Is a Netbook a Good Computer for an Educator?

I recently had the opportunity to test drive an Acer Aspire One. I'd been curious about netbooks for a while, and the opportunity to test one out for free for a month was too good to pass up. I wanted to try the computer out first hand and determine if it would really be useful in my day-to-day life as a teacher or if it was just another unnecessary gadget.

It turned out to be an awesome computer, perfectly suited to my needs as an educator. When the free trial was up, I immediately purchased one to keep permanently.

Mobility, or "Wow that's small!"

Probably the single most common comment I heard about the netbook was, "That's so small!" which was followed closely by, "That's so cute!"

The computer is approximately ten inches by seven and a half inches and about an inch and a half thick. It's literally the size of a book - only slightly larger than your average hardcover book.

The size of the book is its greatest selling feature to me. Last year, I traveled between four different classrooms - plus other classes for my lunch, prep, and meetings. I quickly made the decision not to lug around a giant cart or box of stuff. If something didn't fit into my messenger bag, I didn't need to take it with me to class.

As a result, I never brought my old laptop - a regular sized, desktop replacement - to school. It was simply too large, and I didn't want to lug around a laptop bag along with my regular bag full of papers and books. Now, I simply throw the netbook in my regular bag as if it was another book. Since getting the laptop, I haven't once left to go to school without it in my bag.

Utility, or "What can that thing do?"

After people got over the size of the netbook, they inevitably asked what it could do. My colleagues seemed to think that it was just a mobile gadget - not a fully functional laptop.

Well, it can do just about whatever a regular computer can do. My Acer Aspire One came loaded with Windows XP (although some competitor's netbooks will come with a Linux OS like Ubuntu). I installed all of my normal applications - Open Office, Google Chrome, Picasa, iTunes. I can use it to type up documents, create and show slideshow notes (i.e. Power Point), organize and edit photos, watch video clips. I've yet to come across something that I would normally do in the classroom that I can't do on my netbook.

The computer also came with built-in wireless functionality. You'll have to set up a wireless router if you're school isn't completely wireless. I picked up a new router for $30, and now I can roam around the classroom without being tethered to the wall. You could also get a wireless data plan from a company like AT&T. They're a bit expensive ($50+ per month), but you'll also bypass the districts filter and be able to connect to blocked sites like YouTube.

Of course, This is not a desktop replacement computer. The Intel Atom processor and the Gigabyte of RAM are plenty for your average office and classroom use, but it will come up short in at least two areas: media editing and gaming.

However, I've never found it necessary to do any heavy duty audio and video editing at school, nor do I play any modern computer games in my classroom. I've got a desktop at home that's suitable for both of those tasks.

Battery Life

The one area where you should consider upgrading your netbook is the battery. Many of the first generation of netbooks came with a 3-cell Lithium Ion battery. The Acer Aspire One that I tested came with a 6-cell Lithium Ion battery.

The difference? 2.5 hours of usage verse 5+ hours of usage. With the 6-cell battery, I can use the netbook continuously throughout the day without worrying about plugging it in or charging it. This makes it a lot quicker and more convenient to set up the computer, and I don't have to worry about anything keeping me connected to the wall. It's kind of silly to have a wireless connection but still need to situate the laptop near a wall outlet for power.

The smaller battery - with about 2.5 hours of battery life - would be acceptable, but I'd definitely have to plug the computer in and charge it at some point throughout the day. I love the freedom of carrying it around, popping it open whenever I need it, and charging it when I get home at night.

Drawbacks?

Is this thing perfect, or are there some drawbacks?

Like I mentioned before, it is underpowered for certain uses - like gaming - but these shouldn't concern you as an educator.

One drawback that will take a little getting used to is the smaller keyboard. The keys are slightly smaller than usual to help shrink the footprint of the netbook. For the first couple of days, it was awkward to use and I hit some extra keys. I quickly adapted, though, and I can now type at my regular speed - very fast - without any trouble.

There's also no CD or DVD drive. I never found this to be a problem - I store all of my documents on flash drives. If I really wanted to play a DVD, I could rip the disc into a file and store it on my flash drive. However, if you really need an optical drive for something like playing DVDs you can buy an external DVD drive to hook up to the netbook.

Another drawback is the screen size. The 8.9 inch screen is necessary to keep the computer small, but this means that there's not a lot of vertical screen space. This makes it annoying to view some websites that have a larger header area or to use an application that has a lot of toolbars at the top of the window. Some of these things can be alleviated by customizing toolbars, but in some cases it's unavoidable.

This is one drawback that I'm willing to deal with, though. You need to make some sacrifices, and in this case the smaller screen is well worth the awesome level of portability afforded by the computer's small size.

How Much Is It? And Do I Need to Buy an Acer?

After only a few days of testing the netbook, I was sold. It is perfect for use as an educator - preparing assignments, showing stuff on a projector, allowing kids to research on the internet, etc. In two years, I brought my old laptop to school once. Since I got this netbook, I've never gone to school without it.

That's all well and good, but how much does it cost? The Acer Aspire One retails for about $400. At the time of writing, the machine I got can be purchased on Amazon and other discount retailers for about $300 to $350.

Keep in mind, also, that you don't need to buy an Acer. There are now several reputable manufacturers of netbooks - Acer, Asus, Dell, MSI, to name a few. As long as you purchase a netbook with similar specifications - an Intel Atom 1.6 ghz processor, 1gb of RAM, a regular hard drive (120 to 160 gb), a six-cell battery, and an 8.9" or 10.1" screen - you'll be fine.

If you've been looking for a laptop to use at school, this is it. A netbook will do everything you need, and it won't weigh you down. For the right price, you definitely won't be disappointed.