Considering a netbook - what might work with SL?

I'm considering buying a small netbook / cheap laptop. Something in the under 500 range.

Is there anything in that range, that, assuming I tone down the settings in SL, will still work decently with Second Life?

Did a little forum searching, but most of the comments seem old, Linux specific, or from people who already have a specific netbook trying to tweak it, rather than still picking a netbook.

A "netbook" is not designed for anything requiring much more power than simple internet surfing, emailing, word processing, etc. You might (I stress "MIGHT" get one or a few to work for SL.........but not nearly satisfactorly. There are some moble phones with more power the most netbooks.

Save your $500 and get a kitty going to add about $500 more and get a decent computer......or go desktop. A little shopping around and you can find quite a few desktops in that range.

It depends how you define "work decently". I have an ASUS eee 900 netbook, with max available ram, running Nicholaz Old School. (The computer and extra ram cost me about $300.) In fairly low lag areas, I do ok. The movement is choppy. Fine for checking IMs and stuff like that when traveling. (I have an iMac at home but I'm planning a 3 week trip.) I wouldn't want the ASUS for my primary SL computer, for sure. You really need a separate video card for that, which netbooks don't have. I don't know about cheap laptops.

I have an older HP laptop with a turion x2 1.8MHz/2gb RAM and an Nvidia GeForce 6150 chipset that works in SL at a pinch.

These below are quite a bit more capable from a video standpoint: Check them out at newegg . . .

1) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834107024

COMPAQ Presario CQ60-210US NoteBook AMD Athlon X2 QL-62(2.00GHz) 15.6" 2GB Memory 250GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce 8200M - Retail $529, $499 after MIR

2) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834115556

Acer Aspire AS4530-6823 NoteBook AMD Athlon X2 QL-62(2.00GHz) 14.1" Wide XGA 3GB Memory DDR2 667 320GB HDD DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce 9100M G - Retail $499.

3) Spend $599, and you can get this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152107

MSI EX630-034US NoteBook AMD Turion X2 RM-70(2.00GHz) 16" Wide XGA 3GB Memory 250GB HDD DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS - Retail $599.

That Compaq is interesting as I saw it going for $350 at a local store today. Is the geForce card viable, considering its integrated and thus uses system ram?

As I said, I have an HP laptop with 2G of DDR2 667, and the GeForce GO 6150 Embedded Video Chipset, and I have it set to use 256M for the video ram. It works about as well as my P4 with an NVidia FX5500/256 AGP Card, which is NOT anything spectacular, but both do work in SL.

If you wanted to play SL "Light", the 8200 should be fine (avoiding places with lots of prims/people)


Of the three systems I listed, the Acer for $500 would be my choice from a value/performance standpoint.

On the other hand, if you saw the Compaq for $350, ask them to load SL on the Demo so you can test it, as a condition of sale . . . Just make sure they don't pull a bait and switch on you (I have heard that the Yellow/Black Store may do that). Alternatively, if they have a decent return policy, take it home, try SL, and if you are not satisfied, return it . . . Make them work to earn your money!

It was at Best Buy, but I think I'm wrong on price, might have been 399. I was walking back and forth between 3 laptops there... Still a similar price.

Best Buy's a major chain in my region, with at least 3 stores along my commute route alone. I've shopped enough to dislike their slow service but appreciate their policies on things like repair and return.

Thank you for the list though. They don't have the Acer, but the 3rd model I was glancing at was a comparable Toshiba. maybe this one:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9163772&type=product&id=1218040476935
(sometimes what's in the store and what's on the web are close but not the same.)

- Just slightly past my budget though, so I'm 'considering.'

If you want to wait a bit Nnivia is coming out with "Tegra-Powered Devices" sometime this year.

Engadget saw them at E3 and said this:
"Instead of referring to handheld devices for consumers, NVIDIA's MIDs are classed as Tegra-based netbooks and tablets. In other words, the 8.9-inch Elan is a MID. Ugh.

Semantics aside, the platform is smokin' hot with promise offering the following benefits:

* 25 days of music or 10-hours of 1080p video playback on a single charge
* video games play at up to 46 frames per second
* GPU accelerated Adobe Flash animations (huzzah for Hulu!)
* always-on processors for instant access to the network
* 3G, WiFi, and WiMax solutions support

Great on paper, but still not available for purchase. Rest assured, we'll be hands-on with more Tegra devices on the quick."

Sound like something that would work great for a slimed down portable SL box.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/02/mobinnova-elan-smartbook-powered-by-nvidia-tegra/
http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/02/nvidia-unveils-12-tegra-powered-devices-claims-the-mobile-comp/

Bestbuy seems to be down, only response is "default WR content" and many people are complaining about the same thing.

I would recommend that you consider newegg, they have superior customer support policies, I have been shopping there since 2002, and have spent a fair amount of money with them, and have MRA'd quite a few items, their support has always been good.

Recertified: COMPAQ Presario CQ60-210US NoteBook AMD Athlon X2 QL-62(2.00GHz) 15.6" 2GB Memory 250GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce 8200M

$379.99 from newegg.

The 8200M might be marginal for SL, but would still work better than my 6150, and it is an excellent deal in terms of value. Personally, I would up the RAM to 4GB for Vista.

A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) 200-Pin DDR2 SO-DIMM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Dual Channel Kit Laptop Memory - Retail 46.99