I’m reading a lot of about people buying a netbook because they think they are buying a cheap laptop.  I could see why people could get confused.  They see something that looks like a laptop next to a price tag that reads below $400.  The natural reaction is to wonder why anyone would spend upwards of $1,000 on a laptop when they can purchase one for less than half the price.

A netbook is not for everyone.  A netbook is meant to be a secondary system.  Something you take with on on trips.  It’s not meant to replace your work machine.  I use it to write, email, surf the web, and light duty task.  It has a low powered CPU, no optical drive, and weak graphics.  Look at it this way, you’re expecting a four door sedan, but what you’re really getting is a scooter.  Keep that in mind.

I have a quad core desktop to handle most of my work, a laptop to support my mobile needs, and my netbook to keep me occupied during long trips.  It is not possible for me to have the netbook meet all of my needs.  Now, for some people who do not rely on a computer as much, a netbook might be perfect as the only computer in the house.