Top Deals From the Weekly Email
Netbooks from £150
Read the email this appeared inNetbooks are miniature laptops which eschew number-crunching power and huge data storage in favour of better portability, battery life, and most importantly, prices. They're designed to excel at the simple things we do most often - surfing the web, reading emails, watching videos, word processing etc - not to replace desktop computers.
This is a rundown of the top netbook deals available at the moment. If you're looking for a budget fully-fledged laptop, read Cheap Laptop deals instead.
- The Cheapest:
ASUS Eee-701 4GB, £149 delivered
This entry-level model from market leader ASUS (pictured) offers a pretty small 7" screen, a pretty slow Intel Mobile Celeron processor, and a pretty minimal 512MB RAM, yet it's still perfectly capable of the basics. Roughly the size of a hardback book, and weighing a mere 920 grams, it runs a stripped-down version of the light, open-source operating system Linux to keep things ticking over nicely (it starts up in around 30 seconds).
Storage comes in the shape of an internal lightweight, shakeproof 4GB solid state (flash) hard drive. You can expect about half of this to be used up by the operating system and installed programs, but it's extended by an SD/SDHC card slot, which accepts cards upto 16GB (here's a wiki of cards that've been tested with it). The Asus also packs a webcam and full wireless & wired internet connectivity. It's available cheapest at ebuyer.
Processor: Intel Celeron Mobile 0.9Ghz
RAM: 512MB (1GB Max with OS)
Hard Drive: 4GB SSD (solid state, like a memory card)
Added storage: SD/SDHC slot with support for upto 4GB
Display: Widescreen 7" TFT (Resolution WVGA 800 x 480)
Included operating system: Linux Xandros
Battery: 4 cell (more cells = longer battery life), estimated 3.5hrs per charge
Warranty: 2 years (6 months on battery).
- Faster processor, more storage:
Acer Aspire One, £199.99 delivered
Budget manufacturer Acer's entry into the netbook marketplace is by far the cheapest offering with the faster Intel Atom processor which runs at almost twice the speed of the Celeron above, yet remains ultra energy efficient. For the cash, you also get 512MB RAM, an 8GB solid state hard drive, and an 8.9" crystalbrite screen. Again, it runs on Linux (Linpus) to keep speed up, and external storage can be had via a built-in 5-in-1 card reader.
While the spec's comparable, if lesser than that of the £80-more Asus 901 below, there are a couple of drawbacks. Firstly, the battery is only 3 cell, so you shouldn't expect much more than 2 hours of use at a time - a blow to its portatbility. Secondly, it's reportedly very difficult to upgrade the RAM, so those that want to upgrade it should look for some info first to see if it's worthwhile. Cheapest at Play.
Processor: Intel Atom 270, 1.6Ghz.
RAM: 512MB
Hard Drive: 8GB SSD
Display: 8.9" (Resolution 1024 x 600)
Included operating system: Linux Linpus
Battery: 3 cell, stated 3hrs
Warranty: 1 year return to base.
- More memory, more screen, more storage, XP:
Advent 4211, £280 in-store or delivered
This re-badged version of the more expensive MSI Wind also sports the same Intel Atom processor as above, but also an impressive 80GB hard drive (not solid state), a large 10.1" display which offers a much better resolution, and 1GB RAM as standard.
The operating system included is Windows XP, and the Advent also includes a webcam and 4-in-1 card reader. On the downside, the standard 2.5" laptop hard disk and bigger screen mean it's the heaviest in this list, and the SD card reader doesn't support the higher capacity (anything over 2GB) SDHC cards. It's cheapest at PC World.
Processor: Intel Atom 270, 1.6Ghz.
RAM: 1GB (2GB Max)
Hard Drive: 80GB SATA
Display:10.1" (Resolution 1024 x 600)
Included operating system: Windows XP home SP3
Battery: 3 cell, stated 3hrs
Warranty: 1 year return to base.
- Longer life, more portable.
ASUS Eee-901 12GB, £280 delivered
Asus's update of the 900 series above, the 901 has scored highly in reviews by both techie websites, and proud new owner MSE Richard. It packs the same basic set-up as the as the Advent above, with an Intel Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, and Windows XP (home edition) pre-installed. This version also includes 12GB of solid state storage space, an 8.9" screen, and in-built Bluetooth.
A 6-cell battery means that it also has the longest battery life of all those included here, at a stated 8 hours (though expect around 6), and it clocks in at under a kilo, so it should be easy to get around. Again, it's cheapest at ebuyer, at a shade under £280.
Processor: Intel Atom 270, 1.6Ghz.
RAM: 1GB (2GB Max)
Hard Drive: 12GB SSD
Display: 8.9" (Resolution 1024 x 600)
Included operating system: Windows XP home sp3
Battery: 6 cell, stated 8hrs
Warranty: 2 years (6 months on battery)
Views Today: 139
Total views: 50,712
Seen a cheaper deal? Please post it in the forum discussion and we'll add it in to this note.
Want to upgrade the RAM?
Big, cheap memory retailer Crucial has a handy tool on its site for selecting the right type of RAM for any computer; you just need to input the name and brand.
Its prices are often the most competitive too, though it's always worth searching elsewhere too (once you've found the right type) to make sure you've got the absolute best price.
Want software too?
Unfortunately grabbing some good hardware's only half the battle; big software manufacturers will happily relieve you of any left-over cash in exchange for their wares.
Yet you can avoid them if you know where to look; there are now so many great, free-to-use equivalents of office suites, graphics programs, and other software you may never need pay for one again. See the updated Free Office Software article for a complete run-down of the best.
The same goes for Anti-Virus/Spyware and other security software; don't be scared into buying big corporate programs, check out their no-spend equivalents in the Free Anti-Virus & Safety Software article.
1 of
5 
