I’m thinking of getting one or something similar for web surfing (no edits please)!!, Wifi, emails (outlook), writing essays (Word).
Are there any pros or cons?
Any good suggestions and options would be appreciated!
I have an 11" acer that I bought about half a year ago. I rarely use it as prolonged usage really annoys me. Especially the small-ish keyboard, tiny screen and general slowness. Mind you I have a desktop at home so am very used to the complete opposite of what a netbook offers.
The good thing though is that it can last 5-6 hours on a charge. If you think you can deal with a small screen then go for it. Make sure you try out the keyboards at PCWorld/Curries first as even with 11" some of them feel much more comfortable than others. If you don’t mind a shorter battery life, might be an idea to go for a 13" laptop but then they’ll be quite a bit heavier too.
we found them to be slow, and they dont seem to have a long lifespan until you get the blue screen of death 
thanks blu, I will go to pc world and try them out.
from a technical stand point they are identical to mainstream laptops, open one up and you will see that they are the same basic components however they do perform about 10-15% slower.
wouldn’t a pad be enough for most of this?
Pad’s are twice the price of a decent (7hr) netbook, limited by not having a true keyboard, and don’t run the same software which can be important for some people.
My Dell netbook has never crashed although I know other people have BSOD problems with their netbooks.
Pads do tend to be lighter and easier to use without having a lap or desk to rest it on.
yeah, latest thing… used to catch literate fish!
Get a Dell Vostro, they’re amazing! I wanted something light and easy to carry in my handbag (for going to meetings, abroad etc.) and the Vostro is perfect.
we bought the zoostorm netbook never had any problems with it, got good spec 1gb Ram 250gb HD etc, the small size means it fits into a pannier so we can take it with us on holiday, ideal for surfing the net to find interesting places to visit, at the time it only cost £179 so all in all a bargain