One would think that it is safe to say that netbooks are here to stay. They could even dominate the laptop landscape in a couple of years.
Since their humble beginnings as cheap laptops that could be used to surf the Web, compose e-mails, do light office tasks, but not much more, they are evolving into more substantial machines.
Set against their low price and portability are limitations such as screen and keyboard size, and lack of a built-in optical drive. But perhaps the biggest differentiator between netbooks and other laptops is performance.
We know netbooks can easily handle the sort of basic tasks mentioned above, but how do they do at more rigorous tasks such as handling complex CAD applications and tasks?
Key to the performance of any PC, netbook or otherwise, are its processing parts. The vast majority of netbooks run on an Intel Atom processor and typically ship with 1GB of memory, while bigger laptops are standardizing at 3GB and 4GB now. And let's not forget that graphics components and hard drives can influence the performance of a netbook.
Do you use a netbook? We would love to hear about your experiences and as to whether you are actually using it for CAD related task.
Thank you.
I have purchased three Netbooks within the last year. One for each of my kids so they can do homework, email, Video Chat with Grandma, and internet. My wife has one for homework and portability. I have not tried CAD on them and I don't want to. The screen is too small. I took one with me on a trip and it does the above mentioned functions well, just small. they are here to stay.
Posted by: Brian Benton | July 17, 2009 at 08:54 AM
I recently purchased a nice netbook for my wife and it is a great little machine. I would not use it for CAD just too small and I'm sure it would bog down. Great for staying in touch with Grandma though!
Posted by: Michael Hanson | July 17, 2009 at 10:20 AM
The only advantage I could see loading a CAD program on a netbook is for job on-site use. Then again, it would be for informational purposes or taking notes for any changes.
Taking along an Adobe PDF or DWF would suffice in that case. I'm with the previous comments: Why would anyone want to draft with a 9-10inch screen -- even if the netbook had the processing power?
As to the rest, if you want a good little internet/email machine, it's perfect. It also works well for writing, because I can truly write anywhere with it.
Posted by: Andra M. | July 20, 2009 at 03:13 PM
I use AutoCAD LT on my Acer Aspire One w/ Windows XP. I added some extra RAM I had on hand to it, now has 1.5 GB. Note that the Aspire One has a two core processor.
I know most people cannot deal with CAD on a laptop. I was there about five years ago. I began to force myself to adapt to using CAD on a laptop. Doing so has enabled me to work from anywhere; on a bus, train, car, plane, airport seating, library, Starbucks, church (don't tell Pastor), etc. People think I am crazy, but you can't beat getting paid travel hours at the same time you are billable on another project.
The CAD on a netbook is not much different than a laptop. There is plenty of room to work from any seat on a plane. My netbook with a solid-state drive has outstanding battery life.
In reference to using a laptop on-site: I have NEVER used a computer for on-site work other than for basic information. I can survey much faster with a pencil and clipboard. I don't believe doing the fieldwork on a netbook (laptop) will ever be feasible.
The best part is, after using the netbook continuously for a few days my 13" Macbook feels HUGE! (yes AutoCAD/Revit on a Mac)
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Posted by: Margaret | July 27, 2009 at 09:48 AM