You might ask yourself why is it that the smallest netbook has the largest benefits. You have heard the saying bigger is not always better, well this is so true when it comes to computers. Smaller computers such as netbooks, otherwise known as mini laptops are sometimes better. If you want a computer that stays with you all the time then a netbook is best for you. They are light, portable and budget friendly. I’m going to explain to you the benefits or lack there of, of the three smallest sizes of netbooks on the market. I will also explain why smaller netbooks are better if you are looking for a cheap netbook under $100. Smaller is better for students, imagine lugging around a 15 inch laptop plus its battery charger all day, this is not practical. Why don’t you go for a 10 inch netbook that has a large enough screen to easily write and read your work, yet it won’t cause a trip to the Physiotherapist becausese of a 
sore shoulder. If you’re a traveller then the smallest netbook with all the right features means great benefits for you. You already have many things to lug around, why make it harder by adding a large laptop? Plus a small netbook is less expensive, you don’t have to constantly worry where it is and if it’s ok, unlike you would with an expensive laptop. If you’re a business person then a small netbook is great for you, I’m sure you would appreciate carrying a lightweight netbook to and from work everyday rather than a heavy laptop. So if you’re one of the people mentioned above, or you just simply want to cart your computer around with you, then read on and think seriously about finding the smallest netbook rather than a brick of a computer.
The Smallest Netbook, 7 Inch Netbooks:
The 7 inch netbook is the smallest netbook on the market. Some argue that smaller than this is not a netbook at all, rather a large smartphone. This size may be very appealing for someone who really only wants their netbook for emailing and surfing the web, or someone that is on a very tight budget. There are not a lot of competitors in the 7 inch netbook category, probably because quality is not a component of these netbooks. The Cherrypal Africa is only $99, a great price if you’re on a budget. Its specifications do show why it is so cheap, it only has a 400MHz processor, 256MB of RAM, 2GB of flash storage, 4 hours of battery life and it is run on Linux or Windows CE. It is indeed cheap and it is up to you whether you are willing to sacrifice speed and storage space for the price. The other option is the Sylvania 7 Inch Netbook, it also comes at a price of $99. It has 1GB of RAM, a 1.2GHz VIA C7-M processor and a 30GB hard drive. If you are really considering and looking into a 7 inch netbook then take a look at this website, http://www.chinanetbooks.com/7-inch-netbook.html.
The Smallest Netbook, 8.9 Inch Netbooks:
The 8.9 inch netbooks are a little more common than the 7 inch, bigger brands such as Dell and Asus have netbooks in this category. In fact Asus started the netbook trend with their 8.9 inch. They discontinued it after a while but have re-launched it, the Asus Eee PC 900AX. It has a lot better specifications than the 7 inch such as 1 GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive, 4 cell battery giving 4 hours battery life and is run on Windows XP. Although not much of this little netbook has changed since its first launch. It can be found for around $200. Dell is in the competition with its Dell Inspiron Mini 9. It is only 1.07 inches thin, its keyboard is 89% of the standard size, it has 1GB RAM, 4 cell battery giving 4 hours of battery life and its hard drive is 8GB miniPCI SSD card. It is $349. Lastly, the Acer Aspire One AOA150-1447, this mini netbook has 1 GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive and a 6 cell battery giving it a battery life of up to 5.5 hours. This little netbook is around $325. As you can see there are a few options in this category of the smallest netbooks. This size would suit a traveller with light internet use just fine, especially as they are very portable.
The Smallest Netbook, 10 Inch Netbooks:
The 10 inch netbooks are the most common of the three sizes of smallest netbooks. They are lightweight and portable yet have a decent sized screen and keyboard to read and write work easily and quickly. There are many options in this category, I will show you a few from different brands that reviews suggest are the best in their league. They all come with pretty similar specifications, a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, 1 GB of RAM and 160GB of hard drive. First of all the Acer Aspire One D150 10 Inch Netbook, this little beauty has a 10.1 inch screen, has the specs above, and is only $349. Next the Asus Eee PC 1000HE, reviews suggest this computer is a great business netbook. It is fairly low in price and has good battery life, which is very handy for people that don’t want to be connected to a power point all the time. It stands at only $399. The HP Mini 1000 is another one of the competitors in the 10 inch category of smallest netbooks, but this one comes at a higher price of $549. There is also the Lenovo IdeaPad S10 with a 10.2 inch screen and at only $349 it is appealing. Its battery life is not as good as others though. MSI Wind U120 has the same specs as all the rest, has 5 hours of battery life and is only $379. Lastly, the Samsung NC10, it is also reviewed as a good business netbook. This is because it has sufficient hard drive and RAM and has a 6-cell battery which gives it a battery life of up to 7.5 hours. It is pricier at $499. As you can see there are a lot more to choose from when browsing in the 10 inch netbook category, now it’s up to you to decide which size suits you best.
Is Smaller Better for Cheap Netbooks?
The answer quite frankly is yes. As you can see in the three sizes of smallest netbooks, the larger the netbook the larger the price becomes. The price just continues to increase as the computer gets bigger in size. Why? Because the bigger the computer the more power it has. To show you the difference in power I will tell you the usual laptop specifications and the usual netbook specifications. Laptops generally come with a Core 2 Duo processor whereas netbooks usually come with an Intel Atom Single Core processor. This is the base of where the power starts. A laptop can come with anywhere between 2GB and 8GB of RAM, whereas a netbook usually comes with 1GB of RAM upgradeable to 2GB. RAM is the computers short term memory, how many programs it can have running at one time at a fast speed. A laptop comes with anywhere between 250GB and 750GB of hard drive, a netbook comes with between 80GB and 250GB of hard drive. So this is the difference in power between a laptop which is larger and a netbook which is smaller. The same principal applies within the netbook category, the smaller the cheaper. Of course more power means more expensive. Therefore if you are after a cheap netbook look at the smaller ones, especially if you are after a netbook under $100.
To conclude, no, bigger is not always better. Smaller is often a great choice. If you are a person who wants to put their netbook in their purse, or briefcase, or school bag, or just carry it around in your hand then go for a netbook. Don’t forget to go for the size that has all the features you require. There is no point in a business person getting a 7 inch netbook with a tiny screen, slower speed and very little storage space. You would run out of space to store all your work projects, a 10 inch will suit you better. But for someone on the go and only in need of email, a 7 inch will probably suit you fine. If you’re looking for a cheap netbook, especially if you want one that is under $100, then the smallest netbook is your best bet. The smaller the netbook is, the less expensive it is. If you don’t mind second hand then you might even pick up an 8.9 inch netbook for under $100 on EBay or Amazon.com. Decide what you really need and what you really want and don’t compromise, in the end you’re the one that has to use it everyday. Get the smallest netbook that you will love and enjoy and remember, bigger is not always better.
Related posts: