Pimp My Netbook #4: Lightweight App Alternatives

Word to my fellow netbookers! If you’ve been following my sage advice thus far, you’ve already got your netbook all pretty on the outside, boosted the RAM and are getting some gaming on as we speak. Today we’re taking a look at some indispensable programs that will make your netbook every bit as sick on the functionality end as it looks on the outside and on its spec sheet.

Today’s installment won’t be much use for all you Ubuntu netbook configurators—we know you take masochistic pleasure from fiddling with your OS. We’ll leave you to it. For all y’all rocking XP though, I’ve put together a list of vital programs designed to fully pimpify your day-to-day netbooking.

Because netbooks are a bit weaker in the tech specs, it’s crucial that you don’t bloat your system with idle, resource intensive programs. Everyday programs like IE or MSN Live messenger are unnecessarily resource hungry. It’s almost as if Microsoft designed power sucking leechware specifically to drive up the demand for octo-core processors and 4GB memory sticks. The savvy netbooker though, knows that megabytage ? performance.

Similarly, the more restrained resolution and smaller screen size of the netbook mean that web browsing, word processing, photo editing and miscellanea are excruciatingly unpleasant with standard programs designed for the PC. Using lightweight programs designed with netbook resolution in mind elevate a cool looking lil’ netbook from novelty to fully functioning power performer.

If you don’t want your XP netbook to hurt your eyes, run poorly, or just generally antagonize you, save yourself some overhead and HD space by uninstalling your full size PC programs and replacing them with these handy alternatives:

• Mozilla Firefox: This one is a no-brainer, but if you’re using IE, it’s time to make the switch. Firefox’s default text size is easy to configure for a small screen (unlike Chrome), is significantly faster than IE, and has hundreds of useful add-ons.

• Foxit Reader: I have no idea why Adobe’s .pdf reader is so hilariously large and slow. It reminds me of a lumbering prehistoric megasloth. Compared to Adobe, Foxit looks like a speedy velociraptor—way lighter and way faster.

• Media Player Classic: Windows Media Player should run just fine on your ASUS Eee or MSI Wind, but why would you deliberately waste precious resources when this old beaut plays every media format imaginable and is available for free on the webnets?

• Sharpkeys: Pretty much all netbooks suffer from some awkward key placement. With Sharpkey you can remap them rather than relearn to type. (Shout out to Gigaom for this one).

• Digsby: Don’t supersaturate your netbook with IM programs when you can get one light program that replaces them all. Digsby lets you chat via AIM, MSN, Yahoo, ICQ, Google Talk, Facebook Chat and Jabber. Digsby also keeps you up to speed on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.

With the aid of these programs, your netbook will be up and running faster than ever. Don’t waste your goods. Ditch the bloated, preloaded stock programs for the more alluring alternatives!

Oh, and don’t forget to get your cloud computing on. Taking advantage of online word processors and spreadsheet programs like those over at Google keeps your netbook running quick.

For today, netbook is pimped! Check out these other posts for the skinny on graphics, exteriors and upgrades:

Pimp My Netbook! #1: Games on the Asus Eee PC 1000H

Pimp My Netbook #3: Custom Paintjobs and Skins

If you’re still thinking about making the jump to a sly lil’ netbook, check out our reviews of the latest and greatest. Dig the latest netbook developments here:

Sony Vaio P Netbook Lifetime Companion

Asus Eee Keyboard Thingy Actually Kind of Cool, Has Decent Specs

Dell Announces Mini 10, Blurring Lines Between Netbook and TV