eMachines eM350-2074 10.1" Netbook Computer (Black)

Comments about eMachines eM350-2074 10.1" Netbook Computer (Black):

I bought this netbook to have something lighter than a laptop in the backpack during commute/travel.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that the emachine outperforms markedly my previous netbook of similar capabilities, and that it is significantly lighter. It manages well with resource-intensive programs one or two at a time; of course, one wouldn't want to run too many of them together. The wireless is quite sensitive, even in the black hole of a building where my office is on campus. I recommended the gadget to a friend who had been hesitant to buy a netbook, and he got one, too.

Comments about eMachines eM350-2074 10.1" Netbook Computer (Black):

I bought this netbook to carry in my backpack on my bicycle trip in Croatia. It only weighs 2.5 pounds! The operating system is Windows XP which means it is fast, efficient in memory use and works with all my older programs. My friend purchased another brand netbook with Windows 7 and none of his old programs work on it. I have two eMachine tower computers and have always had great respect for eMachines. The price was also below what I could find for similar products at any of the major retailers. The keyboard is almost full size and very responsive. The display is bright and crisp. I was a bit concerned by the small 3-cell battery. But, since this netbook draws so little power, the batteries last 4 to 5 hours and 6-cell batteries are not necessary. Netbooks do not have a DVD drive, so consider buying an external USB DVD RW drive to burn the recommended WinXP recovery discs and load new programs.

Comments about eMachines eM350-2074 10.1" Netbook Computer (Black):

Overall, I am very satisfied with the eMachines350, though I would alert potential buyers that they are looking at a netbook, not a full laptop.

Pros:
- lightweight (around 2.5 lbs)
- great price (bought mine for $259)
- sturdy
- has a built-in video camera
- mine was pre-loaded with 60 day trials of Office, Acrobat, and Norton anti-virus.
- good Wi-Fi capability

Cons:
- the lack of a CD/DVD drive makes it a bit complicated to load some software, e.g. the full version (non-trial) of Microsoft Office 2007.
- there are only 2 USB ports, so a wireless mouse is almost a necessity.
- the keyboard is a bit of an adjustment...I don't have particularly wide fingers, but still noticed that the keys are spaced closer together than normal.
- the standard 3-cell battery is adequate, but not super. I'm getting around 3:30-4:00 from a fully charged battery.

To summarize, this was the perfect purchase for my needs -- a lightweight, inexpensive, durable, and reasonably fast netbook for business travel, web surfing, and Office-related tasks.