Preparing your Netbook

Let’s face it, netbooks are small and slow. Otherwise why would anyone buy a real laptop, desktop, or server? Those form factors have their virtues. Netbooks have their virtues as well (small and cheap). So once you have one, you should optimize it for your use. Here’s what I do (I assume technical skills):

1. set up accounts as you like, computer name, etc.
2. install Windows Live so that you can use Mesh to remotely control it. Thus you can use a real keyboard and mouse from your main PCs to do the rest.
   1. most importantly, you can do other things while doing the following steps
3. configure as you like (colors, taskbar, etc.), to make it friendly and comfortable
   1. maximizing screen space is especially important – it’s definitely limited. So consider options you might not normally use, such as hiding the task bar and reducing the application options that use screen space (e.g. use IE9)
4. uninstall the crapware to improve performance. This one is important but takes awhile so it’s good to do the above first so you’re comfortable while doing this one
5. install Microsoft Security Essentials or equivalent to make it secure
6. install patches to really make it secure. This is the most time consuming step, but is one-time
7. reviewing services probably won’t help in that there aren’t that many at this point and those that are there are needed and should be low impact
8. clean up the Start, Programs folders, and maybe the disk, to finalize the cleanup
9. now you can install/configure the stuff you actually want to use. But try to keep to the core stuff you would actually miss.

As to what you might want to install:

1. IE9, for it’s display and load up efficiencies
2. configure Windows Live as you prefer, including synching your IE favorites. That way you have all your personal e-mails, favorite web sites, files, etc. without having further effort
3. install real Office for e-mail (Outlook)
4. copy media, such as music, videos, podcasts, etc.
5. to keep informed:
   1. an RSS reader, such as RSS bandit
   2. a Twitter reader, such as TweetDeck
6. apps, such as games, to make it fun
   1. the only problem is that it is a netbook, so you might not want to include resource intensive apps such as World Wide Telescope
7. download podcasts, music, etc.?…
   1. download iTunes, Zune, etc. as appropriate
   2. don’t make the netbook your home machine for the iPod, unless that really is your main machine (in which case we should talk…)

The issues that concern me are:

• for whatever reason, some app developers don’t have Windows equivalents, such as Angry Birds, various businesses, my favorite science apps, news services such as BBC, games, etc.
• non-standard keyboard, though that’s only an issue when I’m using it directly (non-remotely)

What I do love:

• it’s Windows! like everything else I use (and no, I’m not just saying that because I work for Microsoft)
  • that’s mostly a familiarity issue, but also security in that Windows Update, Security Essentials, and similar resources are looking out for me
  • Office works
  • gadgets work
  • it has the latest Microsoft technologies, such as IE9
• I can program it like any other Windows machine (though I admit that only applies to those of us that can program)
• it’s very portable
• battery life is not a problem, though I could always use more

p.s. If you need to rebuild your machine (with Win7, for example), you can do so via a USB