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With Netbooks, Size and Connectivity Does Matter

For the modern man and woman who is constantly on the go, size does matter. Gadgets that offer the same convenience but are more portable than their conventional counterparts are of prime importance. The smaller and lighter they are, the more attractive they become.

If you have a mini, it means that you do a lot of traveling and does not mind the inconveniences of less disk space, smaller display window and the other inadequacies that come with the smaller and lighter baggage.

Its small size and weight are definitely the advantages. Most come in only four pounds (1.8 kgs.) or lighter and can be stuffed right into your carry-on bag. But for travelers, connectivity is as important as portability. Thus, laptop makers are also packing these light devices with impressive connectivity capabilities.

Check out some of these latest and popular minis in town that boast of great connectivity features:

Acer Aspire One

This is probably the most popular mini laptop today. It is light at just under 1 kg in weight and it sports an 8.9-inch screen. It has a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU and a RAM that can go as high as 2GB. It also has a 160 GB worth of storage space and the battery life can reach up to 3 hours. Not much but for a laptop this small, you wouldn’t this obvious downside. It also comes in four interesting color, including a vibrant blue hue. Dimensions: 24.8 cm x 17 cm x 2.8 cm.
Asus Eee PC Series
The pioneer in netbooks mainstreaming, the Asus Eee PC Series continues to wow laptop users. The 1000 HE model has a 6-cell battery that runs for a staggering 10 hours and comes with the new Intel Atom 280 processor. It has a relatively bigger 10 inch screen, a 160 GB hard drive, Bluetooth and an 802.11 n wireless networking.
Another model, the slick-looking Seashell is packed with the same features but is more stylish and comes in six colors to choose from. Dimensions: 262mm (wide) x 178mm (deep) x 18mm-25.7mm (high).
MSI Wind U115 Hybrid
MSI’s Wind Series have been very popular lately, especially since they are reasonably priced. The newest MSI Wind U115 Hybrid offers another interesting feature, albeit at a pricier tag. It is hybrid in the sense that it has two types of drives: an SSD and a standard HDD. The OS is stored on the less battery-draining SSD and only uses HDD to access documents. The result is a longer battery life of up to 12 hours. It has a 10-inch screen, an Intel Atom processor and runs on Windows XP. More importantly, it has 802.11n wi-fi capabilities. Dimensions are: 260mm (wide) x 180mm (deep) x 19mm-30mm (high).
Nokia Booklet 3G
Say hello to mobile phone maker Nokia’s debut offering. It is not due to be available until later this year but it would be good to gear up as they may be sniffed out of the shelves easily. As expected, it is the ultimate in great connectivity.
It punches both 3G and super fast 802.22 wi-fi capabilities. Much like smart phones, it has an integrated GPS and will run on Windows 7. Processor is Intel Atom Z530 and sports a 10.1 inch screen. The battery life is impressive with longevity of 12 hours. Very good indeed for a mobile computing. GP