Intel Core 2 Duo processor or PC Intel Atom N330 Dual Core processor (1.6 GHz)
* NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor (Mac) or NVIDIA ION 1 or 2 Graphics GPU (PC)
* Apple Snow Leopard 10.6.x or Windows 7 Home Premium 32 or 64-bit – Macbook arrives with all pre-installed Basic & some advanced Software included.
* 2 GB installed RAM, expandable to 4 GB
* 250GB HDD – 5,400RPM Hard Drive
* Internal – 8x slot-loading SuperDrive with double-layer DVD support, if available*
* 7.0 to 10 Hours* of Battery Life
* Built-in iSight camera for Video Chat or Skype
* Wi-Fi wireless networking (based on 802.11n specification; 802.11a/b/g compatible)
* Gigabit Ethernet wired networking (10/100/1000BASE-T)*
* USB 2.0 ports – 2 minimum + FireWire (400 0r 800)
* Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)
* Storage Cards: 2-in-1 MMC, SD(SDHC) flash card slot **
* Mini DisplayPort video output with optional adapters for HDMI, DVI and VGA output.
* Built-in stereo speakers and omni-directional microphone
* Weight: 3 to 4.5 lbs
* Price: $400 to $600
* Only on MacBook
** Available on Asus models and MacBook Pro.
A. Apple MacBook MC516LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop/Netbook – $655.00*, Free Ship
Key Specifications:
* Up to 10 hours of continuous use with 63.5-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery.
* 13.3-inch LED-backlit, glossy widescreen display with a widescreen resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels.
* Installed software – Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard (includes Time Machine, Quick Look, Spaces, Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iCal, DVD Player, Photo Booth, Front Row, Xcode Developer Tools)
* iLife ‘09 (includes iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, iWeb, iDVD)
* Fast 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
* NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor (with 256 MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory)
* 250 GB hard drive (5400 RPM)
* 2 GB installed RAM (1066 MHz DDR3; supports up to 4 GB)
* 8x slot-loading SuperDrive with double-layer DVD support
* Built-in iSight camera for Video Chat or Skype
* Wi-Fi wireless networking (based on 802.11n specification; 802.11a/b/g compatible)
* Gigabit Ethernet wired networking (10/100/1000BASE-T)
* Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)
* Two USB 2.0 ports + FireWire
* Mini DisplayPort video output with optional adapters for DVI and VGA output.
* Built-in stereo speakers and omnidirectional microphone
* Combined optical digital output/headphone output (also includes line-in/microphone jack)
* 60W MagSafe Power Adapter
* Dimensions: 13 x 9.12 x 1.08 inches (WxDxH)
* Weight: 4.7 pounds
Upgrades – Total costs $91.00. S/H not included.
1. Crucial CT2KIT25664BC1067 4GB 204-PIN PC3-8500 SODIMM DDR3 Memory KIT (2GBx2) – $91 + S/H – (DIY)
2. Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac Home & Student Edition – $110 + S/H. (No Charge, have complete 3-PC DVD version copy on-hand)
* Total Costs w/Upgrades (Hardware + Software): $746.00. S/H not included.
Legend: Tech = Technical Installation, including parts; DIY = Do It Yourself; S/H = Shipping & Handling
B. ASUS Eee PC Seashell 1201N-PU17-BK 12.1-Inch Black Netbook – $480.00*
Key Specifications -
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit
Display: 12.1-inch LED-Backlit WXGA display (1366 x 768)
CPU: Intel Atom N330 Dual Core processor (1.6 GHz)
GPU: NVIDIA ION Graphics
Wireless Data Network: WLAN 802.11b/g/n (draft 2.4GHz n) and Bluetooth V2.1 + EDR
Memory: 2GB DDR2, 2 x SODIMM slot
Storage: 250GB HDD + 500GB ASUS WebStorage*
Camera: 0.3 megapixel
Audio: Hi-definition stereo speakers, high-definition audio CODEC, Microphone
Storage Cards: 2-in-1 MMC, SD(SDHC) flash card slot
Input/Output: 1 x VGA port (D-sub 15-pin for external monitor), 1 x HDMI, 3 x USB 2.0 ports, 1 x LAN RJ-45, 2 x audio jacks (Headphone & Mic-in)
Battery Pack: 5 hours**, 6-cell Li-Ion battery
Dimensions: 11.54 (W) x 8.11 (D) x 1.06~ 1.30 (H) inches
Weight: 3.22 lbs
Color: Black
Upgrades: From $543.00 to $855.00. S/H not included.
1. Crucial RAM to 4GB – $200 Tech / $80 DIY
2. Upgrade to Hitachi 0A57547? 2.5-Inch 320 GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive- $250 Tech / $58 DIY +
S/H
3. Microsoft Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade [Home Premium to Professional] – $80 + S/H
4. Microsoft Office 2010 Home & Student (Disc Version) – $122 + S/H
5. ASUS USB 2.0 8x DVD Write EXTERNAL Optical Drive – $56 + S/H
6. Norton 360 4.0 1 User (3 PC)- $42 + S/H
7. Webroot Spy Sweeper 3-User – $23 + S/H
8. Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 3-User – $55 + S/H
9. WinCleaner One-Click (Up to 3 Users) – $27 + S/H
* Total Costs w/Upgrades (Hardware + Software): From $1023.00, to $1335.00.
S/H not included.
C. ASUS UL20A-A1 Thin and Light 12.1-Inch Silver Laptop – 7.5 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium) – $529.00*
Key Specifications:
Operating System: Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Display: 12.1-inch HD LED-backlit Widescreen (1366 x 768)
Intel Platform: Intel Core2 Duo processor SU7300 (1.3GHz)
Graphics: Intel GMA X4500MHD
Wireless: WLAN 802.11b/g/n (draft 2.4GHz n)
LAN: 10/100 Mbps Ethernet
BlueTooth: None
Memory: 2GB DDR2 DRAM 800MHz, (upgradeable to 4GB)
Storage: 250GB 5,400RPM Hard Drive
Camera: 0.3 Megapixel
Speakers: SRS Premium Stereo Speakers by Altec Lansing, Hi-Definition Audio CODEC
Microphone Digital Array Microphones
Card Reader: 1 x 8-in-1 card reader: MMC, SD/SDHC, Mini-SD, MS, MS-Pro, MS-Duo, MS Pro-Duo , XD
Input/Output: 1 x Mic-in, 1 x audio-out (S/PDIF), 3 x USB 2.0 ports, 1 x RJ45 LAN
Video Output: 1 x VGA port/Mini D-sub 15-pin
Keyboard: 18.33mm with MS Windows function keys
Battery Pack: 6-cell Lithium Ion Battery, – Up to 7.5 hours1
Power Supply: Input: 100~240 V AC, 50/60 Hz universal
Dimensions: 11.8 (W) x 8.4 (L) x 1.0 (H) inches
Weight: 3.3lbs (with 6-cell battery)
Color: Silver
Upgrades – Approximately same as for the `ASUS Eee PC Seashell 1201N-PU17-BK 12.1-Inch Black Netbook’, plus other add-on costs.
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