Best Netbooks

(Updated January 23, 2012 1:17 AM PST)
Dan Ackerman
Dan Ackerman
Senior editor
Scott Stein
Scott Stein
Senior editor
Whether you call them Netbooks, mini laptops, or subnotebooks, these small, low-cost, low-power systems are the hottest thing to hit laptops since the touch pad. We suggest at a minimum an Intel Atom N450 CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB or larger hard drive, and Windows 7 Starter Edition, with Bluetooth as a preferred option for tethering a smartphone for mobile broadband access. Higher-end options are becoming more prevalent, with 11.6-inch displays, higher screen resolutions, and new graphics hardware, such as Nvidia's Ion GPU, helping Netbook prices move out of the $299-$399 range.
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Asus Eee PC 1018PB

Asus reboots the Eee PC series (at least aesthetically) with this slick-looking metallic Netbook, the Eee PC 1018.

As shown: $349.99
See manufacturer site for availability

4 stars

Excellent

Read full review
Asus Eee PC 1018PB

Samsung NF310 A01

The curved, eye-catching Samsung NF310 is a bold 10-inch Netbook with some premium features for its price, but in the end it's not different enough to break out of the pack.

As Reviewed: $399.00

Similar Model Starting at: $429.99

4 stars

Very good

Read full review
Samsung NF310 A01

Asus Eee PC 1015PN-PU17 (black)

The compact 10-inch Asus Eee PC 1015PN offers a dual-core Atom processor and Nvidia Ion graphics for decidedly better-than-average Netbook performance, but premium ultraportables that aren't much more expensive can do better still.

As shown: $429.99
See manufacturer site for availability

4 stars

Very good

Read full review
Asus Eee PC 1015PN-PU17 (black)

Toshiba Mini NB305-N410BN

With a new Atom processor and a tweaked design, the Toshiba Mini NB305-N410BN is an improvement over the already excellent NB205, at a price that's identical.

As shown: $399.99
See manufacturer site for availability

4 stars

Excellent

Read full review
Toshiba Mini NB305-N410BN