Why Netbooks?

With all the hype surrounding mini-notebooks, or netbooks, and the slew of manufacturers vying for market share with their own interpretation of the netbook, it’s hard to figure out a-if you need a netbook, and b- which one best suits your needs.

At TopTenREVIEWS, we do the research so you don’t have to, so we’ve reviewed the best netbooks available and distilled the technical jargon and specs into English. Let’s get started!

First, ask yourself the question: Do I plan on gaming or editing video with my netbook?

If the answer is yes, then a netbook is not for you. Consider any of our recently reviewed gaming laptops if you need that much horsepower in a laptop.

Netbooks are small, and the name correctly implies they are used primarily to get on the internet. Certainly not a desktop replacement laptop, the netbook is best suited for work on the go, biding one’s time at the doctor’s office, or any other situation where you need a computer, but can’t afford to lug a ten pound laptop in a mountaineering backpack.

• High performance, low power consumption processor - the 1.6 GHz Intel Atom is the processor du jour.
• At least 512MB of RAM, but preferably 1GB or more.
• Solid State hard drive - lower failure rates than standard (SATA, PATA) drives when dropped, the drawback is you pay more for less storage space.
• Good battery life with normal use – Surfing, checking emails, and editing docs are your main tasks with a netbook, make sure yours gives you at least two hours of playtime before you have to recharge. Also, more cells don’t necessarily mean longer battery life.
• Weight and dimensions – The lightest netbooks weigh just under two pounds; the heavier ones tread closer to ultraportable classification at over four pounds. Pay attention to the width and depth of each netbook if you’ll be using or storing it in cramped spaces.
• Operating System: Linux or Windows? XP netbooks generally take longer to boot, and don’t forget how much space XP will take on the hard drive. Thanks to brilliant software engineers, Linux isn’t the scary command prompt operating system anymore, and many prefer its interface to Windows.
• Network connectivity – Wi-Fi b/g and megabit (10/100) LAN are standard. Newer netbooks come with Wi-Fi N, Bluetooth, and soon 3G and WiMax.
• Keyboard size and spacing - Current generation netbooks have keyboards that are up to 95% the size of a regular laptop keyboard, but pay attention to key spacing and size, especially if you have large hands or sausage-like fingers.
• Ports – 1 VGA out (for connecting to a monitor), 3 USB, headphone and mic ports, and SD card readers are standard. Some have fewer USB ports, while others have expansion bays and Firewire ports.