There is a good column in the August 2009 issue of Monitoring Times on using "netbook" computers with radios and various radio related applications such as Ham Radio Deluxe.
I have been using an Acer Aspire One netbook for several months as my primary "radio computer." If you came to the Coastal Amateur Radio Society Field Day this year, you saw my netbook/FT-897D/Ham Radio Deluxe combination. I've found this to be a very good combination; Ham Radio Deluxe (HRD) operates on the netbook with absolutely no problems so far. HRD has had a habit of locking up on my desktop computer, but I have yet to encounter that on the Acer netbook. It also runs programming software for most of my other radios such as the FT-8800, BC-396, BC-996, and BC-780.
The Acer purchase was not my original idea. I had listened to Russ, K4YGD talk about his Acer; that planted the seed in my head. Guy, K4GTM purchased one and my father, AF4KL did as well. After seeing how well my father's worked and with good reports from Russ, my mind was made up. To this point, I've not regretted the decision.
Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
