Netbooks are all the rage lately thanks to a license fee-free Linux operating system and Microsoft's extension of Windows XP's life cycle. Vendors are working on custom-made Linux distributions (also called distros) every day to further enhance and optimize your experience while Microsoft is hard at work on Vista's successor, Windows 7, which promises to bring efficiency to the netbook space.

Although the future looks bright for ultraportables and low-price laptops, there is still much you can do now to tap the vast power hidden within your netbook OS of choice. Whether you are running Vista, XP, Ubuntu Linux, or a Unix-flavored distribution, you can dual-boot (run two OSes at once) and streamline the user Interface.

Windows Tips 

Although Vista is Microsoft's flagship OS, high system requirements and sluggish performance on netbooks have made it the less-than-preferred option for users. Windows XP was built for the desktops and laptops of 2001, which had hardware specifications similar to those of today's netbooks, yet the biggest craze for Windows-loving netbook users will be Windows 7, the successor to Vista. It isn't set to ship until late 2009 to early 2010. If waiting another year doesn't cut it for you and you're quickly growing tired of Vista, you may want to consider dual-booting another OS.

Before you make any drastic changes, be sure to back up your data before proceeding. An operation could go awry, you might delete the wrong partition, or you could even overwrite your existing data. To dual-boot another OS, you'll need to have two adequately sized partitions on your hard drive. This can be achieved by using the freely available GParted which can either be used as a bootable CD or installed on a USB drive. A LiveCD is the optimal choice. HowToGeek has an excelled guide on resizing your Vista partition using GParted as well troubleshooting any potential issues.

Installing a second OS is as simple as selecting a freely available partition but make sure you choose the right one. If you're installing Windows XP, the setup will report all available partitions but will not give a full analysis of what data it holds. It will, however, report their sizes as fractions: space used / total space. Your main partition with an OS already installed will report a size in megabytes so don't be surprised if the number is in the thousands; it's merely 1/1000th of a gigabyte and should look something like 20480 / 40960 MB (roughly 20 GB of a 40 GB drive.) The newly created partition will be a large fraction as well but will be along the lines of 40960 / 40960 (a sample 40 GB partition) and this should be the one your new OS should be installed on as it has not been used.

While you could get away with using an external drive, it would undermine the portability of your netbook. Many models have sufficient hard drive space, though. You may want to forgo installing a second OS if your netbook utilizes a SSD (solid state drive) or flash memory. While flash memory can store hundreds of gigabytes worth of data, the high prices associated with it limit how much computer manufacturers are willing to invest when dealing with netbooks, so most computers using it don't have much in the way of storage. The advantages are typically lower power consumption, faster reads and write, plus their resilience against physical abuse due to a lack of moving parts. The lack of storage is tradeoff for the consumer.

Linux Tips

While Windows is the primary OS of many computers, Linux has taken a foothold in the netbook space due to its lack of licensing fees, easy distribution methods, and high potential for customization. Various flavors exist from common distros such as Ubuntu, to the Xandros build used by ASUS for its Eee line and HP's TouchSmart-esque Linux OS. However the learning curve associated with a foreign OS — especially Linux — can prevent unfamiliar users from fully utilizing their netbooks.

TechRadar has compiled a list of 12 tips that will benefit newcomers to Linux-based netbooks and teach veterans a thing or two about their specific distro. While some of the list can be applied to ASUS' modified Xandros distro, the remainder applies to Acer's Aspire One which runs a highly locked-down build preventing tweaks that would otherwise be easy for you to make. With a quick work-around, ease of use can be restored and simple modifications such as changing the default desktop and your Root password will be easier.

ASUS, on the other hand, has taken to retrofitting a Xandros-based distro with its own interface (similar to what HP has done with its Mini 1000 Mobile Internet Edition) and hiding some useful functions of the OS. These changes are relatively easy to make allowing you to boot your Eee PC into full desktop mode.

More netbook features

• Netbooks compared: Top 10 in Q4 2008
• Asus Eee PC lineup compared
• Holiday Gift Guide 2008: Netbooks
• So why would I want a netbook?

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