If I want to use a Netbook at home ...

Hi Harvey - I couldn't live without my netbook. I have an Acer AspireOne and it's tiny - 10", so you might have a problem with the keyboard (my husband does). I installed additional memory so it's got 2 gigs instead of 1, which it came with. It's fast enough, stores enough stuff, is wireless, and has usb ports...plenty for attaching a mouse (I have a wireless which I love), and a headset, if you need that.

Doesn't have any glare problems - I used it extensively outside over last summer. Battery life runs around 8 hours, because I chose the 6-cell battery instead of the 3. Cost me $350 when I bought it. Actually, here's the one I bought: Amazon.com: Acer Aspire One AOD150-1920 10.1-Inch... (That's not an affiliate link.)

It says 6.5 hour battery, but the initial ones were released with an upgraded battery by accident.

Like I said, I couldn't live without it...it's become my constant IM companion. My husband even gives it dirty looks sometimes.

ETA: Your first question - you'll need a remote desktop application. I hear GoToMyPC is a good one, but haven't used it myself.

Harvey,
check out this guide:
The Definitive Guide to Making the Most of Your Netbook - NetBooks - Lifehacker

And if you need remote connection to your desktop, this might be of use:
Hive Five Winner for Best Remote Desktop Tool: LogMeIn - Hive Five - Lifehacker

Have fun with the "little one"

Harvey, here are my answers.

1. For your planned use, a comfortable keyboard and screen are most important. As for power, your garden and other room might have convenient power outlets. If not, you could leave spare extension cords, or even spare power adapters, next to where you'll sit. Power adapters last a lot longer if you don't coil and uncoil the cord all the time.

2. Yes, you should test a machine in bright light if possible. Glossy screens are popular with manufacturers because they make colors pop out with a vivid look. A matte finish resists glare, but I don't know of netbooks with a matte screen option. I don't know if anyone makes some kind of matte screen cover to protect glossy screens from glare. So this is something you have to see for yourself.

In the UK, how many bright sunny days are you going to have anyway when you need ?

3. Most netbooks have USB ports that work with any mouse you like. Even an external keyboard if you like. And for your work, that might be worth while. I recommend you consider a wireless mouse with a USB-plug receiver. Going wireless is a huge convenience when you take the machine from room to room or out to the garden.

4. If you use webmail and a bookmark-sharing browser plugin, then you can go online directly from the netbook without any need for a remote desktop session. Remote desktop only makes sense if you need to use the main machine's processing power, security setup, or the way you have set everything up. Also, it takes time to send the screen updates remotely, so remote desktop is much better for office software than for graphics software like Photoshop. The program runs as fast as ever on the main machine, but it takes time for the remote screen to catch up since wifi's bandwidth is a tiny fraction of a video card's bandwidth. Remote desktop works great for office software and Outlook.

I recommend that you set up file and print sharing so that you can pull up files from the main machine, and print through it, without having to launch remote desktop.

I used remote desktop a lot for day jobs in software. If there's anything I can do to help you get set up (this goes for Lisa, too), just ask.

Chris

Harvey, I've been using the awesome Asus Eee PC Netbook since December and it's hands-down the best thing I've ever purchased. It has a 10 hour battery life and a screen that is easily visible even in direct sunlight. Combined with the small Targus netbook case I got to go with it I have a portable office that I use everywhere.

The machine runs Windows 7 Starter edition which has ample power for all my software - web browsers, text editors, Open Office, Camtasia and graphics editors. The voice recognition software built-in to Windows 7 has become invaluable and works well. And the netbook has Bluetooth, allowing me to use my Bluetooth cell phone as a modem when I'm in a rare location without free WiFi.

Once you get used to the smaller keyboard (and it's actually bigger that you'd expect) it's a joy to use. When using it at home I plug a Microsoft mouse into one of the USB ports, and I have mapped drives on it to connect to the other 6 computers here and have also defined all of the network printers to it.

There are a few applications that don't take well to the 1024 x 600 screen size, but it usually isn't a problem.

Performance is great - I have yet to bump the memory up to the 2 GB maximum but I did slip a 4GB SD card into the slot and use it with Windows ReadyBoost. The 250 GB hard disk is more than ample for everything I do. before buying I read countless reviews and this model was clearly the winner in all of them.

While it will never replace my desktop or even my 17 inch notebooks this machine has become my new best friend (which I guess doesn't say much for my social life). I am rarely without it.

Highly recommended!

Bill

Bill, thanks for the big review of the little machine.

No problem there either, just get a mouse with a usb connection and it will work once you've plugged it in.

It'll cost an extra £5 (fiver) at the most. Trust ones work a treat, just make sure you're not leaning on the mouse pad as you type.

The biggest problem with a netbook is the lack of cd rom or dv rom drive, but with all the usb ports you really can plug in anything you want to.
I actually think net books are good, have a real purpose and can be usefull.

You're welcome, Harvey.

As Janet mentioned, you can expect a couple of hours battery life.

I was thinking about what happens if you want to plug in the netbook at your remote location. It's a hassle to have to wind up and unwind a power cord. This also shortens its lifespan. Power plugs can scratch the finish of a machine. If you don't wind up the cord it dangles and is a tripping hazard.

When I was behind the couch anyway to watch Dr. Who, I plugged in an extension cord back there. Now the cord is always in easy reach.

If you get a machine with an excellent screen, it will probably have a shorter battery life. Especially if it's always at full brightness outside. It's all up to you what trade-offs you prefer.

With cloudy weather, the glare issue might not be as important. An awning or umbrella table in the garden might be a simple way to fix glare outside.

You're right that for what you're doing, remote access is best. Even if the programs work on the little machine, you then have to synchronize the files. It's not too hard, but it's more geekiness between you and your results.

Still, for web browsing it might be more efficient to work directly on the netbook. Try it both ways and see what you like. For Skype or webinars, you should connect directly from the little machine for adequate performance.

The bottleneck in remote desktop is the network connection. No way around that short of stringing Ethernet wires around the home. Inexpensive, but even geekier!

As long as there's enough memory for the OS, remote desktop program, and any other local software, more RAM won't make a difference. 512MB should be OK, 1 GB ample RAM.

Better CPU performance does help a little bit. Each remote session is encrypted and it takes some local number crunching to decrypt it. The good news is that you're pretty safe from eavesdroppers, even using WiFi.

Local hard disk capacity is irrelevant for your use. If you can afford it, solid state drives are great: they're silent, have no moving parts, can't crash, and are often faster than regular disks. Just check the reliability reviews before buying.

You can mix and match XP, Vista and Win7 just fine on either end of remote desktop. Later systems have more features in remote desktop. When you connect, both machines automatically go to their lower common denominator. With your use, you won't miss the fancy bells & whistles features anyway.

I predict you'll have a lot of fun with the little machine once you get it all set up.

Lloyd, I used to have an original Mac Portable. It was portable the same way a VW Beetle has lots of room for the entire family! Killer active matrix display and trackball, but the extra ten pounds of lead battery in one end made for quite a workout! The darn thing's probably still somewhere in my storage locker.

Janet, I love the netbook idea but I've not found a mini-keyboard that works for me. All the typing for the high school paper, then a couple decades of programming, made my fingers too used to a full-size keyboard to scale down.

If you're going to do this then the best advice is to also invest in a flatscreen monitor and a wireless mouse to enhance the "friendliness" of the netbook setup.

Enjoy!

Yes, I couldn't live without my Netbook, it's Acer Aspire AD250 and I simply love it!

Do you want experts reviews - you may try it in CNETasia.