Netbooks

It’s easy to see why the netbook market has grown enormously over the last 12 months, with all the benefits the form factor provides.  Usually, the first thing people notice is the price, as many netbooks fall in the $249 to $499 range.

The other striking feature is their portability, with most netbooks come with screens between 8 and 11 inches, making them easier to stuff in a backpack or purse.

While they make great little portable computers, there are some downsides that must be considered.  Due to the price and size, most netbooks run on Intel Atom processors, which are designed to conserve power versus performance.  The primary use for netbooks is web surfing, email or productivity apps like Microsoft Word, not editing video, watching HD movies or general multitasking.

The other issue for some is the size of the screen and keyboard.   Many netbook screens have a maximum resolution of 1024 x 600.  To match the screen size, the built-in keyboard is generally smaller with keys that are usually less than 80% the size of a full size keyboard.

If you’re looking at a netbook, remember that it’s generally recommend as a 2^nd computer to be used along side a desktop or laptop at home.  However, in those situations, you really can’t beat the portability of having that 2^nd computer to bring with you wherever you go.  You’ll also want to try out the keyboard on a netbook you’re looking at purchasing to ensure that it’s going to be comfortable for typing out those homework assignments on.

Laptops

While laptops generally cost more than a cheap netbook, they do come in a much broader spectrum of price points, ranging between $300 for very basic entry-level notebooks up to $2500 for advanced systems.

Fortunately, for most back to school uses that don’t involve lots of HD video editing or other heavy performance tasks, you can often find a good fit in the $400 to $800 range.  

One line of laptops you may also want to take a look at is the Next Class line.  Best Buy took all the feedback they received from high school and college students on what they wanted in a laptop and went straight to Toshiba, HP, Dell and Sony to create laptops designed for students with features like 12-15 months of pre-installed anti-virus, full version of Office 2007 Home and Student and 3-6 hours of battery life.

If you still have questions on what laptop or netbook you should choose, remember that we have Geek Squad Precincts in every Best Buy with Agents standing by to help and support you with your back to school technology needs.

So I’m here today to expose three popular Geek Myths:

Myth 1: Exploding Cell Phone

Sounds pretty outrageous right? However, as Engadget and others reported, the case of the Chinese man being killed by an exploding cell phone battery wasn’t so cut and dry. Apparently, the man’s home-made weapon went off which in turn fired a shot near his cell phone making it look like the cell phone battery exploded. So in specific reference to this particular incident, it seems like a myth.

Geek Fact: There is some truth to this myth in instances when cell phone batteries were damaged. The main root cause is usually tied to third-party batteries being used. Whenever possible, try to use a battery that the manufacturer of your phone has approved. This will limit the chances of a technological catastrophe from happening to you. However, even if your battery is damaged, it is highly unlikely it will explode.

Myth 2: Frozen Hard Drives

We’ve all been there. All of the sudden your computer’s hard drive dies before you can get your data off it. Can you really put your hard drive in the freezer and successfully retrieve your valuable data?

Geek Fact: It’s definitely possible to freeze your computer’s hard drive and have it read, but keep in mind this is a TEMPORARY solution and it’s possible (and probable) you will damage your hard drive even more. This will make it less likely for a professional recovery service to retrieve your data at all.

The magic behind this is that the metal parts in the hard drive will start to contract a very tiny amount—this small separation in parts allows for a hard drive’s platters to unstick just enough for the drive to be read by your computer. Once the drive heats up again, however, it’s back to square one. The best recommendation is to stop use of your drive immediately and bring it to the professionals. And always remember to backup your data on a regular basis regardless, so if your hard drive does die, you already have a recent backup. 

Myth 3: Keyboard in the Dishwasher

Some people have heard that you can toss your desktop computer’s keyboard in the dishwasher to help remove spills or internal debris. Is this possible?

Geek Fact: The parts in a computer keyboard make it possible to wash it in a dishwasher, but don’t make a habit out of it! As demonstrated in this old Geek Squad Commercial here, there are a few things to keep in mind if you’re going to give the dishwasher a shot: 1) Avoid using hot water as that can potentially melt the keys right off your keyboard. 2) don’t use soap and 3) let it fully air dry for at least 24 hours.

Keep in mind too, you can only wash traditional, simple keyboards and not wireless or Bluetooth models.

Remember folks, please don’t go running around spreading Geek Myths before you do your research! You might end up giving yourself more problems than you started out with. If you know of any that you think need exposing, leave them below in the comments section and maybe we’ll look into the matter for you.