Sometimes just called a "power supply", a power supply unit (PSU) converts AC (alternating current) power to DC (direct current) power in desktop computers and distributes that power to the internal components. While power supply units are present in laptop computers, the power conversion is usually handled by an external transformer (usually called an "adapter") between a laptop and a power cord while the PSU simply handles the distribution. Of course, that's only when the laptop battery isn't being used.

Power Supply Units and Wattage

The PSU wattage output usually isn't a problem for laptop computers because the internal components are matched in such a way that normal usage won't go beyond what the PSU is rated for.

People like to add stuff to desktop computers, however, and this is where the problem lies. If you build your own computer, you'll know to get a PSU with a lot of wattage (450 watts and above) simply because you know you'll be adding more to it than most pre-built computers.

People with pre-built desktop computers don't usually add enough to their computers to make much of difference, unless the PSU is low wattage to begin with.

A Case in Point

A friend of mine owns a Dell desktop computer and is thinking of getting a Dell Mini as a netbook. After his recent experience with the desktop computer, he may be reconsidering.

When I bought my desktop computer, the first thing I checked was the power supply unit. I was happy because it was a 500-watt unit. I knew I could add an additional hard drive to it and it wouldn't cause any problems.

My friend didn't do that, obviously. He probably wasn't allowed to do so since opening the case would probably void his warranty. I guess it doesn't matter now because his warranty expired. Anyway, he added a hard drive to it and didn't pay attention to how sluggish his computer became because, after all, it was running Windows. It always seem sluggish to him anyway.

A couple of weeks ago, his PSU died. He was lucky in that it happened at the end of his work week and he had the entire weekend to replace it. He was also lucky it didn't take out other components at the same time, as faulty PSUs are known to do. When he pulled the old one out, he discovered it was a 350-watt PSU. No wonder it blew – it couldn't handle that extra hard drive if he started using other peripherals at the same time.

Needless to say, he replaced it with a beefier PSU and the computer isn't as sluggish now as when he first got it. He's happy with it, but I still think he's going to think twice about buying a Dell in the future.

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I honestly can't answer the question of ALL of the netbooks with the most memory and drive storage capacity without going to each manufacturer's website and looking through product descriptions. Fortunately, there is a web application called Google Squared.

The Netbooks with the Most Memory Capacity

Using the list generated by searching for "netbook", I can see that least amount of memory in any netbook is 512 MB. Some models have 1 GB installed and some can be upgraded, but I don't know which is which.

It appears that most of the Asus Eee models of netbooks have a maximum memory capacity of 2 GB. These models include:

• ASUS Eee PC Disney (Disney Netpal)
• ASUS Eee PC Seashell 1005HA
• ASUS Eee PC 1000HE

A netbook called "Hannspree HannsNote" also has a maximum memory capacity of 2 GB. I only saw one MSI (Micro Star International) netbook on the list, but I've personally seen them with both 512 MB and 1 GB installed. The "Lenovo IdeaPad S10e 4187" can have up to 1.5 GB installed and it's the only netbook I saw with that particular limitation.

The Netbooks with the Most Drive Storage Capacity

Google Squared doesn't show it by default, so you have to add the hard drive column. After adding the column, I didn't see anything for the netbooks which have solid state drives installed.

The average capacity I saw on the list was 160 GB (the same as one I have), but it looks like the MSI Wind U210-008US has a maximum capacity of 250 GB. I don't think the difference, in this case, is worth the installed memory limitation of 512 MB. A better choice would be the new MSI Wind U135 (not on the list) which has both 1 GB of memory and a 250 GB hard drive installed.

Google Squared

I just learned of this a day or so ago. If you use it for "netbook", make sure you click the bottom link to add the next 10 items repeatedly until you get the full list. You can then sort by whichever column you prefer.

At the bottom of the list, you'll find some laptop bags designed specifically for netbooks and called "netbook cases" instead of "netbook bags".

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Over the past few months, I've either examined netbooks firsthand or virtually examined them over the net, including the Asus Eee PC 1005HA. Needless to say, I'm fickle about what I want to invest my money in. I've finally decided what I want and it happens to be an MSI netbook computer.

Making My Decision

I was actually intent on buying a Samsung N120-12GBK due to the simple fact that it has a full-sized keyboard. I was going to go through the process of ordering it online, having it shipped to my wife in the US, and having her bring it back with her when she returns to the Philippines. That process would be required since I can't find the Samsung netbooks here unless I take a trip to the SM Mall (The Mall of Asia) in Quezon City. Even that wouldn't guarantee that particular model would be available when I got there.

Despite what you may have heard, all of the netbooks sold by any one company are different in some way and not of all of them are even worth considering.

With all the features available in different netbook configurations, only a few are hard requirements for me. The color has to be black — other colors look dirty too fast (and I won't be caught dead with anything pink). Come to think of it, my wife would probably want something like a pink MacBook. The "pink" is obvious and the "MacBook" is simply due to the cool factor.

I digress. My netbook has to be a 10-inch version with a 1024×600 resolution (no short-changed pixels as with the HP mini laptops). It has to have a full-sized keyboard. It has to be sturdy, even if it is lightweight. I can't tell you how many netbooks I've examined that seemed like they'd fall apart after a couple of day's usage.

Earlier today, after I bought some parts for my desktop computer (in order to add an internal hard drive) and left the Dataworx store in Olongapo, I went to the store next door to have a power supply cable made for me. While I was waiting, I asked to examine the MSI netbook on the display shelf behind the counter. The store clerk unpackaged it and booted it up for me and allowed me to test it. It had a full-sized keyboard! The keys were a just a tiny bit closer together than what I'm used to, but that's okay because it wouldn't interfere with my touch-typing skills. In fact, closer keys will probably make it easier to hit the keys I usually miss on the first try (like the backspace key).

The MSI Wind U100xp Netbook

I was impressed. This was, by far, one of the best laptops I'd ever examined. It was even better than the HP notebook I had (which is now dead and in the closet). The Sony Vaio mini laptops are actually better, but Sony wants too much money for their branding. In my opinion, the only thing worth the price they ask for are the Sony Vaio laptop batteries. Proprietary, of course, but the best in the business (based on the reviews I've read). Well, at least they don't explode like some of the HP laptop batteries have been known to do!

I digress again. The MSI netbook is sturdy and it's black. It has a 1024×600 resolution. It's 10 inches in size. It comes with Windows XP Home installed and it has a 160 GB SATA hard drive. It has a built-in webcam, built-in speakers and a wireless LAN card. My next related purchase would be a wireless router so I can roam around the house with the netbook instead of being tied to a computer desk. Heck, the right router might let me roam around the entire compound, but that's probably wishful thinking.

The MSI Wind U100xp netbook sells for about $375 at that particular store (after the peso to dollar conversion), which is almost exactly the same price as the Samsung netbook I considered. The best part about it is that I can buy it here! I want to buy it next month, but shiitake happens and I may have to wait longer.

Why do I "need" a netbook?

It's a "need" versus a "want" and goes hand-in-hand with my need for a UPS (uninterruptible power supply), which I plan to get later. There are way too many brownouts in Olongapo city and they happen when least expected. Since I run an online business, it should be obvious the effect that prolonged downtime has on it.

A netbook six-cell battery can last for at least three hours (and I hear that it can last up to eight hours, depending on usage). The only thing I need to plug into the UPS is the DSL modem (or a cable modem when we finally get cable Internet in this neighborhood). A UPS battery charge doesn't last long when attached to a computer operating with a full load, and not much longer at a half-load. I imagine it would last a pretty long time with just a modem attached.

Yes, this is the netbook for me and I plan to buy one as soon as I can squeeze it into my monthly budget.

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Most netbooks are perfect for watching movies, but not with what's normally included with them. In order to watch a DVD, the netbook must either come with a DVD player (which really doesn't make it a netbook anymore), you have to connect an external DVD player or you have to convert a DVD to a format that can be put on a USB stick (thumb drive) and then played on the netbook.

Most Netbooks?

One of the reasons I won't buy an HP netbook (or mini laptop, as they call them) is because the resolution isn't 1024×600 which, coincidentally, is the perfect size for viewing movies in the 16:9 aspect ratio standard.

As far as the research I've conducted so far, only the HP netbooks are missing the 24 pixels from the vertical resolution. There may be others, but I haven't found any yet. Some netbooks may have a higher resolution and it's important to check to see if that particular resolution conforms to the 16:9 standard or that the 16:9 ratio is viewable without any squishing of either vertical or horizontal resolutions.

If you have a high-resolution monitor on your standard PC or notebook computer, you can test the resolution of a particular netbook you've got your eye on by installing the web developer extension for Firefox and using the "Resize" tool. View any movie that uses the 16:9 aspect ratio, resize the Firefox window to the resolution in question and then adjust the movie player window to match. If you don't have to squish anything, it's good to go.

[Note: When I say squishing, I don't mean the aspect ratio changes. I'm really talking about fitting the entire movie on the screen without black bars at the top/bottom or on the sides. I'm sorry if it sounds like I was talking about the aspect ratio actually changing.]

USB Movies

If the netbook doesn't have an optical drive and you don't have an external DVD drive to plug into it, you can still watch movies on a decent-sized USB thumb drive. The catch is that you have to decrypt most DVDs to a hard drive in order to use the files they contain.

There's a wealth of information available online on how to use the ".vob" files directly or convert a DVD to the DivX/XviD format as well as other formats so that you can play them with specific media players. I plan to publish how *I* do it in the near future (and just for hard drive storage) and I'll point you to that location if it's on another site. You can even find free movies online if you know where to look.

I know a few people (including my wife's cousin) who bought portable DVD players at ridiculously high prices. Using a netbook with an external DVD drive or movies on a thumb drive is so much more inexpensive by comparison.

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