HP, Acer, Samsung, Compaq, Dell

Getting that netbook just for GPS would be a waste. The ones they have integrated into their mobiles havent been much of a help to me. Since this is NOKIAz first attempt, we cant be sure of its quality. Better not to risk it and go for some well known brand only.

What are minis good for?...Ok...now that was misleading... :)

What are mini Laptops good for?

I guess it would be for:

1. IM

2. VOIP calls

3. Watching Video/listening to music while travelling

4. Very light web browsing.

I would wait for the Nokia Booklet as it has GPS:

Full details about it would be available only after 02 Sept when it will be launched.

@ ms. tatess: the HP Compaq Mini in Carrefour is not on sale and it's for 1,299 QR. The one on sale/promo is only DELL and Samsung Minis only. All the items on promo is one lane or side of carrefour only. the HP Compaq Mini is on the Computer Kiosk at the back of the Customer SErvice booth.

Yep! Acer is more more the budget minded people but then it has loads of issues with the Sound Card, VGA card, LAN card etc.

HPs battery life will reduce after use and it heats up pretty fast!

DELL is the best option, its more customizable, looks GREAT! You get good configurations in the same cost compared to other brands!

I m saying this 'cos I have owned and used almost all these brands and so far only my DELL is keeping me happy!

P.S. The prices of DELL laptops are cheaper in India compared to Qatar :S

@tatess, i suggest go for the Dell it has a higher capacity when it comes to hard drive and the price is lesser by 500QR. i bought the compaq mini coz' i don't have any other brand to choose from that time. the modem that comes with it, my kids very rarely uses it.

"How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, tolerant of the weak. Someday you will have been all of these."

netbook has wireless internet, that's why they're netbooks. Some have 3g slots for a simcard. Some don't. I think all have bluetooth.

i don't know anything about computer but my son was requesting to buy him one with that feature. I guess i'll go with hawker's compaq for his son.

I'll check on that DELL next time i visit carrefour.

@tatess, you might want to go there around that time (5pm - 6pm) maybe they'll still have the same special promo.

"How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, tolerant of the weak. Someday you will have been all of these."

@ hawker: OMFG! I didn't know :( i could have saved 267QR :( Waaahhh! i went on thursday because knowing friday will be freaking family day on all malls. and i have no time on sat-sundays.

@ ms. tatess: promo still on-going up to Sept. 5. Actually this 1260 QR DELL i purchased is on promo. the one hawker has mentioned was another promo that lasted just for 1 hour only. :)

There is still lots of stock for Compaq Mini, Dell and Samsung Mini Notebooks.

fixes the Acers too.

All the Intel Atom netbooks have the same VGA card (or lack thereof)...it's a built in Intel 945 chip...there is a newer chip that Intel released to go with the N280 processor, but no one is yet selling a netbook equipped with it anywhere in the world.

Sony VAIO's are redundant IMO. The price is completely unjustified.

@newkid, it was a special ramadan promo for only an hour last friday they did it together with the 32" LCD tv that they are also selling that day from 5pm to 6pm for only 999QR.

oh btw, when i bought that compaq for my son there was only acer and compaq brand to choose from and i did go with compaq coz' it had a built in modem in it for the Q-Tel wireless and for the Globe wireless (at home)

"How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, tolerant of the weak. Someday you will have been all of these."

Acer Aspire One D150. I actually bought the newer, slimmer D250, but got home and realized I got one of the pitiful N270 processor equipped vriants (they're all the same except for the label on the side of the box stating the processor and the code, D250 and D250-1 if I remember correctly), and had to get really rude with Carrefour Landmark to have it returned two days later. It was my bad sort of in the end, because I could have spared them the hassle and replaced it...

The D150's on this market all have the N280 processor, as do the D250-1's. They are also the only netbooks that have the much newer N280...

The D250's also come with a nice pouch. The D150's sadly do not :(

Anyways, the N280 processor is only .06Ghz faster at clock speed, but has a far faster FSB (front side bus), I think it runs at 533Mhz versus the N270's 400Mhz. Also the N270 has been around for quite a while, the N280 is this year's fresh produce, and Intel is unlikely to introduce anything newer until Q2 2010...

The synaptics touchpad on this acer is a disaster. The rest is excellent, no complaints, and I like the way it looks better than the Dell and HP...Compaq is effectively cheap HP, just like Packard-Bell and eMachines are rebadged Acers. Although the Packard-Bell netbooks look slightly better than the Acers IMO...they're only available at LuLu and again, N270 :(

I get about 6 to 6 and a 1/2 hours out of my 6 cell battery that came standard :)

Hands down my choice would be the VIA Nano equipped Samsung, but they're already in cheap laptop price range so...I'd still go for the Acer ;)

Is my choice.

Damn,I missed the DELL promo.My son son is asking for a laptop on his birthday and I was thinking of buying him one.

When do you think is the next promo gonna be?

but expensive

The Sony Vaio is pretty good

________________________________

i agree with you Saurahbh7. Acer as what i've been seeing when i go to the service center, the usual problem was the LCD screen or VGA Card even if it was just purchased within a month ago.

That's why i purchased DELL because my service center REDINGTON Qatar is fixing DELL notebooks now and i like the Quality of this notebook and there is a few colors to choose with. :D

I saw the Compaq Mini, the quality is not good for me. I meant the plastic body of the notebook.

I bought the DELL last thursday but it was 1,260 QR. howcome, Hawker, you said it's only 999 the day after? :D hehehe. On the magazine ads on the website and the actual brochure it says 1,299 QR.

With DELL, it comes with Win XP CD Installer and Drivers CD too. :)

HP I remember some heating Issues

Acer conks out due to bad hardware quality

I guess DELL is the best, though their Customer Support is really hopeless!

Dell!!

"You can imprison a Man, but not an Idea. You can exile a Man, but not an Idea. You can kill a Man, but not an Idea." BENAZIR BHUTTO

i bought my son a compaq mini last March, i think either brand will do. it really depends on the persons who uses it.

Last Friday they had a special Ramadan promo at Carrefour from 5pm to 6pm only, they were selling the Dell Mini laptop with the same specs for only 999QR

"How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, tolerant of the weak. Someday you will have been all of these."