5 Notable Netbooks from HP, Dell, Sony, Lenovo and Micro-Star

5 Notable Netbooks from HP, Dell, Sony, Lenovo and Micro-Star

Sure, the notebook is the most obvious option for businesspeople that need to bring their office wherever they go, but netbooks-smaller, less expensive and more portable notebooks-are becoming an ever-more popular alternative. While Asus pioneered the netbook field with its Eee PC, it seems now that every PC vendors has its own version of these mini-notebooks that use some variant of the Intel Atom processor. Here are five netbooks from Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Lenovo, Sony and Micro-Star that will make your business or enterprise consider slimming down.

Unveiled at this year’s CES Expo, the 2140 offers a 10.1-inch diagonal widescreen display, and a sturdy, lightweight all-aluminum case. It’s powered by an Intel Atom Processor and offers a keyboard that HP says is just eight percent smaller than a full size QWERTY keyboard, a relief to those who dislike cramped keystrokes. An available six-cell battery offers up to five hours of usage and tilts the netbook at an angle, which some say actually makes typing easier.

Smaller than the 2140 with an 8-inch screen, the P-series still boasts a full keyboard, and Sony’s Everywair WWAN, which allows for broadband connectivity and makes the device 3G-enabled. At 1.4-pounds and thin enough to pack, well, almost anywhere, this netbook offers extreme portability (at a price), and a 1.33GHz Intel processor, genuine Vista Home Premium OS and snazzy color selections give you style and substance-for a price.

This lightweight (2.28lbs) ultra-portable sports a four-hour battery, an optional webcam for video conferencing, and a1.6 GHz Intel Atom Diamondville CPU. It also offers XP and Linux OS options, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity and has three USB ports. One criticism? The Mini 9 does not have dedicated buttons for the function keys.

Another color-changing netbook, the U100 gives you screen space to spare, with an LED-backlit, 10-inch 1024 x 600 widescreen display. An optional six-cell battery last up to four-and-a-half hours, and a 4-in-1 memory card reader, three USB 2.0 ports and Bluetooth and wireless connectivity keep you connected on the road. Running on an Intel Atom processor, offering plenty of RAM and up to a 160GB hard drive keeps business owners working fast.

Featuring a 10.2-inch display, 80GB or 160GB hard drive, built in WiFi, and Windows XP Home, the S10 offers a lot of value for the money. Another big plus is ease of customization-you can build your own custom version online, scrapping the features you don’t want and adding the thing you need. Weighing just 2.64 lbs with the battery, the S10 is light enough to take anywhere, and the spacious keyboard keeps your fingers from cramping.