Would you buy a netbook for your own use or as a gift?

You say netbook, I say notebook, oh, let's call it a mobile PCThe name doesn't matter, just buy it for what it does Read Link here: http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9118338&intsrc=hm_list  A netbook is a very compact laptop, basically. They differ from typical laptops in one or more of the following ways:
1. They often have solid state hard drives (but some have "real" hard drives). Solid state hard drives smaller than real hard drives, use far less power (longer battery life, even with smaller, lighter weight batteries) and they should be FAR more reliable (but some problems have been reported with some of them) because they have no moving parts. But they are VERY small (as small as 4GB) and they are very expensive. Some netbooks now have "real" hard drives.
2. Netbooks usually have no optical drive at all (e.g. no CD or DVD drive)
3. Netbooks usually will run a scaled down operating system, including Linux (very common) or sometimes XP, but rarely Vista.
4. Netbooks will typically have smaller screens than full size laptops.
5. Netbooks may have slower or lower power CPUs and Video than full size laptops .... the presumption being that you are just using them for E-Mail, web surfing and routine, non-intensive Office applications.
6. To keep down both the size and weight, the batteries are smaller and battery life may be short (but lower power CPUs and solid state disk drives both are ways of compensating for that).
7. Expandibility is very limited ... these are designed to do a few fairly simple task "just ok"; they are not designed to do "everything".

As long as what you want to do fits with the capabilities of the device, that's fine. But don't expect too much, and make sure that the screen, keyboard and included features meet your needs, because if they don't you are probably stuck.