How to buy a mini-laptop

Check out these useful tips before buying your first netbook
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Mini-laptops are among the hottest new products this year and with the back-to-school sales season upon us, I created a list of items to help you choose the right one.

The devices, which are becoming popularly known as netbooks, or my favorite term, "laptots," have caught on because they offer people a mobile, easy way to wirelessly access the Web.

They come with 7-inch to 10-inch LCD screens and are about half to two-thirds the size of a mainstream laptop. They weigh around 1 kilogram each, carry batteries that last up to 8 hours and generally cost between US$199 and $699.

I've written several netbook reviews and after some consideration, offer these tips for your first netbook.

1. Know what you want to use it for and how much you're willing to spend

This is a cliche in reviews and doesn't tell you much but it's actually very important. What do you want this for? Do you want a lightweight device for easy Internet access? Or are you really looking for a full-featured laptop computer? Don't buy a netbook if you're really looking for a laptop, it would be a mistake.

To ensure longer battery life, some key components on a netbook, such as the microprocessor, are far less powerful than common laptops. That's why they're good for surfing the Internet, doing homework on a word processing program, working on spreadsheets or for presentations and other Office-like work.

Anyone looking for a gaming laptop or one for video-editing or other multimedia work should shop for true laptops, not netbooks.

2. Buy a netbook with an 8.9-inch screen or larger

I tried out an Eee PC with a 7-inch screen and the annoying part is not being able to see an entire Web page because the screen is too small.

That's less of a problem on the slightly larger-sized screens and in the 8.9-inch screen size, the weight and size of the netbook is nearly the same as devices with 7-inch screens.

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References show all

Comments

1

Anonymous

Wed 01/10/2008 - 09:54

Found a great laptop site

Anyone looking to buy a laptop i would suggest checking this site out:

www.elaps.com.au

They have all images and all sorts of laptops. I have bought 2 laptops so far from this site. Thumbs up.

2

mini roulette

Fri 27/02/2009 - 17:28

I want to buy a laptop and my budget is nearly $900 I am looking for a good brand, but all seems to be nice. Could you suggest me which one would be better among Dell, compaq and lenovo and sony, coz these are among the most popular ones.

3

Merriam Seth

Fri 20/11/2009 - 12:53

RE: Mini laptop

I am interested in mini laptops and was wondering if you have an agent that sells that product in Adelaide, South Australia. I also would like to know the price ranges of the product (mini laptop)

4

Viva La MSI Wind

Mon 08/02/2010 - 16:28

Thanks!

Thank you so much for this great article! I found it incredibly useful when buying my netbook. I did a lot of research online and in the shops, and it was this that helped me the most in deciding if I actually needed one and what specs I'd require.

I ended up buying an MSI Wind u100 as it suited my needs and fit my budget. While the Acer or Asus netbooks would have been cheaper, their specs and keyboards weren't as good and for some reason I just can't stand the way they look - like one small tap will break the screen off of the base.

The only contention I have with your article is the statement that the Wind's keyboard is uncomfortable. I'm using mine solely for word processing and I have no complaints about it. Sure a few buttons are out of their usual place, but it's easy to adjust to the new config and I can type for hours.

Thanks again!

5

Anonymous

Sun 21/03/2010 - 18:54

Netbook under 10 inches

The appeal of a netbook to me, is one that can be carried inconspicuously. I need it to be able to access wireless internet (3G preferably) and to use excel, word and powerpoint. Good battery life (6+ hours is desirable). Any suggestions for one that is under 10 inches? Thanks!

6

Notebook

Fri 03/12/2010 - 15:06

Good point about number 1. I find that knowing what the purpose of the notebook can greatly help in saving some cash during the purchase. Knowing my requirements for a laptop will not tempt me to get another laptop with features that I don't really need. On the other hand, I don't like using 7in laptops as it is very hard to look at the text.

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