Size matters. But if you’re thinking below the belt, get your mind out of the gutter because there is nothing dirty about bytes and binary. However, there is something strange about the newest addition to the mobile computer family: the netbook.

The netbook is a smaller, lighter and less expensive version of a laptop. The screen size is typically between 8 and 10 inches and costs between $200 and $400. You could call it the Mini Cooper of computers. Sure, it gets the user from A to B, but it doesn’t boast the same legroom or storage capabilities as the real-deal laptop. If you are considering trading your laptop in for its mini-me counterpart, there are some important factors to mull over before committing to the technological trim down.

Trimming the price, weight and width of your personal computer, convenient and pocket-friendly as it may be, comes with a canon of drawbacks. Just as a teacup poodle cannot play fetch like a Labrador or guard like a pit bull, there are certain tasks a netbook cannot perform that its full-grown counterpart can. For instance, the compact little netbook does not have optical drives. For the technologically illiterate, that means it is incapable of playing CDs or DVDs.

Sure, CDs will most likely become irrelevant technology sometime within the next decade, but for now, how is a netbook owner supposed to play Oregon Trail or burn some sweet mixed CDs? Sorry netbook, but minus one for you. The absence of an optical drive would also prevent me from watching ‘The Hangover’ for the umpteenth time during my forensic science lecture without streaming or downloading from the net. Minus two, netbook.

If the inability to play games or watch movies does not faze you, maybe the issue of the operating system (OS) will. Netbooks that adhere to the definition of a netbook and fall under the ‘$500 or less’ category do not have the power or storage to run an advanced OS such as Windows 7. Although the price may be alluring, essentially what you end up paying for is a shell that is lacking in many of the areas that college students and business professionals require. Although the netbook may evolve in the future to run the most advanced and up-to-date OS, in its infancy it cannot.

Despite the drawbacks of what a netbook offers compared to the laptop, the size and price may be too irresistible to pass on. If you are convinced the netbook is the best portable computer for your needs, there are certain things to know when making the big, or the little, sale. Don’t let its small stature fool you – some higher-end models offer impressive processing speeds and storage capabilities. For a processor, do not settle for anything below a 1.4 GHz Intel Atom. For memory, steer clear of anything lower than 1GB. Although it may cost less, anything below 1GB may significantly cut down on the functionality of the netbook. Abide by these two little rules and your teacup poodle may just be able to play with the big dogs.

Jessica Smith is a sophomore information technologies management and television, radio and film major. Her columns appear every Thursday and she can be reached at jlsmit22@syr.edu.

Published on January 20, 2010 at 12:00 pm