The tiny Sony VAIO VGN-P530H Lifestyle PC costs a whopping $800 and, despite it’s lack of storage, comes with state of the art features. Specifically, WAN 3G Mobile Broadband for on-the-go internet and blue tooth for device communication with the notebook. Not to mention a GPS.
Weight
Sony has innovated yet again with the lightest mini notebook on the market at 1.4 pounds.
Storage
It only has a 60 GB hard drive, but it’s a Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive, which means it has the file-transfer swiftness of a USB or Firewire drive.
Memory
2 GB of RAM
Processor
An Intel 1.33 Ghz Processor with a front side bus of 533 MHz for much faster data transfer on those hard-driving mobile applications and a 512 KB L2 cache that can store data temporarily.
DVD/CD Drive
Of course there isn’t one, but it has 2 USB ports for external drive usage.
Connectivity
It comes with:
- An integrated 54g wireless LAN that’s compatible with 802.11b/g/n networks
- 2 USB 2.0 ports
- A Memory Stick Duo Slot
- A SD Card slot (with MMC compatibility)
- 1 VGA monitor port
- 1 I/O port
- Headphone jack
Screen, AV
An 8 inch screen has 1600 x 768 high definition resolution.
Battery
Up to 4 hours of battery life. That is low for netbooks.
Warranty
1 year limited warranty and 1 year of technical support.
Pros
The weight. 1.4 lbs. is the lightest on the market.
2 GB of RAM is rarely standard on mini notebooks.
The design. Very sleek, and as thin as a cell phone.
An option to use 3G broadband. Great for on-the-go video or GPS capability.
Cons
The storage. 60 GB tells you that Sony isn’t looking to hit any demographic who cares about the computer’s insides.
The price. If you can afford it, it’s not a bad buy, but something tells us the next model will be much better, if you can hold out a little while.
Battery life. Nearly the same as a regular laptop, 4 hours is hardly good enough for a mini notebook.
Price: $800-$1000
Rating: 4.6/5.0
The Dell Inspiron Mini IM12-2868 comes with an integrated web cam and an Intel Atom processor.
Weight
Weighing 2.72 pounds, it’s perfect for those looking to travel light.
Storage
It has an 80 GB hard drive. When you break that down, you’re looking at over 25,000 songs with extra room for movies and games. It has a Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive, which means it has the file-transfer swiftness of a USB or Firewire drive.
Memory
1 GB of RAM (maximum)
Processor
The Intel Atom has 47 million transistors in a single 22mm chip. It uses only 2 watts of power. Put that next to the 35 watts used by a Core 2 Duo found in most regular sized notebooks, and that’s what we call fantastic battery management. The 1.3 GHz Atom Z520 has a front side bus of 533 MHz for much faster data transfer on those hard-driving mobile applications and a 512 KB L2 cache that can store data temporarily.
DVD/CD Drive
There isn’t one, but it has 3 USB ports for external drive usage.
Connectivity
It comes with:
- An integrated 54g wireless LAN that’s compatible with 802.11b and 802.11g networks
- 3 USB 2.0 ports
- A multi-card reader (SD, MMC, SDHC)
- 1 VGA monitor port
- Headphone jack, Microphone jack
- Ethernet port
Screen, AV
A 12.1 inch screen has 1280 x 800 pixel high definition.
Battery
The battery can last up to 3 hours. That’s a bit low for netbooks.
Warranty
It’s backed by a 1-year limited warranty for parts and labor.
Pros
The weight. 2.72 lbs. is light.
Though it’s expensive, Dell is known for their many customizing options and great customer support.
The screen/weight. 12.1 is very large for a mini notebook. It’s not going to fit in your jacket pocket like the Sony VAIO, but nevertheless it is light (2.72 lbs.) for such a large screen.
Cons
The storage. 80 GB isn’t a lot when you consider the standard mini notebook storage is 160 GB.
The battery. 3 hours is extremely low, but it is a 12.1 inch screen, so you get what you pay for.
Price: $475
Rating: 4.5/5.0
The ASUS Eee PC 1000HE comes with a webcam and an Intel Atom processor.
Weight
Weighing just over 3 pounds, it‘s not the lightest we‘ve seen.
Storage
It has a 160 GB hard drive. When you break that down, you’re looking at over 25,000 songs with extra room for movies and games. With your purchase, ASUS also gives you 10GB of online storage.
Memory
1 GB of DDR2 SDRAM.
Processor
The new Intel Atom N280 uses only 2.5 watts of power. Put that next to the 35 watts used by a Core 2 Duo found in most regular sized notebooks, and that’s what we call fantastic battery management. The 1.66 GHz Atom N270 has a front side bus of 667 MHz for much faster data transfer on mobile applications.
DVD/CD Drive
There isn’t one, but it has 3 USB ports for external drive usage.
Connectivity
It comes with:
- Integrated wireless, compatible with 802.11b/g/n networks
- 3 USB 2.0 ports
- A 2-in-1 card reader (SD, MMC)
- 1 VGA monitor port
- Headphone jack, Microphone jack
- Ethernet port
Screen, AV
A 10-inch LED-backlit widescreen display has 1024 x 600 resolution. If the user finds anything wrong with the brightness within 30 days of purchase, ASUS will replace it free of charge.
Battery
A Super Hybrid Engine and a 8700mAh Li-Ion battery pack gives up to 9.5 hours of battery life. That’s the highest it goes as far as netbooks go.
Warranty
It’s backed by a 1-year warranty for parts and labor.
Pros
The storage. 160 GB is nothing to scoff at.
10GB of online storage is like your own personal flash drive anywhere you go.
Extremely good battery life. 9.5 hours is one of the best on the market.
Cons
The weight. 3 lbs. is light, but not the lightest.
It’s a little more expensive than some of the other mini notebooks out there, but you get a great little laptop for your money. Whether that’s a pro or a con is up to you.
Price: $375
Rating: 4.9/5.0
