Netbooks: Reviews

CNET: CNET is one of two professional reviewers to cover the fall 2011 refresh of the HP Pavilion dm1z.

Wired: Wired contributor Christopher Null is the other professional critic to cover the fall 2011 refresh.

Engadget.com: Joanna Stern tests the HP Pavilion dm1z and finds lots to like.

Notebook Review.com: The HP Pavilion dm1z "delivers good value with strong performance and decent battery life for a low price," says Jerry Jackson.

PCMag.com: Cisco Cheng gives the HP Pavilion dm1z 4.5 out of 5 stars and an Editor's Choice designation, calling it "the next step in netbook evolution." He finds the price a good value and the processor fast.

Laptop Magazine: Calling the HP Pavilion dm1z "a low-cost ultraportable that performs," based on the magazine's exhaustive benchmark tests, Michael A. Prospero gives it 4 out of 5 stars and an Editor's Choice award.

MobileTechReview.com: MobileTechReview.com's Lisa Gade compliments the HP Pavilion dm1z's "beautiful design," calling it "the better-than-a-netbook, netbook." Gade notes that the dm1z falls into the gray area between netbooks and cheap ultraportable laptops, and she compares it favorably to similar machines.

HotHardware.com: HotHardware.com puts the HP Pavilion dm1z through its paces on numerous benchmarks, finding that it outperforms most previous machines.

Liliputing.com: Liliputing.com tests the HP Pavilion dm1z and says it offers "an excellent graphics experience and decent processing power," hampered by "an awful touchpad and middle-of-the-road battery life." Brad Linder compliments the keyboard, but explains he found the touchpad to be positioned right where he wanted his wrists to go, creating unexpected movement (it's been relocated). Still, "The HP Pavilion dm1z is probably one of the best thin and light laptops you can find for under $450," he writes.

MaximumPC.com: Katherine Stevenson headlines her article about the HP Pavilion dm1z with "What netbooks were meant to be," and her review indicates she thinks the dm1z is just that, giving it a Kick Ass!

PC World: Jason Cross and PC World give the HP Pavilion dm1z 3 out of 5 stars, saying that while it has "great performance and features for the money," as well as decent battery life, it compares poorly to true ultraportables.

Laptop Magazine: Mark Spoonauer gives the Toshiba mini NB505 4 stars out of 5, noting that it offers plenty of battery life, a stylish EasyGrip finish and Windows 7 performance on a machine that costs $200 less than the cheapest iPad.

PC World: Jon L. Jacobi rates the Toshiba mini NB505 at 3 stars, calling it "more attractive than the average netbook," and giving it kudos for long battery life and a better-than-average keyboard, but dinging it for being a slow, typical performer.

About.com: Mark Kyrnin gives the Toshiba mini NB505 high marks for its EasyGrip finish, trackpad and above average build quality.

TechReviewSource.com: This short summary review that appears to involve hands-on testing but no benchmark testing, awards the Toshiba Mini NB505 4 stars out of 5 for its stylish design, comfortable keyboard, loud speakers and above-average battery life.

Notebooks.com: This review and video indicate a lot of time spent hands-on, and Josh Smith gives the Toshiba mini NB505 high marks for the multi-ouch touchpad and fingerprint-free cover.

Wired: "How do you create what might be the world's cheapest computer?

Toshibadirect.com: More than 100 owners have posted reviews on the Toshiba mini NB505 in its various colors, and most are pretty positive.

The Gadget Guy: David Novak's review of the Toshiba mini NB505 is based on hands-on time, though it did not appear to include any benchmark testing.

Amazon.com: Most of the about 300 reviews available for the Toshiba mini NB505 in its five color choices are overwhelmingly positive, with well more than half granting 5 of a possible 5 stars (for an overall 4.3 rating). Users speak highly of the keyboard, battery life and value, though many recommended upgrading to 2 GB of RAM. Users did not recommend this netbook for gaming or image processing, but they gave it top marks for surfing and business tasks.

Engadget.com: Engadget.com gives the Samsung Chromebook Series 5 a reasonably strong evaluation, noting its solid build quality, comfortable keyboard, long battery life and bright, outdoor-friendly display.

PCMag.com: Cisco Cheng gives the Samsung Chromebook Series 5 2.5 out of 5 stars, despite praise for its "lightning fast" boot times, big, bright 12-inch screen, excellent battery life and HD video playback.

CNET: Joshua Goldman is another fan of the Samsung Chromebook Series 5's hardware, but he is also skeptical of its Web-based operating system, giving the netbook an overall 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Infoworld.com: Neil McAllister takes the Samsung Chromebook Series 5 for a test drive.

PC World: Jason Cross gives another mixed review for the Samsung Chromebook Series 5.

Laptop Magazine: Sherri L. Smith's extensive review highlights what so many others are saying: What the Samsung Chromebook Series 5 does, it does very well, including browsing, watching video, playing casual games and creating light spreadsheets and documents.

The New York Times: David Pogue rhapsodizes about the beauty and typing feel of the Samsung Chromebook Series 5, but he's scathing when it comes to its limitations.

eWeek: Clint Boulton writes fondly of the Samsung Chromebook Series 5, praising its screen brightness, 8-hour battery life, video viewing capabilities and number of apps, and the way it automatically imports bookmarks, information and apps he already has "in the cloud." It is limited, however: He says he can't use it for work because it requires software (Chrome OS) his office doesn't support, and he can't transfer his videos into a format the Series 5 will accept without using another PC.

HotHardware.com: Marco Chiappetta's review of the Samsung Chromebook Series 5 is favorable: The hardware is well-behaved and more than beefy enough to do what the netbook was designed to do, he writes, complimenting the keyboard, trackpad and display.

Amazon.com: About 200 owners weigh in on the Samsung Chromebook Series 5, giving it 4 out of 5 stars and speaking highly of its fast startup and instant restart, bright display and its ability to keep applications constantly updated.