Netbooks for employees?!

OCdude

OCdude

OCdude

Soldato
Joined
24 Feb 2008
Posts
2,704
Location
Norway
Just trying to decide what kit to get as part of our UIT upgrades, and wondering if anyone could offer some suggestions!

Currently, we have an in-house server (standard Server 2008 DC) and around 20 consultants who connect via VPN. This setup is pretty archaic and i'm planning to move us onto a hosted desktop platform.

The plan is to have thin clients in the office, and to replace the consultants existing laptops.

As i'll be spending extra on the thin clients (currently, consultants just dock their laptops in the office), this will decrease the amount of money I'll have to spend on replacing the laptops... but i'm thinking... because we'll be using a hosted environment, I can "get away" with having lower-specced kit.

The laptops need to be portable and reliable.... so really I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions?

Not sure if getting netbooks would be a completely stupid idea or not?!

Any suggestions very much welcome!

Thanks!
 
That would depend on the usage really! The screens on netbooks are tiny, the keyboards are also too small to be comfortable. Maybe an ultraportable would be better.
 
Why not just stick to 15" laptops? everyone I know who has a Netbook in constantly complaining of how much they would rather purchased a laptop because of its small screen and compact keyboard.
 
As the others have said there is no way I'd want to use a netbook for any real work, I've used other peoples for general bits and bobs and they irritate me no end.
 
Hmm, i'd love to be able to dish out Ultrabooks, but I need something half that price really lol (~£500?)

Originally I was looking at Lenovos as I hear they're pretty rock solid and reliable, but I dont think they really have anything in that price range either.

Dell....... not too sure about...?!
 
Our company have given the commuting managers the option of trading down from 15" Dell Latitudes to the 2110 Netbooks.

They're not that bad as nearly everyone I've seen plugs their machine into a KB/monitor/mouse when they get into the office. That said, in nearly every meeting I've been in where someone has been using the 2110 they've had a moan. Probably something to do with their terrible hunched posture lol.
 
We use the lattitude E6XXX series from Dell, seem pretty robust with options for all budgets and good docking stations, not heard of failure yet.

Problems with netbooks is you don't often get the ability to tie into screens or docking solutions via decent connections but if you are VPN'ing are more that upto the task, I used to VPN into work with a Via C7 and do graphics work over citrix no bother.

Outlook exchenage connections, well Outlook generally took a bit more power than expected though, particulalry with big mail folders

No need for thin clients surely if you have the infrastructure in place to work away for the desk you can have docking station and people just put their laptops in becoming the the clients? Thin clients in addition to laptops seems a bit superfluous. The thin client stuff will surely need support in the form of maintenance and licensing etc, so just moving the saving of laptops to clients, or is that not the case.
 
Last edited:
sandys said:
We use the lattitude E6XXX series from Dell, seem pretty robust with options for all budgets and good docking stations, not heard of failure yet.

Problems with netbooks is you don't often get the ability to tie into screens or docking solutions via decent connections but if you are VPN'ing are more that upto the task, I used to VPN into work with a Via C7 and do graphics work over citrix no bother.

Outlook exchenage connections, well Outlook generally took a bit more power than expected though, particulalry with big mail folders

No need for thin clients surely if you have the infrastructure in place to work away for the desk you can have docking station and people just put their laptops in becoming the the clients? Thin clients in addition to laptops seems a bit superfluous. The thin client stuff will surely need support in the form of maintenance and licensing etc, so just moving the saving of laptops to clients, or is that not the case.
Click to expand...

Hmm I agree, but the reason i'm a bit concerned about using docks, is that the current docking solution we have in place (using HP Elitebooks) is a total nightmare. Quite often we get bluescreens when people dock, or other annoying issues like screen resolutions changing and not reverting back, USB devices refusing to work until you reboot etc.

If i could be guaranteed that the Dell docks work nicely, i'd be more tempted!

Can't seem to find a dock that specifically mentions it's compatabile with the Vostro V131 at the mo
 
Last edited:
All seems trouble free for us, even the most inept users in the office seem to manage to go from Dual screens at the desk to laptop for meetings, plugging in projectors and back again issue free, plug/unplug, it all just works, no blue screens and we are all running windows XP on them :eek: rather than any unqualified version of windows for the office which is amusing as due to the graphics nature of my work I have a 1080p (what ever happen to 1920x1200...) on the laptop which meant I have a core i7 with 6Gb of RAM running on Xp 32 bit :rolleyes: :D but as I use it as a thin client all day doesn't matter what power it has got.

Nvidias driver software is probbaly handling most of the screen switching and its pretty good.

Can't find my dock on the dell site but we use this the PR02X

Dell Vostro range doesn't have dock ability does it?
 
As said above, I'd definitely steer clear of netbooks, the keyboards are almost always rubbish and the screens aren't big enough for prolonged use to be comfortable. The other problem is that the warranty will almost certainly be either collect and return or return to base, which means the user will be without their laptop for a number of days should a problem occur. With a proper business laptop, you'll get at least next business day onsite support, which I personally think is well worth having.

sandys is correct about the Vostro range lacking the ability to dock, you have to move up to the Latitude or Precision ranges to get that. If docking doesn't matter to you then it would seem that the Vostro V131 is pretty much ideal. The Latitude E5420 is the cheapest laptop they do that'll use a proper docking station. I'm afraid I am not familiar with other manufactures, so there may well be better options out there.
 
Hmm, i'm definitely steering clear of the docks, even if they "did" work, they have a really bad image within the company, so I think it'll be best to avoid for now :D

One interesting thing with that Vostro, is that it supports WiDi, so that should negate the need to hook up a projector physically - which is a bonus!
 
We have >10k employees working via docking and VPN methods, if it didn't work, it would be gone, but it all works well, 20 shouldn't be a problem unless IT aren't upto it :p ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom