Digital Home Thoughts: Netbooks Need Optimization Love

"With cheap licenses available in family packs and academic discounts, and XP installs increasingly decrepit, ugly, and vulnerable to malware, lots of Windows 7 upgrades are going to happen. However, a quick install from a USB DVD-ROM or thumb drive won't let users get the most out of a netbook. As with the Hindu Saptapadi wedding vows, there are seven steps to optimizing your netbook for maximum Windows 7 performance."

Most of us will probably be well aware of these tweaks. While Ars suggests the use of Chrome, for me, consistency makes the choice Firefox for me. But, to make full use of limited screen space, I tap into the whole customize toolbar thing such that I only use two rows, the same as Chrome; one for the menu and navigation and another for tabs. Compacting things any further makes things a little too squishy. I really am surprised they do not mention dimming the screen though, as that does tend to be one of the biggest power suckers of them all. The only other major tweak I would do is a regular defrag with the optimization of files to speed things along. Of course, everyone is bound to have their own suggestions on how to improve the netbook experience but so far, the most common thing I see is people recommending Chrome.