Mini Laptops, more commonly known as netbooks these days, are small form-factor portable computers that are characterized by a 10” or smaller screen and lack of CD drive. They are approximately half the size of a normal 15” laptop and are becoming increasingly popular due to their convenience and low cost.

These netbooks truly are mini laptops – almost everything about them is smaller. The screen is obviously smaller, and there is no CD drive, but the keyboard and tackpad are, with a few exceptions, also smaller. These keyboards are definitely a change of pace for anyone used to typing on a normal keyboard, and they take some getting used to.

Because they are so small, netbooks will fit in a backpack or purse quite easily, and often weigh around 2.5 lbs. It is this portability that helps make the mini laptop so popular. With some larger laptops, one is less inclined to actually take them somewhere because of their size and weight.

Mini notebooks do have some drawbacks though. First, the hardware inside them is designed to use as little power as possible, so most have Intel Atom processors running at 1.6Ghz, which would be decent speed for a laptop in 2005. Most usually have 1Gb RAM, which is quite low by today’s standards. But netbooks are not designed for photo editing or graphics-intensive videogames. As the name implies, they are designed for primarily web browsing on the go.

While these small computers should not be expected to replace an existing laptop or desktop computer, they are perfect for a quick jaunt down to the coffee shop or for typing that last minute school paper or business proposal on the bus or in the carpool. And for the low prices these fine pieces of technology are commanding, some as low as $200, the convenience afforded is well worth the cost.

Recently

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Responses are closed, you can trackback from your own site.