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This machine is the perfect balance between tablet and netbook. I was having a hard time choosing until I found this, now I don't have to. Any real issues I've had with the s10-3t has come from software, which, I can't really blame on the machine. The quickstart program is a neat feature but It is quite limited as far as web-based OS is concerned. As soon as I can get Android or Chrome OS on this thing, Quickstart will never see the light of day again. As far as Windows 7, it's given me some issues but nothing that couldn't be handled with some creative task management.
This IS a netbook. It's not equipped with the same hardware as a "real" laptop, so don't expect it to perform like one. From what I've seen of the reviews on this thing everyone expects it to compete with the iPad AND laptops. In a word, no. If you expect to replace your gadget shelf with one device that only costs $600, you're dillusional. However, it does do EXACTLY what it's supposed to do, which is make the netbook design better.
Anyone who has ever used a netbook knows the frustration of the tiny touchpad. It is a hair-pulling nightmare on some of them. I personally hate the touchpad. It's an evil little menace lurking in the shadows to ruin my day. The touchpad on the s10-3t has received a LOT of negative press. My question, why are you using it? It's a TOUCHSCREEN. I admit, it does come in handy on occasion. After all, there are a whole lot of programs, pages, apps, widgets and what-nots that are not optimized for touch yet. To tell you the truth, I think the combination of a touchscreen and touchpad make this a much handier tool for web-browsing than the iPad. I mean seriously, if I want to zoom, scan, zoom, tap just to click a smaller than finger-sized link I'll web surf on my phone. For the record, if you want pinch-to-zoom and swipe-to-scroll without settling for iPad and it's cell phone operating system, firefox does a great job of it. Anyway, back on track. The touchpad IS tiny and the buttons ARE integrated and if you use it enough to complain about it, you REALLY missed the whole point of this device. I don't know about you but I don't spend extra money on features as innovative as capacitive touch just to spend my time fighting with a worthless substitute for a mouse (how twentieth century.)
The s10-3t I purchased is the higher-end unit with the n470, 250gb hard drive, 2gb of memory and windows 7 home premium. I also purchased the 8 cell battery to replace the standard four cell with which it came. Being a gadget hound I couldn't help myself, especially after I found a $100 off E-coupon for this trim level. The all-around performance of it exceeds my expectations of a netbook. As I said previously, any headaches I've had thus far have been due to the software, not the hardware. As much as die hard windows fans want to believe that windows 7 is the end-all be-all of operating systems, it's not. Don't get me wrong, I love my windows machines. Windows is a very comfortable interface that I've been using for the better part of my life. That being said, it does have it's fair share of problems. For one thing, background services that run for programs that have already been closed or worse yet for ones that haven't yet been started. Another flaw to the system is the MANY programs that get added to startup (without actually being IN the startup folder.) Now, if you have the know-how to go a couple of rounds with windows to get them (and keep them) out of startup, then this is a minor thorn in your side. If, on the other hand, you're more the "windows knows best," don't touch the background stuff" kind of user, you probably won't be happy with ANY netbook running ANY full operating system other than maybe windows XP (rest in peace old friend.)
The goal of the leading tablet manufacturer is to kill netbooks (so says its CEO.) Of course the netbook people don't want to give up any real estate to the tablet folks either. I personally am not content to settle for what EITHER side is peddling. I want the best of both worlds...and now I have it. My s10-3t is a perfect fit. I doubt too many people can type faster on their iPad and I defy anyone to navigate on their netbook faster than I can on my netvertible and I'll even let them have a mouse. Apple may say that Adobe Flash is dead and HTML5 is the way to go but with this, I can view BOTH. I don't have to give up the flash videos that I love and watch right now just because mighty Steve Jobs has decreed that someday in the future Flash will be gone. I can and have removed my battery, replaced it and keep a spare. Something yet to be done with an iPad. I have 3G AND WIFI, a 250gb hard drive, a full qwerty keyboard and a 10 inch capacitive touchscreen. The nearest iPad doesn't touch it, even for $800. "Hey Rock, if you do that to Appollo Creed they're gonna put you away for murder." And yes, I typed this entire thing on my 3t. Try that with an iPad and tell me how you feel about it.