Mini Laptop or Netbook Computers-- A Step Forward ... Or a Step Back

Mini notebook computers have been around for some time without much success in the marketplace. A few years back Intel had a vision of what they call a mobile internet device (MID). It was remarkably like the existing netbooks. To power the MIDs, Intel developed the Atom processor. Atom processors are less expensive embedded in an Intel motherboard. These motherboards are 6.5 by 6.5 inches and have integrated sound and graphics This allows a square 9 inch d1splay. Since displays are currently not square, the actual mini laptops are generally 6.75 by 9.25 inches or larger. The mini laptop will weigh about 2.5 pounds. Battery life is listed at 4 hours or more. A 15.4 inch laptop will generally measure about 10 by 14 inches and weigh about 6 pounds. Battery life will be l1sted at 2.5 hours or more.

PROS

• Mini laptop computers can be less expensive than other portable computers.
• The mini laptop computers with Intel Atom processors are powerful enough to run Windows XP and Microsoft Office.
• The solid state drives available on many find files faster and more shock (physical) resistant than standard drives and the standard drives are big enough for almost everything.
• The displays are larger than Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), i-phones, or other internet enabled cel phones--so are the keyboards.
• Some come with the hardware you need to connect to a mobile broadband provider and all have a way to connect some version of the hardware (a dedicated port or USB).
• Mini notebooks are smaller and lighter.
• They are cool, hip, chic, fresh or whatever term you want to use.

CONS

• The solid state drives that come in many mini laptops are small (16GB or less). Windows XP, Windows Media Player 11 and Microsoft Office Professional 2002 are well over 4GB
• The displays generally have lower resolution than laptop computers.
• The graphics generally are not as good as notebook computers although they ae getting better.
• Reviewers who have tried to run multiple office applications say they are deadly slow. You don't need to do that very often though.
• Keyboards are smaller and some people have problems using them.
• No DVD/CD burner or player is included.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Many of the least expensive mini laptop computers run a version of Linux, not windows, as their operating system. Most people will have problems sharing files between a system that runs Windows and one that doesn't. A windows based model can be had for under $200. You need the optical drive to play or rip music from CDs or watch DVDs and to restore your operating system (not unheard of with windows) if something goes badly wrong. I thought most people would probably want one, even if they weren't going to take it everywhere with them. You can get one for $40. The net book and DVD burner cost about $230.

If you were in line all night black Friday and were lucky you could get a laptop for about $300 it would have been a little faster.

Both computers have wireless g network cards.

If you want mobile broadband you can get a net book at a serious discount with your mobile data contract.

You should be able to find an Acer or Asus netbook with a 160GB hard drive for $250 in a big electroncs store most of the time. Don't be put off if you don't recognize the names Asus and Acer. They are both major manufacturers in the laptop market world-wide. Asus has been the driving force behind the development of the netbook market. MSI has also been a market leader. There is a pretty good chance you can get the mobile broadband hardware for close to free from the provider, but you'll need to sign a two year contract for about $60 a month.

The Netbook page of one of the retailers I looked at to get price information will tell you that netbooks look like laptops but don't have the full capabilities of a computer. They also say that they are great for travel or as a supplement to your main computer. A mini laptop is marginally suitable as a primary computer for someone who doesn't use their laptop computer at work or school. If you mostly use a notebook to download music and load it onto your mp-3 player, e-mail your friends, and surf the net you might get by. You better not be into games and better not do any number crunching or complicated word-processing.

A mini laptop, a netbook, a mini notebook, or mini computers are in the same price range as i-phones. One netbook review said that it was easier to surf the net with the bigger display and keyboard of the netbook, but you couldn't make phone calls.

If I was a cynical person who didn't believe in the innate goodness of my fellow men, I might say it wasn't a coincidence that the recent push towards netbooks happened at the same time as prices on laptop computers and desktop computers rose for no apparent reason. I could interpret it as an attempt by the computer and chip manufacturers to put a new bottom on the market so profit margins on traditional mainstream computers could be increased. That has been done before.

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