Mini notebook computers (or netbooks) are awesome. Due to their size, they are great on power, super light and very portable. That means longer battery life while you are on the go, no hassles just a laptop that does what you want, when you want.

A Difficult Choice

Selecting a laptop from dozens of mini notebook computers can be tough. Due to their size their specifications can be a lot lower than that of a regular sized laptop. Below are some things to look for that will ensure you get a mini notebook computer that you will love.

Brand

Unlike some products, when it comes to portable computers, brand does matter. Cheaper brands tend to have flimsy screen hinges and faulty plugs. Of course these problems can happen with more prestigious brands but are more common with cheaper brands.

A Toshiba, Lenovo, Dell, Compaq or HP mini notebook computer are my prefered choices in terms of brand. They all provide a good balance between quality, power and look. On the other hand I tend to avoid Acer mini notebook computer models because they have really bad screen hinges with limited range and stiffness. On the other hand they tend to be one of the cheapest models so if cost is your number one then Acer is the one for you. In the end you are still getting a brand product that is well known throughout the computer industry.

Brands like Vaio, Ferrari and Lamborghini offer no addition features other than brand. For the increase in price it is definitely not worth it.

Specifications

I won’t go into a lot of detail about amounts of RAM, CPU output, hard drive space, etc. because technology moves so fast this post would become outdated within a couple weeks of me posting. Instead I will point out some questions you should ask yourself?

• Does it have enough USB slots for your needs (3+ is good)?
• Do you need slots for SD, XD or another memory type card?
• Are you using it for movies and music? You may need:
  • HDMI output
  • Digital audio output
  • Large hard drive
• Does the RAM and CPU speed comfortably meet the specifications of the Operating System (you never want to just be meeting minimum requirements for an OS)
• Do you need wireless LAN connectivity?

Screen Size

Most mini notebook computers come with a 10.1″ screen (advertised as 10″). If you want a larger screen than you are actually looking at a small sized laptop with a 12″-13″ screen. With this you will also get the capability of a DVD-ROM so it may actually work out better to your goals.

Smaller screens are available, all the way down to 7″ screens like the One A110. I don’t recommend this if you have poor eyesight, instead stick with a 10.1″ screen like the best selling Dell Inspiron (with 6 hours of battery life to boot).

I hope this info helps you find the best mini notebook computer. If you have any questions, just ask them in the comments below and I’ll see if I can help.

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