A solid netbook but some “assembly” required
I decided I was tired of being handcuffed to my desk, to make any kind of core computer science, so I decided to buy a more portable.I was not looking for a replacement for my office, but rather an additional computer that could handle the most basic tasks of what I have to use a computer (web surfing, online media, writing, etc.), so a more expensive laptop seemed an unnecessary extravagance (which did not fit my budget). For this I needed a netbook like this seemed to fit both my budget and criteria.
The study and design seems solid, and very light. The screen is a magnet was dust and lint, so a small chamois is one thing to keep handy in your case (not included). The chiclet-style keyboard take some getting used to if you worked full-size keyboard with your whole life, and the placement of the touch pad next to the space bar can cause occasional problems with strikes but it is something that can be overcome with time and practice.
I want to emphasize that my overall experience with this machine includes the caveat that as part of my purchase, I also bought some upgrades to be installed. I bought an upgrade to 2 gig RAM from Crucial and I updated the OS from Windows 7 Starter Windows 7 Home Premium. After reading many reviews of netbooks in general, it seemed like a wise investment. Upgrading the RAM is a fairly simple process, but the opening of the RAM access panel on the bottom is a scary prospect, because you swear the thing will break in half when trying to open it.
After the updates, I have little difficulty in using MS Office 2010, or programs like Photoshop 7 or Firefox 5.
In terms of media playback, the sound quality seems very good and its pretty clear my MP3 through the external speaker, if they can be drowned if you use the netbook near a fan or air, so you might find a helmet with a useful accessory, especially for audio during video playback.
And speaking of video playback, and all in all this is a good machine. I have no problem (again, please note that this is after the upgrade of RAM and OS) of high quality HD. Avi and. MP4 video files and support functions of HDMI, as promised, if the HD capabilities of the Internet seem to be greatly exaggerated. Streaming video in 720p and 1080p are jerky and choppy, even with a direct Ethernet connection for video and voice coil. Honestly, 480p is pretty clear, even on the big screen through the HDMI output for most goals (YouTube, Hulu, etc), but if you had your heart set on 720p or higher while streaming, you will probably need to much more extensive (and expensive) upgrades and point, you might want to start considering a more powerful laptop option.
Finally, as with most new computers, you might want to disable or uninstall some of the most intrusive bloatware that comes packaged with this machine. They are a drain on resources and take this first step will greatly improve performance, even right out of the box without upgrading. The Internet is full of useful guides on this subject and it is very useful.
Overall, I am happy with my little machine and it seems to do what I asked of him, and I am still learning how far I can really push and what I can do with it. The best advice I can offer is to do your research on what your computing needs are and then decide whether a netbook like the 1015B will meet them. For me, it has accomplices after a little extra work.
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