Since Asus first launched their 7-inch EeePC, netbooks do seem to keep growing, with most being a whisker short of 9-inches not so long back, and now new most models arriving on the scene endowed with a 10-inch screen. Some, like the Dell Inspiron Mini 12 are larger still. Surely they cannot get any larger than this.

Eventually I suppose this will settle down, and a clear winning size for the best combination of portability and usability will doubtless emerge. Is the 10-inch netbook the optimum size? It seems so, at least for now, but maybe it’s too soon to say for sure.

Read reviews and find out more about the Acer Aspire One 531 here.

Now available for less than £150, the Elonex ONEt is one of the cheapest netbooks around. It seems ridiculously cheap, but is more than capable of getting you connected to the web, for mails or keeping in touch with your friends via Facebook and the like. It’s even great for watching YouTube videos while relaxing with your friends in your favourite coffee house.

As well as a wired and wireless network connectors, the Elonex ONEt features 3 USB ports to input flash and external hard-drives, plus headphone and microphone jacks in case you want to use external speakers or microphone. So its perfect for telephony too. 32GB storage is available internally, and can be expanded via the SD card slot.

The seven inch ONEt is highly portable,  weighing a mere 650g (yes that’s including the battery).

On the downside, the maximum resolution is only 800 x 480 but for the very small screen, to be honest it’s OK, and most websites look fine at this resolution. Another thing which some people won’t like is the proprietery operating system (it’s NOT Windows).

The user interface has been designed to be a simple and straight forward way for a first time computer user to navigate around the laptop to find their files or open programs.

The ONEt has a whole software suite preinstalled to both save you time, hassle and money. You’ll find all the standard software you would expect and you’ll be able to get on the internet wirelessly, eMail, use a word processor, spreadsheet, play MP3s and watch videos. For compatibility with existing computers you may have, you can open documents made using Microsoft Office on the ONEt and open documents made on the ONEt using Microsoft Office. (Not compatible with Office 2007 file formats though.)

If all you want to do is have something with you which you can whip out and get connected anywhere, at this price the Elonex ONEt is a bargain.

In the case of the Free Dell Mini 9 offer from Vodafone, its not a normal mobile phone tariff that you are signing up to, but a mobile broadband contract. As long as you sign up, you get a netbook for free.

A Dell Mini 9, when you buy it from Dell costs £199. For this you get the netbook. Nothing more, nothing less. If you are thinking about being connected to the Internet when you’re not at home – you can use Wifi. Lots of places offer wifi (wireless LAN) connections when you are on the move, either for free or for a small price. If this is all you’ll ever want and need, you’ll be better off just buying the netbook outright, rather than signing up to a mobile broadband contract.

If you need more than this that you’ll be needing a Mobile Broadband USB stick, available from all the mobile operators, which you can have either on a contract, or with a ‘pay as you go’ arrangement. This will get you connected via the mobile network when wifi is not available (like on a train, or away from the city centre).

So which is better?

• Buy the netbook outright and arrange your mobile broadband yourself
• Get a free netbook from Vodafone and sign the contract

For simple calculations, lets assume that you will use mobile broadband for two thirds of the month (lets call it twenty days a month), and on average you will use it for one hour on each of those twenty days for general web-browising, e-mails etc., but you are not normally going to do big downloads.

To keep it easy, we’ll only look at Vodafone, but of course other mobile phone operators are available (but you won’t find big price differences).

There are three options:-

Buy the Dell Mini 9 yourself and add a Pay-as-you-Go Mobile Broadband USB Stick

So here the netbook will cost you (as mentioned before ) £199. On top of this a ‘Pay-as-you-Go style USB mobile broadband stick will set you back a measly £39, which includes the first 1GB of data (Vodafone have in their advertising assumed that this is enough for 30 hours web-browsing). Subsequent 1GB top-ups cost £15. Using out earlier estimates, that means that you will have top up after 6 weeks (about 9 times per year)

Let’s do the math:

• First  Year Costs: £199 + £39 + (9 x £15) = £373
• Subsequent Yearly Costs: 9 x £15 = £135
• Total cost for three years = £643 or about 59p per day
  

Buy the Dell Mini 9 yourself and add a Mobile Broadband USB Stick with a contract

Here again, you need to fork out £199 up front, and then sign a contract with Vodafone (or someone else) for the mobile broadband. If you sign a 12-month contract, Vodafone will happily give you the USB stick for free. Again using our earlier estimates about your usage, it would make sense to go for the cheapest plan, which includes 3GB per month, for £15.

This comes out at:

• First Year Costs: £199 + (12 x £15) = £379
• Subsequent Yearly Costs:  12 x £15 = £180
• Total cost for three years = £739 or about 67p per day

Get the Dell Mini 9 for Free by signing a conract for mobile broadband

The advantage here is that you don’t have to fork out £199 for the netbook. Everything is included in the monthly plan. Same usage assumptions again of course. For a 1GB per month plan

Here the costs are:

• First Year Costs: 12 x £20 = £240
• Subsequent Yearly Costs:  12 x £20 = £240
• Total cost for three years = £720 or about 66p per day

Summary

Interesting eh? The free netbook turned out not to be the cheapest over three years. Also, with the free netbook, you are committed to the ongoing costs for two years, where as with the pay-as-you-go option, you were not committed at all.

Of course, in different situations, the benefits and drawbacks change. If you were to do a lot of downloading from time to time, the pay-as-you-go option may end up costing more. Before jumping into a free netbook deal though, we really recommend to do the calculations based on how much you think you will use mobile broadband and see if it is really good option for you.

Next steps: Compare netbook prices or buy a netbook

Announced just a few days ago and due to be released next month, the D250 from Acer is slim, (only 1-inch thin) and light weight.

With it’s 10.1-inch patented CrystalBrite screen offering a 1024×600 native resolution, this netbook will encourage a lot of people to stop carting a traditional (bigger) laptop around when they are on the move.

With Windows XP Home pre-installed, the Intel Atom N280 processor powered netbook with 1GB memory will run for up to an truly amazing 8 hours without mains power, meaning that you can work for the whole day without having to worry about plugging in.

With 160GB Hard Disk, you won’t be left short of storage space either, with plenty of space for all your documents that you need for working on the move, as well as for music and videos to watch when you take a break. Ideal for business trips when you stay overnight in a hotel.

With Wifi and Bluetooth enabled being connected anywhere free of charge is easy, and the built-in 0.3 megapixel CrystalEye webcam comes in handy for video calling back home to keep in touch with friends and family, no matter where you are.

The Acer Aspire One D250 is really ultra-portable. Small enough to fit in the smallest of bags, and at just 1.33 kilograms, you really won’t notice that you are carry it with you – so you really can take it anywhere.

Find the cheapest prices for the Acer Aspire One D250

Acer Aspire One D250 Specification:

• Processor: Intel Atom N280
• RAM: 1GB DDR2
• Hard Drive: 160GB
• Operating System: Windows XP Home
• Screen: 10.1″ CrystalBrite screen
• Optical Drive: No
• Bluetooth: Yes
• Notebook Camera: 0.3 CrystalEye webcam
• Battery: 6 Cell (up to 8 hours between charging)

We were suitably impressed.

What we liked about the Samsung NC10

When it comes to the NC10, it would just be easier to write what we didn’t like, and let you assume the rest was good, but we won’t cop out so easily!

Starting with the all-important looks, we found the Samsung NC10 well proportioned and feeling robust, the NC10 has a certain stylish and less ‘plasticy’ feeling that some of the other vendors seem to have ignored in their focus on size and cost. For us this is one of the (if not THE) best looking netbook around. The keyboard is almost full size which made it much easier for typing than some of the competition. The USB and video output ports are sensibly located, as is the SD card slot.

Start-up time was very quick, even on the first start. The initial start-up was easy – no problem here for someone who is not an IT geek! The Samsung NC10 comes with Windows XP Home, Internet Explorer, Media Player and a PDF viewer pre-installed. Also a 3 month license for McAfee anti-virus, but not so much else. We were pleased not to find too much additional bloatware installed and were happy that we didn’t have to spend the first 20 minutes uninstalling junk. Thanks Samsung! The full manual for the NC10 can be found on the desktop, and is very informative for those who want to read it.

Immediately after the set-up, there is an option to do a full backup of the initial setup. This is a great idea, as you can subsequently always get back to this clean starting point if the worst comes to the worst and things go wrong with the installation.

The first things that struck us at this point we how quiet the NC10 is, and how sharp and bright the screen is. Already we were getting to know and love this little machine.

Connecting the Samsung NC10 to our Wireless LAN was simple and our download test showed fast transfer speeds. For web-browsing it seemed quick and Netbook Review looked great on the bright screen!

We plugged in a mobile broadband USB stick and this was detected and worked without problems. Web browsing was still quick via HDSPA. We also tried the same test via Bluetooth, connecting to the internet via a mobile phone and we happy with the results.

One of the most amazing things we saw on the NC10 was how well the integrated webcam worked for video chat. Even in low light the picture quality was clear, and in good light it was excellent. The built in microphone and speakers worked very well for the video chat. When playing music through the speakers the quality was acceptable (considering how small they are) but with headphones sound was more crisp and more enjoyable.

Next we tried the different power options. Three presets are available, Max-power, Normal and Power-save. Each of them made the expected noticeable differences to both the speed and the screen brightness. Even on the Power-save setting, the machine remained adequately responsive and the screen was still bright enough to read in normal light conditions. When we later did a battery life test, the battery went from fully charged to empty in a good 4 hours 53 mins (with general use for web browsing and video playing for most of the time).

What we didn’t like about the Samsung NC10

As we hinted at above, there wasn’t really very much that we didn’t like about the Samsung NC10.

We did find the right shift key a little hard to find sometimes while typing, as it’s in what seems to be a slightly illogical place (although the same is true of other notebook, and is part of what it takes to keep the keyboard compact enough).

The NC10’s touch-pad isn’t great and we ended up plugging an external mouse in. Anywhere where this is a option it makes for more comfortable use. Also when we tried the low-light test for the webcam, we found it quite hard to see the touch-pad and buttons, as they blended in so well with the background. Assuming we could find it, it worked well and was responsive. Also it’s quite small – presumably Samsung favoured a bigger keyboard, and we probably agree that it is the right decision.

We’d like to have seen an option to have mobile broadband built-in to the case (with the SIM card inside, rather than having to depend on a USB mobile broadband stick sticking out of the side. Maybe this will be added to the range later on.

Talking of sticking out, we could not see any real reason why an SD card did not go all the way in the case, but rather stuck out a few millimetres. Flush fitting SD cards are not so likely to get damaged and are much convenient to leave in the netbook all the time.

Samsung NC10 – Summary

Overall we were really impressed with this, and we didn’t want to have to give it back. For someone looking for a first netbook purchase we could highly recommend the Samsung NC10. It offers great value for money, so many good points and really not many bad ones.

There are some amazing Samsung NC10 offers around at the moment which are worth comparing here.

Samsung NC10 Full Technical Specifications

• Samsung NC10
• Intel Atom 1.6Ghz N270 Processor
• 10.2-inch widescreen display (1024 x 640 pixel – WSVGA)
• 1GB DDR2 Memory @ 800MHz (Upgradeable to 2GB)
• 160GB Hard Drive
• Windows XP Home
• 1.3-megapixel webcam
• 3-in-1 Card Reader
• 3x USB ports
• 1 year warranty
• Built in Wireless LAN & Bluetooth
• 6-cell Lithium Ion battery
• Size 26.1cm (w) x 3cm (h) x 18.6 (d)
• Weighs 1.3 Kilograms

The D250 will be available either with the N270 Atom processor, or for slightly more, the slightly faster N280. It features a 10.1-inch screen with a native resolution of 1026×600. Up to 2GB of DDR2 Memory will be available.

When it comes to storage, it sounds like only a 160GB hard-drive will be available from launch, but of course other storage options may be added later on. No operating choice again here, it’s Windows XP Home Edition only.

Various other options will be offered, such as 3G and Bluetooth for those who want to remain connected while on the move.

One thing we found disappointing here is that the Aspire One D250 will come with a low-end 0.3-megapixel webcam, which we find strange, and if this were to be upgraded to a far superior 1.3-megapixel one, we’d be a lot happier with this model. There seems to be no obvious reason for this decision, although for anyone who doesn’t intend to use the webcam this is clearly not going to be a concern.

Three battery choices will be offered, starting with a 3-cell 2200mAh promising over 3-hours use, up to a 6-cell 5200mAh one, which Acer claim will last up to 7.5-hours. This adds a little onto the weight, but you’ll notice the longer battery life far more than a few grams extra in your bag.

The D250 will be available in Sapphire Blue, Seashell White, Diamond Black and Ruby Red. No date is yet known regarding availability.

The Asus T91 which is due to make it’s debut in May, features an 8.9-inch screen. As well as being used as a standard netbook, the screen turns 180-degress on it’s central axis to operate in tablet mode. Tablet mode is idea when the standard keyboard is not needed, such as for watching video’s as well as for presentations and so on.

Since the T91 has a touchscreen, even in tablet mode is still possible to use the full functionality, and the “Easy mode” software helps get this done. Easy mode offers quick and simple one-touch access to a variety of common applications.

Read the full article at Cnet

Update 4/4/09: Asus Eee PC T91Video Review now available

Next time I am taken off to the shops, I will take my netbook and go sit in Starbucks!

Thanks for the idea Kyle.

Don’t forget to check the prices in our Netbook Shop, or to use Kelkoo to compare the entire market for the model you want (there’s a link on the right, using it will help to support this site – Thanks!)

• Top Deal : Acer Aspire One A150 Netbook £249.97
  

  One of the market leading netbooks is now under £250. This Windows XP Home variant has 1GB memory and a huge 160GB hard disk.

• Toshiba NB100-12A 8.9-inch Netbook £249.99

  Just 512MB Memory, but a massive 120GB hard drive in the Toshiba NB100-12A. The battery life could be better, but at this price, not bad. Run Windows XP Home.
  

• Elonex 10.2-inch Widescreen Webbook £260.43
  

  Equipped with a 10.2-inch screen, 512MB Memory and an 80GB Hard Disk.

• Hercules eCafe EC-900-H60G/S Ultra Mobile PC £261.75

  At 1.2Kg, the EC-900 claims a 7-hour battery life.  This Linux based netbook comes with a 60GB hard drive.

• Compaq 702 10.2-inch Mini Note £279.97

  The Compaq 702 has a 10.2-inch screen, 1GB Memory and  60GB SATA hard drive. Most notably it has a 92% of full size keyboard.

• LG X110 10-inch Netbook £279.99
  

  The X110 from LG is the latest to join the sub-£300 club. Just 512MB memory in this one, but 160GB is more than enough for most people.

• ASUS Eee PC 901 RP001X Netbook £289.95
  

  This Eee PC 901 is currently very well priced so snap it up while you can. This one has 1GB Memory and a 12GB Solid State Drive. Hmm – we almost forgot to mention it is pink, but for some thats a good thing.

Prices taken from Amazon.co.uk on 29th March 2009

The N310 comes in four rubbery looking colours. It is expected to be available in the UK in May for around the £399 mark.

Samsung claim that the N310 netbook “represents that ultimate union of class-leading design and performance as it features the sophisticated styling of Naoto Fukasawa, a leading international designer”.

With claims of a 5 hour battery life, the Windows XP based model which weighs in at just 1.23kg is bound to appeal to many.