It seems that more people than ever before are asking the same question when it comes to netbooks: which one is the best buy? Though the history of the netbook is a short one – the first one just came out in 2007, after all – the technology has continued to evolve at an amazing pace. As a result, if you looked at netbooks six or seven months ago and thought you knew which one you wanted to buy, you might want to look again. It is pretty much a sure bet that whatever you looked at last six or seven months is a relic of the past by now. So how do you decide which netbook is the best one to buy right at this point in time?
Go with the ten inch
The most obvious thing to do is also the easiest in this case: simply imitate what everyone else is doing. The most popular netbooks in the world right now continue to be the ten inch units. Their display is just good enough to satisfy almost every user, and the keyboard and overall design of these small units make them easy to manipulate and still nearly as light as the seven inch netbooks. Of course, there is still a lot of variety in the ten inch category, as different manufacturers have managed to cement different types of reputations within this industry.
The budget is best
Since this is your first netbook, there is no reason for you to go all out in the area of price. Companies like ASUS still produce netbooks that sell for under $300. These netbooks have single-core processor and 160GB/250GB hard drive space, but can operate for the better part of eight or nine hours on nothing but battery power. Acer has a similar model that really differs only in the small change in battery life. Can you store all of your movies, music, and pictures on one of these models? Of course you can’t. But then again, that’s not the reason why you get a netbook, is it?
How to compare
Of course, there is no reason to limit your search for the best netbook of 2011 to just these two manufacturers. HP, Dell, Toshiba and other companies have also made their indelible mark on the industry, and have their own versions of these tiny computers – each with its own distinctive flair. The best way to choose the best netbook of 2011 is to compare the things that matter most to you.
In the end, only by comparing features and prices on an apples-to-apples basis can you begin to make sense of the various differences between all of the available netbooks on the market.
To compare netbook specifications, our netbook comparison tool will be a great help. It allows you to select some models of netbooks and then display the specs, user reviews, and prices for each model in a table so you can compare them side by side. Most of the latest popular netbook models can be found in this comparison tool.
Netbook Comparison Tool »
Our Recommended Netbooks
We would suggest a minimum specification for Netbook 2011 as follows, go with the Intel Atom Single-core N455 Processor, at least 1GB DDR3 RAM, a 160GB or larger hard drive, Intel GMA 3150 integrated graphics, 8 hours long battery life and Windows 7 Starter. If you plan to do some multimedia work and play gaming applications then look for a high-end netbook. Higher-end options are becoming more prevalent, with 11.6 or 12.1-inch displays, higher screen resolutions, Dual-core processor and new graphics hardware, such as Nvidia’s Ion GPU.
Best Budget Netbooks (10.1 inch)
| Brand | Model | Display | OS | Processor | RAM | HDD | Graphics | Bluetooth | Dimensions (W x D x H) |
Weight | Battery | Color | Retail Price |
Amazon Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
1001PX-EU17-BK 1001PX-EU17-WT (Nov 2010) |
10.1″ 1024×600 matte |
Windows 7 Starter | Intel Atom N450 (single-core 1.66GHz) |
1GB DDR2 |
160GB | Intel GMA 3150 | No | 10.31×7.01×1.02 ~1.44 |
2.4 lbs. (1.1 kg) |
3-cell 4hrs |
Black Blue White |
$249.99 | See Price See Price |
|
1001PX-EU27-BK 1001PX-EU27-WT (Jan 2011) |
10.1″ 1024×600 matte |
Windows 7 Starter | Intel Atom N450 (single-core 1.66GHz) |
1GB DDR2 |
250GB | Intel GMA 3150 | No | 10.31×7.01×1.02 ~1.44 |
2.4 lbs. (1.1 kg) |
3-cell 4hrs |
Black White |
$259.99 | See Price See Price |
|
1001PX-EU37-BK (Feb 2011) |
10.1″ 1024×600 matte |
Windows 7 Starter | Intel Atom N450 (single-core 1.66GHz) |
1GB DDR2 |
250GB | Intel GMA 3150 | No | 10.31×7.01×1.02 ~1.44 |
2.8 lbs. (1.3 kg) |
6-cell 8.5hrs |
Black Blue White |
$299.99 | See Price |
|
1001PXD-EU17-BK 1001PXD-EU17-BU 1001PXD-EU17-WT (Feb 2011) |
10.1″ 1024×600 matte |
Windows 7 Starter | Intel Atom N455 (single-core 1.66GHz) |
1GB DDR3 |
250GB | Intel GMA 3150 | No | 10.31×7.01×1.02 ~1.44 |
2.4 lbs. (1.1 kg) |
3-cell 4hrs |
Black Blue White |
$269.99 | See Price See Price See Price |
|
1001PXD-MU17-BK 1001PXD-MU17-BU 1001PXD-MU17-WT (Nov 2010) |
10.1″ 1024×600 matte |
Windows 7 Starter | Intel Atom N455 (single-core 1.66GHz) |
1GB DDR3 |
250GB | Intel GMA 3150 | No | 10.31×7.01×1.02 ~1.44 |
2.8 lbs. (1.27 kg) |
6-cell 8.5hrs |
Black Blue White |
$299.99 | See Price See Price See Price |
 |
AOD255E-13647 (Jan 2011) |
10.1″ 1024×600 glossy |
Windows 7 Starter | Intel Atom N455 (single-core 1.6GHz) |
1GB DDR3 |
160GB | Intel GMA 3150 | No | 10.17×7.28×0.95 | 2.43 lbs. (1.1 kg) |
3-cell 4hrs |
Black | $259.99 | See Price |
|
AOD255E-13865 AOD255E-13639 AOD255E-13608 AOD255E-13493 (Jan 2011) |
10.1″ 1024×600 glossy |
Windows 7 Starter | Intel Atom N455 (single-core 1.6GHz) |
1GB DDR3 |
250GB | Intel GMA 3150 | No | 10.17×7.28×0.95 | 2.43 lbs. (1.1 kg) |
3-cell 4hrs |
Blue Black Red Brown |
$269.99 | See Price See Price See Price See Price |
|
AOD255E-13410 AOD255E-13444 AOD255E-13633 AOD255E-13617 (Jan 2011) |
10.1″ 1024×600 glossy |
Windows 7 Starter | Intel Atom N455 (single-core 1.6GHz) |
1GB DDR3 |
250GB | Intel GMA 3150 | No | 10.17×7.28×0.95 | 2.76 lbs. (1.3 kg) |
6-cell 8hrs |
Blue Black Red Brown |
$279.99 | See Price See Price See Price See Price |
 |
iM1018-2628OBK (Nov 2010) |
10.1″ 1024×600 glossy |
Windows 7 Starter | Intel Atom N455 (single-core 1.6GHz) |
1GB DDR3 |
250GB | Intel GMA 3150 | No | 10.5×7.8×1~1.3 | 2.92 lbs. (1.33 kg) |
6-cell 7hrs |
Black | $299.99 | See Price |
 |
110-3510NR (Jan 2011) |
10.1″ 1024×600 glossy |
Windows 7 Starter | Intel Atom N455 (single-core 1.6GHz) |
1GB DDR3 |
250GB | Intel GMA 3150 | No | 10.55×7.51×0.9 ~1.26 |
2.78 lbs. (1.36kg) |
3-cell 4.5hrs |
Black | $279.99 | See Price |
|
110-3530NR (Jan 2011) |
10.1″ 1024×600 glossy |
Windows 7 Starter | Intel Atom N455 (single-core 1.6GHz) |
1GB DDR3 |
250GB | Intel GMA 3150 | No | 10.55×7.51×0.9 ~1.26 |
3.1 lbs. (1.41kg) |
6-cell 8.75hrs |
Black | $299.99 | See Price |
 |
S10-3 0647-2AU (Jun 2010) |
10.1″ 1024×600 glossy |
Windows 7 Starter | Intel Atom N455 (single-core 1.6GHz) |
1GB DDR3 |
160GB | Intel GMA 3150 | No | 10.6×6.6×0.96 | 2.76 lbs. (1.25 kg) |
6-cell, 7hrs |
Black | $299.99 | See Price |
 |
NB505-N508BL NB505-N508BN NB505-N508GN NB505-N508OR NB505-N508TQ (Jan 2011) |
10.1″ 1024×600 glossy |
Windows 7 Starter | Intel Atom N455 (single-core 1.6GHz) |
1GB DDR2 |
250GB | Intel GMA 3150 | No | 10.3x 7.48×0.65 ~1.4 |
2.9 lbs. (1.3 kg) |
6-cell 8.35hrs |
Blue Brown Green Orange Turquoise |
$299.99 | See Price See Price See Price See Price See Price |
|
Rating: (368) |
| Retail Price: $299.99 | |
| Amazon Price: $399.99 | |
| » Shop now | |
| Price as of 2/4/2012 2:22 UTC - Details | |
|
Rating: (44) |
| Retail Price: $259.99 | |
| Amazon Price: View Sale Price | |
| » Shop now | |
| Price as of 2/4/2012 2:22 UTC - Details | |
|
Rating: (18) |
| Retail Price: $299.99 | |
| Amazon Price: $345.99 | |
| » Shop now | |
| Price as of 2/4/2012 2:22 UTC - Details | |
Best Netbooks in terms of performance, battery life, and price (10.1 inch)
| Brand | Model | Display | OS | Processor | RAM | HDD | Graphics | Bluetooth | Dimensions (W x D x H) |
Weight | Battery | Color | Retail Price |
Amazon Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1015PX-MU17-BK 1015X-MU17-BU 1015X-MU17-RD 1015X-MU17-WT (Apr 2011) |
10.1″ 1024×600 matte |
Windows 7 Starter | Intel Atom N570 dual-core (1.66GHz) |
1GB DDR3 |
250GB | Intel GMA 3150 | No | 10.31×7.01×0.93 ~1.43 |
2.76 lbs. (1.25 kg) |
6-cell 9hrs |
Black Blue Red White |
$329.99 | See Price See Price See Price See Price |
|
1015PX-PU17-BK 1015X-PU17-BU 1015X-PU17-RD 1015X-PU17-WT (Apr 2011) |
10.1″ 1024×600 matte |
Windows 7 Starter | Intel Atom N570 dual-core (1.66GHz) |
1GB DDR3 |
250GB | Intel GMA 3150 | Bluetooth 3 + HS | 10.31×7.01×0.93 ~1.43 |
2.76 lbs. (1.25 kg) |
6-cell 11hrs |
Black Blue Red White |
$349.99 | See Price See Price See Price See Price |
|
1015PEM-MU17-BK 1015PEM-MU17-BU 1015PEM-MU17-PK 1015PEM-MU17-RD 1015PEM-MU17-WT (Oct 2010) |
10.1″ 1024×600 matte |
Windows 7 Starter | Intel Atom N550 dual-core (1.50GHz) |
1GB DDR3 |
250GB +500GB Web Storage |
Intel GMA 3150 | No | 10.31×7.01×0.93 ~1.43 |
2.76 lbs. (1.25 kg) |
6-cell 10hrs |
Black Blue Pink Red White |
$349.99 | See Price See Price See Price See Price See Price |
|
1015PEM-PU17-BK 1015PEM-PU17-BU 1015PEM-PU17-RD 1015PEM-PU17-WT (Sep 2010) |
10.1″ 1024×600 matte |
Windows 7 Starter | Intel Atom N550 dual-core (1.50GHz) |
1GB DDR3 |
250GB +500GB Web Storage |
Intel GMA 3150 | Bluetooth 3 + HS |
10.31×7.01×0.93 ~1.43 |
2.76 lbs. (1.25 kg) |
6-cell 13hrs |
Black Blue Red White |
$379.99 | See Price See Price See Price See Price |
|
1015PN-PU27-BK 1015PN-PU27-BU 1015PN-PU27-RD 1015PN-PU27-WT (Apr 2011) |
10.1″ 1024×600 matte |
Windows 7 Starter | Intel Atom N570 dual-core (1.66GHz) |
1GB DDR3 |
250GB | NVIDIA ION 2 HDMI Port |
Bluetooth 3 + HS |
10.31×7.01×0.93 ~1.43 |
2.76 lbs. (1.25 kg) |
6-cell 9.5hrs |
Black Blue Red White |
$369.99 | See Price See Price See Price See Price |
|
1018P-PU37-BK 1018P-PU37-WT (Apr 2011) |
10.1″ 1024×600 matte |
Windows 7 Starter | Intel Atom N570 dual-core (1.66GHz) |
1GB DDR3 |
250GB | Intel GMA 3150 | Bluetooth 3 + HS |
10.31×7.01×0.71 ~0.86 |
2.43 lbs. (1.11 kg) |
4-cell 8hrs |
Black White |
$429.99 | See Price See Price |
|
1018P-PU27-BK 1018P-PU27-WT (Jan 2011) |
10.1″ 1024×600 matte |
Windows 7 Starter | Intel Atom N550 dual-core (1.50GHz) |
1GB DDR3 |
250GB | Intel GMA 3150 | Bluetooth 3 + HS |
10.31×7.01×0.71 ~0.86 |
2.43 lbs. (1.11 kg) |
4-cell 10hrs |
Black White |
$429.99 | See Price See Price |
|
D255E-1802 (Jan 2011) |
10.1″ 1024×600 glossy |
Windows 7 Starter | Intel Atom N550 dual-core (1.50GHz) |
1GB DDR3 |
250GB | Intel GMA 3150 | No | 10.17×7.28×0.95 | 2.76 lbs. (1.3 kg) |
6-cell 8hrs |
Black | $329.99 | See Price |
|
AOD255E-1414 AOD255E-1643 AOD255E-1853 AOD255E-1664 (Feb 2011) |
10.1″ 1024×600 glossy |
Windows 7 Starter | Intel Atom N570 dual-core (1.66GHz) |
1GB DDR3 |
250GB | Intel GMA 3150 | No | 10.17×7.28×0.95 | 2.76 lbs. (1.3 kg) |
6-cell 8hrs |
Blue Black Red Brown |
$329.99 | See Price See Price See Price See Price |
|
AO522-BZ897 AO522-BZ824 (Dec 2010) |
10.1″ 1280×720 glossy |
Windows 7 Starter | AMD C-Series C-50 dual-core (1.0GHz) |
1GB DDR3 |
250GB | ATI Radeon HD 6250 | No | 10.18×7.28×1.01 | 2.87 lbs. (1.3 kg) |
6-cell 6hrs |
Black Green |
$329.99 | See Price See Price |
|
210-2177NR (Jan 2011) |
10.1″ 1024×600 glossy |
Windows 7 Starter | Intel Atom N550 dual-core (1.50GHz) |
1GB DDR3 |
250GB | Intel GMA 3150 | No | 10.55×7.51×0.9 ~1.26 |
3.10 lbs. (1.41 kg) |
6-cell, 8.75hrs |
Charcoal | $349.99 | See Price |
 |
NF310-A01 (Oct 2010) |
10.1″ 1366×768 matte |
Windows 7 Starter | Intel Atom N550 dual-core (1.50GHz) |
1GB DDR3 |
250GB | Intel GMA 3150 | Bluetooth 3 + HS |
10.8×7.4×0.99 ~1.21 |
2.87 lbs. (1.3kg) |
6-cell 9.4hrs |
Titan Silver | $399.99 | See Price |
|
NB305-N440BL (Jan 2011) |
10.1″ 1024×600 glossy |
Windows 7 Starter | Intel Atom N550 dual-core (1.50GHz) |
1GB DDR3 |
250GB | Intel GMA 3150 | No | 10.47×7.57×1.43 | 2.6 lbs. (1.2 kg) |
6-cell 8.66hrs |
Blue | $379.99 | See Price |
|
Rating: (22) |
| Retail Price: $299.99 | |
| Amazon Price: View Sale Price | |
| » Shop now | |
| Price as of 2/4/2012 2:22 UTC - Details | |
|
Rating: (221) |
| Retail Price: $299.99 | |
| Amazon Price: View Sale Price | |
| » Shop now | |
| Price as of 2/4/2012 2:22 UTC - Details | |
|
Rating: (44) |
| Retail Price: $379.99 | |
| Amazon Price: $349.95 | |
| » Shop now | |
| Price as of 2/4/2012 2:22 UTC - Details | |
Best Mutimedia Netbooks (11.6 or 12.1 inch)
| Brand | Model | Display | OS | Processor | RAM | HDD | Graphics | Bluetooth | Dimensions (W x D x H) |
Weight | Battery | Color | Retail Price |
Amazon Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1215N-PU27-BK 1215N-PU27-SL (May 2011) |
12.1″ 1366×768 |
Windows 7 Home premium (64-bit) | Intel Atom D525 dual-core (1.80GHz) |
2GB DDR3 |
500GB | NVIDIA ION 2 (discrete graphics) |
Bluetooth 3 + HS |
11.7×7.9×1.5 | 3.2 lbs. (1.45 kg) |
6-cell 6hrs |
Black Silver |
$499.99 | See Price See Price |
|
1215N-PU17-BK 1215N-PU17-SL (Aug 2010) |
12.1″ 1366×768 |
Windows 7 Home premium (32-bit) | Intel Atom D525 dual-core (1.80GHz) |
2GB DDR3 |
250GB +500GB Web Storage |
NVIDIA ION 2 (discrete graphics) |
No | 11.7×7.9×1.5 | 3.2 lbs. (1.45 kg) |
6-cell 6hrs |
Black Silver |
$479.99 | See Price See Price |
|
1215B-PU17-BK (Mar 2011) |
12.1″ 1366×768 |
Windows 7 Home premium (32-bit) | AMD Dual-Core E-350 dual-core (1.60GHz) |
2GB DDR3 |
320GB | AMD Mobility Radeon HD 6310 (integrated graphics) |
Bluetooth 3 + HS |
11.6x8x0.9~1.5 | 3.2 lbs. (1.45 kg) |
6-cell 8.5hrs |
Black | $449.99 | See Price |
|
Aspire One 722 (May 2011) |
11.6″ 1366×768 glossy |
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) | AMD Dual-Core C-50 dual-core (1.00GHz) |
4GB DDR3 |
500GB | ATI Radeon HD 6250 (integrated graphics) |
No | 11.22×7.91×1 | 3.21 lbs. (1.49 kg) |
6-cell, 6hrs |
Black Aquamarine |
$379.99 | See Price See Price |
|
Aspire One 722 (May 2011) |
11.6″ 1366×768 glossy |
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) | AMD Dual-Core C-50 dual-core (1.00GHz) |
2GB DDR3 |
250GB | ATI Radeon HD 6250 (integrated graphics) |
No | 11.22×7.91×1 | 3.21 lbs. (1.49 kg) |
6-cell, 6hrs |
Black Aquamarine |
$329.99 | See Price See Price |
|
Aspire One 721 (May 2010) |
11.6″ 1366×768 glossy |
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) | AMD Athlon II Neo K125 single-core (1.70GHz) |
2GB DDR3 |
250GB | ATI Radeon HD 4225 (integrated graphics) |
No | 11.2x8x1.1 | 3.09 lbs. (1.4 kg) |
6-cell, 5.5hrs |
Black | $429.99 | See Price |
 |
LT3119u (Jul 2010) |
11.6″ 1366×768 glossy |
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) | AMD Athlon 64 X2 L310 dual-core (1.20GHz) |
2GB DDR2 |
250GB | ATI Radeon X1270 (integrated graphics) |
No | 11.26×7.99×1.03 | 3.04 lbs. (1.38 kg) |
6-cell, 4hrs |
Black | $399.99 | See Price |
 |
U230-040US (Feb 2010) |
12.1″ 1366×768 glossy |
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) | AMD Athlon Neo X2 L335 dual-core (1.60GHz) |
2GB DDR2 |
320GB | ATi Radeon HD 3200 (integrated graphics) |
No | 11.69×7.4×1.2 | 3.3 lbs. (1.50 kg) |
6-cell, 4hrs |
Black | $479.99 | See Price |
|
Rating: (140) |
| Retail Price: $479.00 | |
| Amazon Price: View Sale Price | |
| » Shop now | |
| Price as of 2/4/2012 2:22 UTC - Details | |
|
Rating: (140) |
| Retail Price: $449.00 | |
| Amazon Price: View Sale Price | |
| » Shop now | |
| Price as of 2/4/2012 2:22 UTC - Details | |
|
Rating: (49) |
| Retail Price: $399.99 | |
| Amazon Price: $379.99 | |
| You Save: $20.00 (5%) | |
| » Shop now | |
| Price as of 2/4/2012 2:22 UTC - Details | |
It’s a pity you don’t show which netbooks support 3g.
There are a hundred and one sites showing a comparison like yours, but none ever mention 3g capabilities.
There is a vast market outside of major metropolitan cities (with wifi), and they need 3g to use a netbook.
There are very few netbooks with 3G built in. You can see netbooks with support 3G via this link.
http://www.bestnetbooksreview.com/category/other-features/3g