Notebooks are, compared to personal computers, a difficult thing to buy. PC enthusiasts tend to love customizing their rigs to achieve high performance for a low cost, but tweaking laptop hardware is typically a lot trickier and more expensive. This means that it's often easier to find a pre-built laptop that meets your specifications in order to minimize the amount of tweaking you have to do after purchase. Here, we've created a master list of the various types of laptops available in order to help you narrow down your options. Each type of notebook offers certain advantages, and this list is designed to help you maximize your power and performance while reducing the overall cost as much as possible.Best Netbook:
Netbooks have made quite a splash in the notebook market because of their portability, long battery life, and most of all, low prices. They are essentially scaled-down, inexpensive notebooks that offer basic functionality such as internet browsing, chatting, note taking, and even multimedia. While not capable of playing some video or most games, the best netbooks are adequate for day-to-day use. They’re also the perfect second computer for a person who has a powerful PC but also wants a small, portable laptop to travel with. Since a netbook's main selling point is its attractive price and small size, this list of the best netbook computers will focus on netbooks that offer the best of these traits.
ASUS Lamborghini VX6-PU17 12.1-Inch Eee PC Netbook
In terms of raw power, the ASUS VX6-PU17 is probably the beefiest netbook available today. Packing the performance of many gaming notebooks into a one inch wide, three pound powerhouse, the ASUS VX6-PU17 is a top pick for anyone looking for a powerful netbook. Read Full Review »
Hewlett-Packard Mini 5103 Black Netbook
The HP Mini 5103 is an excellent choice for anyone who wants a highly portable computer that can handle the vast majority of modern applications. If you are looking for a netbook with some extra power, the HP Mini 5103 should be high on your list. Read Full Review »
Acer AO722-0418 Netbook Computer
A slightly weaker CPU compared to other high end netbooks is balanced by the large hard drive and extra memory offered by the Acer Aspire One AO722-0418. This machine is perfect for portable video and audio, and is more than capable of playing modern games. Read Full Review »
Asus Eee PC 1016P Netbook Computer
The ASUS Eee PC 1016P is beefy enough to run games like Minecraft and TF2 with a little bit of easy tweaking, yet runs under five hundred dollars and weighs less than three pounds. If you're looking for a powerful little machine that won't weigh you down or break the bank, you could do worse than the ASUS Eee PC 1016P. Read Full Review »
Amazon.com$491.98
Toshiba Mini NB505-N508 Netbook
The Toshiba NB505 might lack a few extra features that other high-end netbooks have, but it has power where it counts. If you want to pick up a power netbook at a lower overall cost, then the Toshiba NB505 is a good choice. Read Full Review »
Best Linux Netbook:
Linux users have a pretty decent selection of netbooks from which to choose, although the vast majority of netbooks will come with an installation of Windows Starter, which will have to be wiped before linux can be installed. The reason linux netbooks have become all but discontinued is because when netbooks were first released, they didn't have the hard drive capacity to store full installations of Windows operating systems. Since then, netbooks have received larger hard drives and Microsoft has released Windows Starter, which somewhat negates the need for a linux notebook other than personal preference.
Acer Aspire S3-951-6464 13.3in Silver Ultrabook
The Acer Aspire S3-951-6464 is an extremely powerful netbook that makes a great linux machine, but the high price might cause some to want to wait on this model. That said, the i5 core processor and 13.3 inch display are definitely tempting for any netbook user. Read Full Review »
Amazon.com$769.96
Acer Aspire One AO722-0667 11.6-Inch HD Netbook
If you're looking for a great all-around linux netbook that can put out the juice when it needs to, then the Acer Aspire One AO722-0667 is a great model to start your search with. This sleek, lightweight machine is probably one of the best options for linux users on the market today in terms of portable workstations. Read Full Review »
ASUS Eee PC 1015PX-SU17 10.1-Inch Netbook
The ASUS Eee PC 1015PX-SU17-BU is a truly tiny laptop that makes an excellent mobile workstation, especially for those looking for something light and easy to carry. While those who want a powerful graphics card and large display might want to look elsewhere, linux users with a penchant for portability will love this little machine. Read Full Review »
Acer Aspire One AO722-0473 11.6-Inch HD Netbook
If you are looking for a great all-around linux netbook at a relatively lower cost than many performance netbooks on the market, the Acer Aspire One AO722-0473 provides fantastic cost effectiveness. Using linux to unlock the full potential of this netbook will help users get even more bang for their buck from an already solid machine. Read Full Review »
HP Pavilion DM1Z Laptop
The HP Pavilion dm1z is a great all-around netbook for customization and tweaking, and Linux users will find that it's easy to get working just the way they want. With powerful specifications and a small overall size, the dm1z is an excellent Linux netbook. Read Full Review »
Best Performance Netbook:
When the netbook craze first gained traction it was focused heavily on small machines, usually boasting an 8.9 inch or 10.1 inch display, combined with low-performance Intel Celeron processors. Intel’s timing of the Atom was perfect. It provided a replacement for the Celerons that made incredible battery life a possibility – but it didn’t do much for performance. Today, most netbooks continue to use Intel Atom processors. But not all of them do. A limited number of netbooks offer more powerful hardware in the same small package. These netbooks combine great performance with incredible battery life. Of course, this buffed-up netbooks are priced higher as a result.
Asus Eee PC 1016P Netbook Computer
The ASUS Eee PC 1016P-BU17 packs a lot of power into its tiny frame, and is one of the best choices available for anyone looking for a netbook with lots of kick. A huge battery life and a good sized display make it a great investment for anyone who needs a netbook that can do the job well for a long time. Read Full Review »
Amazon.com$491.98
Hewlett-Packard Mini 5103 Black Netbook
The HP Mini 5103 holds its own against every other netbook on the market, and can even be upgraded with a solid state drive for additional performance. However, it is slightly less cost-effective than the similar ASUS model, and by default has a slightly smaller hard drive. Read Full Review »
Acer Aspire One AO722-0473 11.6-Inch HD Netbook
The Acer Aspire One 722 is a highly cost-effective netbook model that can stand up to other power machines at a fraction of their cost. If you want a beefy netbook without breaking the bank, then this model is an excellent option. The large display and hard drive make it great for video and gaming, as well. Read Full Review »
Asus Eee PC 1015PX 10.1" Netbook
The ASUS Eee PC 1015PX is a versatile, lightweight, and compact solution to everyday computing, all at a relatively low price. It offers a good balance of price to performance, and additional features like a web cam help round out its usefulness. Read Full Review »
Acer Aspire One AOHAPPY2-13D 10.1" White Netbook
The Acer Aspire One Happy 2 is, like its name, a happy balance of power and versatility at a relatively low overall cost. If you are looking for an everyday netbook that can perform at reasonable levels when the occasion calls for it, then the Acer Aspire One Happy 2 is a good choice. Read Full Review »
I'm not really a fan of Asus but they do have great reviews.Personally, I own a [url=http://www.best-gaminglaptop.net/toshiba-satellite-a215]toshiba satellite a215[/url] and I am quite satisfied with it.
Sorry about the previous comment...I accidentally hit the paste command...and I can't delete it. I just said that I am a Toshiba fan.
Computers, regardless of form factor (desktop, notebook, netbook), are highly usage-intention dependent tools. Therefore wise purchase decisions are likewise usage dependant. Donn Lee’s comments of Sold State Drive (SSD) for rough handling and large user community to get over the rough spots (all computers have) are excellent examples. As owner of a tablet PC, Windows XP Pro, 1.5 GB RAM for 3 years, the 1.6 Atom processor’s speed is no stranger. Neither is a small (today’s standard) hard drive (80 GB). A choice of the HP Mini for “Best of” seems short sighted unless the goal is limited use extreme portability. 16 GB (SSD) and Windows XP is a severely limited use format. Most professional reviews read so far lean toward these features on today’s netbooks: 1 GB RAM, 160 GB hard drive, 10 inch screen, good battery life and good keyboard feel; the latter two represent instances where bigger is likely better for netbooks. The HP keyboard is reviewed as one of the best, as is Samsung’s. For me, the Samsung NC 10 160 GB hard drive version should have been the “Best of” based on the aforementioned “upgrades” suggested in many professional reviews. The Samsung NC 10 is stock with them; has the longest battery life, well praised keyboard, 10 inch screen, 160 GB hard drive, 1 GB RAM. Lastly, it has high praise among professional reviewers. Admittedly, hands on seems to require ownership, since to date (1/7/09) they do not seem to be available in brick and mortar stores. My Samsung NC 10 is on its way from Amazon plus 2 GB 800 MHz DDR2 SODIMM RAM card ($26).
Netbook use: “inexpensive” business level alternate computer with sufficient power (RAM), storage capacity, speed, flexibility and ease of use (keyboard) to not be thought of twice either at a desk or on the go; my vote; Samsung NC 10 list $500, street $480. (Use a wireless keyboard and mouse at your desk. The Logitech diNovo Edge keyboard and MX Revolution mouse are worth their sale prices.)
This site appears to be treating Microsoft Windows as a feature. In fact it makes the difference in the number one and two slots.
This is wrong. Windows is not a feature, the Linux models provide better value for money. Full stop.
I spent 2 months reading about all these netbook models. I decided on the EEE PC 901 because: 1) I wanted the smallest sized umpc with Atom processor & 1024 pixel wide screen, 2) I wanted solid state drives because my laptop hard disks have failed me due to shock/vibration, 3) I wanted the largest end-user community for sharing fixes/hacks/tricks/accessories (eeeuser.com is very useful for this), 4) because the eee line has the largest user base, I found the ubuntu/linux support to be very strong. The EEE-specific ISO of ubuntu 8.04.1 is called ubuntu-eee and very well tailored to the EEE 901 (and 1000).