Top Netbooks For All Budgets, What's Your Pick?

The fact, that most netbooks offer the same performance and functionality, isn’t news for anyone because of two aspects. One, netbooks use more or less the same hardware across brands, and secondly, the next-gen CPUs, Intel’s Pine Trail platform doesn’t offer ground breaking performance, when compared with the previous netbook CPUs. Yes, if you compare them with a dual-core netbook and better graphics, then you have a winner, but that’s still a minority, and the comparison really isn’t fair, because the price difference is too much, almost double.

In this article, we aren’t comparing netbooks only in terms of hardware or performance, instead, let’s take a look at a variety of them, where some offer excellent value for money, some deliver excellent performance, and some strike a good balance.

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Samsung N150

• Dimensions (WxHxD): 10.4 x 1.37 x 7.4 mm
• Weight: 1.23 Kg
• Processor: Intel Atom N450, 1.66 GHz
• Memory: 1 GB DDR2
• HDD: 160 GB
• Graphics: Intel GMA 3150
• Screen: 10.1-inch
• Connectivity: 10/100 Ethernet, Wi-Fi N.
• Battery: 5 hours 32 minutes
• Operating system: Windows 7 Starter ( our test unit came with XP SP3 )
• Price: Rs 18,802

There are netbooks with the same hardware at a cheaper price, but considering the aesthetics of this one, the price is decent. Here’s an excerpt from our review, ‘if this netbook featured a dual-core Atom, we would have given more importance to the performance part, but in this case, it’s really the overall look, design and aesthetics that make this machine stand out.’ However, if you want the same functionality and performance as the N150 but a more plain Jane appearance, the Acer eMachines em350 could be the answer.

Acer eMachines em350

• Dimensions (W x H x D): 258.31 x 25.14 x 184.91mm
• Weight: 1.10 kg
• Processor: Intel Atom N450, 1.66 GHz
• Memory: 1 GB DDR2
• HDD: 160 GB
• Graphics: Intel GMA 3150
• Screen: 10.1-inch glossy (1024 x 600)
• Connectivity: 10/100 Ethernet, Wi-Fi N
• Battery: 6 hours 25 minutes
• Operating system: Linux
• Price: Rs 15,824

Although our test unit came with pre-installed Windows 7, Acer confirmed that there is no Windows variant yet. Here’s an excerpt from our review, ‘the highlight of the em350 is, the slim form factor and light weight. Merely an inch in thickness and weighing slightly over a kilo, this netbook comes very close to the EeePC Seashell in terms of portability and slimness (not style). Another strong point is the ergonomics, where the keyboard reminds us of the Dell Mini 10, large keys and touchpad, comfortable to type, except that the mouse clicks are slightly tacky.’

Lenovo Ideapad S-10 3

• Dimensions (W x H x D): 248.31 x 21 x 182 mm
• Weight: 990 gms
• Processor: Intel Atom N450/N455, 1.66 GHz
• Memory: 1 GB DDR2/DDR3
• HDD: 250 GB
• Graphics: Intel GMA 3150
• Screen: 10.1-inch glossy (1024 x 600)
• Connectivity: 10/100 Ethernet, Wi-Fi N
• Battery: 4 hours 20 minutes
• Operating system: Windows 7 Starter
• Price: Rs 17,891

There are three variants , the starting price is Rs 17,485, where the machine is powered by an Atom N475 CPU, and comes with Windows XP and a 160 GB hard drive.

Dell Inspiron Mini 10 (S541040IN8)

• Dimensions (W x H x D): 266.7 x 33 x 198.12 mm
• Weight: 1.36 kg
• Processor: Intel Atom N450, 1.66 GHz
• Memory: 1 GB DDR2
• HDD: 250 GB
• Graphics: Intel GMA 3150
• Screen: 10.1-inch glossy (1024 x 600)
• Connectivity: 10/100 Ethernet, Wi-Fi b/g
• Battery: Over 8 hours
• Operating system: Genuine Windows 7 Starter 32-bit
• Price: Rs 17,900
• Bundle: Microsoft Office Starter 2010 (pre-loaded)

The base price for the Mini 10 is about Rs 15,400 (for the Linux variant), and then there are two other variants, one with Windows XP (Rs 16,900 and same hardware) and one with Windows 7 but 2 GB RAM (Rs 21,400).
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Asus EeePC 1201N

• Dimensions (W x H x D): 297.18 x 33 x 208.28 mm
• Weight: 1.4 kg
• Processor: Intel Atom N330, 1.60 GHz
• Memory: 2 GB DDR2
• HDD: 250 GB
• Graphics: Nvidia Ion (GeForce 9400m)
• Screen: 12.1-inch glossy (1366 x 768)
• Connectivity: Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi N and Bluetooth
• Battery: 3 hours 43 minutes
• Operating system: Genuine Windows 7 Starter
• Price: Rs 29,000

This is the most powerful netbook we’ve tested yet, here’s the full review. Even the Asus EeePC 1201T, which is powered by an AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 CPU and ATI Radeon Graphics, seems promising, and that too at around Rs 22,000.

Asus EeePC 1005P

• Dimensions (W x H x D): 262 x 36.5 x 178 mm
• Weight: 1.27 kg
• Processor: Intel Atom N450, 1.66 GHz
• Memory: 1 GB DDR2
• HDD: 160 / 250 / 320 GB
• Graphics: Intel GMA 3150
• Screen: 10.1-inch glossy (1024 x 600)
• Connectivity: Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi N
• Battery: Over 10 hours
• Operating system: Genuine Windows 7 Starter
• Price: Rs 21,945

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HP Mini 110-3000tu**

• Dimensions (W x H x D): 268 x 32 x 194 mm
• Weight: 1.23 kg
• Processor: Intel Atom N455, 1.66 GHz
• Memory: 1 GB DDR2
• HDD: 160 GB
• Graphics: Intel GMA 3150
• Screen: 10.1-inch glossy (1024 x 600)
• Connectivity: Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi N and Bluetooth
• Operating system: Genuine Windows 7 Starter
• Price: Rs 19,417

These are just a few models that we’ve handpicked to show you as to how netbooks have changed over a year, mainly in terms of hardware and pricing. For example, the Intel Atom Z530 variant of the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 was for Rs 24,900. And today, you get a netbook of a similar size, slick form factor, same weight and ergonomics, but twice as powerful (hint: EeePC 1201N) in almost the same price. So there’s no denying that despite the similarity in hardware, netbooks on the whole have sprung to a different level.

Here’s another example of added functionality, Acer has announced that the new Aspire 532 H comes with Reliance Netconnect Broadband Plus Service . Powered by an Intel Atom N450 CPU, and featuring 1 GB RAM, a 160 GB hard drive and Windows XP, the machine is priced at Rs 19,499 (taxes extra). So you can see how, under a 20K price mark, you can actually stay connected 24/7 and get your work done on the go seamlessly, that’s what netbooks are meant for.

You might be planning to buy a netbook soon, or you might be even using one of the above mentioned models or variants. In the comments section, let us know which netbook you are using or planning to buy and why you would choose a specific model. Let us know your preference. Is it performance, portability and connectivity, battery life or sheer budget?