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Toshiba Mini NB255-N245 10.1-Inch Black Onyx Netbook (8 Hour Battery Life) |
  I purchased this netbook to accompany me on a week-long road trip and having just returned from that trip, I’m writing this review. I needed to be able to access the Internet via WiFi during meal breaks and rest stops and at night in my motel room and the Toshiba performed this function well. I also expected to use this for watching YouTube, Hulu, CNN, etc… at the end of the each day and that’s where I was somewhat disappointed. This is my first netbook and I didn’t expect it to be the equal of a desktop machine or even a laptop but I was pleasantly surprised at its functionality. The small screen is quite readable and the keyboard is very good. The biggest disappointment for me was the audio. I wasn’t expecting theater-quality sound (really I wasn’t) but the little monophonic speaker inside this netbook can’t even compete with my Ipod touch. In my motel room, with the A/C running, it was impossible to hear even with the volume at maximum. The solution is to plug in a pair of headphones but there’s a problem with that too. When using the charger, the headphones have a slight 60 hertz background hum that’s very annoying while listening to audio books or quiet music. The hum is only there if you’re charging, so I did my book listening on battery power. My longest battery-powered session was 4 hours after which the charge indicator showed about 50% life remaining and I was happy with that performance. It’s a pretty nice machine but if I had it to do over again, I would sacrifice some portability for audio that would allow me to listen without headphones. |
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Dell Inspiron iM1012-687OBK Mini 1012 10.1-Inch Obsidian Black Netbook – Up to 8 Hours 8 Minutes of Battery Life |
 I’ve heard a lot of mixed reviews about this laptop, but I got it, and I LOVE it. I love it even more than my dell 1420. I got it in Jade green, with a fan pad, wireless mouse, and 2gb of ram (240g). Its an amazing machine, and even if you get it with the standard 1gb, it still works amazingly well, and not nearly as slow as people are accusing it of. The screen is awesome, and doesn’t smudge, as long as you use a wireless mouse, its perfectly fast and responsive. I was told they heat up, but even without my cooling pad it doesn’t run any warmer than any other notebook. |
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Toshiba Mini 300 Series NB305-N310 10.1-Inch Netbook – Black Onyx |
 Great product…make sure you upgrade to 2 GB memory..it was very slow when I first got it with the 1 GB..it works sooo much faster with 2 GB. Also, you will need a external cd/dvd drive to load software and a wireless mouse is nice. |
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Toshiba Mini NB305-N410BL 10.1-Inch Royal Blue Netbook – 11 Hours of Battery Life |
 Great product…make sure you upgrade to 2 GB memory..it was very slow when I first got it with the 1 GB..it works sooo much faster with 2 GB. Also, you will need a external cd/dvd drive to load software and a wireless mouse is nice. |
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Dell Inspiron Mini iM1012-571OBK 10.1-Inch Netbook (Obsidian Black) |
 first of all this has no fan so theirs almost no sound with this net book |
Today, with fast growing technology and ultra-modern electronic gadgets attracting consumers across the globe, mini laptops are making quite a wave in the computer industry. Mini laptops also known as mini notebooks or netbooks have almost all features of a laptop.
So let’s find out why you should invest on a mini laptop instead of a PC or a standard laptop.
- Lightweight and compact: This is the number one reason why you should own a mini laptop. Nothing compares to its portability and lightweight structure. You can easily carry around wherever you go; even carry it in your purse or jacket pocket. For all those you thought laptops were portable then you must try carrying a netbook around. It’s twice as convenient and light.
- Low cost: Apart from Sony Vaio P Series which is the most expensive and best netbook, most mini laptops are reasonably priced. The price ranges from $299 to $499. So it can be purchased by anyone who wants to own a computer system without drilling the wallet. Netbooks are best for students and travelers.
- Features: Most netbooks come with amazing features that makes it a good enough investment. Most of them come with three USB ports which allow you to attach optical devices, external hard drives and routers. They have many entertainment and internet options. Unlike any handheld device they have a more powerful memory, better storage space and more software options. They also have features for wireless devices so you can use accessories such as a Bluetooth stereo headset. You can also enhance storage by attaching memory cards and flash cards. Plus they can be easily upgraded and give a more flexible upgrading option.
- Technical features: Most mini laptops support at least two operating systems such as Windows XP and Linux. You also get mini laptops also support Ubuntu and Mac. They have amazing memory space for their size; which ranges from 512 MB to 1GB. You can also upgrade them further to 1.5GB. The storage space can range from 60GB to 80GB. Some better models give storage space of 160GB. They have many other technical features which can vary depending on the brand.
- Software: All mini laptop series have basic software programs that enable you to create spreadsheets, documents, PowerPoint slides, and also allow access to the internet. This makes it a perfect device for people who travel a lot on business and want to keep working while traveling. By using USB optical drives, you can also listen to music and play games. You can surf the internet, chat and take pictures too. Yes, you can do all this with a standard laptop, but mini laptop is so much easier to carry around.
- Greener environment: By using mini laptops you can be rest assured about a greener environment as the use lesser battery power yet have long battery life.
- Colors: You can get pink laptops, blue ones, red, green and just about any other color that you can think of.
If you go by the number of mini laptops available in the market today, it can be quite overwhelming. But when we speak of mini laptops or netbooks as they are more commonly known, they have certain limitations as compared to a desktop PC.
But this shouldn’t stop you from owning a high-tech, super portable and compact mini laptop as you can incorporate all the useful features into it with the help of mini laptop accessories. So why own a desktop and restrict your mobility while you can have a netbook with all the necessary accessories that makes it a complete gadget.
Here are some must have accessories for your mini laptop.
- USB DVD player and burner: Mini laptops do not have optical drives. So if you want to install software or play your favorite CD or DVD then, mini laptops can be quite a setback. More over what if you want to reinstall or troubleshoot the operating system on your mini notebook?
So it’s a must to buy a USB DVD player and burner. Just plug them on to the mini laptop’s USB port and you are good to go.
- Flash memory cards and flash disks: unless you have an expensive model of mini laptops, the memory in most of them is quite limited. This prevents you from saving enough data and limits your ability to work on a netbook. So if you own a less expensive model of mini laptops but still want to get the benefit of bigger memory space, you can expand the memory space by getting a memory card which can be easily read by the built-in memory card reader in the netbook.
Likewise, flash disks are great accessories to store up to 2 GB of data; especially small files.
- Wireless keyboard and mouse: Mini laptop keyboards are usually small which makes it difficult to accommodate adult hands. So a wireless keyboard and mouse makes it absolutely convenient in using your netbook for longer duration.
- Wireless router: This accessory is used to connect your mini laptop to the internet while working from home.
- External USB hard drive: If your work demands larger space to accommodate huge amount of data then you got to have an external USB hard drive. They can store up to 120GB of data. They are also essential to backup your data. These two inch thick accessories comes very handy to store large data and if you have a USB 2.0 interface, you don’t a power adaptor to use the external hard drive; just plug them into the mini laptop’s USB port.
So you see, with all the above mini laptop accessories you can make your netbook even more user-friendly and compatible. These accessories will upgrade your netbook so that you don’t have any limitations and you get the same benefits of using a desktop PC, but only with more portability.
While upgrading a netbook can be quite complicated for novices, and even if you are a pro in computer hardware, there are many mini laptops that cannot be upgraded at all. You don’t want to be stuck with such netbooks as it’s always best to have a system that can be upgraded; not only upgraded but easily upgraded.
So here are some mini laptop models that are easily upgradable. So if you are the kind of computer-geek who likes to do-it-yourself instead of spending money on a professional, you better own one of these mini laptops as they can be upgraded without any hassles.
- Dell Inspiron MINI 9: This mini laptop is the most customized netbook’s in the market. There is absolutely no hassle in choosing a RAM or hard drive for this netbook as its compatible to most of the specifications out there. To choose a RAM or a HDD for Dell Inspiron Mini 9 is like choosing a headphone or a web cam. All you need to do is remove the panel at the bottom of the unit and you are all set to replace a higher version of the RAM and/or HDD for more storage space.
- Lenova IdeaPad S10: This netbook is a much later introduction in the netbook market as compared to the Asus who are the pioneers in mini laptops. However they are the easiest to upgrade as compared to its arch rivals. Like the Dell Inspiron, Lenova too has a removable panel at the bottom of the unit where you can locate the RAM and the HDD. You can then install the upgraded version and increase storage space. The best feature of this netbook is that you can swap its drive with a larger one. This is a very rare feature in mini laptops.
- HP Mini 1000: This mini laptop also has great access to its memory and hard drive. All you need to do is locate a small latch that is placed next to the battery release. The latch needs to slide aside to reach the drives. For this you can use any pointed object such as a pen or a screw driver, place it in the hole of the latch and just slide it open. Now to can locate the memory and HDD which you can easily upgrade by installing a compatible higher version.
There are many more mini laptops introduced in the market today. And to keep up with the cut-throat competition, manufacturers are sure to make their units upgrade-friendly so that more and more customers can easily upgrade their mini laptop without going through a lot of difficulty. But if you have one of the above netbooks, then you can now upgrade your memory space without any professional help. Go to the Mini Laptop Online Guide to learn about more mini laptops such as the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 and Acer Aspire One.
The Best Mini Laptop Models To Own
There have been some amazing new entries in the mini laptop market which have managed to knock of some of the old toppers. But even so, there are still some well accepted models running strong even after having such tough competition from the new players.
The latest list of mini laptops is based on functionality, practicality, look, and style and of course cost. So if you are looking for the best deal in mini laptops then check out this list as it will give you a fair idea about your requirements and well, the cost factor.
- Asus Eee PC 901 priced $299: This is the successor of Asus Eee PC 900 which had an 8.9 inch screen. Like all the 900 series, 901 too have 6-cell batteries and Intel Atom processor. One of its coolest features is its gesture-compatible mouse controls which enables you to surf the internet with more ease. It has a battery life of 4 hours and 30 minutes.
Even though it’s an older model as compared to the new kids on the block, this is quite an impressive buy at a relatively low price.
- Asus Eee PC 1002HA priced $399: This model has a 10 inch screen and uses an Intel Atom N270 CPU along with Intel 945 GSE chipset. It also has a memory space of 1GB, a 160GB SATA Hard disk drive. Unlike the regular netbook boxes, 1002HA comes in a cool brown box which looks much more sophisticated and practical so you won’t need to buy a bag to carry it around.
The stylish looking 1002HA comes with an aluminum top cover which gives it a professional look. It’s easily one of the best netbooks in the market today.
- Samsung NC10 priced $320: As compared to the other players in the netbook market, Samsung has had a very low key entrance but nevertheless managed to hit the top charts in mini laptop series. Its NC10 model has become a favorite amongst the mini laptop fanatics. Its unique feature is the anti-bacterial keyboard coating which sterilizes over 650 types of bacteria. So feel free to use this netbook even in the loo. With a fabulous keyboard and a bright, non-glossy display, Samsung NC10 is a very impressive unit.
- HP Compaq mini 700 priced $249: This mini laptop boosts to have the busy keyboard in the netbook industry. It’s slim, light and stylish packed with advanced features. This piece comes in a striking checked design with a built-in webcam and microphone. It has a 10.2 BrightView display screen with a large keyboard.
- Sony Vaio P Series priced $1,200: This ultraportable netbook is easily the best in the mini laptop bandwagon. A bit pricey, but every bit worth your money, Sony Vaio P Series an ultrathin 8 inch screen that can fit in your jacket pocket or your purse or in the back pocket of your jeans, if you don’t mind flaunting it. It weighs less than 2 pounds and has an amazing battery life of up to 8 hours. It has an in-built GPS, Windows Vista and a storage space of 128GB. Netbooks usually don’t make good gaming laptops but the Sony Vaio P Series is the exception.
Useful Accessories For Your Mini Laptop
If you ever wanted something cheap, portable and light for a computer then, mini laptop is the answer. But with limited space (in case of cheaper models) and absence of optical drives, netbooks can be a bit disappointing. But thanks to the external USB optical drives, flash memory cards, USB hard drives and USB keyboard and mouse, and a whole range of other netbook accessories, you can make your laptop even better.
Let’s have a look at some of the essential accessories to enhance the performance of your mini laptop.
- Optical disc drives: Since all netbooks come without optical disc drives, you cannot play your favorite CD or DVD and enjoy music on them. Plus if ever you want to reinstall software, operating system or troubleshoot, you don’t have a CD-Rom to insert a CD. So with the help of USB optical disc drive you can just plug them into the netbook’s USB port and play games, enjoy music and more.
- Speakers: The in-built speakers of most mini laptops do not have good sound quality. So if you like enjoying good quality music, play games and other stuff in your netbook, you can attach portable mini laptop speakers to listen to good quality sound while on the move.
- Batteries: Most netbooks have a very average battery life as they come with a standard 3-cell battery. But with an enhanced battery life you can enjoy up to 9 hours of mobile computing with the new 9-cell battery option. Acer Aspire One is one such netbook which allows this option. You can also get an external laptop battery to add even more hours of laptop enjoyment.
- Keyboards and mouse: When we speak of mini laptops, the keyboards are quite small and do not allow enough typing space for adult hands. Unless you own a HP mini 700 or 1000 or Sony Vaio P series, which have great keyboard surface, you can buy a simple USB keyboard which will give you typing experience as a PC. Some USB keyboards come in a foldable model. USB mouse is also a great convenience for mini laptops.
- Netbook cases: Like all laptops, you would need strong and reliable cases to carry your netbook. You can either buy smart pouches, leather briefcases or bags depending on the size of your netbook and of course your preference. If you are a frequent traveler then it’s a must to have a mini laptop case to keep your netbook safe.
- Screen protectors: These are great accessories to protect the netbook cases from scratches and dust particles. Some screen protectors also limit viewing from other angles to prevent prying eyes when you are in public.
- Laptop computer stand: There are tons of great uses for laptop computer stands. You can buy them for your treadmill, portable stands for traveling, stands to cool your laptop or to prop up your laptop to make it easier to view on your desk.
By using these special accessories you can make your mini laptop friendly while outdoors and also give you a better usage of the gadget without restricting your mobility.
