If there's one icon that represents me besides the accordion, newsboy hats, Hawaiian shirts, green tunics, and huge muscles, it's the fact that I've been toting around small, glossy electronic devices long before most of my piers were introduced to the Internet. I'm not bragging. This so-called feature has left me exiled from high school dances, summoned to detentions, and banished from social circles that don't tolerate geeks. I don't mind, those circles ended up pumping gas for a living, forced to watch me purchase my costly energy drinks as they slip deeper and deeper into a state of acceptance for Larry the Cable Guy.

I suppose I got a little off track there. What I'm trying to say is I recently purchased a new toy. Like a girl and her wardrobe of $300 skeletal shoes, I am quite giddy about it.

I'm currently drafting this entry out in a laundromat. Wired to my HTC Fuze, I'm pulling Internet from space, and ignoring the non-secure wifi access point across the street. The new toy in question isn't my smart phone, as thrilling as it is. Instead, I speak of my Acer Aspire 1410.

There's a lot of mixed feelings when it comes to the Netbook Vs. Notebook argument. I source fellow accordionist Joey deVilla.

[blockquote]"Netbooks, as a blend of the worst of both mobile and laptop worlds, will be a transitional technology; at best, they’ll enjoy a brief heyday similar to that of the fax machine."
Source: Joey deVilla[/blockquote]

I can see where he's coming from. I can't play Crisis on this thing. I will damn well try to run Photoshop CS3 on it, but my hopes aren't high. The system is surprisingly responsive; Vista is running very well, applications open at a rate they should. I really can't complain. I purchased this Netbook as an over glorified pad of paper, and while my urges are to install Oblivion on it, I know I'll have to cope with Morrowind. The specs aren't horrific.

I know I bash Apple quite frequently, moreso, Mac users. It's their culture I don't like, but in all seriousness, my $450 piece of machinery is equipped similarly to a Macbook Air that's a grand more. Plus it runs big-boy applications without wetting itself. I'm not just saying this to justify a purchase. I'm just saying that no matter how expensive Lady GaGa's outfit might be, it's still as ugly as the inside of a crow. A Netbook isn't a desktop replacement. It's not what you want to send your kid to college with, unless your kid is really lame and would rather go outside instead of file share porn and play World of Warcraft with his roommates. If that's the case, why's he going to college anyway? A Netbook is a comfortable medium for those who don't really want a serious laptop, but want some portable computing. It should compliment a desktop rig, or even a hearty 14 lb notebook with two video cards. They're not extremely expensive, and much easier to tote around than my ideal gaming laptop.

I'm quite happy with it; it's another sleek, glossy-black electronic device to add to my collection. Honestly, what more does a man need, short of bacon and video games?