How does it feel to hold a netbook sideways?

Berticus · 07-20-2010, 10:13 AM

I've been waiting for a while for a netbook/tablet convertible sporting the pixel qi screen and wouldn't have a problem streaming videos from hulu or youtube. I was just about to give up on the streaming video requirement, until I heard about the new Acer Aspire One 512 http://www.liliputing.com/2010/07/ac...21-review.html

It looks like it may be a good candidate to put the pixel qi on, but I'd have to look into it further. Hopefully it uses the LG-Philips LP101WSA-TLA1.

So now the question is do I keep waiting, or jump on this one. How do people feel about turning netbooks sideways? Awkward to use, or feels fine?

neilmarr · 07-20-2010, 10:41 AM

Not only awkward, I think, Berticus, but potentially dangerous. There seems to be a quite common problem with the hinge screen in some netbooks which -- if manipulated often or wrongly -- can lead to a loose wiring connection that renders the screen blank. Quite an easy fix for those with the skills, but mine's suffering the hitch more and more often and I'll have to find somewhere to have it professionally repaired. Netbooks are magnificent wee gizmos and handy for so many things. For recreational reading, though, battery life is poor when they're unplugged and they're not comfortable to use when you're flopped out in an easy chair or in bed. Best wishes. Neil

Berticus · 07-20-2010, 01:13 PM

Bummer.

So I should look for a dedicated e-reader along with a netbook?

neilmarr · 07-20-2010, 01:58 PM

They're two completely different animaux, Bert. I don't think you'll find adding a dedicated ebook reader much of a burden, though. I use a netbook often to work in the open air away from my PC and 17" laptop, but for recreational reading, there's nothing (certainly not a treebook) to compare with a simple reading device. No bells and whistles, no distractions, sheer relaxing bliss. Hoots. Neil

mrkarl · 07-20-2010, 08:34 PM

netbooks held sideways are kind of awkward......that's why I went for the asus eee tablet, works great, worth the money and I really like it for reading my comics

and I have a cheap aluratek libre, a little over a hundred bucks and it works really well and it's pretty easy to use.

but yeah, I think a netbook tablet is definately worth the extra money

WillAdams · 07-21-2010, 07:27 AM

I used to read w/ my ThinkPad held at 90 degrees quite often using the old Glassbook ebook reader program (since bought by Adobe to be released as the Adobe ebook reader, then folded into Adobe Reader).

Works fine if a bit heavy --- use a pillow on your lap to cushion it.

William

zorah · 07-25-2010, 08:58 PM

Like mrkarl, I have the Asus T91MT (Asus tablet), which is perfect and worth the extra money.

ntsan · 07-26-2010, 06:49 AM

Acer 1825PT tablet with Core 2 Duo SU7300 is the one you really want, 11.6" tablet with enough omphhh to play 1080P flash video
http://www.umpcportal.com/2010/06/ac...rtible-review/

Btw Asus T91 can be had for around $200~$300 on ebay, that where I got my one from, sold my smartQ to get this, much less hassle and can read any format u want without limit. Also can play 1080P MKV with Z500 hardware acceleration on, though youtube can still only play SD, that fine as 9" is not big enough anyway.

luqmaninbmore · 07-29-2010, 02:49 AM

The OLPC X0 is convertible: you can flip the screen down on top of the keyboard and use the game controllers to operate it. I've also used it side ways, with the screen rotated to portrait, and it was rather comfortable due to the XO's built in handle. The XO has an early version of the technology used in the Pixel Qi screens: when you turn off the back light you get a black and white e-paper mode that is visible in direct sunlight (and easy on the eyes). It is not as bright as e-ink, but is still quite nice.

Luqman

pphilipp · 08-02-2010, 09:04 AM

Absolutely be sure your netbook is a touchscreen 'convertible' model. I personally use a Classmates (which is superbly and ruggedly made), but I have also owned a couple others similar to it.

Twisting the screen and viewing 'sideways' is one of the strengths of this type of device. It is not a selling point of a traditional laptop or netbook. Avoid them for the usage you have mentioned.

steven522 · 08-02-2010, 09:40 AM

I have the Sylvania G-Net 7" netbook. This thing was made to be used as an e-reader. The screen has a gap in the middle that a thumb can fit into to hold up the netbook like a regular book. I found several reader apps that would rotate the screen for the arrow keys on the keyboard to be in the correct position for page turns.

That said, outside of comic book files and heavily imaged PDF books that need a good color screen, the battery life and excess heat generated from a netbook make it far less useful than a dedicated ebook reader.

For standard text-based novels I went to my jetbook and never turned back.

jlg432 · 08-27-2010, 08:53 PM

I have a Acer Aspire D250-1938 Netbook.

This unit came with xp but I also added Linux for Netbook.

My unit did not support software screen rotation as part of it's options but I was made aware of free 3rd party software called Eeerotate. Once installed this allows you to rotate your screen (Visual presentation only) to any of the 4 directions. This really enhances the various pc bound e-reader software. The only issue I have found is that the pointing device gets very sluggish when the screen is facing one of the three other directions other than "Normal". The software stays resident and you can select the desired rotation just by using "Cntrl+Alt+ one of the four direction arrows.

I usually set-up the desired book for reading while in normal mode and then rotate when I am ready to proceed. The direction cluster (arrow keys or page up/dn) can easily be reached by either hand depending on the rotation.

As for the screen hinges - yes you have to be careful, but no more than you would have to if you used the unit on your lap. I believe you have to keep cooling in mind. I noticed on my unit the vet was on the left and back side so I rotate the bottom of the page to be on the rightside of the screen. You will find that most readers will adjust the display to fit the rotated screen giving you more of a reading page.

Again if you were interested in seeing if the concept of a dedicated, backlit color, 10 inch screen (non touch screen) is for you then try the free software and experiment with your Netbook to see if you would prefer this type of a reader over a dedicated monochrome (16 shades grayscale) before committing to one. At least it will give you an idea.

The software again is free and is called Eeerotate.

As for the feel of holding it sideways. The size is not too bad at all. My unit feels sturdy enough and the weight again is more than my Jetbook or Aluratek Libre Pro but a lot lighter than my 15" Compaq Laptop which is very large and heavy. The extended (6 cell Battery compartment makes it more comfortable and easier to hold steady without adding any stress to the unit or your hand. I have found it very good for reading complex PDF docs that have colorful displays of items mixed in with text. The new Adobe PDF reader does a good job with Text Flow. In the normal view the doc went to 2 page view but when rotated it switched to one page view and zoomed in to fill the space.

John

07-20-2010, 10:13 AM	#1
Berticus Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: none	How does it feel to hold a netbook sideways? I've been waiting for a while for a netbook/tablet convertible sporting the pixel qi screen and wouldn't have a problem streaming videos from hulu or youtube. I was just about to give up on the streaming video requirement, until I heard about the new Acer Aspire One 512 http://www.liliputing.com/2010/07/ac...21-review.html It looks like it may be a good candidate to put the pixel qi on, but I'd have to look into it further. Hopefully it uses the LG-Philips LP101WSA-TLA1. So now the question is do I keep waiting, or jump on this one. How do people feel about turning netbooks sideways? Awkward to use, or feels fine?

07-26-2010, 06:49 AM	#8
ntsan Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: T91	Acer 1825PT tablet with Core 2 Duo SU7300 is the one you really want, 11.6" tablet with enough omphhh to play 1080P flash video http://www.umpcportal.com/2010/06/ac...rtible-review/ Btw Asus T91 can be had for around $200~$300 on ebay, that where I got my one from, sold my smartQ to get this, much less hassle and can read any format u want without limit. Also can play 1080P MKV with Z500 hardware acceleration on, though youtube can still only play SD, that fine as 9" is not big enough anyway. Last edited by ntsan; 07-26-2010 at 06:54 AM.

08-27-2010, 08:53 PM	#12
jlg432 Addict Posts: 237 Karma: 15786 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: jetBook, ALP, Pandigital 7"Color(Black+ White), Kyros MID7015a	I have a Acer Aspire D250-1938 Netbook. This unit came with xp but I also added Linux for Netbook. My unit did not support software screen rotation as part of it's options but I was made aware of free 3rd party software called Eeerotate. Once installed this allows you to rotate your screen (Visual presentation only) to any of the 4 directions. This really enhances the various pc bound e-reader software. The only issue I have found is that the pointing device gets very sluggish when the screen is facing one of the three other directions other than "Normal". The software stays resident and you can select the desired rotation just by using "Cntrl+Alt+ one of the four direction arrows. I usually set-up the desired book for reading while in normal mode and then rotate when I am ready to proceed. The direction cluster (arrow keys or page up/dn) can easily be reached by either hand depending on the rotation. As for the screen hinges - yes you have to be careful, but no more than you would have to if you used the unit on your lap. I believe you have to keep cooling in mind. I noticed on my unit the vet was on the left and back side so I rotate the bottom of the page to be on the rightside of the screen. You will find that most readers will adjust the display to fit the rotated screen giving you more of a reading page. Again if you were interested in seeing if the concept of a dedicated, backlit color, 10 inch screen (non touch screen) is for you then try the free software and experiment with your Netbook to see if you would prefer this type of a reader over a dedicated monochrome (16 shades grayscale) before committing to one. At least it will give you an idea. The software again is free and is called Eeerotate. As for the feel of holding it sideways. The size is not too bad at all. My unit feels sturdy enough and the weight again is more than my Jetbook or Aluratek Libre Pro but a lot lighter than my 15" Compaq Laptop which is very large and heavy. The extended (6 cell Battery compartment makes it more comfortable and easier to hold steady without adding any stress to the unit or your hand. I have found it very good for reading complex PDF docs that have colorful displays of items mixed in with text. The new Adobe PDF reader does a good job with Text Flow. In the normal view the doc went to 2 page view but when rotated it switched to one page view and zoomed in to fill the space. John Last edited by jlg432; 08-27-2010 at 09:09 PM.

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07-20-2010, 10:41 AM	#2
neilmarr neilmarr Posts: 7,215 Karma: 6000059 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Monaco-Menton, France Device: sony	Not only awkward, I think, Berticus, but potentially dangerous. There seems to be a quite common problem with the hinge screen in some netbooks which -- if manipulated often or wrongly -- can lead to a loose wiring connection that renders the screen blank. Quite an easy fix for those with the skills, but mine's suffering the hitch more and more often and I'll have to find somewhere to have it professionally repaired. Netbooks are magnificent wee gizmos and handy for so many things. For recreational reading, though, battery life is poor when they're unplugged and they're not comfortable to use when you're flopped out in an easy chair or in bed. Best wishes. Neil

07-20-2010, 01:13 PM	#3
Berticus Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: none	Bummer. So I should look for a dedicated e-reader along with a netbook?

07-20-2010, 01:58 PM	#4
neilmarr neilmarr Posts: 7,215 Karma: 6000059 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Monaco-Menton, France Device: sony	They're two completely different animaux, Bert. I don't think you'll find adding a dedicated ebook reader much of a burden, though. I use a netbook often to work in the open air away from my PC and 17" laptop, but for recreational reading, there's nothing (certainly not a treebook) to compare with a simple reading device. No bells and whistles, no distractions, sheer relaxing bliss. Hoots. Neil

07-20-2010, 08:34 PM	#5
mrkarl Connoisseur Posts: 74 Karma: 22 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: the great white north Device: aluratek libre pro	netbooks held sideways are kind of awkward......that's why I went for the asus eee tablet, works great, worth the money and I really like it for reading my comics and I have a cheap aluratek libre, a little over a hundred bucks and it works really well and it's pretty easy to use. but yeah, I think a netbook tablet is definately worth the extra money

07-21-2010, 07:27 AM	#6
WillAdams Wizard Posts: 1,242 Karma: 3439432 Join Date: Feb 2008 Device: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (300ppi), Samsung Galaxy Book 12	I used to read w/ my ThinkPad held at 90 degrees quite often using the old Glassbook ebook reader program (since bought by Adobe to be released as the Adobe ebook reader, then folded into Adobe Reader). Works fine if a bit heavy --- use a pillow on your lap to cushion it. William

07-25-2010, 08:58 PM	#7
zorah Enthusiast Posts: 44 Karma: 60 Join Date: May 2010 Device: iPad; iPhone; Asus T91MT; Kindle Touch	Like mrkarl, I have the Asus T91MT (Asus tablet), which is perfect and worth the extra money.

07-29-2010, 02:49 AM	#9
luqmaninbmore Da'i Posts: 1,144 Karma: 1217499 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Baltimore Device: Toshiba Thrive, Kobo Touch, Kindle 1, Aluratek Libre, T-Mobile Comet	The OLPC X0 is convertible: you can flip the screen down on top of the keyboard and use the game controllers to operate it. I've also used it side ways, with the screen rotated to portrait, and it was rather comfortable due to the XO's built in handle. The XO has an early version of the technology used in the Pixel Qi screens: when you turn off the back light you get a black and white e-paper mode that is visible in direct sunlight (and easy on the eyes). It is not as bright as e-ink, but is still quite nice. Luqman

08-02-2010, 09:04 AM	#10
pphilipp Addict Posts: 219 Karma: 156088 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Smokies Device: Apple iPad 3 (I have owned many other tablets)	Absolutely be sure your netbook is a touchscreen 'convertible' model. I personally use a Classmates (which is superbly and ruggedly made), but I have also owned a couple others similar to it. Twisting the screen and viewing 'sideways' is one of the strengths of this type of device. It is not a selling point of a traditional laptop or netbook. Avoid them for the usage you have mentioned.

08-02-2010, 09:40 AM	#11
steven522 binomial: homo legentem Posts: 1,061 Karma: 25222222 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Alabama, USA Device: iriver Story HD; Archos 80 G9	I have the Sylvania G-Net 7" netbook. This thing was made to be used as an e-reader. The screen has a gap in the middle that a thumb can fit into to hold up the netbook like a regular book. I found several reader apps that would rotate the screen for the arrow keys on the keyboard to be in the correct position for page turns. That said, outside of comic book files and heavily imaged PDF books that need a good color screen, the battery life and excess heat generated from a netbook make it far less useful than a dedicated ebook reader. For standard text-based novels I went to my jetbook and never turned back.