Laptops Arena

Mini notebooks are frequently referred to as "netbooks" because the main purpose they were designed for was to surf on the internet. Due to their weak components, they are not really good at other things, except for running basic tasks like reading or writing documents and maybe listening to some music. But what are the pros and cons of mini notebooks? Why would anyone want to buy a mini notebook when they can buy a bigger one with better specs and there is not that big of a price difference?

We can tell you about the pros but the cons generally depend from one manufacturer to another. We will try to keep everything at a general level. First of all you should know that all major notebook brans produce netbooks so you don't have to buy a product from a manufacturer you have never heard of. For instance, if you choose a HP mini notebook, you know that it's going to be a quality product because HP is a brand with tradition and good reputation in its history of manufacturing personal computers. If you have not decided yet what king of computer suits you best, think about what you are going to use it for. Are you a gamer? How much money are you willing to spend? How important is the notebook's design for you? Do you travel a lot? Do you need to take your notebook with you when you do? Where are you going to use this notebook? These are all questions that need to be answered before adventuring yourself and making a purchase you may regret later.

Mini notebooks are very attractive because of their price. For $300 - $400 you can buy a decent notebook from good manufacturers like Acer or Asus. Especially in times like these, when saving up money is in our best interest, mini notebooks are a good choice and a wise deal. Not only are they cheap, they are also very portable. A really small netbook can even have 8.9 inches which means you can throw it in your bag or purse and it's so light you may even forget it's there. Did I mention that if you have big pockets you could probably squeeze it in them too. Depending on the brand and model that you choose, the mini notebook can have up to 6 hours of battery life which is way better than what you can get from a regular notebook or laptop. The last two pros are worth taking into consideration especially if you are a person that travels a lot. Imagine that having such a gadget can make those long boring flights a bit more pleasant since you can now enjoy a good movie on your small screen (this is not necessarily a good aspect).



Another great thing about mini notebooks is that you can get a lot of work done even if you are on the road. The Microsoft Office suite is entirely functional; you can use Mozilla Firefox to surf around the internet and you can run Windows Media Player to listen to music. You can also watch movies but the small screen may be a bit uncomfortable. When you are travelling, the mini notebook is a good way to store your vacation pictures by connecting your digital camera to one of the USB ports and downloading the pictures on your hard drive. But the best part of all is that this small notebook helps you stay in touch with the loved one that are far away and they can even see you because most netbook models have integrated webcams.



Even if everything sounds pretty dreamy so far, there are some cons you must take into consideration so you don't end up regretting having bought a small notebook. Aside from the uses we have mentioned above, there isn't anything else you could do with this laptop. It cannot run any 3D program or good games because it has an integrated graphics card which is very weak. The processor is not that fast since most netbooks come with an Intel Atom processor. You cannot use a mini notebook as your primary computer because it doesn't even have that much storage capacity available and even if you bought one, you will be in need of a good desktop replacement sooner or later. The keys are smaller than the ones found on a normal notebook and if you have big hands, this could also be a tough issue. Typing will not be very pleasant as you might end up pressing the wrong keys. This can become frustrating but this is normally something that people get used to after a while. Touchpads are also smaller and some models even have the left and right mouse button places on both sides of the touchpad instead of underneath it. This could be a problem if you have used a different type of touchpad until now.



Be aware that almost none of the mini notebooks available on the market right now have an integrated optical drive. This is due to the lack of space and manufacturers say that we should buy an external DVD burner if we wish to use any CD's or DVD's with the netbooks. Even if this reason is only a matter of taste, we recommend you don't buy a mini notebook just because it looks good. We have reviewed in another article the HP Mini 10.1 Vivienne Tam Special Edition notebook which is more of a fashion statement rather than a good netbook. Don't get us wrong, it has good components but because of the fancy design It costs $300 more than other similar netbooks. And this overpricing is due to the floral design on the lid which makes it look like a purse rather than a mini notebook. Note that these mini notebooks come with small batteries and a better battery means another investement. However, battery life may be important to you since you have chosen a portable notebook this means you will want to carry it around with you.



Since there aren't any more important pros and cons of mini notebooks which are worth discussing about, we will now let you make up your mind. If you have decided you want to invest in a small gadget like this, there are a lot of models from which to choose. The market is stuffed with offers from Dell, HP, Sony VAIO, Toshiba, Asus, Acer and even MSI.