Giving More to the Net Book

Net books provide a great source of mobility, but can be severely limiting when the user is not needing the convenience of mobility. Their low cost and small size makes them more desirable for consumers, but the limitations are often the source of later “Buyer’s Remorse.” This regret is related to the net book’s biggest strength and that is size. Net books are very small units. This is excellent for a mobile user, but is not as good when the user is using it in other settings.

The size of the display is typically very small, often no more than 10” display. The keyboard layout is difficult for many people, especially those of us with large hands, to use comfortably. They often only have little more than 4 USB ports, a power port, VGA out and an audio in/out port. In many cases, they lack CD drives as well. This makes them very limited tools to someone that is not always mobile. There are ways to avoid the buyer remorse with the aid of a few USB add-ons.

USB Hubs
These great cost effective devices add to the USB connectivity of the net book. There is a wide variety of these available and selecting the one you need is not difficult. You will want to get a hub that can provide additional power to the ports. This is accomplished by adding a power adapter to the hub. Make sure that your hub at least has a power adapter port, even if it does not come with a power adapter. You can use adjustable power supplies to add power to the hub, if needed. Size is a matter of preference, but if you intend to use it while you travel, smaller is better.


USB to Video Adapters
Some net book systems do not include a VGA or video port. Due to the net book’s small size, eye strain occurs when trying to do a great deal of reading on the small display. This is easily remedied by using a USB to Video Adapter. These devices install a USB video card to the computer and allow a secondary display to be attached. This is good for times when a full screen display is available.


Keyboards and Mice
Many of the smaller keyboards are not ‘fat finger friendly’ and people spend a great deal of time trying to get used to them, or fixing typo’s. When the net book is stationary, there is no reason not to use a USB keyboard to allow more typing comfort. The small track pad is not always the most convenient pointing device either. Consider instead, a wireless travel mouse. This allows you to take a mouse with you so you can use it, rather than the track pad.

Other USB Adapters
Not everyone is using a net book as a simple internet access tool. Some network professionals are wanting to relieve themselves of cumbersome laptops, but cannot because they need the Serial port. Using USB has a variety of adapters that can fill most of the needs that previous connections had. USB to Serial Adapters, USB to Printer Adapters, USB to RS485 Adapters and more are available. A couple adapter cables can replace the extra weight and bulk of more traditional laptops.

Some consumers have started to frown on the net book release. A little planning can turn the little net book into something much more versatile. Manhattan can help you find the solutions that you need to make your net book live up to its potential.