Netbook Question

[nx2k]

I'm not too familiar with the netbooks but basically i am looking for a laptop but can't seem to find the right one for the moment. I'll take my time with choosing the right laptop but my current computer is just about dead and i need something to work with to keep income tax stuff coming up. I need something cheap but at the same time reliable to handle minor software as well as surfing capabilities.
I need to install software, is it possible for these netbooks to just plug in a external optical drive for me to install software via USB? or since the hard drives are usually pretty small, can i use an external optical drive to install it into a SD card that's plugged in and keep all info on there?

[Amourek]

Get a netbook with a hard drive - plenty of models have 160GB. You can use an external optical drive or install stuff over a network thru wifi or ethernet.

[vincent-poon]

if this is your only computer, then it is not very practical, as its quite tiring to look at the screen for a long time, not to mention the keyboard is quite small. also the lack of a dvd drive makes it cumbersome to install store bought softwares.

With that said, I have a Lenovo S10 10inch for portable use, like school, going to friends' houses, downloading etc, and I have my full size Lenovo T61 for work and general use.