Hello,
It sounds like on this particular netbook, there could be issues involving the electrical supply to both devices when connecting by USB which will usually lead to both devices reverting to the safest possible option - cutting the power to reduce the risk of any components getting damaged. The other devices that you have listed (the desktop and the Mac) are larger machines which can handle numerous USB devices being attached at the same time and so you will not be seeing this problem.
I would suggest, depending upon the exact type of memory card in your device, picking up a USB card reader and trying this with your netbook as this may drain less power. There are some pretty good readers available for under £10 and usually the best ones will have slots for all sorts of memory cards. Alternatively, check the exterior of your netbook for memory card slots as there is a chance that it already has one - whether or not it is the same as your camera is another matter!
Good luck with this!
Simon
