The S10 is Lenovo’s netbook entry, and bears a strong resemblance to other computers in the category. This laptop includes a 160GB hard drive, 1 GB RAM, and Windows XP. This is all inside a frame holding a 10″ screen and powered by an Intel Atom processor running at 1.6 GHz.

With a fairly typical featureset, the Ideapad S10 is forced to compete largely on the basis of brand name, design, and price. It is competitive in all of these departments – as Lenovo is known as a reliable laptop manufacturer, the S10 has an attractive white casing, and the slightly greater than $300 price is close to similar netbooks.

For more information about the S10, visit its pages at eBay and Amazon.

Buy the Wind 123 at Amazon or eBay.

Although not a well known manufacturer, MSI has had considerable success in the netbook category. The U123 takes the company’s previous laptop, and builds on it through a slightly faster processor and substantially better battery life.

The MSI Wind U123 includes many of the features common to 10 inch netbooks. These include a 160 GB hard drive, 1 GB RAM, and Windows XP Home. Complementing the typical features is the faster than normal Intel N280, running at 1.66 GHz. This is not a huge step up from most netbooks, but should provide a slightly smoother experience.

MSI took criticisms of the original Wind to heart, including a much higher capacity battery in the U123. The computer is available with either a 6 or 9 cell battery, the 9 cell running at a somewhat higher price. Both computers are rated at about 1 hour battery life per cell.

The MSI Wind 123’s include a few additional features, such as a built-in microphone, 1.3 megapixel webcam, 4-in-1 card reader, 802.11G wireless networking, and 3 USB drives.

Although the Wind does not stand out too far from the pack, it includes all the features most people are looking for in a netbook – combined with an attractive shell and sub $400 price.

Check out all the Wind 123 models at eBay, or in Blue and Red at Amazon.

The U100 is based around Intel’s Atom processor, running at 1.6 Gigahertz.  It has a 160GB hard drive, 1 GB RAM, Windows XP, and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi. This is a pretty typical 10 inch netbook featureset – which isn’t too surprising considering that this computer probably served as the model for many other netbook designs.

When the U100 first arrived, it’s greatest improvement on other netbooks was probably the computer’s sleek design. Asus took some time before the Eee developed into an attractive machine, but MSI put serious effort into making an appealing laptop right from the get-go.

Today, the MSI Wind U100 is available both new and used. New models are approaching $300, with used computers going for somewhat less. You can see its listings at both eBay and Amazon.

The Vaio W series should represent a much more competitive entry on Sony’s part. To start, it has some of the standard netbook features. These include a 160 GB hard drive, 1 GB of RAM, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950, a web cam, and Windows XP Home.

In addition to these regular features, the Sony Vaio VPC-W has some more high-end specs. The display is at 10 inch LED backlit screen running at 1366×768 resolution, notably higher than most netbooks, making it possible to fit more onscreen. The processor is an Intel Atom, but it is the faster N280, running at 1.66 GHz. The laptop also has strong networking options, supporting up to 802.11n (along with b and g) and Bluetooth 2.1. Finally, the netbook comes in at a svelte 2.62 pounds, and with great style. Initially, the laptop will be available in brown, pink, or white.

Lots of good stuff – what are the downsides? There are 2.

• It’s pricey – Like most Sony computers, this comes with a premium price tag, running $499 at launch.
• Small battery – Claimed battery life is 2-3 hours, which is sad for an ultra-portable computer (although it is part of what keeps the weight so low).

So is it worth the price? That will depend on how much you want some real style and Sony’s confidence-inspiring name part of your netbook. If you can stomach the battery life (or buy a spare), the Sony W series is probably the most attractive netbook on the market, and highly portable.

To purchase the Vaio W, please check out its page on Amazon.

In addition to its excellent keyboard, the Mini includes most of the usual netbook specifications, including 1 GB of RAM, a 160 GB hard drive, Intel’s Graphics Media Accelerator 950, and the 1.60 GHz Intel Atom N270 processor. This is combined with a 6 cell battery to arrive at a 2.9 pound total weight. The HP Mini comes pre-installed with Windows XP.

The HP Mini is available with an interesting, patterened cover, helping your netbook stand out from the crowd. It also features a sleek style – you can tell this computer is manufactured by one of the big laptop sellers, with lots of experience in creating and building a high end design.

If you’re ready to purchase or want more information, we suggest you check out the Mini’s page at Amazon or ebay, where it retails for ~$350.

If you are looking to get a cell-based Internet connection for your netbook, the HP Mini 1150NR Mobile Broadband Edition is a close cousin of the HP Mini 110, but available at $199 with a subscription to AT&T Wireless. You can find this deal at Amazon.

Included in this 10″ Aspire netbook is a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor, 1 GB of RAM, a 160 GB hard disk spinning at 5400 RPM, and a 6 cell battery. All these features are squeezed into a frame that weighs less than 3 pounds, for excellent portability.

The original netbooks had very utilitarian designs, and Acer’s original Aspire One was one of the first to challenge this convention. The current Aspire continues this tradition, with an attractive shell covering the usual netbook internals. For even more style, the computer is available in blue, white, red, and black.

This Aspire’s 6 cell battery provides up to a 6.5 hour battery life, and it’s Wi-Fi radio is compatible with 802.11b and 802.11g. This combination of features makes the netbook one you can take out on the road, staying online remotely for much of the day.

As is typical with netbooks, no DVD or CD drive is included with this 10″ model. It does, however, include Windows XP – providing the familiar Windows interface in the netbook-friendly XP version.

Acer’s Aspire One netbooks have been among the most popular on the market since their original release. This continues today, with their full feature set and attractive design available at a very competitive price.

Stores have had some trouble keeping the Aspire AOD150 in stock, but it comes back frequently. The street price as of this review run ~$330.

We suggest you visit the Aspire’s page at Amazon and eBay.

The N120’s price is a little higher  than some, but the performance and features are strong. There are two speakers on the computer, one on each side of the screen. The sound quality is strong for such a small device. It comes with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, so if you have a Bluetooth printer then you can connect it to the computer without running any wires.

The N120 laptop has a larger keyboard than most mini laptops (stretching the entire width of the machine), which is somewhat wider than the 10 inch screen. The display is excellent. It strikes a good balance on level of gloss – producing the strong contrast of a glossy display without reflecting too much when outdoors. The computer has good battery life. If you’re continuously using the computer, it lasts about six hours. It comes pre-installed with Windows XP, which retains the familiar Windows environment without the performance hit Vista brings to notebooks. The computer comes with one gigabyte of RAM and uses the typical Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950. Due to its relatively matte surface, the computer does not get scratched as easily as some laptops, and fingerprints don’t show up as much.

As of the time of this posting, Samsung’s N120 was just a little over $400 on Amazon, with eBay auctions coming in at slightly less. The computer is produced in both black and white.

Check out the N120 at: eBay | Amazon

]]> http://ratenetbooks.com/samsung/samsung-n120/feed/ 0