Windows 7 netbooks, laptops, and desktops are appearing in online stores. I'm not sure if I personally want to go through all the trouble of upgrading my almost two year old Windows Vista laptop to the new Windows 7, but if I were to buy a new netbook I would certainly look for one that already has the new operating system installed.

Marvin, there should be minimal work to upgrade your Vista laptop. Windows 7 will use the Vista drivers if it needs to. It's more like a version upgrade in that regard. No need to reinstall programs, etc.

Of course nothing is ever really that simple, is it?

...ken...

Yes, Ken, and I originally intended to install Windows 7 on my tx2000, but since I started to experience the hardware problem I mentioned to you and Terry earlier, I no longer have long term plans for this laptop. I will eventually need to buy a new one.

The Christmas season this year could be pretty exciting for netbooks.

Terry

My wife will definitely get her brand new Windows 7 netbook for Christmas this year . Last year she though her old laptop was still usable. A couple of months ago, when I suggested a netbook as a birthday gift for her, she said she would wait till Xmas.

Last weekend we were looking at a Sony VAIO P at a local FutureShop. She liked it. (But I would need a magnifying glass to read anything at that small screen!)

I'm holding out for a touchscreen netbook.

...ken...

That overpriced Sony toy must-at least-have a touch screen!

Terry

Ken, you're absolutely right, one thing that's been missing from the netbook market is a good touchscreen netbook.

Note that there are a couple of bad touchscreen netbooks already available, most notably the EEE T91. They run Windows XP Home (note: not XP Tablet Edition), have resistive touchscreens (?!), and in general deliver a poor experience.

Just a bit of fair warning. I've read that most netbooks are shipping with Windows 7 "Starter". Not Home or Business, etc like big brother laptop or desktops. It is a watered down version of 7 that will only allow 3 apps (not including antivirus) to be running at once. Try to open the 4th and it will not allow it. Microsoft stated netbooks will not have the processing power to run more advanced 7 with multiple apps. Other rumour is for price of cheapie netbook you want full blown 7 you pay the extra $ for it. I've not actually seen this, just idle chatter prior to release.

The limit of 3 applications does not apply to Windows 7 Starter Edition.
Let?s talk about Windows 7 Starter - Windows 7 Team Blog - The Windows Blog

Terry

Sorry, I was incorrect after some further investigation. Here is today's scoop on CNET:


What the other "limitations" are, don't know. Sorry for the incorrect info above.

Terry is right. Here is a popular ZDNet blogger's review. It started when the beta with the 3-application limit was released and has been updated since the change.

Living with the limits of Windows 7 Starter Edition | Ed Bott’s Microsoft Report | ZDNet.com

...ken...

I bought my netbook with XP installed prior to the 7 release. I was very impressed with netbook performancd. When 7 was released I had no real need to upgrade, but with Microsofts 3 pack home upgrade package for $200 cdn. I couldn't resist. I have done my laptop and netbook upgrades with no issues what so ever. Make sure you run the 7 compatability program Microsoft provides to make sure you are ready for the upgrade. One thing I was really impressed with was netbook hard drive folders where retained, but operating system over written. Very nice. Only issue left is getting Delorme SA 2010 to accept screen resolution issues. Still working on that. Other than that upgrade was a snap.

I bought a netbook with a 10 inch screen and XP home and was not satisfied. So I've replaced that with an 11 incher and windows 7 premium. I'm happier with the new one, better all around.
Don't know of any limitations, none are mentioned, but if there are I might rethink my new purchase. How would I tell if there are? So far it seems to do all that I ask.

Hi Ed,

I have no idea what you mean. Give us a list of what you think might be a limitation and we can tell you how to check.

...ken...

I was referring to the post above that mention Microsoft wanted to limit Windows Starter 7 to 3 applications. The post mentions "other" limitations but I suspect they refer to the Starter edition of Windows 7. I have the Windows Premium edition. I have since found out that there is an offer from Microsoft to purchase an upgrade to Windows 7 for my other computers but no mention was made when I purchased my Netbook. I'm checking into that now.

The restrictions in the "Starter" edition that was supposed to be for nebooks were only in the beta test version. They never made it into the final version. There was too much complaining from netbook manufacturers and consumers.

The only limitation was that you could only have a maximum of three seperate user applications running. It turns out that even that was not much of a restriction when it was analyzed. You could have as many browser windows open as you wanted, or as many workbooks open in your spreadsheet program, etc. And it didn't include things like Windows Explorer (the file manager) and other similar stuff.

One of the beta testers decided to see how much stuff he could have open in the test version with the restrictions and it was some really stupid large number of things. He was able to totally bog down the netbook long before he ran into a situation where he couldn't run anything he might want to.

But the released version does not have those restrictions anyway, so it's not an issue.

...ken...

The only issue I was aware of is you can't change the wallpaper without a 3rd party program. But you are saying you have the Home Premium version anyway.

Terry

Thanks for the information!

I recently bought a Toshiba NB 305 Netbook that has 2 gig RAM, 250GB Hard drive using Windows 7 Starter O/S and love running it with my GPS software goodies and BU-353 receiver. If you get the Toshiba NB 305 make sure you disable the HDD protection or you will find it will not let you run GPS software correctly because the vibration from travels on the road will put the hard drive in HDD protection mode. Go to Start, All Programs, Toshiba, Utilities,the HDD Protection and change the selection from On to Enable to the Off to disable. Once HDD Protection is disabled your good to go! Word to the wise is get a netbook with 2 gig of ram instead of 1 gig as I read Streets&Trips 2010 is claiming system requirements on Windows 7 is for 2 gig RAM.

If you get a netbook, make sure you get a portable DVD burner. I have one and it's easy to hook it up to one of the 3 USB ports on my Toshiba NB 305 Netbook. A very easy way to back up your Netbook is to use an external hard drive with backup software of your choice.

What do you mount your netbook on? I just lay it on the passenger seat but I intend to either make one or buy one before work starts up this spring.

I never had any trouble with putting laptops or my netbook on the passenger seat.

Hi Alan,
I don't have a problem either when I'm alone. Sometimes I have a passenger. The reason I was interested is that if you are using a mount that transmits excessive vibration I want to consider that if I decide to go with a purchased one.

I have put my laptops and my Netbook in the back seat while driving and listening to the voice directions.

Do you have the audio connected to your stereo system? I couldn't hear my netbook if my life depended on it!

You are correct a draw back to netbooks is low audio without the use of any external computer speakers.
I hook the Netbook up to computer speakers through one of the 3 USB ports to make the sound loud enough to clearly hear the voice directions.

I have thought about using a single-ear earphone, maybe bluetooth.

I usually run into problems because I sometimes have iTunes blasting from the netbook too! So, most of the time I just forgo audio instructions.

Remember the days when we just got in the car and drove? With no seat belts. And we were lucky to have the top 30 hits on the radio, usually AM. And paper maps were spread out everywhere? (Not that I remember any of this!!)

Karen, at least with AM radio you can get something to listen to when you are more than ten miles from a city.

Alan_, I hope you strap your laptop and speakers down really good when it's in the back seat. If you ever run into anything, they turn into deadly projectiles. It wasn't that long ago that a young woman was killed in a car accident. The accident investigators said she would have been fine because of her seat belt and side airbags and the speed of impact wasn't terribly high. But she had tossed her laptop bag on the back seat and it hit her in the head.

...ken...

XM rulz

Wow! And I have a 80lb German Shepherd in the back along with her 2 gal H2O jug and bowl!

Good advice Ken. I was a cop for 30yrs and investigated a few projectile type accidents. Several had serious injuries, including pets launched from the rear seat. The worst for pets seemed to be launching from the back of a pickup truck.
I had one where the lady was taking the weeks receipts to the bank. Thousands of dollars in cash from the back seat into the front and a lot out the drivers window.

Hi Karen,

Yes, as edh said, animals are another risk to become projectiles. You wouldn't stand a chance against that 80lb puppy of yours and his drinkin' paraphernalia wouldn't be very friendly on the back of your noggin either. Of course even if he misses you he's gonna dislike his sudden encounter with the windshield.

Backstory: In a previous chapter, I taught motorcycle training for over a decade as a volunteer for the Safety Council here. The last few years I was running the program for the entire province and sat on the board of directors. So I got to see lots of the issues and stats in the Traffic Safety side of the business.

Unsecured items are a significant source of injuries and death in accidents where the human occupants might otherwise have come through in much better shape than they did.

I have a small SUV (Dodge Nitro) and I know I always have a few projectiles in the back. I often think I should get rid of some like the water jug! SUV's just seem to accumulate "necessary" stuff! I live in Montana and I see all sorts of crazy dog "situations" which look awfully dangerous. I especially don't like seeing dogs in the back of flat-bed trucks!

Wow! Deja vu all over again! I have an F250 crew cab truck and an 80lb GSD who also owns the back seat. I 'try' to keep projectiles down with one of those bungee-type cargo nets stretched between hanger-hooks, handholds, whatever I can attach to. Works pretty good.