Netbooks, entry 3 - Why Get a Netbook?

The netbook fits in that area between a fancy cell phone or PDA (such as a Palm), and a full laptop.

Netbooks are pared down laptops that are extremely small, very light, extremely energy efficient, Internet-focused, and are usually used without a bunch of peripherals. Just a power cord (and maybe a mini surge protector) and you’re off. It’s great for writing blog entries (such as this one), reading your email, and surfing the web.

If I want to sit in my car during lunch and write blog entries or do a little personal research I can. When I’m done I can just drop the Acer in my tote bag or brief case. Since I’m planning to take a train trip across country, visit with my with family for a week and then ride the train back via another route I’d like to have some computer access but don’t need a fully loaded (and cumbersome) laptop. Since the netbook is really an Internet appliance it only comes into it’s own when you use a lot of Internet-based services, or programs that are normally downloaded from the Internet rather than from CDs.

Related links:

• 5 Reasons to Get a Low Cost Netbook in the Market Today


• 5 Reasons Why Netbooks Succeeded When UMPCs and Tablet PCs Failed


• I’ll Just Buy a Netbook: Why Netbooks 2.0 will do More than Cannibalize


• Picture Proof: Why Netbooks Rock [to some]


• Why Netbooks, Why Now?

See further comments in my next post.

Netbooks, entry 2

I just bought an Acer Aspire One netbook from Costco and I have to say that I like it. You just have to remember what it is and isn’t configured to do. At home I have a true indulgence, an Alienware laptop, but Alienware computers are for gaming and while they handle everything media related very, very well, they are heavier and bigger than your average laptop. Since I’m planning a couple of long trips this year (and I’m addicted to my computer) it made sense to look into a netbook.

Related links:

• Acer Aspire One AOD150-1577 10.1-Inch Diamond Black Netbook - 6 Cell Battery from Amazon.


• Acer One website


• CNET review of Acer Aspire One


• PC World review
  


• PC Magazine review

See further comments in my next post.

Netbooks

My next few posts are going to be about netbooks. You may well ask why, since this isn’t usually a blog about computers. However, I do like to talk about any object that’s “less” but lets me do more.

In the case of netbooks it’s a device that lets us travel lighter. Just as you might weed and downsize your home you’d also love to cart around less when you travel. If you must have a computer, and most of what you do uses the Internet, then a netbook is one way to go. Especially given the extra charges for any luggage carried by the airlines.

Collapsible bowls

We had a friend over the other day for grilled hamburgers and she brought some vegetable dishes in collapsible bowls. I think they were from Rubbermaid and they are available in a variety of sizes. You should be able to find them in your local stores, if not, Amazon has them as well.

What she likes about hers is that they don't need to take up a lot of space in her cupboards when not in use. She can also adjust the size of the bowl to fit the amount of food whether bigger before the meal, or smaller to fit the leftovers in the fridge easier.

I'm not sure that these would be appropriate for heavy everyday use, but if you want the security of having enough bowls on hand for any occasion, without losing a lot of space, then these would be a good choice.

Skandia shelving

Some of our biggest purchases at The Container Store was for Skandia shelving. We have a fair bit of it and we've owned most of ours for more than 10 years. It's been dismantled, moved around, reconfigured, and we've moved some of it at least twice. Except for the one shelf I left leaking plants on (opps!), it's in wonderful condition. But one of the beauties of Skandia shelving is that you can reconfigure your layout and add or remove individual pieces as needed.

It's not cheap but it's fairly easy to dismantle and move. Given how much storage Skandia shelving provides, once dismantled it doesn't take much space to store or move. Although the end pieces can be pretty tall so you do have to have a vehicle that can accommodate their length.

It's a great choice for anyone who moves a lot and it would be great for college grads or anyone in an apartment. It has clean lines and a contemporary look. We've bought two depths, 15" deep and 11" deep.

It appears that the company behind Skandia shelving now manufactures in the US under the Lundia name, but the pieces purchased at The Container Store and those made by the Lundia in the US are not mixable so whoever you decide to buy from is the one you will have to go back to for additional pieces. In addition, when I looked through the Skandia shelving pieces available via The Container Store web site they don't seem to have some of the options that they used to, specifically shelf/table extensions, drawers, and cabinet door additions. It may be that they are available at the stores themselves. Skandia shelves are heavy so ordering online would be prohibitive except for the occasional extra piece.

While I was wandering around the Lundia site I followed their link to their European site. I wish they'd offer those products here. Wow!

The Container Store

The Container Store is one of my favorite stores in the world. When I lived on the East coast it was a favorite jaunt on the weekends. We don't live anywhere near one now and I really miss it.

It's an organizer's dream but can be an expensive excursion. I can't be the only one to think so since my sister-in-law called it a "dangerous place" after I told her that's where she could find the fridge jug.

Go with a list of problems you're looking to solve and/or a budget or you will leave with more than you can afford.

More chilled and filtered water

Back a while ago I bought a plastic water pitcher for our fridge. What's unique about it is that it's rectangular, long, narrow, and has a spigot. The photo on the right shows ours.

It's design uses a minimum of space and has worked out well for us. Frankly it's the best space saver for my fridge I've ever purchased. We also have a Brita water pitcher to filter the water we put in it. Which means we are drinking lots more water! So not only does it leave more space in our fridge, it's making us healthier. It's on my list of purchases that's made a surprising difference in our lives.

There are some other benefits as well per the Daily Green.

My sister in-law wants one and I finally found one online, so if you can't find one locally you can order one from the The Container Store.

Non-toxic paint

I'd like to paint some of the walls in our house this summer. I have a lot of allergies so I'm always interested in ways to improve the air quality inside our home. Which has led me to low VOC paint.

Low VOC paints are lower in the toxic emissions that all paints and finishes release into you home years after application. Because of paint and other materials, your home can be 3 times more polluted than the outside air.

A number of paint companies make low to zero VOC paints. See the list at this site, Non-toxic Paints. Or go to The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality - from EPA.

Has anyone tried this type of paint? What do you think? Any suggestions?

Filtered water we finally drink

I bought one of those Brita Water Pitcher to filter our tap water. See this photo of ours.

You should be able to find this and similar Brita products in your local area and there are lots of choices. You could even get one of the faucet filters or in-line water filters available now.

We use our pitcher to fill a water pitcher in the fridge. So we always have lots of cold, filtered water available to drink. This means we have no need to buy bottled water, which saves us both money and space.

I don't know about you, but I usually don't drink as much water as I should. The Brita really helps me drink lots more water!

Vases in an envelope

I have to admit I picked up a package on impulse because I was curious. Couple of nights ago I finally tried one of the vases. Pretty cool! You get three vases in an envelope, each a different color. I bought the medium size, but they sell larger and smaller sizes too. So in the space to store three envelopes you could have have 9 vases.

This has to be the perfect deal for gardeners, singles, RVers, and dorm and studio apartment dwellers. All the luxury of having a choice of colors and sizes in without taking up any valuable storage space.

I don't think they look as good as real glass as they try to claim, but they are certainly convenient.

Here's a picture of one full of lilacs from my yard.

The package I bought had three (one each in blue, green, and clear). But it looks like neither the official site nor Amazon sell the same set any more. So try your local stores, especially in the "As Seen on TV" displays, I think that's where I found mine. In fact, I'm going to pick up the other two sizes as soon as I spot them again.

Wonder Vase - official site.
WonderVase Travel Collapsible Flower Vase - Med - via Amazon.com

Smart Strip Power Supply

A customer where I work told me about the Smart Strip. So when I got home I looked into it, and it sounds great. I've heard about how our electronic devices use electricity even when they aren't turned on. The Smart Strip purports to solve this problem by detecting when an electronic device isn't actually on and cuts off it's electrical supply. I suspect that devices that have clocks will lose the time, which for many devices is not an issue. For those devices that need power all the time, such as DVD recorders and such, there are a couple of 'always active' sockets.

I found some of the user comments at this site enlightening, Terrapass - Smart Strip, especially in regards to powering laptops.

But I really, really like the idea that we might not need to use so many remotes with our entertainment system, that alone would make it worth the price.

So I've ordered one for myself and I'll give a report on how much energy it actually saves me and if it causes any problems. Should be interesting.

Stack those dishes! Use that space!

After I bought the Corelle dishes I found that I had more room vertically in the cupboards. But space gained is never enough, I always want more! So I added some dishware shelves to further increase the cupboards' capacity.

Here's a photo from Amazon of one, but you should be able to find in your local stores as well. One of the big pluses to using these dishware shelves is that you can pull dishes out without needing to move any other dishes.

'i-house' compact green home

This is a serious contender for the green home market since it can come with solar panels, tankless water heaters, rainwater collectors, and decks made from recycled materials. It's designed to be very energy efficient.

It would be a great green, low-cost home for singles or couples, small families, first home buyers, or for vacation homes. The i-house 1 is about 723 sq.ft. with 1 bedroom, 1 bath, and the base price is $74,900. The i-house II is 1023 sq.ft., 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, with a base price of $93, 300.

The optional 'Flex room' (there are at least 2 models to choose from) gives you an additional square footage, an extra bathroom, and an upstairs deck. Since access to the upstairs deck requires stairs it won't be very accessible for older retirees. From the square footage and the videos it appears that there's room enough in even the smallest 'Flex room' to add a sofa bed for guests. The 'Flex room' is unattached and costs an additional $26,660 to $38,970. But depending on the model you can get an additional 620 sq. ft. and a larger upstairs deck.

--Clayton 'i-house' is giant leap from trailer park
--i-house - official site. Excellent video tours and check out the floor plans.

Trying before I buy @ my library

Lately I have been saving both money and space. I go down to my local library and borrow materials. But no matter how good a library mine (or yours) is, they can't afford to collect everything. But one of the many services the library provides is something called 'Interlibrary Loan' (ILL). This means on your behalf they will borrow books from other libraries. Other libraries throughout the U.S. and few other countries!

My library has a small postage fee, but many libraries will do this completely free. So if there's a book, audio book, video, or music CD you are not sure you want to buy, one trick is to borrow from your local library via ILL. That way you can read, watch, or listen for free. If the item was disappointing you're not out any money. If you loved it, and your library still isn't willing to buy a copy for their collection, then you can still buy your own copy knowing it's money well spent.

Another advantage to using your local library and ILL, is that you don't have to store the material in your home once you're done with it.

One warning, ILL's must be returned on time and often have higher late fees than regular library materials. But you can always ask if renewals are available. Remember that libraries charge late fees to keep people from hogging the materials, NOT to make money. So be prompt and be gracious. After all, they are saving you money and getting nothing in return! In my case, I probably save hundreds of dollars a year. Oh who am I kidding? They save me hundreds of dollars a month!

If you don't believe me try anyone of these library use calculators, or do your own estimates. Books, videos, and CD's aren't cheap.

Library Savings Calculator
Maine State Library
Umtilla Public Library
Jackson County Library Services

Magic Jack

I just got a Magic Jack and I actually like it. It gives me another phone line (as long as my computer is on), and is, compared to the cost of a new phone line and call charges from a phone company, almost free! If I understand the information correctly the service is portable with my laptop, (just note that 911 calls will assume you are at your home address). I haven't tried it with wireless yet though.

For those familiar with VoIP it's not really anything new. However, with Magic Jack you don't have to worry about the other party having a computer or matching software. You can call anyone in the U.S. for free and overseas costs are minuscule. There is only a once yearly charge for the service and you don't need to by a special headset, just plug in your phone. Plus, compared to other VoIP services I have tried, the sound quality is better. You also get many of the same services you can get with a traditional phone line. So far I've used the free local and long distance calling, voice messages, and caller i.d. I've also been able to create a phone list so I don't have to keep typing numbers, and that was much easier to set up then most phones I've used. They claim you get free call waiting and directory assistance but I haven't tried those yet. You can set up your own voice recording for when you are already on a call or simply unavailable.

I can see where anyone wanting a second phone line, or wanting to get a new phone number quick, would want to try this. They offer multiple year plans but I just bought one year to see how well it performs. This would also be great for anyone who's just moved out on their own and doesn't want to commit to a land line. Assuming they have a good computer and broadband Internet access.

Food storage made easy

Smart Spin Storage System, for a "as seen on TV" this has been one of my favorite kitchen storage solutions.

We all have lots of plastic storage containers that we use in the refrigerator and/or microwave. We all end up with lids and containers that don't match, that take up way too much space, and that break easily. Not so with the Smart Spin. First the lids fit all three sizes, so you never have to worry about finding the right size lid. Second, these boxes can be used in the freezer, microwave, refrigerator, and dishwasher. (Although you might have to see if the lids will fall through your dishwasher rack). Best of all, the pieces fit compactly in the spinner taking up little space on counter or cupboard. Ours sits on top of the refrigerator making it easy to grab a box to fill with leftovers.

The boxes have proven to be more durable than comparable products so I'm really pleased with how well they are holding up under use.

Since I've filled so many with soups and stews for the freezer we've bought more Smart Spin Extra Containers and Lids and combined them into one spinner.

It's a great problem solver and I love it.

Dishes that stack well

We use to have a set of fancy brand name dishes for everyday use. But over time utensils left marks that were almost impossible to remove, even with special cleaners. I grew to hate them and one day I gave up. I hated how they looked and I hated the space they took to stack. So I went out and bought some plain white Corelle dishes.

This turned out to be a great idea! I had no idea how much kitchen cabinet space I would save. The Corelle dishes are not as thick and they stack far, far better. So now I can get 3-4 times as many dishes in the same space! Admittedly I didn't buy the matching cups which helped to save space. We have plenty of mugs (even after weeding), but because we selected plain white dishes, our remaining mugs work fine.

The individual dishes are just as big, or I should say, they hold as much food as the previous set. The Corelle set is for our everyday use and so far have held up beautifully. They still look as good as when I bought them, a refreshing change from my previous experience.

They've made a big change in my kitchen and I highly recommend them. Corelle has many styles and colors to choose from and they're made in the U.S. (at least my set was). If possible, go somewhere where they have enough dishes on display that you can experiment with stacking to get an idea of the space you can save.

In the interest of full confession we also own a fancy set of china that we inherited. We use the china for formal occasions, the Corelle for everday use. All in all, the new everyday dishes have made an unbelievable difference in our kitchen.

Jewelry storage in unexpected places

I recently bought a picture frame/wall mount jewelry case from JC Penney and I have to say it's working out great. Even though I have a large (o.k. huge) jewelry armoire, things were still getting crowded. I use to go to a lot of art and craft fairs, I inherited some jewelry, and I have a good friend who is into jewelry making, all of which has helped to pile the collection up. The new wall mount case handles necklaces, earrings, and bracelets particularly well. This has allowed me to spread out the remaining pieces in the old case to best advantage. Being able to view the collection easily has helped speed up dressing in the morning.

My jewelry making friend has a jewelry case that doubles as a full length mirror. Since she wanted both, that solution works perfectly for her.

In my case I already had full length mirrors on the closet doors, no floor space to spare, and wanted my wall space for pictures. The wall mount solves it all for me. I haven't loaded pictures into my new frame yet but I'm really looking forward to choosing the right ones. Best of all I got this on sale for a mere $59.00 and it's the perfect size for the space I had available.

Here's a couple of shots of the case filled up with my jewelry.