by Shane O'Neill

10 Hot Netbooks: From Pricey to Dirt Cheap

News
Mar 17, 20094 mins

Consumers and business users are scooping up netbooks. While fourth-quarter sales in the PC industry in 2008 were dismal, netbooks showed growth, and these lightweight machines are also expected to drive laptop sales in the next couple years, according to IDC. The reasons? They satisfy basic computing needs for e-mail, Web surfing and word processing. They're ultra-portable. And best of all, they're a lot cheaper than general-purpose laptops, an important selling point in our cash-strapped times.

HP 2140 Mini-Note Netbook

This is Hewlett-Packard’s tough business-class netbook, designed for road warriors who need durability and long battery life (6-cell battery, 7-plus hours).

Cost: $456.99 at Amazon

Screen size: 10.1 inches

CPU: 1.6-GHz Intel Atom N270 processor

RAM: 1GB, expandable to 2GB

Storage: 160GB hard drive

Battery: 6 cell

Operating System: Windows XP Home

Weight: 3 pounds

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Asus Eee PC 1000HA Netbook

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Asus’ sturdy line of Eee PCs were the first netbooks out of the gate and remain the most popular. This 1000HA model is best known for its high-resolution screen and seven hours of battery life.

Cost: $349.99 at Amazon

Screen size: 10 inches

CPU: 1.6-GHz Intel Atom processor

RAM: 1GB

Storage: 160GB hard drive

Battery: 6 cell

Operating System: Windows XP Home

Weight: 3.19 pounds

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