Netbook Network

Owning a netbook has its advantages – they’re small, lightweight, and great for on-the-go use, and still capable of running applications like Office or browsing the web with a full-fledged browser. The size limitations to a netbook may also be downsides, though – typical netbook trackpads are tiny and offer little room to navigate on, and typing on small keyboards can get your hands cramped quickly. Here are five great tips for those with netbooks to help with not just hand cramps, but improve overall performance and productivity as well.

1) Get a wireless mouse for on-the-go use.

I’m talking about those mice that are designed for laptop use and portability. Carrying around a full-fledged mouse takes up a lot of space, and chances are you won’t have very much space to use one, such as on an airplane. I would recommend one of the Microsoft Arc mice, which can be folded (or flattened, in the case of the Arc Touch) to save space and fit easily in a small compartment. Keep in mind that having a large USB receiver can also pose as a problem, especially if you’re on your feet often while you use your netbook, and by sticking out too far it could bump into something.

2) Plug into an external monitor

1024×600 isn’t very much room, especially for document viewing or web browsing. When sitting down at a desk using your netbook, you’ll want to plug in an external monitor for extra screen space – staring at a tiny screen for long lengths of time isn’t very good for you. Note that plugging in a monitor with a large resolution (like 1920×1080) will cause your netbook’s performance to decrease a little – but it shouldn’t be an issue.

3) Only run applications that you need – and take measures to save battery life

Having many applications running takes up processing power, RAM, and battery life – which chances are, you don’t have very much.  Exit out of applications that you aren’t using, even ones that just sit in the background (such as Skype or AIM). Launch applications and use them when you need them. This rule also applies to browser extensions, surprisingly enough – disable the ones that you don’t use, because they take up RAM and puts more load on the browser (hence, giving you slower browsing).

Windows 7 has a “Power Saving” mode that you can activate to extend your battery life – click on the battery icon that sits in the taskbar tray and select “Power saver”. For those with a netbook from the Eee line, you can use Super Hybrid Engine to underclock your processor for extended battery life. Turn off wireless and your brightness level for maximum power saving.

4) Keep it clean, keep it updated.

If you’ve got Windows, follow our guide on cleaning and making it faster. Still have all the bloatware that came with the computer? Get rid of it. By updating your drivers, you’ll see better overall performance – jump to your netbook’s manufacturer’s homepage for drivers designed to be used with your netbook.

5) Protect your netbook

Netbooks are small, and pretty fragile – a drop from even just a few inches off the ground can cause damage. It’s highly recommended that you transport your netbook with a case. Look for a case that matches your netbook’s size, whether it’s 7-9 inches, 10 inches, or 12 inches – having a case that’s too big will cause the netbook to slide around (which you don’t want) and you can’t fit your netbook into a case that’s too small. In the case that you want further protection, you can buy a screen protector that’s fitted for your netbook’s screen.