Christmas 2009 Netbook Guide
This Christmas is shaping up to be the Christmas of the Netbook. Early reports are finding that netbooks are making up more than 1 in 4 of all portable computer purchases. The choices this year can be overwhelming and there are more netbook choices available from all the top manufacturers.
But which netbook to choose? We hope to make the choice a little easier for you by highlighting the top netbooks in each of the categories below ranging from Budget to ‘Money no object’ and fashion to business to battery life.
Battery: Skip the 3 cell. Look for at least a 4 or 6 cell. Note the maH – average for a 6 cell is 5600mah. Watch out, some 6 cells are down in the 4000maH range.
Screen Size: 10″ screens are still the sweet spot for netbooks. Avoid anything less than 10″, and be aware that 11″ and 12″ screens will bring trade offs in portability and battery life.
Hard Disks: Solid State drives are rare, pricey and have limited storage. Spinning HDDs are still the norm and usually 160gb or 250gb. Watch out for slow 4200RPM drives.
Operating System: Windows 7 is the new OS on the block, but bargains can be had if you choose the older Windows XP.
Now, the best netbooks for Christmas 2009
Best Overall Netbook:
Asus Eee PC 1005HA – Price: £249.99 with Free Shipping at Amazon UK.. Available in Black, White
- The Asus Eee PC 1005HA offes a great mix of buget, performance, style and quality to take the crown of the best ‘all-around’ netbook.
Best Battery Netbook:
Toshiba NB200 – Price: £279.99 with Free Shipping at Amazon UK.. Available in Windows XP: Brown, White Windows 7: Brown, White, Pink, Blue
- With a huge 8.5-9 hour runtime, the Toshiba NB200 balances a huge battery while staying a svelt 1.33kg.
- A Large trackpad. Great build quality & stylish design.
Best Designed Netbook:
Asus Eee PC 1008HA – Price: £254.99with Free Shipping at Amazon UK.. Available in Windows XP: White, Blue, Burgundy Windows 7: Black, Blue, White, Burgundy
- Super slim even with 6 cell battery.
- Seashell inspired design, ultra portable in a stylish 1 inch slim and weighs just 1.1 Kg
Runner-up:
Best Budget Netbook:
Samsung N130 – Price: £229.99 with Free Shipping at Amazon UK. Available in Windows XP: Black, White , Pink, Blue
- A netbook on a budget, without compromise on quality. Execellent build quality from one of the top and original names in Netbooks : Samsung.
- Slim and elegant chassis accentuated with unique colours and tactile styling
- Great Keyboard, rugged and durable design.
Runner-up: Acer Aspire D250 £221.25
Best Hackintosh Netbook:
Dell Mini 10v – Price: £229 at Dell UK. Available in Windows XP and Windows 7
- Affordable, yet fully specc’d the Dell Mini 10v is a competent performer.
- Ideal for the conversion to a ‘Hackintosh’ netbook: A netbook that runs Apple’s OSX operating system.
- Check out the complete Hackintosh Dell Mini 10 conversion guide here.
Best Business Netbook:
HP MINI 5101 – Price: £304.99 with Free Shipping at Amazon UK.. Available in Windows XP: Black
- Discrete, classy business styling.
- Snappy 7200RPM Sata-2 Hard Disk for quick business application performance
- For mobile professionals who want a lightweight mini PC, with a 10.1-inch diagonal LED-backlit display.
Best Nvidia Ion Netbook:
Compaq Mini 311C – Price: £329.99 with Free Shipping at Amazon UK.. Available in Windows XP: White
- Great Keyboard, large trackpad. Great screen coupled with Nvidia Ion for great graphics capable of 1080p video playback.
- Bright, Crisp 11.6″ Glossy Display
- Bluetooth, 6 Cell battery for up to 6 hours without recharging.
Runer up: Samsung N510 £381.95 - Pricey, but a very capable Nvidia Ion performer.
Best Fashionable Netbook:
Lenovo S10-2 – Price: £266.05 with Free Shipping at Amazon UK. Available in Windows 7: Black, White Windows 7: Brown, White, Pink, Blue
- 12 different lid, sylish designs. Great slim design with 6 cell battery capable of 5-6 hours.
Best ‘Money no object’ Netbook
Sony Vaio X – Price: £1,291.38 with Free Shipping at Amazon UK. Available in Windows 7 Premium: Black
- Uncompromised Design and performance.
- 128GB SSD, Connect Anyhwere with Integrated 3g.
- X-black LCD display with LED for enhanced durability and true-to-life colours
