Netbooks: Reviews

Updated October 2009

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Best netbook overall

*Est. $400 Compare Prices

The 10.1-inch Toshiba mini NB205-N310 wows reviewers. Positives include the longest battery life of any netbook and a roomy, ergonomic keyboard that puts the competition to shame. The Toshiba mini netbook offers a few… advanced features, such as a USB port that can charge devices like smartphones even when the netbook's turned off. But for higher-end features -- and better speakers -- experts like the HP Mini 5101 FM978UT (*Est. $425), though that laptop has shorter battery life and a slightly more cramped keyboard. This Toshiba laptop is also available in a budget version as the Toshiba mini NB205-N210 (*Est. $340), but the keyboard isn't quite as nice.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Laptop Magazine: The Toshiba mini NB205-N310 "soars past the competition with a stunning design, stellar keyboard, and the longest battery life of ...

PCMag.com: The Toshiba mini NB205-N310 wins Editors' Choice and GreenTech awards at PCMag.com, after thorough testing. Reviewer Cisco Cheng ...

CNET: CNET is one of the few major review sources that don't name the Toshiba mini NB205 a top netbook. It earns an overall rating of ...

PC World: The Toshiba mini NB205 takes first place and a Best Buy designation among netbooks at PC World. Tester Darren Gladstone agrees ...

The Wall Street Journal: The Toshiba mini NB205-N310 is more comfortable to use than other netbooks, Walter Mossberg, technology columnist for The Wall ...

Amazon.com: The Toshiba mini NB205N310 earns an average of four stars (out of five) after more than 100 owner reviews at Amazon.com. Most ...

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Budget netbook

Acer Aspire One D250

*Est. $295 and up Compare Prices

Reports say the 10.1-inch Acer Aspire One D250 netbook delivers great value without asking for too many sacrifices. You get all of the usual netbook specs -- including a 160 GB hard drive and 1 GB of memory -- and… performance that's on par with most other netbooks, including those that cost a bit more. However, critics say the time between charges isn't as long, and the cramped keyboard and touchpad isn't as comfortable, as the pricier Toshiba mini NB205-N310 (*Est. $400) or the HP Mini 5101 FM978UT (*Est. $425).

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Laptop Magazine: The Acer Aspire One D250 gets a nice thumbs-up here for its performance and value. The reviewer does wonder why the company ...

PCMag.com: With the Acer Aspire One D250, reviewer Cisco Cheng says that the company found a way to make its best-selling notebook (the Acer ...

CNET: CNET does a good job explaining the differences between the Acer Aspire One D250 and the earlier -- but still available -- Acer ...

ConsumerReports.org: ConsumerReports.org tests both the Acer Aspire One D250 and the D150 in its most recent netbook report. Editors rate a total of ...

Amazon.com: The Acer Aspire One D250 is beginning to attract a decent record with owners, earning a solid four out of five stars. The older ...

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Rugged netbook with advanced features

HP Mini 5101 FM978UT

*Est. $425 Compare Prices

With a tough metal case and upscale features, reviews recommend the 10.1-inch HP Mini 5101 for business travelers looking for an inexpensive and lightweight replacement for a full-size laptop. The Mini 5101 comes with… advanced features for a netbook -- such as Wireless-N Wi-Fi compatibility -- and it delivers faster wireless throughput than other netbooks in tests, including the Toshiba mini NB205-N310 (*Est. $400). However, the HP Mini falls short on battery life and its keyboard is a touch smaller. You can trick out the HP Mini 5101 with more memory, a bigger hard drive, a solid-state drive or built-in wireless broadband, but extras can drive the price up past $600.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Laptop Magazine: The HP Mini 5101 is named an Editors' Choice award-winner. Its touchpad is smaller and less smooth than the one on the top-rated ...

PCMag.com: The HP Mini 5101 earns a four-star rating (out of five) and PCMag.com's GreenTech seal of approval. Its big, fast hard drive ...

CNET: The HP Mini 5101 earns an "excellent" rating of four stars (out of five). CNET's Dan Ackerman likes its sturdy build and ...

Wi-FiPlanet.com: Wi-FiPlanet.com tests the HP Mini 5101's Wireless-N capability against a Dell desktop and gets faster data transfer with the ...

About.com: About.com's Mark Kyrnin names the HP Mini 5101 the best netbook for business travelers. Performance testing is not noted, but ...

Amazon.com: This new model had accumulated only five owner reviews at Amazon.com when we checked. Also, we found only reviews for the ...

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Asus Eee PC 1000HE *Est. $370

9 picks including: Amazon.com, Laptop Magazine…

Asus Eee PC 1005HA *Est. $275 to $355

4 picks by top review sites.

Samsung N110 *Est. $340

2 picks by top review sites.

Samsung NC20 *Est. $500

2 picks by top review sites.

Dell Mini 10v *Est. $300 and up

2 picks by top review sites.

Dell Latitude 2100 *Est. $350 and up

2 picks by top review sites.

Gateway LT3103u *Est. $400

2 picks by top review sites.

Samsung N120 *Est. $370

2 picks by top review sites.


	ASUS Eee PC 1000HE 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 9.5 Hour Battery Life from Amazon.com New: $399.00 In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	ASUS Eee PC 1005HA-PU1X-BK 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 10.5 Hour Battery Life from Amazon.com New: Too low to display In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	Samsung N110-12PBK 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 6 Cell Battery (9.5 Hours) from Amazon.com New: $314.95 In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	Samsung NC20-21GBK 12.1-Inch Black Netbook - 6 Hour Battery from Amazon.com New: $496.75 In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	Samsung N120-12GBK 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 6 Cell Battery from Amazon.com New: $314.95 In Stock. Average Customer Review:

Netbooks: Reviews

Best netbook overall

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Rugged netbook with advanced features

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