[scottibabee]

Hi everyone,
I'm glad I found this site. Useful info and easy to read format. I had a couple questions I hope anyone can give input on:

1) I finally got my 1012 about a month ago (walmart deal for $228 - N450, 1GB, 160GB). I realized I may have been able to get a refurbished for less, but I wasn't sure how the warranty would be after a year. It turned out to be a moot point, because last week, I dropped it while getting out of my car (please no judgments about my clumsiness, I felt like crap) and it chipped the edge. It seems to be working fine still, but I presume this voids my warranty?

I also noticed that one of the buttons you press to release the battery is loose (I ended up just taking it off). It may have been related to the fall. Is this common and can be easily fixed? I tried to re-attach it and I couldn't get it to stay on.

2) This relates to my next issue - difficulty finding a netbook sleeve that fits the 1012 (that could have protected it from the fall). I didn't realize the slightly larger size would be an issue. I tried a few for 10" netbooks, and too tight. I see old posts about this, but can anyone suggest where to get one that accomodates the 1012?

3) The question I have also seen old posts about is whether the upgrade to 2GB is worth it. I chose the 1012 due to this option, but didn't realize that it was so expensive (I think $40 is what I recently saw it for). If it is worth the upgrade for mainly Internet (including youtube) and word processing (I also remote desktop for work), is $40 what I should expect to pay, or could it be less?

4) I also want an external DVD burner/drive. I see it going for about $40 to $50 as well. Should I hold out for a better price?

5) I've read about a bluetooth adapter. Is this to allow the sound to be heard through the bluetooth, or something else?

These are the main things on my mind now, thanks everyone

[reflex]

Welcome. I'll try to address some of your questions.

1. A drop shouldn't void your warranty. But obviously, being dishonest about it is fraud: "My screen is cracked for no reason!", etc.

2. Dunno. Do you know anyone who can sew?

3. I think you should be able find 2GB for $20. Your usage sounds light, though, so 1GB might be sufficient. I assume that you don't need 200 tabs open in your browser

4. I think I paid about $46 for my slim USB burner. I don't use it frequently, but it's quite useful at times.

5. Bluetooth is like wireless USB. It enables a wide variety of devices. Mice, headphones/headsets, file transfer to BT-enabled cellphones, Wii remotes as game controllers, etc.

Yes, you can get wireless USB devices, but they generally each need a separate reciever. A BT receiver takes up just one USB port, or none if it's builtin.

That said, BT devices tend to be overpriced compared to wireless USB, and limited in selection. I have a pair of BT mice, and a BT headset/headphones. I'd like a BT keyboard, but I've never seen a decent one for a reasonable price.

I hope you enjoy your Mini.

[Isthmus]

Personally I would say ask yourself what your main use for the computer is going to be. I would (and have) added the extra RAM and do notice an improvement in performance. I did a fair bit of searching and did find 3GB in the $30+ range, however, most of the cheaper RAM came from no name outfits and from the reviews I read, longevity or even operability was touch and go. Paying the extra money for a name brand manufacturer was worth it to me. $40 to $50 is about right for that.

Bluetooth is a non issue for me outside of cell phones and maybe (and that's a big maybe) headphones for MP3 players. On a big desktop rig, I can see Blue tooth being useful for things like headphones and maybe accessing docs from your hand held, but in a little netbook with its limited resources, I just don't see much use.

As for the super drive, it really depends on what you plan on doing with the machine. If you are going to share it with a more powerful laptop or desktop, then go right ahead. unless you need to have the drive readily available while you are no the move (say for work or school), If you have a more powerful desktop or laptop that already has one, I personally would not bother. I say this because you could use those computers' built-in super drives to rip the files you want and then just move the files to your netbook, either through your home network, with an external hard drive, or with a USB thumb drive. This is what I do and i find it to be much more convenient (and cheaper).

I hope that helps.

[scottibabee]

Thanks for taking the time to respond