3DS or a netbook?

Twilight Wolf

Frequent Poster
So I still have some graduation money left over and I'm going on a trip to my grandparents' at some point in the near future. As such I'm trying to decide which of the two I should possibly pick up and I'd like you guys' input.

As it is, I currently only have about enough money for one or the other. Buying a 3DS and one game will cost me almost as much as the netbook I'm currently looking at, only a few dollars less. As cool as the 3DS is, and as long as I've been planning on getting one, not that many games are available for it yet that I really MUST get and I can't help but think having a tiny computer would be badass and potentially very convenient. Also, now that I'm a college student, it might be a good tool to have for schoolwork, and if nothing else a boredom-killer between classes. For example, today English got over with early and I had to wait about half an hour for Math to open up. I could have been doing something productive during that time, or even just talking to friends.

If I end up getting a new phone like I hope to sometime in the near future, I can theoretically set up a wifi hotspot for use with either to have portable internet access almost anywhere, but I'm leaning toward the idea of using a netbook for that.

For reference, this is the netbook I'm looking at. The only thing I'm not fond of is the Intel graphics, but other than that it sounds promising. Saw it in person at Best Buy the other night and the build quality felt good. However, I'm not terribly knowledgeable on netbooks so if you're in the netbook camp and can point me toward something better (and is still fairly easily obtainable), please do so. Educate me. If you're in the 3DS camp, tell me why I should buy a 3DS instead.

Thanks in advance~
 
I say go for the Netbook. It will be the more useful device for you right now.

You can pick up a 3DS later. Maybe even with christmas money (if you get any).
 
Get an AMD C-50 based netbook. WAY better than that Intel flax. The 3DS is neat, yes, but a netbook is infinitely more useful.
 
AMD c50 and intel 5x0 are both good solutions, but amd plans to launch new versions of zacate, sa wait juste a little to see what's up in the netbook world.

There's another solution, a laptop, somes are at the same price than a netbook but much better in performance, exept battery life and size
 
As you are in college, I believe a Netbook would be infinitely more useful to you, and thereby a better purchase.

Honestly, there's no reason to get a 3DS at this point in time. There are no must-have games yet.
 
>Toshiba
>Intel Atom
laughing_whores.jpg
Save your money and get something nicer.
 
Thanks for the input so far, guys, keep it up! :awesome:

I am interested in the AMD C-50 solution, but I need some examples of what exactly is available, how much it costs, and where I can get it. Keep in mind the part where I said "and is still fairly easily obtainable." For example, being $100 more expensive, or more, and only available online does not qualify. This is something I'd prefer to be able to examine and purchase in person if I can. It might look nice in pictures but if it turns out to have a horrendous keyboard or something it'd be a disappointment, and if I need to return it for any reason it's much simpler to do so at a store.

Mako, explain, please. Is something wrong with Toshiba? I've used several Toshiba laptops -- my old laptop is a Toshiba, for that matter -- and I've always been pretty pleased with them. Build quality is pretty Dang good and they're reliable. I should also note the Toshiba I linked to is not only the highest-rated netbook on Best Buy's website, but also on Amazon.com.

ShockSlayer said:
Refer to it as "little gear."

I like this. ::3:
 
Pretty vague, bro. >_>

And like I mentioned in my last post, it's the highest-rated netbook on Best Buy's site and on Amazon. Surely that must count for something. It also has a full keyboard, which I like very much since I do a lot of typing.

And yes, Lenovo does have netbooks, but the ones I've seen are roughly double the price of this Toshiba. Not gonna work.
 
http://usa.asus.com/Eee/Eee_PC/Eee_PC_1 ... ifications

AMD from E430 to C50 (1.66 to 1.0GHz)

EEEPC have good keyboard, i've got this design with an Atom + ion. And it's sad to say, but the eee keyboard is better than my Desktop's one.
(in the descriptive, don't take care about the " 8 Hours battery life" it's only commercial, it's only 6 cell batteries)

[edit:] it does exist in lenovo: Lenovo Ideapad G575 - AMD Double-Coeur E-350 4 Go 500 Go 15.6"

it's about 360€ in france
http://shop.lenovo.com/gbweb/gb/en/lear ... index.html
 
Start looking around. I know exactly where to get C-50 netbooks in Canada, but no idea where to get one in the USA. I guess you could try Fry's, Circuit City, RadioShack, and stores like that.
 
No Fry's, Circuit City closed down, the only model Radio Shack carries is the same HP you can get at Best Buy but $25 more expensive.

Also, every C-50 netbook I've found thus far is roughly double the price of that Toshiba I linked to. As with the Lenovo, would be great if I had the funds, but I don't, so that's not gonna work.

After spending much of yesterday reading reviews and benchmarks, I think I'm gonna go with the aforementioned Toshiba. From what I can tell it's among the best netbooks available in this price range, plus as I've mentioned it's the highest-rated on Amazon and at Best Buy, not to mention I've had good experiences with Toshiba laptops in the past -- my laptop might be a slow POS nowadays, but it's still going and it's all in one piece after four and a half years of heavy use. Should be going to Best Buy today to see about getting one since I'm going on that trip tomorrow. :wtf:
 
Atom based netbooks have SERIOUSLY flaxTY graphics. You have been warned. Still, it's probably not *that* bad for the price.
 
I'm aware of this. This particular chipset is basically a newer version of the GMA950. However, I can't imagine doing anything any more graphics-intensive other than maybe some old games (Half-Life 1, Day of Defeat, or Deus Ex, for example), so it should be fine for pretty much everything. This isn't for gaming, after all -- it's basically for schoolwork and boredom-killing: web browsing, IM programs, Steam and the like.
 
the graphic part is limited by the GPU for games with the atom solution, try to found an old EEEPC 1201N (Atom 330 dual core + nvidia ion) it run crysis on low at 1280x720. Don't expact to have something like med on this game, but some others can work well on intel atom with a decent chipset

But they are quite more pricey if you don't take an aftermarketed on.
 
Well, I snagged myself a netbook yesterday. Best Buy had a nice Gateway with nearly identical specs to the Toshiba I wanted for $199. From what I can determine it's not actually a Gateway but a rebranded Acer, so I guess that's cool. Build quality is awesome so far, and I've been working to get rid of the bloatware -- it seems fairly speedy now. I'm pretty pleased with it. :awesome:

It even came with six months' worth of free antivirus software -- I opted for Kaspersky since my other option was Norton. Too bad it's on a DVD. >_>
 
Back
Top