Netbooks are great. No, really, they are. Cheap, highly portable, and practically disposable, these little computers have pushed many schools farther towards really favorable student-computer ratios than just about any device. And whether they’re Dell’s latest Latitude 2110, Intel’s Classmate, or anything in between, we’ve seen that they can work very well for students and teachers.
That being said, there are plenty of times when they simply don’t cut the mustard. I started typing this on something of an un-netbook, the Lenovo X100e. While it looks and feels like a netbook in many ways, the dual-core Neo processor and NVidia graphics make it pretty tolerable as a daily machine. It also can’t be had for the rock bottom prices of the average netbook, but its full-sized keyboard and 11″ screen make it worth the price (Amazon sells the model I’ve been using for around $500).
Notice, however, that I said I started typing this on the X100e (which, I should add, has been my primary computer for a couple of months now). Then my MacBook Pro arrived. I’m not typing on the X100e anymore.
This isn’t to say that the Lenovo isn’t a great ultraportable. It really is perfect for what it does. It travels well, it’s durable, it has a great keyboard, and performance is tolerable for daily use. However, given the choice between tolerable and really fast, or between a usable screen and 15 inches of high-res anti-glare glory, I’m going to opt for the latter. I’m sure I’ll regret that the next time I’m on my way to New York and I’m missing 3 pounds of Lenovo lightness easily cradled on my lap, but the performance tradeoffs are now such, given that I spend as much as 15 hours a day on my computer, that I can live with the feel of warm aluminum on my lap and the glares of other train riders between whom I’m squeezed.
That’s me, though. I’m a professional writer and content creator. I can justify the cost of the MBP (and, to be honest, my wife would beg to differ with you). By leveraging the low cost of entry represented by netbooks, schools can get many more computers into many more hands, making 1:1 not only possible, but more realistic than it has ever been. Younger kids in particular can benefit from netbooks that are sized perfectly for smaller hands, smaller backbacks, and smaller spaces, not to mention low costs and increasingly ruggedized features that make the computers OK for even the most accident-prone of children.
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