Best Mini Laptops

Ever since Asus introduce the Eee PC netbook, mini laptop has become the new trends in the laptop industry. We are seeing new mini laptop being introduced almost on daily basis. The Eee PC line from Asus for example, has released more than 10 models of netbook in 2008 alone. To keep up with the competition, other popular brands such as Acer Aspire One, MSI Wind, Dell Inspiron Mini, etc, have also released a comparable number of netbook models. To consumers, the assortment of mini laptops on the market today can be overwhelming. A simple guideline for selecting the best mini laptop is to consider the battery life, keyboard design, weight, and price of the mini laptop since most of them are having an almost similar specs. Below are the top 5 mini laptops that excel in these aspects.

1. Asus Eee PC 1000HE


As of now, the Asus Eee PC 1000HE is still considered the best netbook among all the Eee PC models. While the specs and features for this netbook are pretty standard for a machine of its class (160GB HDD, three USB ports, a webcam, VGA out, 4-in-1 card reader and the usual ethernet and WiFi connectivity), what really makes it a winner is the great battery life that support up to 7 hours of usage, the ergonomic keyboard design, and the easy-to-access panel for HDD and RAM upgrades. The only drawback for this netbook is that it's 3.2 pounds heavy, which is a little heavier compare to other netbooks.

Here's a great video review for the Asus Eee PC 1000HE. A Canadian version of Eee PC 1000HE (which has not much difference compare with the US version besides the multilingual keyboard layout, and the language of the OS) is used in the review, and the reviewer is comparing it with the the 8.9-inch Eee PC 900HA.



The Asus Eee PC 1000HE is currently available on Amazon.com for $384.48. It's currently the bestsellers in the Computers & PC Hardware department of Amazon.com.

2. Samsung N110


The 10-inch Samsung NC10 has been one on the best netbook in the market that gets a lot of positive feedback from the professionals as well as the the end users.. and the 2nd generation Samsung N110 further improves it to a near perfect netbook. Similar to the Eee PC 1000HE, it has a pretty standard netbook specs (1.6-GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB HDD, and 10.2-inch 1024 x 600 screen), and what makes it stand out from the crowd is the long battery life (more than 7 hours), ergonomic keyboard and touch pad, and the sleek design of this netbook. Compare to the Eee PC 1000HE, the Samsung N110 is more expensive (currently selling for $409.99 on Amazon.com) but is lighter weighing just 2.8 pounds.

Review for the Samsung N110 netbook:



3. MSI Wind U100


MSI Wind U100 is another solid performance netbook with a 10-inch screen, a comfortable keyboard, a very capable Atom processor, and 5-plus hours of battery life. The weight is just 2.6-pound, and is currently selling for $358 on Amazon.com.

Review for MSI Wind U100:



4. Acer Aspire One AOD150


Acer Aspire One is well known for it's low price, while other aspects of the netbooks are pretty decent. It's not the best mini laptop out there, but it definitely offers an excellent value. It has a slim and stylish design, good performance, and 6 hours of battery life. It might not be performing as well as other top netbooks such as the Eee PC 1000HE, but it beats the competition on price. The Acer Aspire One AOD150 is currently available on Amazon.com for $329.

Review for Acer Aspire One AOD150:



Also check out this great video - Asus Eee PC 1000HE vs Acer Aspire One AOD 150:



5. HP Mini 2140


The HP Mini 2140 meet almost all of the requirements that a good mini laptop should have: a well-designed keyboard, a durable design, and more than seven hours of battery life. The only drawback for this machine is its higher compare to other netbooks on the market. It's currently selling for $536.40 on Amazon.com. But the extra cash buys a more durable case and more endurance. You may check out the review roundup for the HP Mini 2140 in one of our earlier post.

And that's it for now. There are certainly no shortage of great quality mini laptops in today's market. As for now, these are the top 5 mini laptops that we would recommend to anyone interested in getting a mini laptop.