Getting StartED with Netbooks

Nancy Nicolaisen

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GETTING STARTED WITH NETBOOKSCopyright © 2009 by Nancy Nicolaisen

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ISBN-13 (pbk): 978-1-4302-2501-0

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CreditsPresident and Publisher:

Paul ManningLead Editor:

Ben Renow-Clarke Technical Reviewer:

Ann TanEditorial Board:

Clay Andres, Steve Anglin, Mark Beckner, Ewan Buckingham, Gary Cornell, Jonathan Gennick,

Jonathan Hassell, Michelle Lowman, Matthew Moodie, Duncan Parkes, Jeffrey Pepper, Frank Pohlmann,

Douglas Pundick, Ben Renow-Clarke, Dominic Shakeshaft, Matt Wade, Tom Welsh

Coordinating Editor:Jim Markham Copy Editor:Tracy Brown Collins Compositors:MacPS, LLC Indexers:John Collin Artist:April Milne Cover Designer:Kurt Krames

To S.E., my adventure travel consultant, of course.

Getting StartED with Netbooks

Nancy Nicolaisen

Contents

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Contents

Contents at a Glance .................................................................. iv�Contents ..................................................................................v�About the Author..................................................................... xiii�About the Technical Reviewer .................................................... xiv�Acknowledgments..................................................................... xv�Introduction ........................................................................... xvi�

Chapter 1: Getting the Best Fit and Value ........................................ 1�Getting the Lowdown: Read and Understand Netbook Manufacturers’ Specs and Technical Product Info .......................4�Netbook Specs: What They Mean, Which Ones Matter to You, and When to Ask More Questions........................5�System Characteristics ............................................................6�

Physical Characteristics ...............................................................12�Connectivity.............................................................................17�Media Support...........................................................................19�Green Technology ......................................................................19�

The Shopping List: Define Your Needs and Expectations and Buy Smart .............................................. 21�

Lowest Cost .............................................................................21�Lightest, Smallest, and Leanest......................................................22�Entertainment: Music, Movies, Television, Sports, and News ...................22�Kids and Families .......................................................................23�Travelers.................................................................................23�Students and Teachers ................................................................24�Field Research ..........................................................................24�Backpack Journalists ...................................................................25�Gamers: Multiplayer Mobile Gaming.................................................25�Eldercare ................................................................................25�Public Safety/Public Service Delivery ...............................................26�Mobile Productivity.....................................................................26�Business: Mobilize Your Business Processes ........................................27�Business: Lowest Total Cost of Ownership..........................................28�

Best Spots for Hot Deals on Netbooks......................................... 28�Amazon.com ............................................................................29�

Getting StartED Building Websites

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Pricewatch.com ........................................................................30�EBay and Other Third-Party Used Netbook Outlets ...............................30�

Meet the Leading Netbook Manufacturers And Their Products............ 31�Acer.......................................................................................31�Asus.......................................................................................32�Dell .......................................................................................33�Hewlett Packard ........................................................................34�Intel Classmate PC Reference Design ...............................................35�Lenovo ...................................................................................37�MSI Wind .................................................................................39�

Green Literacy and the Three Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle ............... 39�Looking Ahead .................................................................... 40�

Chapter 2: Getting Connected......................................................41�Configuring Bluetooth ........................................................... 41�Connecting to a 3G network.................................................... 45�

Connecting Your Netbook to a Cell Phone..........................................46�Using Your Cell Phone as a Modem ..................................................46�

Connecting to a Wireless Network............................................. 48�Wireless Networking Background ....................................................49�Connecting to the Wireless Network ................................................50�Connecting to an Unlisted Wireless Network.......................................53�Creating a New Wireless Connection ................................................54�Troubleshooting Wireless Connections ..............................................54�

Connecting to a Wired Network................................................ 55�Summary........................................................................... 58�

Chapter 3: Hands-On Power Shopping: Best of Breed Tools for Today’s Netbooks and the Cloud Lifestyle ..............................59�

Tips for Bargain Hunting and Finding Novel Items.................................59�Connectivity....................................................................... 60�

Bluetooth Wireless Mouse .............................................................61�Bluetooth / IrDA Adapter..............................................................62�Verizon MiFi 3g Router.................................................................63�Belkin USB Hubs ........................................................................64�

Accessories and Entertainment Services...................................... 66�USB Chocolate MP3 Player 2GB.......................................................66�USB TV Tuner............................................................................67�Apple AirTunes..........................................................................68�ATH-PRO5MSA Stereo Headphones...................................................69�

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Netflix Watch Instantly ................................................................70�Amazon Video on Demand ............................................................71�

Health and Safety Equipment and Accessories .............................. 72�Glucose Meter USB Adapter...........................................................73�Blood Pressure Cuff ....................................................................74�Oxygen Saturation/Heart Rate .......................................................75�

Weather Measurement Tools ................................................... 76�Weathershack ...........................................................................76�

Media Creation Tools and Accessories ........................................ 77�USB Mini Web Cam with Sucker ......................................................77�USB Spy Pocket Video Audio Recorder + Flash Drive + Writing Pen.............78�Portable Podcast Recorder............................................................79�

Mobile Business Tools............................................................ 81�Flatbed Scanner ........................................................................81�Business Card Scanner .................................................................82�The World's Smallest HD Camcorder.................................................83�Pico Projectors..........................................................................84�RFID Reader .............................................................................85�

Tools For Phones and Calling ................................................... 87�Logitech USB headset ..................................................................87�

VoIP Phones and Accessories ................................................... 88�Looking Ahead ..........................................................................89�

Chapter 4: A Beginner’s Guide to Cloud Lifestyles.............................91�What Is the Cloud? ............................................................... 91�Think Through Your Security ................................................... 95�Security Tuning Your Browser .................................................. 95�Why You Should Switch to Firefox and How to Do It.......................102�Password “Best Practices”.....................................................103�Get Set: Getting Mobile Productivity Services and Strategies in Place ........................................................105�

Adobe Acrobat.com .................................................................. 106�Google Tools and Applications ..................................................... 114�Skype ................................................................................... 122�Gliffy ................................................................................... 124�Zumodrive ............................................................................. 126�

Go! Fun and Entertainment “Must Haves” ..................................128�Flash Player ........................................................................... 128�QuickTime ............................................................................. 135�

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Connected Mobile Life Support ...............................................136�Pandora ................................................................................ 136�Hulu..................................................................................... 138�ESPN .................................................................................... 139�Google News: Mainstream News Feeds............................................ 140�Alexa: Where the Surf’s Up ......................................................... 141�Addictinggames.com ................................................................. 143�Urbanspoon............................................................................ 144�

Looking Ahead ...................................................................145�Chapter 5: Hot Tickets for Netbook Software, Media, and Content Experiences............................................. 147�

Project 1: Making a Pandora Radio Station .................................149�Project 2: Downloading and Using Skype ....................................157�Project 3: Upload a YouTube Video ..........................................165�Project 4: Zoho Document, Productivity, and Collaboration Tools ..................................................170�Project 5: Deep-Traveling in Barcelona .....................................188�Project 6: Setting Up A Portable Vital Signs Monitoring Station.........................................................194�

Chapter 6: Best of the Web Part 1: Business and Reference............... 201�News, Politics, and Opinion ...................................................202�

CNN ..................................................................................... 202�Fox News............................................................................... 203�Huffington Post ....................................................................... 204�Slate .................................................................................... 205�The Daily KOS ......................................................................... 206�BBC ..................................................................................... 207�

Weather ..........................................................................208�National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ............................. 209�The Weather Channel................................................................ 210�Weather Underground ............................................................... 211�Aviation Weather ..................................................................... 212�National Weather Service Marine Forecasts...................................... 213�

Finance ...........................................................................214�CNNMoney.com ....................................................................... 214�SmartMoney ........................................................................... 215�Forbes .................................................................................. 216�The Wall Street Journal ............................................................. 217�

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Bloomberg.com ....................................................................... 218�Financial Times ....................................................................... 219�

Students and Teachers .........................................................220�Reference and Information ......................................................... 220�Wikipedia .............................................................................. 221�Google News........................................................................... 222�National Geographic ................................................................. 223�National Science Foundation ....................................................... 224�Union of Concerned Scientists...................................................... 226�

Tools for Self-Teaching.........................................................227�Cramster ............................................................................... 227�PlagiarismDetect.com ............................................................... 228�

Mostly for Teachers .............................................................229�The Educator’s Reference Desk .................................................... 229�The Lesson Plans Page ............................................................... 230�

Information and Support for Acute or Chronic Medical Issues ....................................................231�

WebMD ................................................................................. 231�American Diabetes Association..................................................... 232�Alzheimer’s Association ............................................................. 234�Breast Cancer Support ............................................................... 235�The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network ...................................... 236�Mended Hearts ........................................................................ 237�“Us Too” Prostate Cancer Education and Support .............................. 238�

Utilities ...........................................................................239�Linux App Finder...................................................................... 239�iGoogle ................................................................................. 241�Portable Apps.com ................................................................... 242�

Summary..........................................................................243�Chapter 7: Best of the Web Part 2: Entertainment and Lifestyle ......... 245�

Sports .............................................................................245�Bleacher Report ...................................................................... 245�ESPN .................................................................................... 246�FanNation.............................................................................. 247�Fanspot................................................................................. 248�FreeTheFan............................................................................ 249�OnTheSnow ............................................................................ 250�PlayGolfAmerica ...................................................................... 251�SportsFanLive ......................................................................... 252�

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SI.com .................................................................................. 253�Sports Monster ........................................................................ 254�

Travel .............................................................................255�BookIt .................................................................................. 255�Hotwire ................................................................................ 256�IgoUgo .................................................................................. 257�Kayak ................................................................................... 258�Lastminute.com ...................................................................... 259�ASAP Tickets .......................................................................... 260�CIA: The World Factbook............................................................ 261�Lonely Planet Travel Guides and Travel Information ........................... 262�Mobissimo Travel ..................................................................... 263�SeatGuru ............................................................................... 264�Sandemans New Europe: The Home of the Free Tour .......................... 265�TravelPost ............................................................................. 266�XE Currency Converter............................................................... 267�Babelfish Quick Translator .......................................................... 268�DeepTravelers......................................................................... 269�

Entertainment and Humor .....................................................270�The Internet Movie Database ....................................................... 271�Live365 Internet Radio............................................................... 272�People.com............................................................................ 273�SideReel.com.......................................................................... 273�Comedy Central....................................................................... 275�The Onion.............................................................................. 276�Best of Craigslist...................................................................... 276�XKCD.................................................................................... 277�

Health and Fitness ..............................................................279�Fitness Magazine...................................................................... 279�The Biggest Loser..................................................................... 280�Cooking Light.......................................................................... 281�Gluten-Free Girl ...................................................................... 282�

Home and Family................................................................283�Design.Discovery.com................................................................ 283�Photograzing .......................................................................... 284�Scribbit-Motherhood in Alaska...................................................... 285�Project Foodie ........................................................................ 286�The Kitchn ............................................................................. 287�The Ultimate Wedding Blog......................................................... 288�

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Lifestyle ..........................................................................289�Amazon.com MP3 Downloads ....................................................... 289�BuzzFeed............................................................................... 290�Craigslist.org .......................................................................... 291�Dopplr .................................................................................. 292�Facebook............................................................................... 293�Flickr ................................................................................... 294�Last.fm................................................................................. 295�Sittercity............................................................................... 296�Twitter ................................................................................. 297�Ultimate Guitar Archive ............................................................. 298�YouTube................................................................................ 299�

Summary..........................................................................300�Chapter 8: Maintaining Privacy and Security in a Pervasively Connected World ................................................ 301�

Maintaining Your Personal Privacy on the Internet ........................302�Understanding the Privacy Policies of Sites.................................304�Using “Opting-out” Programs .................................................305�Knowing What Should and Shouldn’t Go in Email ..........................306�

Always Avoid Putting These in Email .............................................. 307�Use Common Sense When Putting These in Email ............................... 307�

Personal Privacy and Social Networking Sites ..............................308�Staying a Step Ahead of Identity Thieves....................................311�

Recognizing the Symptoms of Identity Theft..................................... 311�What to do if you think your identity has been stolen ......................... 312�

Safety for Netkids ...............................................................313�Do’s for Preteens ..................................................................... 314�Do’s for Preteen Parents and Caregivers ......................................... 314�Don’ts for Preteens .................................................................. 314�Don’ts for Preteen Parents and Caregivers....................................... 315�Do’s for Teens......................................................................... 315�Do’s for Teen Parents and Caregivers ............................................. 315�Don’ts for Teens ...................................................................... 316�NetParenting Best Practices for All Ages ......................................... 320�When to Sound The Alarm........................................................... 322�A parent’s “Need–to-know” List of Chatroom abbreviations .................. 323�

Resources for Ensuring Safety, Civility, and Appropriateness ......................................................324�

Getting StartED Building Websites

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Ensuring Privacy, Integrity, and Availability of Your Data ................326�Making Backups ....................................................................... 326�Encryption and Passwords........................................................... 328�File Sharing Netbooks with Desktop Computers ................................. 331�Privacy and Security Risks for Corporate and Institutional Networks ......................................................... 332�

Protecting Your Netbook from Malware .....................................333�What Is Malware? ..................................................................... 333�Best Practices for Preventing Infections .......................................... 335�Spyware and Adware................................................................. 338�Secure Web Surfing Practices....................................................... 339�

Protecting Your Netbook from Physical Tampering........................342�Restricting Access to a Netbook Using Two-Factor Authentication and Biometrics ............................................... 342�

Visibility of Data and Information on the Web .............................344�Cookies................................................................................. 344�Server Logs ............................................................................ 345�Web Bugs: Legal, but Not Nice ..................................................... 346�How to Find a Web Bug in a Suspicious Web page............................... 347�

Understanding How Data Moves from Place to Place......................348�Where your netbook is most vulnerable to intrusions .......................... 349�What to do if you suspect your netbook has been infected or compromised...................................................... 351�Really, Really Bad Malware ......................................................... 352�

Best Practices for Maintaining the Availability, Integrity, and Security of Your Netbook ...............................354�Summary..........................................................................355�

Appendix A: Notebook Specification Sheets................................... 357�Index................................................................................... 377

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About the Author

Nancy Nicolaisen is an author, researcher, and former computer science professor specializing in mobile and embedded device technologies. She’s provided mobile device education materials, analysis, and strategy consultation to Apple, CBS Interactive, Symbian Foundation, Intel, Microsoft, Time Warner AOL, Information Today, and other global players in the mobile connected device space.

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About the Technical Reviewer

Mary Ann C. Tan has experience in many fields, including slinging regular expressions, watching Linux servers, writing telecom billing systems, developing GUIs for a telecom testing company, being an obsessive-compulsive spreadsheet user, and arguing about machine learning. She is learning Italian and German, teaching Hiligaynon, but has forgotten most of her Mandarin. In her free time, she teaches felines Cat-Kwan-Do and sings videoke to survive the Manila night. She manages build processes, source code repositories and software development teams in her day job.

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Acknowledgments

I’ve written many books, been published in a variety of languages, and have been read by people from all over the globe. I’ve been a researcher and a computer science professor. I’ve worked with everything from computers in satellites to computers that do their job thousands of feet below the surface of the ocean. I’ve enjoyed a stimulating, interesting career. And all of this while leading a comfortable, secure life. So, I wrote this book because of my mother’s rule:

“Those who do well ought to do good.”

I’ve certainly done well by educating my software engineering colleagues, students, and clients, in the deeper matters of computing technology. This book, however, is written for a completely different audience: complete netbook beginners. It is my effort to do good.

In all of my time in the computer industry (decades, and quite a number of them…), the netbook technology is the first one I’ve seen that, in the hands of everyday, non-technical people, has the potential to dramatically, rapidly, and decisively defeat some of the worst human problems that plague our world. A unique confluence of technology, economics, and social factors, netbooks are superlative tools for improving education, providing distance delivery of healthcare, and creating transformational kinds of community in places where people can solve their own problems if barriers of distance and politics are rendered meaningless.

In writing this book, I meant to help readers understand the basics of buying, using, and building upon netbook technology to accomplish their goals. But people like me will only truly appreciate the real power of the netbook technology when typical consumers, educators, and activists take them in hand and innovate, create, and connect. Which is why I wish to acknowledge the creative, proactive people I have yet to know, that will impress us all with the uses to which they put this watershed technology.

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Timing makes this book unique. Mobile-connected culture has been a relatively exclusive club up to this point. Because it has almost entirely been based on smartphones — expensive, quirky, non-standard, walled garden gadgets — its growth has been stulified by fragmentation on every level. In contrast, netbooks offer a populist solution: inexpensive, dependable, and benefiting from a huge head start in software applications, peripheral devices, and web-based services that were built for desktop or laptop computers, but can be easily reused by netbook owners. Even in a weak economy, netbooks have taken off in Asia and India, and show every indication of following suit in North America.

In this book, I set out to make you a better, savvier consumer of a technology that can transform your day-to-day life in some pretty important ways. But I don’t assume that you already know a lot about this kind of computing or, for that matter, any kind of computing. I was guided by the idea that if you want to get started, I want to help you do it. So here are all of the steps, with nothing left out. Use this book as your resource if

� you are considering buying a netbook to shop intelligently, find a best-fit solution, and get maximum value for the dollar;

� you already have a netbook, but you need a jumpstart with basic netbook features, software, and services; or

� you want to quickly become a “power user” in areas of specific interest (cloud content, gaming, and the like).

Netbooks and the lifestyle they can create for you are really as much a cultural phenomenon as a technical one. For this reason, the concept for this book is based on two templates: ConsumerReports, where readers receive actionable, balanced evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of various products and services, and Stuart Brand’s landmark 1970s opus, The Whole Earth Catalog.The idea here is that netbooks are a radical social and cultural shift in the making; they are more than an incremental advance in the miniaturization of ordinary computing devices.

So, it’s pretty simple. Use the information between these covers to understand the personal significance of the fastest growing technology niche in the global consumer electronics space. I want to help you shop for, use, and enjoy your netbook. I want to help you be more productive, healthier, safer, and better connected. I want you to have a wonderful new entertainment option, but also new learning opportunities. And most of all, I want to welcome you to the emerging global connected community that will transform this twenty-first century.

Introduction