Do ultra-portable netbooks measure up for mediators on the go?

Netbooks, those small, ultra-portable notebook computers, are getting a lot of buzz. I’ve been tempted by them myself, gadget lover that I am.

But are they any good? Will a mediator on the go find a netbook worth the investment?

The pros of netbooks for mediators on the go

The attraction of netbooks is their stripped-down functionality, size and cost:

• They’re highly affordable. Many are in the $300-$500 USD range. On the low end of that range you’re paying less than you might for some full-featured smartphones.
• They’re very portable, usually in the 2- to 3-pound range. That’s easy on the shoulder and back when you’re on the commuter train or airport security line.
• They’re wifi-ready for easy access to the ‘net.
• They cover the basic tasks you might most want on the road – email, word processing, spreadsheets and the like.

The cons of netbooks for mediators on the go

Netbooks aren’t right for every mediator who wants a backup computer for travel:

• Their features are typically pretty minimal. No optical drive, for instance, so not great for DVD-watching on the plane.
• The keyboard can be a real challenge to type on well, especially if you’re working on lengthy summary notes, agreements, emails. Mediator Jeff Thompson discovered this with his shiny new Asus Eee and wrote a funny post about it (kudos, Jeff, for picking a model that’s been getting great reviews).
• They typically have slower processor speeds and business users used to regular laptops can find the speed frustrating.
• They’re a mixed bag for battery life (though this is true of full-featured laptops, too) – ranges are anywhere from 2.5 to 6 hours, typically.

So why would a mediator want a netbook?

I’ve been considering one myself because a lot of my mediation work involves being out in the field and working on-site with clients. If I take the plunge, it would be because:

• If I drop it in the mad dash from one Chicago O’Hare terminal to another after a last-minute gate-change, or it’s stolen in a momentary lapse of attention, I won’t feel nearly so awful being out $350 as being out $2500 for my dear MacBook Pro, insurance or not.
• When I’m on the road with clients, I often don’t need all the features of my day-to-day laptop. I mostly want to check email, get on the ‘net, refine PowerPoint slides and edit Word documents. Basic is enough, sexy isn’t really required.
• I can access many of my files from the cloud, so don’t need the umbilical cord to my regular laptop. In fact, having few files on the netbook would be highly attractive in the event it’s dropped, lost or stolen.
• I test-drove before I took the plunge. A lot of the advice out there about netbooks urges buyers to test the tiny keyboards and trackpads (some are a bit hard to press down for clicking) before forking over the bucks.

So what about you? Did you buy one and love it or hate it? Are you considering one and have advice to add? Speak your mind in the comments. Jeff, you too, now that your Eee is a few days’ old.

Making Mediation Your Day Job by Tammy Lenski is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Based on a work at MediatorTech.com.

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