Getting Started

Out of the box, your netbook is going to need a little work. Chances are good that new drivers and security updates have been released since your netbook was packed in it's little box and sent on it's way. This guide is going to reference the Acer Aspire One however some of the tips will be applicable to all Windows XP netbooks.

Wireless Network Card
It's tough to Play On The Run when you're attached to a router or ADSL box with a network cable. As well, why play by (or with) yourself when you can play with friends? I have two Aspire One netbooks at home and they both had the same problem out of the box: a whimsical wireless network adapter. The adapter would work only when it wanted to and when it did work, it didn't work well. Luckily, this netbook has a wired 10/100 network jack on the left side. Connect to the internet using this adaptor and run Windows Update. If you pay attention to the left side of the browser window you'll notice that in addition to a mountain of critical updates there is at least one hardware update: a new driver for the wireless network adapter. Make sure you select that option for download before starting the update process. After all the critical updates and the new driver are installed, you're ready to roam.

DirectX
Having the newest version of DirectX installed can help prevent issues with some games. Updating is something I would recommend doing at the beginning to save yourself some trouble-shooting later.

Video Drivers
Are they important? Heck ya! The bottleneck of netbooks at this point is their video adapter. The more juice you can squeeze out of them, the better. Check out your manufacturer's website for the newest video drivers. If you're an Acer Aspire One user like myself, check out the drivers here.

Mouse
Personal preference I suppose but any game that requires quick movement is going to be difficult on a track pad. I recommend getting a cheap USB mouse. If you look around my site (below and to the side) you'll see links to vendors that carry just such an item.

Optical Drive
If you've been looking for a slot to stick a CD or DVD in your netbook, you're probably starting to get frustrated. CD and DVD drives take up space and space is a valuable commodity in a netbook. You probably don't have one of either. If you're interested, optical drives that connect to your USB port can be purchased at some of the vendors advertised on my site. It's my experience that people who buy netbooks already have a desktop computer in their house. If that situation describes you, and your desktop computer has an optical drive, we can teach your desktop to share with your netbook over your home network.