Add a big monitor to a tiny netbook.

[ChrisGreaves]

Think "65-year old widow". First-time user.

Here in Toronto (Best Buy) one can pick up a $260 Acer netbook (Atom N450) with Windows.
Install Mozilla Firefox & Thunderbird and you're all set to find great deals on cruises and keep in touch with your Dutch nephew.
Trouble is the screen, keyboard and mousepad are too finicky for 65-year old fingers.

Same store offers an 18.5" LCD monitor for $100 and a wireless Kbd/Mouse combo for $40.

So I'm thinking that 260+40+100=$400 gets her a useable system.

What I don't know is whether netbooks at that price range generally have circuitry that can deliver, say 1280x1024 pixels if required, or whether they are hard-wired to the tiddly little screen.

I figure that they ought to have an appropriate connector for the monitor, and if not, one buys an adapter for $25 or so?

[HansV]

The Atom N450 processor comes with Intel GMA 3150 graphics; this is capable of addressing up to 1920 x 1080 pixels, so it should be OK.

[ChrisGreaves]

addressing up to 1920 x 1080 pixels, so it should be OK.

Thanks, Hans. This sounds like a half-decent little system then for its potential use.
(I suspect she will take it with her to Grove City, a large factory outlet mall six hours away and use the hotel network to check online prices of clothing from the motel room ....)

[PaulB]

You're talking one serious shopper here!

[ChrisGreaves]

You're talking one serious shopper here!

You should meet her sister ...

[Rus]

I think I married her sister. :)

[HansV]

I think I married her sister. :)

Oh dear...

(Welcome to Eileen's Lounge, by the way!)

[ChrisGreaves]

I think I married her sister. :)

See?
You should have asked questions here about the model, features etc before rushing out ... (grin)

[jonwallace]

What I don't know is whether netbooks at that price range generally have circuitry that can deliver, say 1280x1024 pixels if required, or whether they are hard-wired to the tiddly little screen.

I figure that they ought to have an appropriate connector for the monitor, and if not, one buys an adapter for $25 or so?

My Acer Aspire One (several years old now) plugs nicely into my 37inch telly but slaps up 1024x600, (see attached badly exposed and out-of-focus picture). The forums tell me that you can up the resolution, but I haven't tried it. I'm running a Linux variant designed for netbooks which hides that sort of stuff away so you can't break things.

[ChrisGreaves]

The Atom N450 processor comes with Intel GMA 3150 graphics; this is capable of addressing up to 1920 x 1080 pixels, so it should be OK.

Thanks Hans.
I did a bit more research and looked at budget-priced netbooks at Best Buy (Samsung NF210) and at Staples (Acer Aspire One 10.1" Netbook) - two low-cost sources in Toronto.
Part of my confusion stems from the reported "1024 x 600 pixel resolution", which I now realize refers to the screen on the netbook, not the potential of the graphics circuitry.

[ChrisGreaves]

My Acer Aspire One (several years old now) plugs nicely into my 37inch telly

Thanks Jon.
The Rogers guy who came to (unsuccessfully) fix my internet speed problem had one.
Luckily for me he had to go out to the car to get something he forgot, so i took close-up snapshots all around his netbook.
It has a regular monitor port, so I'm all whoop-de-doo.