follow us on twitter or facebook

 “A helpful & lucid review site for all things budget” — the new yorker

Cheap Netbooks, Best Cheap Netbook

Contents Buying Guide » What to Look For » See Also Netbook Reviews

Best Cheap Netbooks Good Cheap Netbooks Acer Aspire One D250 starting at $299 Asus EEE PC 1005HA starting at $292 MSI Wind U100-641 starting at $290 Dell Mini 10v starting at $299 Don't Bother Cheap Netbooks  »

Cheap Netbooks Buying Guide

They're sporty, they're slick, they're oh-so-portable, and they're popping up in college campuses, coffee shops, and airports all over the country. Netbooks are big.

Actually, netbooks are small. Very small. Yet these little wonders are capable of handling most computer tasks, and usually for less than half the cost of even a modestly-priced laptop PC. OK, maybe they're not the best machines for watching high-def movies or playing 3D games, but cheap netbooks are an excellent tool for surfing the Web, checking email, or working on a document while you're on the move.

We set our Cheapism netbooks threshold at a mere $300. Although there aren't a lot of cheap netbooks that slip under this mark, the netbooks we did find for less than $300 are solid systems that users, by and large, really enjoy using. Let's check them out.

Back to top »

What To Look For: Cheap Netbooks Features

Netbooks are similar in design and function to laptops, and that likeness extends to the components. Netbooks, like laptops, have CPUs, hard drives, memory, batteries, and so on. But most parts in low-cost netbooks are lighter, smaller, more energy-efficient versions of what sits inside a laptop.

Cheap Netbooks Operating System.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a brand new laptop running Windows XP, but most inexpensive netbooks run on Windows XP because it doesn't place as much strain on a netbook's battery, memory, or processor as does Windows Vista. Some netbooks run one of the many versions of Linux, but unless you're an experienced Linux user and like to tinker with your OS, Windows XP is a better choice. Before long, you'll likely see a version of Windows 7 cropping up on netbooks, but it may be a while before netbooks with Windows 7 slip into the Cheapism price range.

Cheap Netbooks Processor.

Budget netbook processors are designed to be energy efficient, which helps conserve battery life. One drawback of these processors is that they're not as powerful as the CPUs found in most laptops or desktop PCs. But most users don't use their netbooks to run power-hungry, resource-intensive programs, so this isn't a huge issue.

Intel's Atom processor is the most popular CPU these days. It's found in the majority of netbooks -- including the Acer Aspire One D250 (starting at $299, Amazon), Asus EEE PC 1005HA (starting at $292, Amazon), MSI Wind U100-641 (starting at $290, Amazon), and Dell Mini 10v (starting at $299, Amazon) -- although AMD's Neo is starting to appear in some models. You may occasionally find netbooks outfitted with an Intel Celeron or a Via processor, but PC Magazine's netbook buying guide recommends against picking a netbook with either of those CPUs and suggests opting for one with an Intel Atom processor instead. PC World, in its netbook buying guide, notes there's not a significant difference between Intel and AMD's CPUs, although it says AMD's Neo is slightly faster. Some manufacturers, such as HP, let you upgrade from the Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz CPU to the Intel Atom N280 CPU, which runs at 1.66GHz, for a small price (in HP's case, $25). The processor speeds are so similar, though, that you'd barely notice a boost in performance.

Budget Netbooks Memory.

Laptop buyers typically look for 2GB to 4GB of memory (or RAM) in their systems, but almost all cheap netbooks ship with 1GB of RAM. This is sufficient for most netbook tasks such as Web surfing and working on office documents. However, you can upgrade many netbooks to 2GB of RAM or more for a little extra overhead, which may be useful if you watch online videos or use several applications at the same time; adding 2GB of netbook RAM will cost about $25 to $40. None of the netbook manufacturers in our list let you upgrade a system's memory when placing an order online, so this will be an operation you perform on your own.

Cheap Netbooks Hard Drive.

One of the interesting things about netbooks is that some models use a fancy new SSD (solid-state drive) hard drive, as opposed to the traditional spinning hard drive found in laptops and desktop PCs. SSDs have some advantages and disadvantages compared to spinning hard drives. On the plus side, they're very sturdy, which means you're less likely to damage the drive if you happen to drop your netbook, and you're less likely to lose data (the netbook itself, however, might not fare very well if it slips off your lap). SSDs are also more energy efficient than traditional hard drives, and they process data very quickly. Some netbook manufacturers, such as Dell, offer SSD as an upgrade option when you order from their site; moving up to the 16GB SSD from the basic 160GB hard drive on the Dell Mini 10v will set you back another $30 or so.

On the other hand, SSDs have much less storage space and are more expensive than traditional hard drives. Most low-cost netbooks with regular hard drives can store about 160GB of data, whereas SSDs typically fall in the 16GB to 32GB range. Today's inexpensive netbooks are equipped with traditional spinning hard drives, but as SSD storage sizes increase and prices drop, SSDs should start to appear even in budget netbooks.

Inexpensive Netbooks Screen and Graphics.

Budget netbook screens are wide and have a bit of an odd resolution, typically 1024 x 600 rather than the more familiar 1024 x 768 resolution. Although this widescreen effect would seem great for high-res movies, netbooks aren't the best platform for graphics, which are pretty demanding of a system's graphics hardware. Cheap netbooks have only basic graphics capabilities, usually in the form of a modest Intel video chip. These chips are OK for YouTube videos and the like, but don't expect your netbook to be a high-powered gaming machine. Some hardware manufacturers, such as Nvidia, are creating netbook parts that will boost the graphics power of netbooks, but that's not a primary concern for budget users.

Most inexpensive netbooks feature a glossy screen, which improves the look of the screen when you're indoors. But, as PC World notes in its buying guide, that glossy effect leads to undesirable glare when you take your netbook outdoors. Hothardware.com , in its netbook guide, recommends a matte display to avoid the glare problem. HP's Mini 110 is one of the few netbooks whose display has a matte finish, a feature that netbook reviews on Cnet particularly liked.

Cheap Netbooks Ports/Connectivity.

Budget netbooks are designed to be self-contained units for the most part, but it's still nice to be able to hook up a few things to your netbook. Look for inexpensive netbooks that have at least two, if not three, USB ports; the Acer Aspire One D250, Asus EEE PC 1005HA, MSI Wind U100-641, and Dell Mini 10v all have three ports. Also, any netbook you find on the market should support at least 802.11g connectivity. For Web surfing, an 802.11g connection is sufficient.

Netbooks are too small to incorporate a CD or DVD drive, but you should be able to get by without it. If you feel you must have a CD or DVD drive for your netbook, you can buy an external drive for $30 to $60 that connects to a USB port. Most budget netbooks have a flash card reader so you can easily shuffle files between, for example, your digital camera and your netbook.

Budget Netbooks Input Devices.

Your budget netbook isn't very useful without a keyboard and touchpad, but because 10-inch netbooks are so small, you'll have to get used to using a keyboard that isn't full-sized. Laptopmag.com recommends that you try out a netbook's keyboard and touchpad before buying (if possible), and also recommends a touchpad with two buttons rather than a single button; HP's Mini 110, for example, has touchpad buttons on either side of the touchpad. A netbook's keyboard should feel comfortable and easy to use despite its compact size, and the touchpad should be responsive and easy to manipulate.

Low-cost Netbooks Battery Life.

Bargain netbooks are designed to be used on the go, so its battery life is essential to its functionality. Netbooks do typically include a power cord, however, so if you're using it at home you can stay plugged in. But users usually don't want to be tethered when they're using a netbook. Hothardware.com says that battery life is the single-most important thing you should pay attention to when shopping for a netbook because other netbook features are so similar.

As with laptop PCs, budget netbooks are available with batteries of different sizes. Most inexpensive netbooks include three-cell batteries, though some are outfitted with six-cell batteries. Naturally, the more cells a battery has, the longer it will last between charges. Three-cell batteries can typically power a low-cost netbook for about two to three hours, whereas a six-cell battery will keep your netbook running for up to six hours, and perhaps longer. The Acer Aspire One D250 and Dell Mini 10v are two examples of netbooks with a six-cell battery option.

Keep in mind that the way you use your netbook affects its battery life. If you run several applications at once, you'll drain your battery more quickly than if you run a simple word-processing application.

Back to top »

 

Products Mentioned in This Review

Asus EEE PC 1000HE
Gateway LT2001U
HP Mini 110
MSI Wind U100-641
Dell Mini 10v
Acer Aspire One D250
Asus EEE PC 1005HA

Thrifty Resources

 

Computers & Internet College Textbooks Desktops Digital Photo Printing External Hard Drives Inkjet Printers Laptop Bags Laptops Laser Printers Monitors Multifunction Printers Netbooks Parental Control Software Smartphones Tax Preparation Software VOIP Webcams Wireless Routers

Electronics Blu Ray Players Bluetooth Headsets Camcorders Cordless Phones Digital Cameras Digital Photo Frames eBook Readers Electric Guitars GPS Headphones Home Theater iPod Speakers LCD TVs MP3 Players Paper Shredders Turntables

Family Car Seats Double Strollers Jogging Strollers Kids Bikes Rolling Backpacks Travel Systems Fitness & Sports Bicycle Helmets Bike Locks Binoculars Elliptical Trainers Exercise Bikes Sleeping Bags Tents Treadmills Green Hybrid Cars

Health & Beauty Diet Pills Discount Eyeglasses Electric Toothbrushes Facial Moisturizers Hair Dryers Lipstick Mascara Men's Electric Shavers Sunglasses Sunscreen Women's Shavers Home & Garden Air Conditioners Air Purifiers BBQ Grills Canister Vacuums Dehumidifiers Fans Furnaces Garage Door Openers Lawn Mowers Leaf Blowers Mattresses Pillows Riding Mowers Sewing Machines Snow Blowers Space Heaters Vacuum Cleaners Weed Eaters

Kitchen Bread Machines Coffee Makers Dishwashers Electric Grills Espresso Machines Ice Cream Makers Juicers Kitchen Knives Microwaves Mixers Refrigerators Rice Cookers Slow Cookers Toaster Ovens Toasters Water Filters Travel Car Rentals Cruises Hotels

blog  about us  contact us  in the news  privacy  terms of service  jobs  Follow us on Facebook Twitter Sign up for our Free Newsletter