Best mini notebook computers – reviews and deals

In these last years, there’s a real tendency towards smaller and more portable netbook computers all around the world. A couple of years ago people gave up desktops for laptops, not they are giving those up for what are now called netbooks.

What are these? Well, mini notebook computers, usually with screens between 7 to 13 inch, good battery life, low size and weight and affordable price tags. Here you can find more specific details on what a netbook is. In fact, these are out-of-the box ready to use sub-laptops, less powerful, but still good enough for standard everyday activities (web-surfing, chatting, watching movies, listening to music, etc ). And since most people don’t do complicated stuff with their laptops, no wonder these types of machines have seen quite a boom in the last couple of years.

I for one have been an IT editor for some time and had the chance to seen many such sub-notebooks in action. That’s way I was able to understand them at their full potential and, even though I was very reticent at first, I currently own such a Toshiba mini notebook PC.

In the next paragraphs I’ll try to share with you some of my experiences with mini laptops and offer you a list with what I consider to be the best mini netbooks on the market at the moment (late 2009). I won’t make a top, because I’ll include devices for different types of users and it would be quite unfair to say that a 2000 bucks laptop is better than a $300 one. Still, remember that these are only my recommendation, based on:

• my previous personal experience with these portable laptops
• features/price rapport
• reviews received by these products from their owners on forums and shops

Of course, some statements could be considered subjective, but I will still try to keep the list as objective as possible in order to make it really useful for you folks reading it. I musty add that I mostly chose gadgets with 13 inch screen sizes, because I for one find anything below that very hard to use for a longer period of time. But enough with the yabady yabada, let’s get to business.

Small and affordable mini notebooks

Asus 1005HA – probably the best 10 inch netbook

The Asus 1005HA is one of the most popular 10″ netbooks on the market right now. I for one like it a lot, because:

• it houses standard netbook hardware (1.66 GHz Atom CPU, 1 GB of RAM, 160 GB hard-drive)
• is well built and good looking, comes in different colored versions
• brings Wi-fi n, Bluetooth and even 3G on some versions
• is small and light (around 2.8 pounds) enough to carry around, but still big and powerful enough for you to do your job with it
• is cheap, as it costs somewhere between $350 to $380, according to features and shops.

And of course, there would be many things to add but you’d better read this detailed review of the Asus 1005HA for more info.

Dell Inspiron 11Z – 11.6″ inch mini laptop and a little bit more power

Small netbooks are usually quite sluggish from time to time, that’s why many will enjoy the better hardware on the 11.6 inch Dell Inspiron 11Z mini notebook. A device that also looks quite good, as you can see from the picture, being available in many different colors.

There are lots of customization options offered by Dell for this laptop, and even if the base model starts from $399, by adding a dual core CPU, 4 GB of RAM and Wi-Fi n/Bluetooth can easily take you to around $700.

Of course, the extra performance is greatly appreciated, by I for one am not that sure I’m willing to pay that much for a netbook, especially since, for a somewhat similar price, I can choose a laptop from the next class.

But, if you want a smaller laptop capable of running well Windows 7 and almost any standard application, without that awkward lag seen on Atom powered devices, than this Dell Inspiron 11Z is surely one of your best choices.

Portable mini laptops for regular buyers

Asus UL30A – my favorite 13.3″ notebook under 1000 bucks

I had the chance to test the UL30A for a couple of days and I’m almost 90% sure this will be my next portable mini notebook PC. And that’s something, because I for one am extremely picky and rarely like a product as a whole without finding some negative aspects. Of course, the UL30A for Asus is not perfect, it heats a little bit, screen is quite glossy and the 0.3 MPx webcam is very poor. But, these are down-points I can live with.

Cause there are also lots of strong points:

• high end hardware for a portable device: dual core CULV processor, 4 GB of RAM, 500 GB hard-drive
• slick looking with a nice brushed aluminum cover, while being also pretty slim
• top notch connectivity: Wi-fi n, Bluetooth, 3G modem
• up to 12 hours battery life
• good keyboard, decent keypad, good sound system

Prices are somewhere between $599 to around $899 . This laptop is fresh on the market and there aren’t many versions available yet, and especially not the high end ones. More details you can read in my thorough mini notebook review of the Asus UL30A .

And like I said, I’m just waiting for the winter sales period and hopefully I might get a Cyber Monday Deal and chip one or two hundreds of bucks from the current price.

Acer Aspire 3810T – almost everything you’d want in a mini notebook laptop

If I didn’t had a fixed (and nowadays wrong) idea about Acer laptops (because of some experiences with Acer devices 5 or 6 years ago), I could say the Acer Aspire 3810T is as good as the Asus above. They are acutally like twins: similar size and weight, similar screen size, similar hardware.

In fact, the Aspire 3810T has a keyboard I find a little bit more comfortable than the one on the UL30A with independent metallic feel keys . But, battery life is poorer and I can even say the speakers on the Acer are not a match for those on the Asus.

However, the Aspire 3810T is fierce in terms of prices, being cheaper than the UL30A, but not by much. It had the advantage of being one of the first in his class of affordable and performance 13.3″ inch ultra-portable mini notebooks and customers received it very well.

The high end version of this Acer mini netbook, the Aspire 3810T, a model that brings the U9400 dual core CPU and only lacks 3G, retails right now for $799 on Amazon and has a 5 out of 5 mark from previous buyers. What else can I say… ?

Upper class devices for upper prices

Macbook Air – Steve’s thin ace

If you’re an Apple fan or if you just want a stylish and very thin portable 13.3 inch laptop, than you should take a look at the Macbook Air. In terms of aspect and build quality, there’s not much you could not like on this Apple toy. However, in terms of features and price…

Hardware specs are pretty good, at least those of the top version: an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.13 GHz processor, 2 GB of RAM, Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics and a 128GB SSD storage drive. Wi-Fi n and Bluetooth 2.1 are present, while the entire system uses the Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard operating system.

However, I for one am not satisfied at all with battery life, that runs around 4.5 hours. And also, available output options are rubbish: only one USB port and a mini Display port . That’s just not enough for me, as I use a mouse most of the time and an external hard-drive, plus the VGA output to connect the mini notebook to a projector in the conference room.

In terms of price, the high end version with the above features starts from $1799 on Apple store (but costs only $1700 on Amazon), while there is also a cheaper model from $1499 . Still, quite expensive for what is has to offer, especially considering that even though the device is very slim (0.76 inches on its thickest point), it’s not at all low-profile but actually quite as big as an ordinary 15 inch laptop. But hey, this Air is just a classic Apple product, so if you’re a fan, go for it.

Sony Vaio Z – my portable dream

Like the Macbook Air above, the Sony Vaio Z is no ordinary mini netbook computer for ordinary people. But unlike Steve’s product, this Vaio really brings the best you can get on such a device, but of course, with a price. You’ll just see in the rows bellow these are not just plain words, because here’s what the Vaio Z has to offer:

• Intel P9600 2.66 GHz CPU, which is in fact one of the most powerful CPUs available for portable devices at the moment. This is not a Low voltage processor from the SU series, but a high performance P one.
• 4 GB of RAM, 320 GB hard-drive or 256 SSD storage drive
• hybrid graphics: integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD and Nvidia 9300M GS
• internal Blu-ray optical drive
• 13.1 inch screen LED lit (with XBRITE-DuraView technology) – and there’s no point in talking about how good this screen is. You just have to see it live and you’ll surely love it.
• Bluetooth, Wi-fi n, 3G, they are all here.
• brings one of the best chiclet style keyboards on a portable device

You might wonder if you would need such power on a portable device. I wonder that too, especially since the high end version of the Sony Vaio Z retails for a whopping 2800 bucks. There are some cheaper versions of course, but they still start from around $1700.

But, if money are not a problem and you want perhaps the most powerful portable device on the market right now and not an ordinary device, but a Vaio, then the Z is definitely a choice. For me (and perhaps many others), it’s just a dream, as its predecessor Sony Vaio SZ was and its follower will probably will still be.

And the final words

And that’s about it. Of course, there are some other mini notebook computers that could make it in this top also. The low priced Acer Aspire One AOD150 , the high tech Nokia Booklet 3G or the stylish Dell Adamo are just some of them. In the end, it’s hard to say what’s the best mini netbook because there’s no such thing, there are just mini laptops that better or worse fit your needs, tastes and budget. So, when shopping for such devices, just make a list with must haves and optional features you would like and then, according to your budget, choose one from the mini notebooks that met the requirements.

Don’t forget to check reviews on forums and even shops (Amazon or Newegg have customers reviews on products, and those are very helpful).

And of course, you can always ask for any advices regarding these mini notebook PCs here, by leaving a comment bellow. I and maybe some of the other readers will gladly give you a helping hand.

Tags: mini notebooks, netbooks