Top Laptops at c|net
Most Popular laptops at splise.com
PC Magazine

Mini Laptops/NetBooks
Netbooks are small laptops which do not have DVD or CD drives. You must have an external reader connected via the USB port to read them. Mar. 2011 (Check rated models from Consumer Reports
And selection from Mar. 2011 PC World
Model Price Disp1 Dimensions weight mem HD bat life CR PC
World
Notes
Asus Eee PC 1015PEB-RD601$35010.1"10.3x7x1.52.712509.262
Asus Eee PC 1015PE$26010.1"10.3x7.1x1.52.711609.2 3-in-1 media reader
Toshiba Mini NB255-N250$35010.1"10.4x8.3x1.52.812506.8 60 N455
all have an 1.7 GHz N450 processor, 1GB RAM, Wi-Fi (802.11n), 10/100 Mbps, Windows 7 Starter

1. Displays: 10" resolution is 1024 x 600 with the exceptin of the Samsung NF 310 which is 1366x768, 11.6" resolution is 1366x768 (9:16 ratio)

Nov. 2010
Model Price Disp1 Dimensions weight mem CPU speed HD bat life CR cnet
Asus Eee PC 1018P-BBK803$35010.1"10.3x7x12.41N4501.72509.2634
Toshiba Mini NB255-N250$33010.1"10.4x8.3x1.22.81N4551.72506.760
Toshiba Mini NB305-N410BN$36010.1"10.5x7.6x1.42.6N4501.725094
HP Mini 210-2060nr$34010.1"10.5x7.5x1.331N5501.52509.2603.5
Samsung NP-N150-JA03US$28010.1"10.3x7.3x1.32.51N4501.71607.758
Samsung NB30-11B$35010"10.4x7.5x1.52.71N4501.71607.5583.5
Acer Aspire AO721-3574$43011.6 11.2x8x1.13.12Athlon II Neo1.72505.5
Acer Aspire 1410$42011.6 2Celeron 743 ULV1.32506
Lenovo IdeaPad U150$55011.6 2
Samsung N510.$60011.6 2N280
MacBook Air$99911.6"11.8x7.5x0.72.321.664
1. Displays: 10" resolution is 1024 x 600 with the exceptin of the Samsung NF 310 which is 1366x768, 11.6" resolution is 1366x768 (9:16 ratio)
Macbook 13" is 1280x800

Many netbooks come with Windows 7 Starter, a version only available on netbooks. It will run most applications (but doesn't have an XP compatibility mode). You can't do some things like customize your desktop or use some AERO functions, use multiple monitors, playback DVDs. It does not have Windows Media Center for watching recorded TV or other media.
You can upgrade to Windows Home Premium for $80 ($20 if you buy it at the same time from some stores like Best Buy ).
Although Microsoft says the recommended memory for Starter is 2 GB and Home Premium is 4 GB, they say both will run on 1 GB.

At forums.cnet.com/, one user says XP works better on netbooks than Windows 7

You can also disable functions like AERO in Windows 7 Home Edition for better performance.

See: OS's at PC Reference
www.netbookreviews.net

Mini Laptops/NetBooks (4/2009)
Score (laptopMag/Cnet/cnet.co.uk) EC - Editors Choice, CR - Consumer Rtps Recomm
Model Price Rating Battery Mem Card Notes
Samsung N110 $470 (4) [EC] 7 3 in 1
ASUS Eee PC 1000HE $390 (4)[EC] CR 7/3.5 4 in 1
ASUS Eee PC 1002HA $499 (3.5) M
Acer Aspire One AOD150 $350 (4/3.5) CR 7 4 in 1 Batt life 3.5 per CR
MSI Wind U120 $350 (3.5//8.8) M 4 in 1
Samsung NC10 $430 (4/3.5/8.9) [EC] CR 6 3 in 1 Better display per CR
HP Mini 2140 $500 (4/4) [EC] 7
MacBook Air $999
Battery: M - Mediocre, 7 - 7 hr.
Memory Card Reader: 3-in-1 MMC, SD and SDHC; 4-in-1 MMC, SD, Memory Stick and MS-PRO
  (may vary by model)
All have: (exceptions below)
10.1" 1024x600 LCDs, size: 7.1-7.3" x 10.2-10.3",
1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU, 1GB Ram 160GB HD, VGA port
Windows XP Home
Exceptions: AOD150 and 10.1" Aspire One are 8" deep,
ASUS Eee PC 1000HE has a N280 CPU
Old Aspire One has a 8.9" screen and is 9.8 x 6.7"
Samsung NC10 has 120GB HD

Others:

Samsung NC20 $480 (4//9.0) 12" 1,280x800 1.3 GHz Nano U2250
   significantly larger and heavier than standard netbooks with  10-inch displays.

MSI Wind U100 $350 (/3/) 10.1" 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU
CTL 2go Convertible Classmate PC $500 (4)
ASUS N10Jc $650 (4/4)
Acer Aspire One (Windows XP) $325 (4) [EC]
MSI Wind (Windows XP) $400 (4.5) [EC] 6/2008
Sony VAIO P $900 (3.5)

Note: There is reported to be a version of Windows 7 optimized for netbooks which will become available the end of 2009.
Mini Laptops (2008)
ASUS Eee PC 7" 800 MHz 512MB 1GB 4GB SSD $300
ASUS Eee PC 7" 800 x 480 display 800 MHz 1GB 8GB SSD (Linux or Win XP) $350 (Linux), $450 (XP) 6.5 x 8.9"
ASUS Eee PC 900 8.9" 1024x600 display 6.7" x 8.8" $460 (Linux)
ASUS Eee PC 1001 10" display
Sony VAIO UX 4.5" $2,500
Sony VAIO TZ 11.1" $1,800
Samsung Q1 untra mobil PC 7" 900 MHz 512 MB 40 GB $1,100 (2.5)
OQO model 02 1.2-1.6GHz 1G RAM 120GB HDD or 64GB SSD $1,000
Small Laptops w/ standard keyboard Sony VAIO TZ 11.1" $1,800
MacBook Air 13.3" $1,800

2006 Ratings
Make/Model Processor Price1 Rating2
CR c|n PC
Lenovo ThinkPad X60s 1.66 GHz Intel Core Duo L2400 $1,485   8.4 4.5
Dell XPS M1710 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo T2600 $3,100   8.2 4.5
Toshiba Satellite P105-S921 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo $2,000   8.2 3.5
Toshiba Qosmio G15-AV501 1.8 GHz Pentium M 745 $2,300 78 8.1 4.5
Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV600 1.8 GHz Core Duo T2400 $2,200   8.1 4.5
Dell Latitude D820 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo T2600 $1,794   7.9 4
Dell Inspiron E1705 2.0GHz Core Duo T2500 $1,307   7.8 4
Dell XPS M140 1.73 GHz Pentium M 740 $1,540 76 7.7 4
HP Pavilion dv5000z 2.2GHz AMD Turion 64 800   7.6  
HP Pavilion dv4000 1.8GHz Intel Pentium M 745 800   7.6  
HP Compaq nc8230 2GHz Intel Pentium M 1200 76 7.6 4.5
HP Compaq nx9420 1.66GHz Intel Core Duo T2300 2000   7.5  
Sony VAIO SZ 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo T2400 1,600   7.5  
Apple MacBook Pro 17" 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo T2600 2,465 77 7.3 4
Dell Inspiron E1505 3 1.67 GHz Core Duo T2300 $800   7.0 4.5
HP Pavilion dv8000 3 GHz Pentium 4 630 $1,300   7.0  
Apple MacBook Pro 15" 1.8GHz Intel Core Duo T2600 1,800 77 6.9 4
Toshiba Portege R200 1.2 GHz Intel Pentium M 753 1,900   6.7 4.5
HP Pavilion zv6000 2.2 GHz AMD Athlon 64 $1,250 77    
Lenovo ThinkPad R52 1.73 GHz Pentium M 740 $1,485 76 6.2  
Dell Inspiron 6000 1.6 GHz Intel Pentium M 730 $880   6.1 4.5
Compaq Presario V4000T 1.73 GHz Pentium M 740 1,240 76    
Dell Inspiron 9300 1.73 GHz Pentium M 740 $1,540 75    
Apple iBook 14" 1.4 GHz Power PC G4 $1,300 75    
Toshiba Portege S100-S213TD 2 GHz Pentium M 760 $1,900 73    
Sony Vaio VGN-FS790 $1,490 73    
1. Price - Sometimes List and sometimes discount, so you have to check.
2. CR - Consumer Reports 60-80 = Very Good
c|n - c|net: 6 - Good, 7 - Very Good, 8 - Excellent
PC Magazine 3-3.5 - Good, 4-4.5 Very Good
Updated ratings may be available on the web, so check for the latest.

3. How does Dell get the price so low on the Inspiron E1505?
Dell only offers the Word Perfect 12 word processor program and no other productivity software. It also uses the Media Center OS but lacks any hardware such as the remote or TV tuner with the system to take advantage of the features.

Consumer Reports June 2006

Reliability: (% with repair or serious problem)
Sony 16%
IBM 16%
Toshiba 17%
Apple 17%
HP 18%
Dell 18%
For a versatile multimedia laptop:
Toshiba Qosmio G15-AV501 1.8 GHz Pentium M 745 $2,300

This model has a wide screen, built-in TV tuner, good sound, and many features. However, its relatively high weight and comparatively brief battery life make it a laptop that's better suited to home use than carrying everywhere you go.

For a workhorse laptop:
HP $1,250
Dell $1,540
Lenovo ThinkPad $1,485

Our tests of the Dell used a large-capacity battery, but based on our experience with this model line, we would expect its battery life to exceed four hours. The HP is modestly priced, was the fastest workhorse, and had a very good display and one of the highest-capacity hard drives. But its battery life was lackluster. Reliability of Dell and HP laptops has been average, and their tech support has been undistinguished. The Lenovo had a battery life greater than four hours, but lacks a memory-card slot. It's manufactured and supported by operations previously owned by IBM, but we don't yet have reliability or tech support data for the Lenovo brand.

For reliability and the best tech support in a budget laptop:

Apple $1,300

Apple has been a reliable brand and has the best tech-support record in our subscriber surveys. The Apple, roughly a budget model in terms of price, scored on a par with Windows workhorses but has a smaller screen and lower display quality than most. According to Apple, the workhorse Powerbook is being replaced in February by a speedier, Intel-based model called the MacBook Pro.

Thin Lightweight
Toshiba Portege S100-S213TD 2 GHz Pentium M 760 $1,900
Sharp Widenote PCM4000 1.73 GHz Pentium M 740 $1,800


Buying Tips:
  • Processor speed - 1.8 Core Duo or 2 GHz Pentium and up.
  • Memory - (512K min.) 1 GB is standard now
  • Hard drive - (40GB min.) Most have 80 - 120 GB now, which will provide you with plenty of storage for documents and a reasonable amount of photos and music. If you want to store lots of music files or high-resolution photos (the kind you print) on your laptop, you may want to consider a larger hard drive.
  • Screen size - Any size from 12" to 16" will work well for the home user
  • Weight - Anywhere from 5 lbs to 8 lbs
  • Battery Life - 2 to 4 hrs should be fine.
  • CD and DVD Drives - A least a writable CD. Preferably a drive which will write DVDs also.
  • Wireless - Built in 802.11b/g is standard
  • Graphics cards - If you're playing games in your laptop these may be important.
  • Software - Microsoft Office is the most common, but there are alternatives such as Open Office with will read and write compatible documents.
Optional:
- Multimedia connectors, such as S-Video, FireWire, S/PDIF

Terms:
Core 2 Duo (C2D)
S.S.D. Solid State Disk
ront-side bus (FSB)

See:
Stores - Shopping
Laptop Buying Guide List at Yahoo
PC Magazine Notebook Buying Guide
Laptop Buying Guide - CNET
bizrate.com
newsfactor.com/
Choosing The Right Laptop at Thebest25sites.com
Return to PC Hardware

last updated 15 Mar 2011