What’s the Best Netbook for the Price Right Now?
Earlier today, I received a note from Mike, a jkOTR reader who recently got his hands on an MSI Wind netbook. Not just any Wind either; it was mine. Mike might have a little netbook fever now and he was asking my opinion on the best netbook for the price; in terms of value. Mike doesn’t have any specific requirements in terms of the hardware. He’s just planning to check e-mail and surf the web when out and about: basic tasks that a netbook is perfect for. He doesn’t even need a high-capacity battery since this is definitely a secondary device for him. Aside from those minimal requirements, he thought he’d occasionally upload photos or post to a blog using Windows Live Writer.
Of course, all I can do is offer an opinion: that and a buck will get you cup of coffee at McDonald’s. But that’s what he asked me for, so here’s my opinion on the best netbook for the money right now.
I ruled out any device with an 8.9-inch display in my thought process. Not that there’s anything wrong with those, but the larger 10-inch screens represent nice “bang for buck”. You can always upgrade some components, like memory or storage capacity, but you’re generally stuck with a screen size for the life of a device. This pushed the current Acer Aspire One, the Dell Mini 9 and some of the Asus Eee PCs out of contention.
I then took a peek at the starting prices of the more well-known brands: the Lenovo S10 and the HP Mini 1000, for example. For a Windows XP version with a 10-inch display, you’re looking at around $349 for the Lenovo and a little more for the HP. Each offers the minimal but usable 512MB of RAM but they differ greatly in terms of storage capacity. The HP offers an 8GB SSD drive while the Lenovo provides a very generous 80GB drive for nearly the same price. Both devices offer a three-cell battery, a webcam and WiFi, so there’s minimal to no difference there.
I see that Amazon has my MSI Wind available for $349, which is nearly the same price as the HP and Lenovo. Spec-for-spec, it generally compares equally to those two netbooks with the 3-cell battery, but it bumps the storage up to a 120GB hard drive and provides a full 1GB of RAM. That may not be required, but remember, I’m looking at value here, which I roughly equate as price-for-specification in this case.
For another $40 on Amazon, I think I have the current value winner: the Asus Eee PC 1000HA. It generally offers the same base specs, but ups the hard drive to 160GB. That alone might not be worth the extra $40 over the MSI Wind, but the kicker is the battery. The 1000HA at $388.50 includes a 6-cell battery. Again, it might not be what Mike needs, but these specification bumps for not much additional cash are worth it in my opinion. Of course, some online shopping might yield lower prices, which could easily change the analysis. Additionally, I’d never recommend anyone buy a consumer electronics device this close to CES. Although unlikely, you just might find a newer, better or less expensive option announced this week.
The good thing about opinions is that they’re never truly right or wrong. That’s why I welcome yours here: what would you tell Mike to buy, and why?
I’d go with either the MSI Wind or the Dell Mini 9 as their both Hackintosh friendly.
http://gizmodo.com/5112909/boing-boing-gadgets-hackintosh+netbook-compatibility-chart
I bought an MSI Wind in Dallas and am extremely happy with it. I got the last one they had in the store at the time. The store (Micro Center) manager said they sell like hot cakes. He cannot keep them in stock. If you cannot find a Wind than I would recommend the ASUS 1000HA (A is for Atom processor). I would also strongly suggest going with 6-cell since that seems to be the most common complaint among existing netbook owners. you can thank me later.
MSI Wind Netbook (U100)
1.6Ghz,1GB DDR2,160HDD,Bluetooth,6-CELL
BTW, the word “Netbook” is printed on the computer and its carrying case !!! Please don’t call this machine a notebook or mini-notebook.
relax its not a bog deal what people call them. dont go crazy over something stupid
jwang392, I’d agree with you if OS X is a requirement. I had it running on my MSI Wind a few months ago and it handled it like a champ. Now that there are OS X drivers for the Realtek WiFi chip, it’s even better. BTW: congrats on your completion of the Honolulu Marathon! That’s an outstanding achievement! I’m thinking of a marathon comeback since I haven’t run one since Chicago in ‘99: 3:19:58.
AndyT, I bought the 6-cell version of the Wind and I don’t think I’ve regretted it yet. Good advice.
Samsung NC10. Great keyboard, full size enter key, multitouch trackpad, 10″ screen, 7 hours battery life.
It’s a little more money (currently $479 at Newegg), but the Samsung NC10 is just a terrific machine. Great build quality, top-notch keyboard, beautiful screen, 160GB hard drive, and supremely excellent battery life of close to seven hours. You don’t hear about it as much as some of the other netbooks out there (they probably haven’t sent it out to sites like this one for reviews), but I can’t praise it enough. It’s just in another league from the other netbooks I’ve seen.
@DP – Spooky! lol.
i’m always a backer of the MSI Wind since well i own one too.
had a first-gen ASUS EEEpc and really didn’t like the smaller 8.9″ lcd and keyboard. plus, having a usuable kb, bluetooth, wifi, webcam, mic, and an SDHC reader are essentials in a netbook imo.
i opted for a third-party 6cell and so far am very happy with it (get about 4hours in vista)
but the NC10 is sounding pretty nice and seems to be the big bang if you want the longer battery and willing to shell out a few more bucks (not sure if teh NC10 has bt though, bt was essential for me since i tether to a mobile via it).
pick your poison.
Good point on the Samsung as it’s a nice device. I kept it out of the post because it’s nearly $100 more and I was focusing on value. Does the extra 2 hours of battery life justify the additional cost? Tough call and the answer will vary depending on who you ask. Still, well worth the mention for consideration!
I have been quite happy with the 8.9″ screen on my EEE 901, and I prefer netbooks with SSD’s as opposed to HD’s but I do agree that if you can go from a 3 to a 6 cell battery for less than $50.00 you should do it. IMHO, battery life is what makes a Netbook great. Third party batteries are often a) really expensive and b) not a “perfect” fit for the computer.
Loving the NC10 after only a few days … this little machine packs a serious punch. I’ve got mine triple booting with Win7, XP and OSX (still sorting out my networking) and really think this is the one to beat. I know it costs a bit more, but it is well worth it.
I liked the criteria used here. For me, 10 inch screen and 6 cell battery were a must. I went with the 1000HA back in October; very happy with it. I really wanted the Wind but at that time it wasn’t available with the 6 cell for under $420. My ideal option would be a black Lenovo S10 with a 6 cell, but who knows when that’ll be available?
Well I agree with what Kevin says that for the best value the MSI Wind is hard to beat. I happen to get one for Christmas; my daughter gave it to me. I have been using it daily and can say its a very nice notebook. I had Windows XP on it, but I installed Vista Business, and Leopard on it this past week. After using XP on the Wind, the speed difference in XP and Vista is not much that I would say not to install Vista on it. On the keyboard, now I know what Kevin and Matt mean when they say its a great keyboard. I have been using the Gigabyte M912 and Kohnjinsha SC3 and this keyboard is great. I also upgraded the memory even though it says warranty void if removed, MSI posted that its ok to upgrade memory but not other parts.
From reader comments and a quick peek at a Samsung NC10 review, it’s a runaway winner if your reader is willing to pay $100 more. But let’s assume he isn’t.
That leaves us with the MSI Wind, the EeePC 1000HA and the Lenovo S10.
The S10 beats the MSI Wind because of solid build quality (I evaluated both at a store before settling on the S10). This is truly necessary for a device that’s this small, and therefore will be carted around a fair bit.
My S10 has 1GB RAM and a 160GB HDD, which I believe are standard specs for the device now.
The S10 is also much more solidly built than the EeePC 1000HA, but the latter’s 6-cell battery might just give it the edge. I think it’s a function of how much your reader values the extra battery life (my 3-cell packs 3.5 hours). If not, the S10 is a clear winner.
I had an Eee 1000H and really liked it a lot — a great touchpad compared to the Wind (at least the newer versions), and I never found anything wrong with the keyboard, though some people don’t like it. I’ve also tried out several in stores — the Aspire One, Mini 1000, Lenovo s10. But I bought a Samsung NC10 about a month ago, and I have to agree with those who have commented above. All around, I think it’s the best one out there.
“Additionally, I’d never recommend anyone buy a consumer electronics device this close to CES. Although unlikely, you just might find a newer, better or less expensive option announced this week.”
I have to disagree with you there Kevin. Quite a lot of the gadgets you find at CES are prototypes and concept hardware, put on display to merely tease the consumer. Some never even get to the production stage, or undergo a redesign before a retail version goes on sale.
Also, having a product announced at CES is one thing – finding that product at your local Best Buy is another. I’ve seen some devices hit the shelves as much as six month after CES, and by then other manufacturers had competing/newer products out or already being planned.
If you follow technology well enough, and know the roadmaps of the major players, CES won’t matter in your decision to buy that device you know is coming out in 4 months time.
Missed this:
The Lenovo S10 also has a multi-touch touchpad (unlike the Wind and the EeePC) and separate right and left touchpad keys (unlike the Wind)
I prefer the 8.9 inch screened devices. For me, size is second only to price on my list of important netbook features. I like ‘em small and cheap.
If I was looking for a netbook, I’d troll the Dell Outlet. They routinely have nicely specced Mini 9s for well under 300, and if you do some coupon hunting, you can get one near 200.
just got the msi wind, black, 6cell, etc. on J&R for $380. Sale ’til tomorrow.
I bought my daughter an MSI Wind for Christmas. I set up all of the software to get her going. I was very impressed with the build quality and performance.
I highly reccommend it.
My two cents worth – unless you like the headache of managing your disk space, get the hard drive versions. More options there, such as loading up your music or video for portable entertainment.
EEE 900HA is the best bang-for-your-buck 9″ right now, in my opinion. Atom CPU, 160GB HDD, XP, and 4-hour battery for $330 at Newegg. Bought two on eBay during Microsoft’s 30% cashback deal for $245 each before the price dropped. Even at the original $350 price they’d still be a bargain.
Why hasn’t anyone said the 900HA? $319 with features comparable to more expensive systems. Battery isn’t a 6-cell (4 cell), but you can stretch it out to about 4.5 hours, or 4 with normal use.
Also the form factor is that of the original 701.
Wow, posted a comment at the same time as AFD. Ok, so someone else said 900HA too
@Rahul – You are wrong – the EeePC does indeed have a multitouch trackpad.
“I ruled out any device with an 8.9-inch display in my thought process. Not that there’s anything wrong with those, but the larger 10-inch screens represent nice “bang for buck”.”
Kevin, I have to disagree with you on this. 10 inch screens do not hold a better value – they take more power, cost more money, weigh more, and do not present the user with any additional screen resolution. The main advantage of 10 inch models is not the screen itself, but the larger keyboards, which many will prefer.
That being said, if you are looking strictly at value like you mentioned, an 8.9inch netbook is a much better value proposition. As some have mentioned, the Asus 900ha is a fantastic deal for a netbook and should probably be at the top of anyone’s list if they are looking for maximum value from a netbook.
“Quite a lot of the gadgets you find at CES are prototypes and concept hardware, put on display to merely tease the consumer. Some never even get to the production stage, or undergo a redesign before a retail version goes on sale.”
Very true Luscious. We knew the HP Mini-note was getting a nice refresh at CES (news hit at midnight this morning), but items like that are generally the exception at CES time.
BTW: these are ALL great comments and opinions. I’ll bet Mike never expected such great service when he asked me this question in the first place.
I lucked out and got a Fujitsu P161O for under $500, but I’m totally sold on the 8.9 inch. screen, too. I have a 13 inch Dell. so 10 inches isn’t really enough size-savings.
I like the Dell Mini 12 – it’s a strong offering, light, sleek, and functional. The harddrive is a little small – but it makes up for it with exceptional weight qualities.
I use the eee 1000ha for my email, web browsing, and in general making minor updates to my site (http://FindYourAuto.net). The things that tipped me towards the asus were: Max Ram 2GB: Very few netbooks go upto 2gb. Largest hard drive (160GB), gives me the option of running mutiple Oses. 6-cell battery, i have comfortably used it for 4-5 hours without dragging cables around. Because of the memory upgrade runs vista like a champ, xp boots in about 30 seconds. I would have wanted the screen to be glossy instead of matte, but thats a minor issue to me. And of course the shift key is kind of annoying. But its the best value for money. If you look around you can get it for around $300-$350. I got mine with ebay cashback and it cost a little under $300.
I just did a % off search on netbooks via http://www.discount-hunt.com and Amazon has some nice discounts on various netbooks.
Want a netbook ?
Own asus 701 4g ssd 7in lcd Linux version but XP installed and a acer one 8g ssd 8.9 xp version..
MOST Important key Factors
Battery Life Battery life
A netbook – Portable Ultra Mini Puter Key word Portable! Get a NETBOOK with a battery that will keep up with your Usage. The acer One SSD version has a 3 Cell 2200 Battery giving you 2.5 hrs battery life. Not very long with videos etc. On the other hand, Asus 701 sdd version with windows XP installed gives 5 Plus hours. Asus ships with a 6 Cell 5400 Battery and with the SSD, LCD led Backlight Brightness Settings, Saving Power is easy with the Asus machines. Once you add a HHD Hard Drive 120 160 gb etc, Now your reducing your battery life. SSD is the way to go for Battery Life.
Most SSD versions ship with Linux, But Windows XP can be installed very easy with some online searching. You can use a SD Flash Drive for Browser temp files and downloading storage. Make sure its a class 6 and you wont notice any difference speed wise. 8GB sd flash cards are 12 dollars online, 20 retail cheap nowadays.
Next Big thing, KEYBOARD SIZE
Asus 701 version has a tiny tiny keyboard. Very hard to type with all your fingers. On the other hand, The Acer one, the keyboard feels full size and you can type away like a fullsized Keyboard. If you need to type alot Try out the keyboards first.
LCD SIZE —
The 7 in screen Save The most Energy but it can be annoying. You can set your Browsers to view at 80 Percent instead of 100, and you wont have to scroll side to side. Its a fix, but it also makes the text smaller.
8.9in is the perfect size for Docs and internet browsing, but The bigger screen will use 40 percent more power then a 7in. Also check your LCD specs. An LED lit lcd uses much less power then a Standard bulb Lit LCD.
Also remember, the bigger the LCD, the easier it is to crack if it in a backpack or purse. They all have a sheet of glass layered in somewhere.
Webcam or no webcam? I would say get the webcam version, but if your not using it, disable the hardware in device manager or Bios to conserve Battery life. Same with the 10/100 Network Card RJ45.
Asus machines can be upgraded thru the bottom doors RAM and some HHD versions.
Acer one can not without taking the whole machine apart. Acer one SSD version has a door that is missing the PCIe connector, which makes the Access door usless in this case.
Acers SSD and HHD versions both have replacable Drives just incase you have a failure in the future. Were as the Asus SSD drives are not Removable because they are soldered onto the motherboard.
Acers Can Not boot from SD Flash Cards
Asus will boot from Any device, SD flash, usb etc. Great for installing Windows XP without a CD DVD drive.
Big battery Asus Upper hand
Usable Keyboard Acer Upper hand
Search the Big suppliers for the best price. Amazon has sales on Netbooks and you can pick up a new Asus for as low as 199.99. Bestbuy also has online sales of Asus 229.99 8.9in version. Keep your eyes open and dont rush into a netbook just because they are cute. Find the machine that will fit you.
Asus 1000he beats all currently for battery life, performance, features and price at 400ish (377ish for certain online vendors)
The only drawback is slightly heavier + design.
HI THERE EATHER A DELL MINI 9 DELL MINI 10 OR A HP MINI 1000 THEY ARE SOO COOL LOOKING AND YOU CAN OPT FOR A 16 GEGABYTE SOLID STATE FLASH DRIVE I LIKE THE SSD OVER A SLOW HARD DRIVE
I’m loving my MSI Wind. I take with with me to class for all my notes and it’s small enough I can lug around those giant law books in the same bag. Before, I felt like I needed a forklift to get to class with all my books. I keep my other laptop at home as a back up and to free up memory on my wind. Also, I don’t have any of my Adobe products loaded on the netbook = hefty softwares are for the slower, heavier, 4 year old Dell Inspiron.
In short, I can’t vouch for the other versions but I can say that I love my netbook, use it everyday, and it’s made my backpack 5 pounds lighter.
a bit of an update to this article, #1 now is the asus eee pc 1005ha with Win 7 imo
I just got one.
Best deal going right now. An Acer AOD250-1165 at Target, for $200.
AOD250-1165 Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition ; SP3 version; Intel® Atom™ Processor N270 (512KB L2 cache, 1.60GHz, 533MHz FSB); 1GB DDR2 533 SDRAM; 160GB hard drive, multi-in-one card reader; 10.1″ WSVGA (1024 x 600) TFT display, Acer® CrystalBrite Technology; Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950; 802.11b/g WLAN, 10/100 LAN, webcam; sapphire blue chassis; three-cell battery; one-year limited warranty
At Costco, at this time Nov 24,2009, you can get a bundled system, a fantastic buy. Acer Aspire One AOD250-1389 with windows XP, 160 GB HDD, 1 GB memory, 10.1 inch screen, 802.11 BG, with an external DVD/CD writer, wireless bluetooth mouse, protective bag, 6 cell battery. At $350. A very good deal.
I still prefer the Lenovo S-10 series, because it has the best keyboard. It also feels the most solid, in terms of case construction.
I had the eee pc 701 for quite a while… While it was small with it’s 7 inch screen and 4GB SSD, it did make for an excellent modding PC. Since they have a small screen and an SSD, there is alot of space inside the laptop for mods and other neat stuff. I didn’t mod that eee pc, and sold it for the same price as I got it a year earlier, so that was good. I plan on buying another as a car PC. I will put in a touch screen, GPS unit and 1.8″ 160GB hard drive, which will all fit in the case of the laptop. This will allow me to use it for all my music and directions, and when my car is parked at home, I can wirelessly transfer music to it.
By far, it isn’t the best peformance-wise, but it is an excellent modding netbook
also, I liked the tiny keyboard of the eee 701. I just held it like a large blackberry, and typed rather quickly using just my two thumbs lol.