Series 3 query for John & others

I need a low end machine to travel into the jungle ... my aging N140 may not survive the next trip but it has done an amazing job !

I see there are 2 models of the Series 3 11.6 inch model in the UK, one with the AMD chip and this one:

W7 HP / 11.6" Screen / Pentium 967 / 4GB RAM / 320GB HDD / 3 YR Warranty

Windows 7 Home Premium (64-Bit)
Silver lid with Silver palm rest
Intel Pentium Dual Core 967 Processor (1.2GHz)
11.6" HD Non-Gloss LED Display (1366 x 768)
4GB RAM (1x 4GB)
320GB Hard Disk
1.3MP Webcam
4 Cell Battery (5.2 hours*)
1.23kg

There are a few heat concerns re jungle climate ... more so than the N140? What about the difference between the AMD and Pentium CPUs ? Any main advantages / disadvantages ? Battery life ? Also a bit worried about that Ethernet Latch mechanism, does it break very quickly lol ? I need about 4 hours real time battery. Other concern is that apparently it takes 4 hours to recharge battery whereas the N140 charges in 2 hours. Out there I have a maximum of 2 hours of electricity a day + low solar options. Thanks

 

Model numbers and links would help.

Could you afford an SSD? Prices have dropped substantially in recent weeks. eg this. An SSD would avoid the risk of the HDD suffering from the high humidity.

As for the battery charging, 4 hours may be for when the computer is running and it will be faster if the computer is off. Also, the charge rate when the computer is on may be higher if you use a higher rated PSU.

If worried about the durability fold down network port then buy a USB network adaptor and keep as a backup.

John

 

Samsung NP300U1A-A01UK

vs

SAMSUNG Series 3 305U1A 11.6" Laptop - Silver buy online | Currys

Am thinking the Intel CPU ? Aha yes of course re USB connector as a back up. Wow did not know that SSD had become so cheap ! That is indeed a great idea and would make it nice and zippy. However how much storage space would I be left with after Windows and programs? I use browser, Skype, Itunes, Mail program, and one or 2 more.

 

I would also be considering the Intel CPU. I believe the AMD has faster integrated graphics but the CPU probably lags on power efficiency. Unfortunately neither score very well on long battery life. What about another netbook? You will gain on battery time but lose on display resolution. But you can still put an SSD inside.

Windows and those programs shouldn't use more than about 30GB. My new NP900X3B comes with only 128GB so I am into work-arounds such a putting my music onto an SD card. With SD cards now at 50p / GB, this is an affordable method of storage (but you might want to pay a bit more for class 10 with its extra speed).

John

 

Well my Music in Itunes is about 40 GB by itself. I take a lot of long interviews re finance etc ... and others. I usually also put movies on the HDD. From there I load onto a battery efficient Archos tablet ... The tablet is easier to charge on solar. So what is important:

1. Large enough HDD
2. Fast transfer times to Micro SD
3. Fast transfers to Ipod

So for fast the SSD would be preferred. For capacity the larger 320 GB HDD. Of course I do always have a spare portable 500GB HDD on me with back ups. I am guessing the transfer speed from external HDD to SSD drive is limited by the speed of USB 2.0. Any way to get around that ? Which other netbook are you thinking about in terms of similar speed and usability to what's above ? Matte screens only please LOL. Also I can still use the one we are discussing here to take quick notes in meeting etc. instead of a full option Lenovo machine. Is any of the Samsung 14 inch models equal to quality of a Lenovo Thinkpad ? Just have my doubts about the crappy Lenovo screens

 

What about the NP-N145 netbook?

Transfer rates to other devices / SD cards will depend on their memory write performance. In this respect the class 10 SD cards are noticeably better than class 4 cards.

My temptation would be get the SSD and then put the HDD supplied with the computer into an external enclosure, to be stored in a airtight plastic box with some silica gel sachets.

A work-around for the limited notebook battery capacity and charging time is to get a small 12V battery, a charger for it, a 12V socket (put some crocodile clips on this) either an inverter to work with your PSU or one of these (also useful as a spare PSU). The extra power system would then make the Series 3 more attractive.

John