So what is the best Netbook?
With so many models now available it can be difficult to know which one to buy. While most devices have very similar specifications rest assured that not all Netbooks are created equal.
Deciding on which one is best for you also depends on what your needs are. For example some Netbooks are noticeably smaller than others and this can be a good or a bad thing depending on whether you want usability or portability.
Personally we here at the Netbook Market feel that the 9" devices such as the EEE PC 901 or Acer Aspire One AOA150 are simply too small. Whilst extremely light and easy to carry they also have extremely small screens and keyboards, and are not particularly comfortable to use for a long period of time. The larger 10" devices such as the MSI Wind and Samsung NC10 are much more comfortable, while still being highly portable and much smaller than a regular laptop.
In terms of processor speed the Intel Atom N280 1.66GHZ is currently the fastest processor available in a sub $500 device. While not vastly superior to the N270 processor (a whole 60 mhz faster) it does clearly out perform its predecessor, as the following benchmarks from Computer Monger show:
| Benchmark | N270 | N280 |
|---|---|---|
| PC Mark 05 | 1444 | 1479 |
| (GIPS) Dhrystone ALU | 3.89 | 4.06 |
| (GFLOPS) Whetstone iSSE3 | 3.33 | 3.46 |
| (MPixel/s) Int x8 iSSSE3 | 8.31 | 8.68 |
| (MPixel/s) Float x4 iSSE2 | 6.56 | 6.84 |
| (MPixel/s) Double x2 iSSE2 | 1.22 | 1.27 |
| Hyper PI | 1m 35s | 1m 31s |
| wPrime | 122.344s | 117.171s |
To put it simply, while the performance difference is not great those enthusiasts who want to have the best processor should go for a device carrying the Intel Atom N280 as it is going to be one of the fastest Netbooks currently available.
The final thing to consider is battery life. Netbooks are designed to be highly portable and a large part of that is the ability to use it for a long period of time without requiring a recharge. Due to their low power components Netbooks generally have better battery life than their larger notebook siblings. Some Netbooks however, still have vastly superior battery life than others. A number of models come with only 3 or 4 cell batteries which only give about 2-3 hours of use. By comparison, the larger capacity 6 cell batteries last anywhere from 5 to 10 hours.
Netbook Market Recommends
Given the points above we feel that the best Netbook right now is the EEE PC 1005HA-P. Sporting a 10.1" screen, a nice large keyboard, the Atom N280 processor, and an unprecedented 10.5 hours of battery life, the EEE PC 1005HA-P is fast, portable, and able to go longer than just about anything without a charge!
Get yours here!
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