The netbook has been the big trend in computer buying this year.  I mean, can you blame people for wanting one?  I sure don’t.  It’s portable, uses a lot less energy than a laptop, and can do a lot of computing on the go for a small investment and a small footprint.  You can just stick a netbook in your backpack or purse and not even know it’s there until you need it!  That said, they’re not perfect.  If you’ve gotten a new ultraportable computer for the holidays, here are a few tips for getting the most out of your new netbook.

Of the many tips listed, the most important one to do immediately is upgrade the netbook’s RAM to 2GB.  The second is to uninstall whatever antivirus free trial that comes with your netbook and to install AVG Free.  After years of struggling with crappy Norton and McAfee coverage, AVG is the one for me.  I’m also a Firefox user, but it’s not exactly a necessary as the new Internet Explorer works as well as FF these days (maybe better).

The other changes are personal things, aside from the netbook skin.  That one is probably important since you don’t want a big protective shell on your tiny netbook.  The one I don’t agree with is the use of the Dragon speak and type software, but that’s because I’ve used it previously and found it inaccurate.  Still, it’s a good guide for the new netbook user.