Find out which is best for you
What is a netbook? A highly portable mini-laptops that is smaller, cheaper, and weigh less than regular noterbook computers and cost less than the big name notebooks. Portability, light weight, and low cost mean a lot of computing power in every netbook.
The cheapest netbooks, priced well under $400, run the Linux OS, which limits which application software you can run on them and may require learning how to use Linux. Models with Windows XP installed start at around $400 and have nine- or ten-inch screens. We tested six of the least expensive Windows models now on the market:
- Acer Aspire One A150X
- Asus EeePC 904HA
- Dell mini 9 (8 GB)
- HP Mini 1000
- Lenovo ideapad S10
- MSI Wind U100-016
Best combination of long battery life and well-designed keyboard:
- Asus EeePC 904HA, $400
Its battery lasted more than 5 hours. We liked the large trackpad, which lets you use "multi-touch" gestures to scroll horizontally and vertically; zoom and rotate photos; scan and zoom Web pages; and more. That said, the trackpad buttons were hard to press. The Asus was also a bit larger than the other netbooks, was the heaviest at 3.1 pounds, and had the dimmest screen. You get 1GB of memory, a 160GB hard drive, Microsoft Works, and Skype for Internet phone calls. The Acer netbook had even longer battery life, but some drawbacks in its ergonomics.
Best combination of a fine keyboard and light weight:
- MSI Wind U100-016US, $400
If a large screen, superior keyboard, and easy-to-use trackpad are most important, this is your best choice. Its 10-inch screen was one of two that size we tested. It's matte rather than glossy, minimizing reflections. Battery life was a short 2 hours and 23 minutes, though. You get 1GB of memory, a 120GB hard drive, and 60-day trial versions of Microsoft Office 2007 and Norton Internet Security. The Wind weighs 2.5 pounds.
Best combination of compactness, large screen, and features:
- Lenovo IdeaPad S10, $400
Lenovo did the best job of building a large 10-inch screen into a compact package. There's also a unique set of features, including an ExpressCard slot for connecting peripherals, such as cellular Internet cards, plus a disaster-recovery system to protect you from losing work. Battery life was relatively short at 2 hours and 40 minutes. You get 504MB of memory, an 80GB hard drive, and Norton Protection Center. Weight is 2.7 pounds.
Other models have some advantages, but also more shortcomings:
The Dell mini 9 ($425) and HP Mini 1000 ($400) were both very light, thanks to solid-state drives. But those drives are very small at 8GB each and slowed the computer noticeably. The Acer Aspire One A150X ($410) had a long battery life and includes Microsoft Works, but a quirky trackpad and shallow wrist rest.
