Netbooks... The Little Things Count!

I have an Asus EeePC 1005HAnetbook for running Windowsapps and Ubuntu Netbook Remix to play around. It's a travel and troubleshooting computer. I mostly loved it, though I put up with it's weaknesses - the terrible screen being the biggest one. I figured all netbook screens were the same - very poor color accuracy and gamut (greenish tint, very poor pink/magenta/skin tone reproduction). It makes it useless for even quick on-the-go photo editing, but it's fine for blogging and posting photos (because you know they'll turn out fine when viewed on other people's screens).

I thought it was a fine little machine, cute, pink, portable, and with a long battery life. Until my cousin bought an Acer Aspire Oneand I've been getting a chance to use it some. The screen is so vastly superior it's not even funny. Brighter, more saturated colors, far more accurate white point, deeper blacks. Her screen comes close to my MacBook Proand beats the screen on my old MacBook. The webcam actually looks good, not like the blueish grain-fest that is my Eee's webcam. The build of the machine feels much more solid, with sturdier materials. The downside is hers has a 3-cell battery, but the Aspire One can be bought with a 6-cell.

In short, while the differences are small, the little things are everything. Her netbook is a vastly superior machine to mine - and worst, it cost substantially less. Make sure you check out the little things like screen quality when buying a netbook - or any computer. The little things make all the difference.