Harley Ogier looks at the options for people who don’t want to take their all-singing, all-dancing expensive notebook computer on the road.

Computers are essential tools for the modern photographer. However, while a notebook PC is a bulky accessory that can really weigh you down when travelling, newer ‘netbooks’ are small and lightweight.

Not only are they lighter to carry, they are also cheaper than their bigger brothers. And while they may not have the power and speed of heavier notebooks, they can give you plenty of options for storing photos and connecting wirelessly to the internet.

What are they?

Netbooks, or sub-notebooks, are miniaturised notebook (laptop) computers. There has been a surge of them in the market, with most manufacturers dipping their toes in the water to give consumers a cheaper way to get a computer.

To cut down on cost, weight and size, netbooks exclude luxuries such as CD or DVD drives — some don’t even have a hard drive. Instead, they generally include at least one card reader, several USB ports and an inbuilt memory card to replace the hard drive.

Netbooks typically feature low-powered (slow) processors that are unsuitable for games or particularly taxing applications that need plenty of grunt. This is a trade-off for battery life — a good netbook will generally give you at least four hours of running time before a recharge is required.

Why you need one

Despite their limited facilities, most netbooks are capable of running applications such as Photoshop. You’ll find that although Photoshop’s stated minimum requirements do exceed the capabilities of many netbooks, they’ll still manage common photo editing tasks such as cropping, resizing and retouching. But there are plenty of other photo software programs around that don’t need the power Photoshop demands.

Where you will run into trouble is screen real estate. A tiny computer means a tiny screen, and you’re looking at something between eight and 12 inches diagonally. The majority of netbooks run screen resolutions of 1024 x 600, not quite the 1024 x 768 minimum that modern applications are designed for. This means you’ll be doing a lot of scrolling, which can be tricky when all you have is a miniature touchpad.

For serious photo editing, a mouse is a necessity. There is a range of miniature mice designed for notebooks, both wired and wireless. Alternatively, you could invest in a small graphics tablet. One the size of your netbook or smaller would be easy to transport, and could even be perched on the keyboard for laptop use. Watch out for touchscreen netbooks in the near future, which will offer all the advantages of a graphics tablet with a computer built in.

Like full-sized notebooks, netbooks usually feature a standard VGA connector for an external screen or projector. If you have access to a screen or a television (perhaps in your hotel room) then you can do some serious editing without being restrained by screen size. Beware those few netbooks that require a special proprietary cable to connect to a screen, especially where those cables aren’t included in the box.

Photo editing aside, netbooks are just tiny computers. They’ll run any application that’s not too resource intensive. This includes office suites, content management systems for hardcore photographers, and the usual gamut of web browsers, email clients and media players.

Most models are available with a choice of Microsoft Windows or Linux operating systems. The Linux versions often come at a lower price, and are a good option if you’re already familiar with Linux or don’t mind learning some new tricks.

Storage

Instead of a hard disk drive, netbooks typically feature a solid state drive (SSD). Essentially this is just a big, fast memory card. Like your camera card, SSDs have no moving parts and so won’t be damaged if you haul your netbook around while it’s turned on, or use it in a moving vehicle. SSDs also use less power, which contributes to that increased battery life.

As always there’s a trade-off. Solid state drives are more expensive than hard disks, and are generally an order of magnitude smaller for a similar price. For example, a particular netbook might be available with a 16GB SSD, or a 160GB hard disk drive.

Which is better depends on you. If you’re looking for a storage unit to dump memory card after memory card full of photos onto, the hard drive option gives you that ability. If you’re just after an editing tool or a way to copy photographs from one memory card to another, the SSD option may fit the bill.

Getting connected

Good netbooks support both wired and wireless networking, so you can get online anywhere there’s a network: home, office or in many hotels and cafés. You can also use any wireless broadband product that supports USB, such as Vodafone’s Vodem or Telecom’s T-Stick.

Netbooks are a great way to email your photos home or to upload them to photo sharing websites. Professionals can use online file storage services to backup their photos while travelling — this could be particularly valuable for people worried about losing essential shots.

Conclusion

Netbooks are the new must-have in the roving digital photographer’s toolbox. If you do choose to invest in a netbook, finding a model that best suits your existing methods and kit will ensure you get the most in return. As always, get the most expensive one you can afford, look out for storage capacity, processing power and battery life. Also consider buying a portable charger so you can give your battery a boost in the car.

This article if from D-Photo issue 29.

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