Netbooks are an affordable commodity. It is for this reason that people love them, and that is why we decided to test drive the most popular netbooks on the market.
Cheap netbooks are not for everyone, you need to choose the model carefully and then you will get the best netbook on the market that will suit your needs.
It would be a great idea to assess the netbook market first, rather than go to the nearest hardware store and buy the first item you come across. If you are looking for a netbook to use for writing a novel or playing games, then you might want to go for a full laptop or desktop PC.
All these tasks, of course, can be performed on a netbook, but they are more suitable for taking notes, editing texts, watching movies, web pages and simply working on it during a long journey, away from the outlet. The battery life of netbooks can be impressive, making the netbook the ideal companion for today's active lifestyle.
The best computer: how to make the right choice
It's been a long time since Asus rocked the ultra-portable market with its first Eee PC.
At what stage of its development is the netbook market now?
What is the best choice you can make right now? Are netbooks with tiny 7-inch screens still a better choice, or is it better to go for a netbook with a larger screen?
We will analyze the latest netbook reviews to find out which netbook model is worth buying for a particular purpose.
So here's our roundup of the top 14 netbooks, ranked by value in ascending order.
1.Dell Inspiron Mini 1018
Sturdy and very comfortable netbook, ideal for children
PER
VS
Dell's Inspiron Mini netbooks have grown in recent years from tiny 9 "models to large 12" ultra-portable machines. We decided to check out the 10-inch Inspiron Mini 1018.
Well made and very useful netbook, it can be easily recommended for purchase, but it lacks the advantages of some of its competitors slightly.
While the model (by default) comes in black, there is also a pink or red color scheme available, of course, at an additional cost.
The case, today, is one of the most durable and rigid. The netbook of this model lacks the elegance of the Asus Eee PC Seashell 1015PE style, it is quite hardy, but a little sluggish.
The solid (Rock) build quality extends to the netbook's user interface and, using the keyboard, it turned out to be one of the best we've tested. The move away from the insulation of the construction is reflected in the Asus style: the buttons are larger and more accessible, with a soft action and a flawless response.
Unfortunately, the tiny touchpad didn't live up to our expectations. At 65 x 30mm, it feels too wide and not deep enough, making it awkward for smooth scrolling and moving around the screen in one swipe. Fortunately, the mouse buttons are large enough to eliminate this inconvenience.
The 10.1-inch Super-TFT screen is much nicer with one of the brightest panels around. The screen leans back only 45 degrees vertically, it is difficult to find a comfortable viewing angle.
Part of the reason for this flaw is that Dell has narrowed the screen by 19mm to make room for a strip of textured plastic on the back. This unusual design element makes Dell more comfortable to carry with you.
Combined with 427 minutes of battery life, this netbook is a great choice for mobile workers and schoolchildren. However, some netbooks can live autonomous lives for much longer.
Ample memory options
An area where Dell netbooks excel is their memory. The 250GB hard drive provides 90GB more storage than the Acer Aspire One D260 and Packard Bell Dot S. You just need to store large multimedia collections on your netbook.
In addition, the introduction of Microsoft Office Starter 2010 software is, firstly, a real bonus for a netbook of this price category, and secondly, a rarity in the netbook market. Offering abbreviated versions of Microsoft's word processor and spreadsheet tools, it provides a great way to get basic work done on a portable device!
On its own, the Inspiron Mini 1018 is a great netbook and is ideal for novice users. It is slightly beaten by Acer and Packard Bell in terms of battery life and convenience, but its good build quality makes it a great choice for kids.
2. Asus Eee PC Seashell 1015PE
The second great stylish pioneer machine in the modern netbook market
PER
VS
Asus launched its first netbook in 2007, and since then its Eee PC has grown to staggering proportions. While the Eee PC Seashell 1015PE does not add much from the basic concept of a netbook, it has its own unique features, excellent performance and ample memory, which makes it highly recommended for purchase.
The sleek matte black plastic body looks impressive for such an inexpensive machine. Fingerprints may remain on the surface, but they are easily erased.
The good build quality makes the netbook ideal for frequent travel use. Despite being one of the largest netbooks on the market (1.3kg), the chassis remains thin and portable.
The netbook runs on a 6-cell battery, which we were able to run for eight hours, which is an excellent result, but slightly outperformed by the Acer Aspire One D260 and Packard Bell Bell Dot S.
Rubber keyboard
Asus was one of the first companies to use an insulating keyboard style on a netbook (the so-called "rubber" keyboard), and this feature is implemented quite well here. While the keys are smaller than those of the Acer Aspire One D260, the spacious design and rigidly fixed button bar provide a comfortable typing experience. The model has a large touchpad.
The 10.1-inch screen and wide bezel of the netbook allow the user to easily maneuver around the screen. Brushed aluminum mouse button adds a touch of style.
Also, Asus used a matte TFT screen rather than a glossy Super-TFT panel. Good illumination makes it comfortable to work outdoors. Many matte TFT screens can reduce image resonance, but we did not see such a drawback in this model.
With a power supply that is identical to most of the competition, the performance of the netbook turned out to be rather low, which allows it to be used only in a home office.
This model stands out from the mass of netbooks in terms of additional features. With a large enough 250GB hard drive, Asus has an additional 500GB of online storage, allowing you to safely back up your data over the Internet.
As with most other netbooks, the webcam is mounted above the screen. The Asus camera is unique for privacy as it has a sliding shutter that covers the camera when not in use. Finally, the proprietary ExpressGate software is installed.
Asus shipped another fantastic machine with the Eee PC Seashell 1015PE. Since we prefer the improved performance and battery life of Acer and Packard Bell, there is no doubt that this model is one of the best you can buy.
3. Toshiba NB250.
Can a Toshiba netbook compete successfully with tablets?
PER
VS
In the PC market, the question has arisen: does a netbook have a lifespan? It is not difficult to assert that there is such a period. Of course, the Toshiba NB250 is what you would call “classics of the genre”. It doesn't do anything outstanding to propel netbooks to radically new heights.
Technologically (to give the genre its due), the NB250 sits far behind Core i5 laptops such as our top-rated Samsung R590, which has the highest rating and price triple that of the NB250, and even the cheap but reasonably bouncy Medion Akoya P6625.
Of course, our netbook cannot compete with such powerful computers as these. It is designed to be packed in a bag, on the go, small tasks, for a longer time than any, even the most energy-absorbing platform could hope.
But times have changed, hence the original question arises again. We live in the "radical PC era" of Steve Jobs, in which tablet devices such as iPads and other advanced smartphones do the work of a netbook and more.
But don't panic. The Toshiba NB250 still deserves your attention, which we will try to prove. Your bag still deserves a netbook, even if you already own a touchscreen tablet or shiny mobile phone. If you don't have to play heavy games or watch HD videos, this low-powered netbook is the perfect choice.
What's more, the NB250 has several tricks up its sleeve that set it apart from the competition.
The most important aspect of the Toshiba NB250 is its excellent keyboard, so we'll start with that. Unlike many netbooks, the keyboard is as wide as a netbook can get.
The keyboard in this netbook is as close as possible to the full-size layout. The buttons are rubberized and resemble those of early Sony Vaio laptops. They create a great typing feel, although they might be worth some tweaking.
The right side of the keyboard is somewhat short, which results in the character keys and the enter key being crowded into a rather narrow column, for example. Also, gross omissions were made - if you, like us, strive to get into the Shift button with your right little finger, then you will scold the placement of the Page Up and Page Down buttons immediately below the Enter button, but they could easily be placed on both sides of the button with up arrow.
In any case, you need a keyboard, whatever you say. If you compare a netbook to a touchscreen tablet, no tablet can replace a netbook with a good keyboard!
Next, let's evaluate memory. We tested the NB250-108 and found out that this model does not have a giant hard drive, however, like most netbooks. Therefore, the proposed 250GB will last a significant amount of time. Think again about the tablet comparison: with a netbook, you have a lot more freedom and a lot more space!
Show us a tablet with 250GB of storage - most likely, it will cost you much more than a netbook, and it is not at all necessary that it will be twice as capable. Windows 7 Starter is probably not the OS we would choose (Windows XP, despite its age, would be great for these small platforms), but you are free to use it however you like - and no IOS iPad will let you do half of the things the NB250 can do.
Or Flash, again. Windows programs. Full, cleanest internet.Forget about weak tablets - a netbook does it all for less money!
And the battery! This is amazing: with 8.5 hours of free operation on a single charge, the netbook outperforms almost any other portable device. You don't need an impressive laptop for mobile work or surfing the web, because the NB250 lets you do it all easily.
The Atom N455 (at its core) may seem unremarkable in terms of processing power, but it works exceptionally hard for such a design. Netbooks have made massive breakthroughs since the early days of MSI Wind, and it's obvious here - it's a bouncy, durable package.
Whether this package is attractive is really a matter of taste. We didn't pay much attention to the patterned wrists and lid, although this feature prevents massive fingerprints on the NB250, unlike many glossy machines such as Packard Bell netbooks.
Naturally, Toshiba has made some innovations in the layout of the machine: it has installed a pair of USB ports on the right and an SD slot on the front panels, as well as placed the rest of the important connectors in a secluded place on the left side. It's not particularly handy if you're left-handed, but it's well thought out if you're going to use an external mouse.
Naturally, there were some questions here - any car in this price category has several cut corners.
The 10.1-inch screen is typical of netbooks: you'll have to contend with awkward viewing angles and dull colors to give the screen a custom look.
In addition, the presence of the 600-pixel panel makes it quite difficult to browse the web. You will definitely want to make it possible to activate full screen mode, set the taskbar to auto-minimize, and move the toolbar. Although, complaining about a netbook screen is tantamount to complaining about a toothache when drinking cold ice cream if you have sensitive teeth.
Speaker quality is rather lame: the sound is quieter than the iPad, even though the iPad's sound comes from a much smaller cone.
Also, the NB250 is just packed with a ton of software you don't really need; the sidebar is dedicated to the webcam, Toshiba's "Bulletin Board" seems to be set up to annoy you, and what's called RealTime is an organizational tool that doesn't seem to fit this type of machine at all.
Let go of prejudice: put this netbook in its rightful place in your life! It's much more useful and cheaper than any tablet you find. You won't have the luxury of driving your fingers across the screen, but you will get many other functions that no tablet can do well!
It can be noted that the netbook market is one-sided - machines of each tier differ little from each other.
The Toshiba NB250 is an excellent choice in the laptop market, definitely much better than Android tablets or Apple iPads given its range of functionality. Although it is not so prestigious, it allows you to perfectly perform the assigned functions.
This netbook is pretty hardy. Despite the fact that this machine first hit the market in mid-2010, it deserves respect and will successfully hold on to the ranking of the best netbooks until the end of 2012.
This is because its functionality will constantly surprise you, of course, unless you want too much from it (for example, play games or do something more ambitious than working in office applications or the Internet).
We liked
The NB250's keyboard is amazing to use. It is as wide as possible (as for a netbook), with sturdy buttons, the location of which is very well thought out. The trackpad is very good, definitely one of the best we have ever used. If you want a netbook with the maximum number of outputs, then this model is your option.
Toshiba's ports are very well positioned, with a pair of USB ports on the right side and all the others on the left. This arrangement is very convenient if you are right-handed and if you might want to connect a mouse.
And the battery life of the netbook? Awesome! Vigorous operation for 8 hours makes this netbook your reliable travel companion!
We didn't like
The screen is rather poor, without a well-coordinated viewing angle, the colors do not match, which is quite noticeable during its use. 600 pixels is clearly not enough for a web browser, definitely.
Some solutions in terms of keyboard layout are a little annoying - the right Shift key does not allow stretching the path to the edge, for example. You have to get used to hitting Page Up instead.
The Toshiba NB250 is loaded with programs that not every user can or will want to use. Yes, complaining about their presence is completely pointless, the programs are already installed, and this annoys us.
Verdict
Toshiba has put together a decent netbook for a decent price. It's rugged and totally unrevolutionary like any other netbook, which is proof that this sector of the market is far from extinct. If, for any reason, you are convinced that you need a tablet for easy mobile work and web browsing, then you should revisit this section.
4. Acer Aspire One D255
Great netbook, but Android seems a little overkill
PER
VS
Despite the growing popularity of tablet devices, the netbook market is still evolving. The Acer Aspire One D255 is one of the latest models on the market. Due to the fact that manufacturers want to distinguish their products from the general mass of netbooks, this model works on the operating system (OS) Android (2.1), focused on smartphones, just as well as on Windows 7.
The model we are talking about now is called Acer Aspire One D255-N55QDr.
The 10.1-inch screen is very easy to use, thanks to the non-glare screen, which is easy to read in all lighting conditions. That being said, we still note that the screen should have been a little brighter. Colors appear slightly washed out, making the netbook more suitable for office work than watching movies.
Strong build
The build quality of the netbook is very good. We were impressed with the Acer keyboard. It is large enough, sturdy and allows for precise dialing - one of the best we have tested on a machine of this size. This quality makes this netbook ideal for those people who have to write a lot on the go.
In addition, the touchpad is extremely easy to use, which is not always the case with netbooks. It is large, we never had to wipe the screen while typing, the multitouch functioned perfectly, which is another rarity for netbooks.
The Intel Atom processor provides sufficient power for basic use. This is a dual-core version that should provide more power, but we did not notice much improvement (over the older Atom processors): both word processing and web browsing were carried out as diligently as before.
An integrated graphics card delivers basic multimedia performance. It lies in the fact that the netbook is more focused on the consumption of content, for example, watching movies, than on creating them.
The portability of the device met all expectations: 389 minutes of battery life and 1.2 kg weight are impressive and, again, make this model ideal for travelers. As mentioned above, you can run Windows 7 or Google Android.
You are familiar with how Windows 7 works. Android has been included to provide a fast way to open websites, read emails, and view photos and movies.
We liked the fact that the smartphone-oriented OS allows you to beautifully transfer data to the netbook. But we did not see the real practical usefulness of the Android OS and simply used Windows 7 for the above tasks.
Fortunately, the Acer Aspire One D255 performs very well in basic functions, making it an incredibly convenient and reasonably portable option. But we still have doubts about the advisability of including Android.
5. Aspire One D260
Remarkable functionality and long battery life make this netbook one of the best out there.
PER
VS
Acer was one of the first companies to release a netbook back in 2008, and its Aspire One lineup has gotten better and better every year. The Aspire One D260 is the latest edition and the lack of memory is fully compensated for by the excellent battery life.
In the netbook market, in general, the compact body is ideal for regular travel and outdoor use. Weighing 1.2kg and only 30mm deep, the slim design makes it easy to fit into even the smallest carry-on luggage.
This netbook contains a slim 6-cell battery that doesn't add extra bulk to the body, and the battery life is impressive. After working for nine hours in the most active mode, the battery charge was enough for the netbook, it functioned successfully during the day.
Despite the slim body, the model contains an impressive keyboard with large enough buttons for speed dialing. The panel is rigidly fixed to the body, without bending, all keys respond smoothly and accurately.
More surprising is that the Acer touch panel is large and very easy to use. While many netbooks come with tiny bezels that can be awkward to use, Acer's wide touchpad makes it easy to navigate the screen.
The real trouble with all netbooks is their limited performance. Powered by an Intel Atom processor whose chip is designed exclusively for compact, low-cost devices, Acer is only suitable for basic use (word processing, web browsing, and email sending).
The graphics are slightly limited and are intended to consume multimedia content rather than create it. The video plays smoothly, even high definition 1080p content is handled quite easily. But don't expect the power of a full-size laptop from this netbook at a similar price.
Bright screen
It cannot be said unequivocally that the Acer is not suitable for entertainment purposes. The brilliant 10.1-inch screen is bright enough with colorful colors and deep blacks to be used successfully for viewing photos and videos. This model is ideal for children.
The parameter by which Acer is inferior to its competitors is memory. While the Asus Eee PC Seashell 1015PE and Dell Inspiron Mini 1018 have 250GB hard drives, the Acer's 160GB storage seems a bit on the tight side.
Like most netbooks, this model does not include a built-in optical drive for accessing CDs or DVDs.
There are very few parameters by which a particular netbook model can be distinguished from the majority. Our Aspire One D260 excels in stunning battery life and maximum usability. It is these two advantages that make this car a step higher than its competitors. Indeed, an awesome netbook at a great price.
