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The netbook processor wars: Atom x86 versus snapdragon ARM

 

War is brewing in Netbook processor land. The current king of the hill is the Intel Atom CPU based on the x86 instruction set, the same instruction set that is used in "full size" laptops and desktops. The only contender that Intel faced in the Netbook space up to now was the VIA Nano, which didn't have much success up to now. The Nano is somewhat more powerful than the Atom, but it also consume more power, a major problem in a market where battery life is more critical than processing power.

But now a new contender has appeared: the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor based on the ARM instruction set. The current model is single core and runs at 1 Ghz, but the new models to be released this year should be dual-core and be able to run at up to 1.5 Ghz. This is powerful enough to run most of the applications that a Netbook is expected to deliver. Add to that the fact that the Qualcomm snapdragon ARM core can also include hardware HD video decoding as well as Bluethoot, Wifi and GPS wireless technologies and you already have a serious contender for the title of ultimate mobile processor. Now the killer blow for the Atom is that the Snapdragon processor should consumes much less power, not requires a fan and be half as expensive as the current Atom + chipset on offer from Intel. Ouch!

With these new generation offerings, the ARM architecture is ready to make the jump from devices like the iPhone or the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet to Netbooks and crush the Atom processor. However Intel has a secret weapon against ARM based processors like the Snapdragon: Windows compatibility!
The disadvantage with ARM based processors like the snapdragon is that the full version of windows will not run on them. It is not that Microsoft doesn't want to make an ARM version of Windows, but because most drivers and applications for Windows are closed source, it is not possible for Microsoft to recompile them fro the ARM architecture. Since the main incentive for users to run Windows is to be able to run legacy or familiar applications (the OS itself is not that great) and that Windows for ARM would not do that there is little point. The Microsoft offering for ARM based processors is Windows CE and mobile, but these did never gain traction with consumers and frankly, sucks!

This means that on the software side much of the ARM action will be with Linux and it's derivatives like Google Android or Google ChromeOS! This is a field that Intel is trying to invade with it's Moblin platform: An x86 based Linux distribution optimized for Netbooks and portable devices that features very short boot times. Recently Novel announced that they will provide a SUSE distribution for x86 based Netbooks based on the Moblin standard. On the ARM side, Xandros has announced the availability of the same Linux distribution used with the first EEE PC for the ARM architecture, and canonical, the backers of Ubuntu, are currently porting the well known distribution to ARM. It is easier to port Linux applications to the ARM architecture because the source code is available, so a lot of the software only needs to be recompiled. Add to that the fact that a lot of the drivers are implemented in the Linux kernel and hardware support becomes a cinch.

What is my prediction? I think that the arrival of ARM based Netbooks will first split the market in two.
On one side we will have cheap, silent ARM based netbooks with long battery life but a reduced number of applications. These will probably focus on web access, music, video, GPS and basic productivity tools. Expect something like the original Xandros Linux distribution of the EEE PC and the Linpus lite distribution of the Acer Aspire One. These netbooks based on processors like the Qualcomm Snapdragon should cost between $200 and $300 and will probably use SSDs for storage. Some of these will probably be heavily subsidized by network operators or given away free with a contract. They will be designed as companion devices to supplement a desktop or a destop replacement laptop.

On the other side we will have real "mini notebooks" with processors based on the Atom x86 architecture. These will feature full featured operating systems like Windows XP, Windows 7 or Ubuntu. The mini notebooks will be heavier, require a fan for cooling, probably have shorter battery life (or heavier batteries) and will mostly use a mechanical HDD for storage. They will also be more expensive, with prices starting a $300 and going up past the $500 mark, but since they will feature a full OS and will be suitable to run most desktop applications they will be able to replace a laptop or desktop computer.

What will happen next is open to conjecture. Either the ARM based Netbooks will gain full computer capabilities and displace the Atom based Netbooks, or Intel will reduce the price and power footprint of the Atom so much that it displaces the ARM Netbooks. It will depend a lot on the Linux OSes used with the ARM based Netbooks. If these offer a good enough experience and enough applications to make the users forget that they are not running Windows, ARM will probably win. If on the other hand these are half-assed experiments most users may decide that they prefer the full Windows experience after all, even at an increased price and with a shorter battery life

Asus Eee PC 1000HE Netbook Review : Asus 1000HE 10.1 Netbook

 

Asus Eee PC 1000HE Netbook Review 

The Asus 1000HE has been tweaked to offer an improved keyboard and a new Intel Atom processor brain. Also the new Eee PC 1000HE offers some pretty solid battery life in a competitively priced $399 package. Not bad!

The Asus Eee PC 1000HE’s body is slightly fatter than competitor products in the same price/size range but it has a newer flat-topped style keyboard with widely spaced keys similar to Apple and Sony laptops to make up for this deficit.

Keyboard feel is noticeably improved over previous Asus Eee PC’s and additionally keys such as the shift keys have been relocated to give a more standard feel. Quick launch keys also reside above the keyboard to control various functions including screen resolution. Touchpad feel is also improved over previous Eee PC’s.

The new Asus 1000HE offers a 10.1 inch widescreen display with a native resolution of 1024x600. While a standard resolution for Netbooks in its category, some web pages still require some scrolling to view completely, though not exactly too much of an issue since this is honestly to be expected in such a small notebook package. With the press of the aforementioned quick launch key above the keyboard you can cycle through various resolutions including 1024x768 & 800x600 to sometimes improve the readability of some on screen elements such as small text. While not extremely useful since on screen elements look best at the native 1024x600 resolution, it is still a welcomed addition to be able to switch resolutions with the click of a button.

Ultra Portable Asus Eee PC Netbooks

Some other features of the Asus 1000HE include stereo speakers and a headphone/microphone jack, 3 USB 2.0 and an SD card reader, standard Ethernet jack, 802.11 b/g/n wireless, and Bluetooth. Unfortunately because of its small size the Asus 1000HE lacks a built in Optical drive though this is to be expected.

Performance wise Intel’s newer Intel Atom N280 did help improve performance of the Asus Eee PC 1000HE Netbook a bit but nothing quite substantial over previous models, though definitely a welcomed speed increase nevertheless.

Our test model included the Intel Atom N280 which runs faster than many other Netbooks running the Intel N270 in the same category. The Intel Atom N280 also includes a faster front side bus speed which also helps to feed the CPU with more instructions thus creating a modest but overall speed improvement.

Battery life of the Eee PC 1000HE was excellent.  The Asus Eee PC 1000HE comes packed with a six-cell battery power plant that promises to drive the Intel Atom powered portable to up to 9.5 hours of batter life. Of course keep in mind this is with a relaxed usage style. Asus claims to have achieved 9.5 hours by running the system in power saving mode, with the LCD screen set at 40 percent brightness, and with webcam and wireless technologies disabled. After running our test system through the paces in various power modes and usage patterns we’ve achieved up to 4.8 hours of battery runtime. Not bad at all!!!

Warranty wise the Asus Eee PC 1000HE includes a standard one year included parts and labor warranty. Asus also offers web based help, and also a toll-free phone number. Asus also offers an improved support website with driver downloads a basic FAQ section and more.

Conclusion:

In conclusion the Asus Eee PC 1000HE includes some welcoming additions that were lacking in previous Eee PC’s, though compared to some of the competitors products in the Netbook market the Asus 1000HE still lacks some features that we would have liked to see.

Commendable additions of course include excellent battery life, the much improved Sony/Apple style keyboard and a competitive price to top it off. We would have liked to see better performance but the slightly faster Intel Atom didn’t quite impress us as much as we hoped for, though still we welcome any speed increase even if marginal.

Despite any of its shorcommings the Asus 1000HE is a solid little Netbook that will be a sweet little computing companion for many looking for a cheap little mobile web browsing machine.

The Ultimate Guide to Netbooks: 100+ Resources, Tools, and Deal Sites

If you like to do lots of computing on the go, chances are you’ve considered buying a netbook. These little devices pack a lot of functionality into a portable format, offering travelers, students, and others in need of productivity on the go lots of options for getting things done. Read on, and you’ll find more than 100 excellent resources for learning about, buying, and scooping up one of these tiny wonders.

Introductory Guides

Get a good overview of what netbooks are all about from these resources.

1. Netbook on Wikipedia: Wikipedia’s entry on netbooks explains what these devices are all about.
2. What is a Netbook Computer?: Michael Horowitz explains exactly what netbooks are.
3. What is a Netbook?: This article offers a simple explanation about netbooks.

Articles & Advice

In these articles, you’ll learn about the rise in netbook popularity, buying trends, hacks, and more.

1. Five reasons to seriously consider buying a netbook: Ars Technica takes a look at why netbooks are an appealing option to many buyers.
2. 10 Ways to Trick Out Your Netbook for Free: These tools will help make your netbook just a little more awesome.
3. The rise of the Netbook: In this article, you’ll learn why netbooks have experienced a rise in popularity.
4. Tiny Notes Net Big Gains: This article explains the wide appeal of netbooks.
5. Mini-Notebook Mania: PC World attempts to explain the mania behind mini notebook computers.
6. 5 Resources for Netbook Helps, Hacks, and How-tos: Here you’ll find sites that can offer lots of information about netbooks.
7. The State of the Netbook: This series looks at the history of the netbook.
8. 4 Essential Utilities for Windows Netbooks: Here you’ll learn about a few important tools for Windows netbooks.
9. The Netbook Effect: How Cheap Little Laptops Hit the Big Time: This article explains how netbooks became so popular.
10. Six Ways to Make Your Netbook More Like a Notebook: Juice up your netbook a bit with these tips and resources.
11. How do you use your Netbook: Read this article to find out about some of the possibilities for netbook use.

Buying Guides

Check out these guides to get great advice for purchasing a netbook.

1. Netbooks showdown: The top 10 mini laptops rated: CNET’s coverage takes a look at 10 of the hottest mini laptops on the market.
2. Category: Netbooks: Learn about some of the most popular netbooks in the market in Wikipedia’s category listing.
3. 5 Things to Consider Before Buying a Netbook: Read this article to get a good perspective on your netbook needs before making a purchase.
4. How to Choose: Netbook vs. Ultraportable Laptop: Find out how to make the decision between a netbook and ultraportable.
5. OCZ Neutrino "DIY" Netbook Reviewed: Learn about the details of a DIY netbook here.
6. Ask Engadget: What’s the best netbook out there (redux)?: Check out the comments on this article to get honest opinions on netbooks.
7. Netbook Reviews: Find full reviews of small, low cost laptops here.
8. How to Buy a Netbook: This article explains what you need to know when buying a netbook.
9. Nothing but Netbooks: Six Low-Priced, Fast-Selling Laptops: You’ll be able to learn about six popular netbooks in this article.
10. How to choose a netbook: You’ll learn how to choose the right netbook for your needs from this article.
11. How to find a cheap laptop, netbook, or computer: Follow this guide to learn how to make a good netbook purchase.
12. A Quick Guide to Netbooks: In this guide, you’ll get an overview of netbooks and learn how to choose one.
13. Comparison of netbooks: Here you can learn about the specifications of various netbooks.
14. How to Find the Best Netbook Computer at the Best Price: Using this guide, you can find lots of bang for your netbook buck.
15. How to Find Netbook Reviews: In this guide, you’ll learn how to locate the best reviews on netbooks.
16. Netbook Buyer’s Guide: This guide offers information on buying the perfect netbook.
17. How to choose a netbook: Read this guide to find out the details of choosing a netbook.
18. How to choose your netbook?: Read this forum post to find helpful tips and information for selecting a netbook.
19. Liliputing Netbook Product Database: Liliputing’s database offers great information about various small computers and netbooks.
20. How to: Notebook vs Netbook: Tiger Direct’s video offers a guide to determining whether a netbook or notebook is right for you.
21. Comparison of subnotebooks: Take a look at this comparison chart to learn about subnotebooks on the market.
22. Netbook Prices Are Now Falling: Find out why netbook prices are falling from this informative article.

Information Centers

These forums, blogs, and other information centers offer a wealth of knowledge about netbooks.

1. EeeUser: EeeUser is an Eee PC community with forums, links, and more.
2. NetbookBoards.com: Check out this website to find a blog, reviews, forums, and more, all devoted strictly to netbooks. AspireOneUser: On this site, you’ll find news and forums for the Acer Aspire One netbook.
3. Netbook User: Check out this blog to stay updated on netbook news worldwide.
4. Sammy Netbook: Get the latest news about Samsung netbooks in this blog and community.
5. EEE Journal: The EEE Journal covers netbooks and mini laptops.
6. Liliputing: Brad Linder’s site offers news, hacks, reviews, and much more for small computers and netbooks.
7. MSIWind: Learn the basics and beyond for the MSI Wind on these forums.
8. Amazon Netbook Community: Users post reviews, useful information, and more for netbooks in this buyer’s community.
9. Netbook Reviews: This blog offers news, deals, and reviews of netbooks.
10. jkOnTheRun: This blog offers lots of great news coverage and reviews on small notebooks in the market.

Deal Sites

If you’re in the market for a netbook, be sure to check out these sites to score a good deal.

1. Tiger Direct: Tiger Direct is one of the most popular sites for online electronics deals, including netbooks.
2. Slickdeals: On Slickdeals, you’ll find all kinds of deals, including netbooks-and you can even set up alerts for exactly what you’re looking for.
3. .Netbooks: You’ll find a good comparison of the netbooks on the market today from .Netbooks.
4. FatWallet: Use the FatWallet forums to learn about great deals available on netbooks.
5. Great Netbook Gear and Deals: This blog offers deals, gear, and more for netbooks.
6. Newegg: Check out Newegg to find deals, reviews, and more.
7. DealCatcher: With DealCatcher, you’ll be able to catch the best deals online.
8. Deals.com: Find the best coupons, discounts, and more on netbooks from this site.
9. DealsPlus: This deals site will help you avoid paying retail for your netbook.
10. Netbook Deal: Follow this blog to see some of the most current deals available on netbooks.
11. dealnews: Learn about the latest in tech deals from dealnews.

How Tos

Find out how to hack, modify, and generally improve your netbook once you’ve got one.

1. Four Cool Ways to ‘Mod’ an Acer Aspire Netbook: Get to hacking on your Acer Aspire with these tips and resources.
2. How to turn an MSI Wind netbook into a tablet: Read this guide, and you’ll find out how your MSI Wind can become a tablet.
3. How to Hackintosh a Dell Mini 9 Into the Ultimate OS X Netbook: This guide offers great information for getting OS X on your netbook.
4. How to upgrade an Acer Aspire One netbook’s memory: Using this guide, you’ll be able to upgrade the memory on your Acer Aspire One netbook.
5. How to Install Windows 7 on a Netbook: Get your netbook equipped with the latest version of Windows.
6. Turn Your Netbook Into a Kindle: Follow this hack to make your netbook work as a Kindle.
7. How to: Acer Aspire One External Monitor Setup: Watch this video to learn how to use your netbook like a desktop computer tower.
8. Image editing on your mini-notebook: Find out how to create beautiful images on your netbook.
9. How to install Ubuntu Netbook Remix in Ubuntu 8.10/8.04: Get Ubuntu Netbook Remix by following this guide.
10. 1080P Video on ASUS N10J Netbook: This resource will show you how to get high quality video on an ASUS.
11. How to Make Your Linux Netbook Actually Kick Arse: Check out this video to make your Linux netbook awesome.
12. How to best maximize netbook resolution with Windows XP?: Read this guide to find out how to makeover your netbook.
13. How to Turn a Netbook into a Net Jukebox: Check out this guide to learn how to make your netbook a valuable audio tool.
14. Installing OSX on Windows Netbook: Find out how you can put OSX on your Dell netbook.
15. The Friendly Netbook Desktop: Make Windows XP look better on your netbook’s tiny display using this guide.
16. How to Upgrade the Memory in Your Netbook: Use this guide to find out how to upgrade your netbook’s memory.
17. How to: Become a Linux Netbook Power User: Follow this guide, and you’ll learn how to make the most out of your Linux netbook.
18. How to Multi Task With Your Netbook: This article explains the fine art of multitasking on a netbook.
19. How to Add Memory to MSI Wind Netbook: Give your MSI Wind a little bit more power with better memory.

Tools

These tools are excellent pieces of software that work well with, or are specificially designed for, netbooks.

1. Mesh: With Mesh, you’ll be able to keep your netbook synced up with the rest of your life.
2. BatteryBar: Use BatteryBar to get a useful and accurate battery meter for your Windows netbook.
3. TinyResMeter: Make use of this application to track your system resources.
4. GNOME: GNOME is a popular Linux desktop that is lightweight enough for a netbook.
5. Firefox: Firefox offers a safe, reliable web browser that’s handy for netbooks.
6. Abiword: This small and easy word processor is fully featured and great for netbooks.
7. VLC Media Player: The VLC Media Player is a lightweight, free, and open source media player that makes good use of netbook resources.
8. SyncToy: Using SyncToy, you can keep folders between your netbook and notebook or PC automatically synced.
9. Zoho: Zoho’s suite of online productivity apps is entirely online, saving you precious system resources.
10. Gnumeric: Download this free application to get powerful spreadsheets on your netbook.
11. KDE: Use the K Desktop Environment to get a slick desktop environment with useful applications.
12. FFdshow: With FFdshow, you’ll get all of the codecs you need for just about any audio and video codecs.
13. SharpKeys: Remap the keys on your netbook to exactly where you’d like them to be by using SharpKeys.
14. RocketDock: RocketDock is an animated and easy to use application launcher that’s ideal for netbooks.
15. Photoscape: Photoshop is generally out of the question on netbooks for its large footprint, but the Photoscape image editor offers minimal editing for netbooks.
16. Ubuntu Netbook Remix: Ubuntu Netbook Remix offers an optimized version of Ubuntu, specifically made to work well on netbooks.
17. Eeebuntu: Eeenuntu offers a custom launcher for quick application access in Netbook Remix.
18. OpenOffice: Download this free suite of lightweight but useful office applications.
19. TweakUI: Use TweakUI to customize Windows XP to fit on your small netbook screen.
20. GMABooster: GMABooster offers a bit of a boost for your netbook’s graphics chip without sacrificing too much battery life.
21. PortableApps: Find free and open source apps that are perfect for netbooks with PortableApps.
22. Foxit Reader: Foxit Reader offers a more lightweight PDF reader for netbooks.
23. Virtual Desktop Manager: With the Virtual Desktop Manager, you can create up to four virtual desktops in order to keep things manageable on your small screen.
24. Google Chrome: Download Google’s lightweight browser to get speed and versatility.
25. Meshwrite: Meshwrite is great for netbooks because it uses as much of your screen as possible.
26. LXDE: The Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment will give you a fast, energy saving Linux desktop.
27. Xplorer2: Use this highly configurable file manager to take advantage of your netbook’s small screen and trackpad.

Tech-no-media: Linux Netbooks: 3 paths to a bright future

Last week I made a summary of the current state of the Linux netbook market. Today I will show you that Linux netbooks are at a crossroad. They can reach a bright future and a significant market presence through 3 different paths: the smartbook path, the cheap path and the power path. I will explain how each path will lead the Linux netbook to market dominance in a specific niche.
The smartbook path

As I explained previously Qualcomm, Nvidia and other manufacturers of ARM based processors are releasing processors powerful enough to power a netbook. This is effectively starting a war with Intel and it's Atom processor. Netbooks based on ARM designs have many advantages over Atom based ones: they will be much lighter, have longer battery life and cost less. Even if these processors are less powerful than the Atom, they have acceleration circuits for video decoding, so with the right driver they should still be able to play HD video better than an Atom based machine.

This is entirely to the benefit of Linux, as the ARM based processors can only run Linux, Symbian or Windows CE. Since Windows CE is rather a bad product with poor third party application support Linux alternatives like Android or the ARM versions of Ubuntu and Xandros should be able to get a large part of the market. Linux may be coming late to this market however: The netbook version of Google Android will probably not be ready until next year, and the ARM versions of Ubuntu and Xandros are still new and unproven. It is probable that the first machines will come with Windows CE, but that these will be replaced by Linux based machines next year.
The cheap path

As Caitlyn Martin pointed out recently, the price of entry level Linux netbooks is dropping to incredible lows! You can now get a basic Linux netbook for less than $200. The original Sylvania GNET is now selling for around $179 on Amazon. Last week I pointed you to other excellent deals on Linux netbooks. As these little machines become more and more commoditized the prices will have to drop, and the price of the Windows license will be harder and harder to justify. This will be especially true for subsidized netbooks, as the network operators will want the cheapest option possible and may not see much added value in Windows.

Microsoft has no intention of lowering it's prices, in fact most rumors suggest that Windows 7 starter will cost twice as much as Windows XP to OEMs. This means that the netbook manufacturers will be forcer to increase the price of their Windows based products. This will widen the price gap between Linux and Windows based netbooks even more. If you add the fact that Linux netbooks require less resources than their Windows counterparts to deliver a smooth user experience you have a situation were Linux based netbooks will be ideally placed to sell as cheap companion machines. Windows netbooks on the other hand will look more and more like expensive and underpowered mini laptops. Cheap subsidized netbooks have another advantage: since the 3G network operators have their own "Brick and Mortar" shops this will create an extra outlet for Linux netbooks on which Microsoft has little control.

The power path

The two paths above are nice if what the buying public wants is a companion machine, but a lot of people would prefer to have a netbook that could replace their notebook. Microsoft however has been kind enough to provide a trump card to Linux in the power user market too. You see, Microsoft has put a lot of unreasonable restrictions on the hardware that can be sold with Windows 7 starter edition. This mean that Windows based netbooks are very limited in HDD space, memory and performance. Microsoft is doing this to try to push consumers toward much more expensive machines featuring pricier editions of Windows 7.
The result however is that Linux based netbooks can be much more powerful than their Windows equivalent. Archos recently released in France an Ubuntu netbook with a 500 Gb HDD and 2 GBs of ram. Because of Microsoft's restrictions such a powerful machine could not be sold with Windows 7 starter or Windows XP. This means that for the mini PC enthusiast that wants a powerful machines with lots of local storage the only option is in fact Linux! This has the added advantage that power users mostly shop online, removing the "Brick and Mortar shop" barrier is mentioned last week.

Conclusion

As we have seen there are a lot of ways for Linux netbooks to assert their superiority to Windows based machines, but there is work to do. For the smartbook path to realize the ARM compatible Linux distributions will have to be more polished than Windows CE, feature a lot of extra software and be available soon. The cheap netbooks will need to be sold in the high street as well as online, something that is not the case now. More power Linux netbooks need to be released, as the Archos is currently available only in France. On the whole I am optimistic though, as the failure of one path does not necessarily means the failure of the others! There will be at least one path that will successfully lead Linux netbooks to their bright future

What is the best netbook computer for internet (wireless)?

Best Netbook. Well my family as well as you have been seeking for netbooks you saw acer's netbook during costco i consider you have been meddlesome in it. But you do not know how able it is to wireless internet. So… ...

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How to Pick and Shop for The Best Netbook

 

Shopping for netbooks is a relatively painless task if you follow all the steps to the letter. While some people may want to make it all complex, it needn’t be. There are a couple of ways to figure out what is the best netbook for your situation. This is the first step to undertake before figuring out what netbook brands and models to choose and from which retailers.

The first question that you should ask yourself in order to get the best notebook is why you need a mini-notebook in the first place.

Do you need to browse the Internet and check your email during your daily long commute between work (or school) and home (I know of people who take an hour and a half to get to work by train and need a way to kill time)? Do you simply need a new computer? Are you opting for netbooks because they’re the cheapest types of notebooks? Are you buying it as a gift for your teenage daughter or son who needs to be as cool as the other kids?

I could go on about the questions to ask yourself to determine the best netbook notebook but hopefully you get the point. If you’re know what you want and why you want it, selecting the right brand and model will be a piece of cake.

For instance, if money is no issue and in your world image is everything, you could go all out and get the Apple MacBook Air. On the other hand, if you just need a computer for the cottage to check emails, browse the web and edit documents on an infrequent basis, then you can go for the cheapest netbook on the market. For example, at the time of this writing, the cheapest netbook at Amazon.com is the Asus Eee PC 4G that goes for US$ 256.

At $256 is that a steal or what (assuming you're rather comfy with Linux!)?

Most people that I speak to who are looking at buying the best netbook usually tell me that they want to check email, surf the net, work on documents, transfer some music to and from their iPods via iTunes and watch the odd Grey’s Anatomy “acquired” from various download means.

That’s the average computer user and you probably are one of them.

Now it’s really all about your budget and how much you’re willing to dish out to buy a netbook notebook. My advice is to settle with the best selling brands and models. That’s because the pricing is better but also the more people use a given netbook, the more accessories there will be for it on the market and the more help you are going to find should something go wrong.

You can imagine that if you buy a netbook that’s only owned by a hundred people on earth, you will be in a predicament should you need some help as opposed to the person who purchased a netbook that has be sold to millions.

The reliable brands of netbooks that you should first look into are: Acer, Asus, Dell, Lenovo, HP, MSI, Samsung and of course Apple. From there, you can choose the models that you fancy the most or that you can afford.

If money is really an issue and you’re a budget, there are still many ways to buy the best netbook for really cheap. I will write about that in future articles but for now, know that you could even get the MacBook Air, a ridiculously high priced notebook in my opinion, for a really low price if you follow the tips that I will share with you in the future.

For now though, figure out what is that you need and what you want and you will have accomplished the first step in getting the best netbook computer for you. The next step is to figure out the brands and models of the various notebooks.

Best Netbook Computer Systems. So What Is A Netbook Anyways?

 

A Netbook is a newer type of laptop computer system which pretty much falls into a super small notebook category. We like to call Netbooks a go anywhere computer for they are small enough to fit in a purse or backpack with ease and the typical Netbook is actually fairly rugged too so it can take a bit of day to day punishment. Expect this to change with time of course for the best Netbook computer systems are becoming more and more powerful. In fact at the time of this writing it now looks as if Windows Vista's successor Windows 7 is going to be available on Netbooks. That's the beauty with the computer industry, it's constantly evolving and we're happy to see these super small number crunching machines evolving with the rest of the industry.

Netbooks as we briefly mentioned are much smaller than other notebooks, typically they have 9 and 10 inch screens, and weigh anywhere from 2 to 5 pounds. They also sport smaller keyboards and touchpads of course because of their size, but we're happy to say keyboards are between 75 and 95 percent of a typical laptop keyboard. In our opinion it just doesn't make sense for a full featured laptop doesn't cost much more if not within the same price range as a Netbook on the highest end of the price scale. Afterall to find the best netbook computer you are going to really want to pay special attention to price. PCMCIA upgrade slots are also often missing on even the best Netbook computer systems and most if not all lack a generic 56k modem too which isn't really a big deal to most users but may suck for some of you who may potentially travel to a remote vacation sport or what not.

Many Netbooks include the newer hard drive called a SSD or Solid State Drive. In brief a Solid State Drive uses flash memory to store your data opposed to a traditional hard drive which uses a mechanical motor that drives spinning magnetic platters for data storage. Keep in mind SolidState drives have limited storage capacity but in tradeoff are faster and offer more shock protection in the event of a drop etc. See our Laptop Hard Drive Buying Guide for more details on this cool tech. Many Netbooks typically offer pretty decent battery life which is another big selling point to pay attention to when shopping. Remember cheaper isn't always your best option with Netbooks, so look around if good battery life is an important feature for you.

We recommend you check out our Asus Eee PC 1000he laptop review. Asus claims their Netbook achieves up to 9.5 hours and since Asus pretty much started the Netbook revolution in 2007 with their Eee PC we definitely recommend you take a close look at thier Eee line of Netbooks. Because a Netbook is such a small portable don't expect miracles, the typical Netbook screen resolution at the time of this writing is 1024x600 pixels. Plus laptop manufacturers have taken to these little guys and thus you have so many choices available from top name manufacturers including Dell, Asus, Gateway, HP, Toshiba, LG, Lenovo, and so many more.

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Netbooks - Information and Reviews: Which is Best Netbook Computer?

Netbooks - Which is the Best Netbook? Are you looking for the best Netbook? There are dozens, if not hundreds to choose from. At the Asus site alone they have around 30 netbooks to choose from. So I will make your life easier. According to PC Mag and PC World the best netbook is the Asus EeePC 1000HE. Because it features the first Intel Atom N280 processor a six-cell battery, and a new keyboard, but above all because it is not expensive!

The Asus EeePC 1000HE looks like most other glossy netbooks. It comes in blue or black, like the MSI Wind, Acer Aspire One (10-inch), and Samsung NC10-14GB. It is heavier than the Aspire One, the MSI Wind, and the NC10-14GB by about 5 ounces. It also has extended battery life - a vast improvement on the EeePC 1000H. The mouse buttons have been placed below the touchpad instead of either side of it unlike the HP Mini 2140 and are a lot larger than those of the MSI WInd and the Aspire One. You can scroll up and down using two fingers and right-click with 3 fingers. It has 3 USB ports, VGA-0ut, a webcam, an Ethernet port, a 4-in-1 card reader, and 802.11n Wi-Fi---standard netbook features. The only real advance compared to other netbooks is built-in Bluetooth. It is the first netbook with the 1.66-GHz Intel Atom N280 processor.

ASUS has included an overclocking feature, the same as the EeePC 1002HA you can choose between Super Performance, Auto, High Performance, and Power Saving mode via an application key above the keyboard. The real advantage of the N280 processor is it takes up less space on the motherboard and thus allows the netbook to be slimmer. The 63-Wh battery rating of the 1000HE is higher than the 58-Wh of the Samsung NC10-14GB and the 48-Wh rating of the Dell Mini 12. I believe that the best notebook is the Macbook Air from Apple.

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Tech-no-media: How to choose the best netbook computer?

 

Choosing the best netbook computer based on your intended usage is very different from choosing the best notebook computer. In the notebook world there are many screen sizes, price points and processor speeds. If judged by notebook standards all netbooks look the same: same 9 to 10 inch screen, same 1.6 GHz Atom processors, same $300 to $500 price point.
How do you choose best netbook computer when at first glance all products look the same?
Well, they look the same from a notebook buyer's point of view, but from the netbook buyer's perspective they are very different! To find the best netbook computer for your intended usage you need to take several new factors into account. Forget screen size or processor speed, here is what you need to pay attention to:

HDD or SSD?
Unlike notebooks, netbooks are not supposed to store huge amount of data locally but are expected to be more resistant and shock proof than their bigger brothers. As a result some netbook computers use an SSD instead of a mechanical HDD. Ask yourself: How do I intend to use my netbook? do I plan on storing a lot of data on it or just to use it to access the web? If for you mobility is more important than local storage then the best netbook computer for you is one fitted with an SSD. If local storage is more important for you then a mechanical HDD is better.

Linux, Windows XP or Windows 7?
Notebooks usually come installed with some flavor of Windows because they are full multi purpose machines that are expected to run most available commercial software, and they have enough processing power to accommodate Windows demands anyway. On a netbook computer that will perform a limited number of tasks however I think that Linux is the best solution: it does not requires an antivirus and requires less resources to run than Windows, which is great on netbooks with low power processors like the Atom. Some Linux distributions like Ubuntu netbook remix also offer interfaces optimized for a netbook's small screen and a good selection of internet and media related software. Windows XP on the other hand is compatible with most commercial software but requires an antivirus and uses more resources. Windows 7 is only recommended for netbooks with a mechanical HDD and more than 1 GB of memory (this post explains why you shouldn't use Windows 7 on SSD netbooks). On the flip side Windows 7 manages the computer energy consumption better than Linux, which may improve battery life.
Conclusion: if you want a netbook mainly to access the internet or want a netbook with an SSD, the best netbook computer for you uses Linux as it's OS. If you want a true multi purpose machine to replace a notebook you may want to choose Windows as your netbook's OS.

Keyboad size?
unlike a notebook, a netbook usually has a reduced size keyboard. Not all netbooks are created equal in this respect however. The first EEE PC netbooks had very small, poor quality keys that were very unpleasant to use. Later models like the MSI Wind U100 that I currently use have keyboards similar to most notebooks, only the keys are slightly smaller. Some newer netbook prototypes have keys that seems to be raised from the surface of the computer, like on some mac notebooks, and these are supposed to be even better. If you intend to use the computer to type a lot the best netbook computer for you must have a decent mac-like or notebook-like keyboard! The following article should help you choose a good keyboard if you don't know what to look for.

Extras?
Some netbook computers have special features that may make them more interesting to some peoples. For example the Dell Inspiron mini 9 has a fanless cooling system, which means that the computer is completely silent if fitted with an SSD. The disadvantage is that the computer keyboard can get warm, something that you may consider unpleasant. The MSI Wind U100 has a BIOS feature that allows the Atom processor to be overclocked to 2GHz when running on mains power. This makes this netbook the best netbook computer for those who need a fast machine. These extras can have a big impact on your choice if they fulfill a specific requirement that you have.

Conclusion?
As you can see there are many factors that can influence your choice of what is the best netbook computer. These factors depend a lot on the usage you intend to make of the computer, so that point should be clear from the start. If you mainly intend to surf a netbook with an SSD and running Linux like the dell Inspiron Mini, the Acer Aspire One 110 or the EEE PC 901 are good contenders for the title of best netbook computer. If you want more of a notebook replacement machine with lots of storage the Acer Aspire One 250, the MSI Wind or the Samsung NC10 are good choices.