Good Netbooks/Notebook/Small Laptops For Camming?

[BombChele]

Right now I only have one computer available to use for camming, and it's my laptop. Unfortunately, it's falling apart a bit and a lot of the keys are failing. I'm able to get it fixed for free with the protection plan I got with it, but I'm being told it will take two to three weeks to fix, for their reasons.

Camming is my only job and me being without my laptop for three weeks won't work. I'm interested in getting one of those small laptops [a notenook? netbook?) [see, already the left parenthesis key won't work lol) for camming until my laptop is fixed, then using it for other things.

Are there any good, fairly cheap netbooks I can use for camming? I'd really prefer not to spend more then 200 dollars [dollar sign won't work either, or the exclamation point ahhhh], and I know I can find good prices online, I just don't know what is a good netbook to use, particularly for camming and being able to use it with things like the encoder for Streamate.

Any suggestions?

 

[Jessi]

Right now I only have one computer available to use for camming, and it's my laptop. Unfortunately, it's falling apart a bit and a lot of the keys are failing. I'm able to get it fixed for free with the protection plan I got with it, but I'm being told it will take two to three weeks to fix, for their reasons.

Camming is my only job and me being without my laptop for three weeks won't work. I'm interested in getting one of those small laptops [a notenook? netbook?) [see, already the left parenthesis key won't work lol) for camming until my laptop is fixed, then using it for other things.

Are there any good, fairly cheap netbooks I can use for camming? I'd really prefer not to spend more then 200 dollars [dollar sign won't work either, or the exclamation point ahhhh], and I know I can find good prices online, I just don't know what is a good netbook to use, particularly for camming and being able to use it with things like the encoder for Streamate.

Any suggestions?

Honestly I don't know how you could find a computer for less than 200 hundred dollars. Maybe if you got a used one, but it would be pretty old and useless for camming. While your internet connection is damn important, your video card is going to have to process that feed really well before it sends it off to the server. I used to cam on a netbook- and it was horrible. Do you have a partner or a parent who can help you? Maybe this will help: http://www.newegg.ca/Store/SubCategory. ... rder=PRICE

 

[SoTxBob]

while it can be done, I think trying to use the words "fairly cheap or inexpensive" will leave you very frustrated. you might be able to double that and get by but for that $$ you could even come up with a refurb desktop that would handle camming easily as well as everything else short of high end gaming.
no matter what U decide, tigerdirect is a good place to start for price ranges.

 

[GoddessAiren]

I have an acer netbook (it's my school work computer) that I am currently using for camming because my laptop recently died and I don't quite have the funds to invest in a new one yet. It cost me about $200 and I bought it last year. It's not good enough for me to use Streamate, but it works for MFC and Chaturbate. I never get any complaints about my video feed, but I am using a very high quality web cam and have the fastest internet I can possibly get in my area.

It works well as a temporary fix.

I checked online and it looks like most places are selling them for $250-$300, but you could always get a lightly used on from Craigslist or something.

 

[Mirra]

If they keys failing is due to a faulty keyboard it might be more advantageous to buy a replacement keyboard and find someone who will do it for you instead of taking advantage of the warranty. Depending on the model of the laptop it could literally take all of 15 minutes to do. Some consumer model laptops, unfortunately, require a lot of disassembly to get the keyboard off but even those should take an hour tops to swap out. If you can find someone like me around your area, I'd do something that easy for like... $20.

That said if you're interested in the netbook still to have a backup that's cool. There are some decent ones out there. I've not been impressed with the Dell ones we have at the University here. Their touchpads are the worst I've ever used. I've worked on a few Acer and Toshiba netbooks that seemed fairly easy to use for their size. I'm hoping the advent of Ultrabooks will make Netbooks slightly more competitive with other laptops in the long run as hardware designers put even more focus on small, efficient yet powerful components since Ultrabooks don't cover the affordability niche that netbooks do. Sadly I think Tablets have taken a huge bite out of the netbook market.

Damn... looks like I got to rambling. Sorry!

 

[adorkabelle]

I'd like to suggest not getting a netbook for camming on. Few interfaces are actually compatible. SM is basically unusable. On MFC I'm screwed if the person I want to ban has a profile, because there is no way for me to scroll out (even with ctrl+scroll) to be able to click ban/ignore (on the plus side, my skin thicker and my come-backs more pointy). This is using either the client or the browser broadcaster. :< Is lame.
Its a great little lappy for taking to class for notes, but that's basically it.

I however would love a laptop with a BIG SCREEN that I could cam from, and play WoW on. ...and that could possibly survive me dropping it. /clumsy. >,,>

 

[BombChele]

Yeah at this point I think I just want to get a laptop for camming only. Something simple and straight-forward. Any suggestions for a good camming LAPTOP now? XD

 

[spikyhaired]

This won't help with the issue of a replacement laptop, but in the interim have you comsidered use a standard usb keyboard? You can probably find an inexpensibe usb keyboard (like for a PC) for $10 at Best Buy or Radio Shack.

I don't know what other issues you might be having, but if it is just the keyboard and you don't need the laptop to be portable, it will work around sending it in for repair until you have a little extra cash for a replacement.

 

[ga5457]

You might want to check with the local Goodwill store. Sometimes you can find a good deal on a used computer there. I've never bought one there but I understand that they go through them pretty good and make shue everything is cleaned up and works like it is supposed to.

 

[adorkabelle]

If you go the goodwill route, you should check their website first.

I would say you could find laptops for as little as 400$, but 200$ is not very realistic. Computers are silly expensive.
Have you had any luck looking on sites like Craigslist?

Or a usb keyboard until you can afford a new lappy?

 

[LadyLuna]

Look for a used-computer store. Then do your best to bargain the price down, because they'll rip you off, but it will be the cheapest decent laptop you can find.