Cheapest Netbooks – Mini Notebook Computers under $300 from Amazon
Cheapest netbooks for sale, anyone? Mini notebook computers usually cost upwards of $300 – and that’s already good value for money. There are netbooks at Amazon.com, however, that cost below $300 and we at Netbook10.com have taken the time and effort to unearth them for you.
The Cheapest Netbooks from Amazon.com
The following mini notebook computers are in stock at, are sold by and ships from Amazon.com. They are all eligible for Amazon’s Super Saver Shipping (i.e. Free Shipping, delivery within 5-9 business days), so they should cost you nothing but the listed price. They are all netbooks with Windows OS, moreover, so they should be ready to use when you get them. Note, however, that these affordable netbooks can only be shipped within the US at the moment.
1. MSI Wind U100 10-Inch Netbook
MSI Wind U100 10-Inch Netbook Choices:
MSI Wind U100-641US (Black)
Price: $288.00
MSI Wind U100-427US (Pink)
Price: $289.99
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Basic Netbook Specifications:
10-inch Backlit, WSVGA LCD screen
Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz
1GB DDR2 RAM, expandable up to 2GB
160GB SATA hard drive
3-cell battery, around 2.5 hours of battery life
What you get:
A great bargain, really, as both these black and pink netbooks cost $329.99 at the MSI notebooks store. Any of these two MSI Wind U100 netbook models should be a great buy for anyone who wants a great netbook pc for a small price. Note that the pink netbook (the U100-427) costs $1.99 more than the black netbook (the U100-641); I suppose that’s the extra price you pay for the more appealing color.
Ready to use out of the box, the MSI Wind U100 comes with a Windows XP Home operating system and built-in internet connectivity modules (Modem, Ethernet LAN and 802.11 b/g WLAN). Chat away with online friends using the on-board 1.3-MP web camera, built-in mic, internal speakers, microphone jack, and headphone jack. Store pictures and videos in your MSI mini notebook computer using the built-in 4-in-1 card reader or connect your electronic devices to your netbook through any of the 3 USB 2.0 ports. Generous storage is provided with the 160-GB SATA hard drive. The basic RAM is at 1GB, but it could be upgraded to 2GB if you wish for better system performance.
The MSI Wind U100-641US and U100-427US are not a burden to carry. They measure 10.83 inches wide, 7.08 inches deep and less than 3-quarters of an inch thick. They are very light, too, at 2.3 pounds with their 3-cell battery attached. Their light weight and small size shouldn’t take away anything from your web surfing experience since they both have a 10-inch, LED-backlit, WSVGA display with a maximum resolution (1024 x 600) that is optimal for web page viewing. If you want a bigger screen, use the VGA video port to connect the netbook to an LCD projector, your TV or a bigger computer monitor.
Indeed, the only thing that these black and pink netbooks lack is built-in Bluetooth connectivity. Of course, there are more than enough USB ports for a Bluetooth dongle if you really must have Bluetooth on your MSI Wind U100. These MSI Wind U100 netbooks are definitely a great deal and should easily qualify as two of the best mini notebooks for their price.
2. Acer Aspire One AOD250 10.1-Inch Netbook
Acer Aspire One AOD250 10.1-Inch Netbook Choices:
Acer Aspire One AOD250-1165 (Sapphire Blue) with Windows XP Home, SP3 version
Price: $289.00
Acer Aspire One AOD250-1116 (Ruby Red) withWindows XP Home, SP3 version
Price: $289.00
Acer Aspire One AOD250-1151 (Diamond Black) with Windows XP Home, SP3 version
Price: $289.00
Acer Aspire One AOD250-1326 (Seashell White) with Windows XP Home, SP3 version
Price: $289.00
Acer Aspire One AOD250-1624 (Diamond Black) with Windows 7 Starter
Price: $299.99
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Basic Netbook Specifications:
10.1-inch Backlit, WSVGA TFT LCD screen
Intel Atom Processor N270 1.6GHz
1GB DDR2 SDRAM, expandable up to 2GB
160GB hard drive
3-cell battery, around 3 hours of battery life
What you get:
The Acer Aspire One D250 netbooks with XP are a steal at $289; add an extra $10.99 and you’ll get yourself the same sleek and stylish netbook with Windows 7 Starter operating system (i.e. the AOD250-1624). At Amazon, you won’t lack for color choices; the AOD250 netbooks for sale have colors ranging from sapphire blue, seashell white, ruby red, and diamond black.
Just like the 10-inch, under-$300, Wind U100 mini notebook computers from MSI, these 10.1-inch Acer Aspire One D250 netbooks have the generous storage capacity of 160GB and more-than-adequate RAM of 1GB (it would be better to uninstall bundled programs that you don’t need). The RAM could also be expanded up to 2GB. These AOD250 netbooks also come with integrated WLAN (802.11 b/g) and Ethernet LAN cards, speakers, digital mic, a web camera, 3 USB 2.0 ports, and a VGA (15-pin, video-out) port. Additionally there is 1 jack each for external speakers and an external microphone. The screen is a LED-backlit display with a maximum resolution of 1024×600.
A comparison between the two MSI Wind U100 mini notebook computers (the 641US and the 427US) and these Acer Aspire One AOD250 netbooks show that the differences between these two types of netbooks are minimal but still significant, and these differences may just become the deciding factor when it’s time to choose the best mini notebook.
The Acer Aspire AOD250 netbooks beat the MSI Wind U100 on three points:
- The Aspire One D250 netbooks support 6 memory card formats (and could be upgraded to support 4 more with the purchase of a separate adaptor), so they clearly have an edge over the MSI Wind U100 netbooks’ 4-in-1 card reader.
- The AOD250 netbooks have built-in Bluetooth connectivity whereas the U100 netbooks do not.
- The Acer Aspire One AOD250 netbooks have around 3 hours of battery life, while the MSI Wind U100 netbooks have around 2.5 hours of battery life; of course, battery life of actual units will vary depending on use.
The AOD250 loses out to the U100, however, when it comes to the integrated web camera. The MSI Wind U100 comes with a 1.3MP web camera, whereas the Acer Aspire One D250 comes with a mere 0.3 MP web camera. The basic AOD250 is also one-tenth of a pound heavier and one-quarter of an inch thicker than the U100, although this weight and bulk differences are so slight to be detectable and to be truly significant.
3. ASUS Eee PC 1005HA-EU1X-BK 10.1-Inch Netbook
ASUS Eee PC 1005HA-EU1X-BK 10.1-Inch Netbook Choices:
ASUS Eee PC 1005HA-EU1X (Black)
Price: $290.03
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Basic Netbook Specifications:
10.1-inch Backlit, WSVGA screen
Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz
1GB DDR2 RAM, upgradeable up to 2GB
160GB SATA Hard Drive
3-cell battery, around 4 hours of battery life
What you get:
This netbook is pretty much like the other two types of mini netbook computers discussed above. It has the standard features like the Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB RAM (upgradeable to 2 GB), the 160GB hard disk drive, the VGA port, the 3 USB 2.0 ports, the Ethernet LAN port, the head phone jack, the external microphone jack, the integrated microphone, and the internal stereo speakers. It is also ready to use out of the box with its preloaded Windows XP Home and the trial versions of MS Office (but you’ll do well to uninstall the pre-installed programs that you don’t really need to maximize the system’s RAM).
This 1005HA netbook shines when it comes to battery life; it has an estimated 4 hours of runtime on a fully-charged battery. Nevertheless, some things are less than satisfactory about this Asus EEE PC 1005HA. The EEE PC 1005HA has various models and as it happens, this particular 1005HA netbook (the 1005HA-EU1X) is the scaled-down version. Instead of a1.3MP integrated camera, this one has a rudimentary 0.3MP web camera. This netbook, moreover, doesn’t have built-in Bluetooth. Its memory card reader, furthermore, supports a limited number of formats (MMC and SD/SDHC).
Compared to the MSI Wind U100 (641 and 427) and the Acer Aspire One AOD250 (1165, 1116, 1151, 1326, and 1624) netbooks, however, this particular Asus EEE PC 1005HA fares better when it comes to WLAN connectivity. It has support not only for 802.11 B and G but also for 802.11 N. Just like the AOD250, the 1005HA-EU1X has a 10.1-inch display with a maximum resolution of 1024 by 600; it also weighs around 2.42 pounds with the 3-cell battery attached.
4. Acer Aspire One AOA150-1706 8.9-Inch Netbook
Acer Aspire One AOA150 8.9-inch Netbook Choices:
Acer Aspire One AOA150-1706 (Copper)
Price: $299.99
Acer Aspire One AOA150-1555 (Onyx Black)
Price: $299.99
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Basic Netbook Specifications:
8.9-inch Backlit, WSVGA TFT LCD screen
Intel Atom Processor N270 1.6Ghz
1GB DDR2 SDRAM, expandable up to 1.5GB
160GB SATA hard drive
3-cell battery, around 2.5 hours of battery life
What you get:
The Acer Aspire One AOA150-1706 and AOA150-1555 netbooks are quite similar to the five AOD250 netbooks earlier discussed. All the features found in the AOD250 can also be found in the AOA150. However, there are three main differences between the AOA150 and the AOD250 netbook computers:
- the screen size (8.9 inches for the AOA150 but 10.1 inches for the AOD250)
- the maximum RAM (1.5GB for the AOA150 but 2GB for the AOD250)
- the battery life (around 2.5 hours for the AOA150 but around 3 hours for the AOD250).
You can say that the Acer Aspire One AOD250 netbooks discussed earlier are much better than the Acer Aspire One AOA150. The AOD250 netbooks with Windows XP moreover, are currently cheaper by $10.99 than the AOA150. The AOA150 is still ideal, however, for anyone who values ultra-portability. Both the AOA150-1706 and the AOA150-1555 are lighter than the AOD250 netbooks; they weigh only 2.17 pounds (compared to the AOD250’s 2.4 pounds) and measure only 9.8 by 6.7 inches (compared to the AOD250’s 10.2 by 7.2 inches).
5. Gateway LT2022u 10.1-Inch Netbook
Gateway LT2022u 10.1-Inch Netbook Choices:
Gateway LT2022u (Black )
Price: $299.99
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Basic Netbook Specifications:
10.1-inch Backlit, WSVGA screen
Intel Atom N270 Processor 1.6 GHz
1GB DDR2 SDRAM, expandable up to 1.5GB
160GB SATA Hard Drive
3-cell battery, up to 3 hours of battery life
What you get:
The Gateway LT2022u mini notebook computer looks quite good with its distinctive Gateway seal on the cover. This is still mainly a basic model, however, and has specifications similar to the other under-$300 netbooks for sale at Amazon.com.
The Gateway LT2022u comes preloaded with Windows XP Home Edition, SP3 version. It has a 10.1-inch backlit display screen, integrated web camera (only 0.3MP, though), integrated mic, internal speakers, built-in 802.11 b/g WLAN card, and the usual ports and jacks (the Ethernet LAN port, the external mic jack, the external speakers jack, 3 USB 2.0 ports, the VGA video-out, and the 5-in-1 memory card reader slot). It also has a Kensington lock slot. At 2.62 pounds, this is the heaviest among the under-$300 lot of netbooks we have considered so far, but it is sufficiently small and thin at 10.17 by 7.24 by 1.03 inches.
All-in-all, an affordable basic netbook you can depend on, but is unlikely to be the best choice in its price range. From where I’m sitting, I’d say the MSI Wind U100 (with its 1.3 MP camera) or the Acer Aspire One AOD250 (with its integrated Bluetooth) still rate better, and they cost less as well.
6. MSI Wind U100 10-Inch Netbook
MSI Wind U100 10-Inch Netbook Choices:
MSI Wind U100-018US (Pink)
Price: $299.99
MSI Wind U100-013US (Blue)
Price: $299.99
MSI Wind U100-631US (White)
Price: $299.99
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Basic Netbook Specifications:
10-inch Backlit, WSVGA LCD screen
Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz
1GB DDR2 RAM, expandable up to 2GB
160GB SATA hard drive
3-cell battery, around 3 hours of battery life
What you get:
These three U100 mini notebook computers (the 018US, the 013US and the 631US) look exactly like the two earlier discussed U100 (the 641US and the 427US). They have exactly the same operating system, memory and storage capacity (Windows XP Home Edition, 1GB RAM expandable to 2GB and 160GB SATA hard drive). They have the same integrated web camera (1.3 MP), speakers and digital mic. They have the same display screen (10 inches, maximum resolution of 1024 by 600), plus exactly the same ports, slots and jacks. The dimensions are also identical: weight is 2.3 pounds and measurement is 10.23 by 7.08 by 0.748 inches. So why are you paying $11 more for these three U100 netbook computers?
The main difference between these three and the earlier two MSI Wind netbooks is the Wi-Fi technology onboard and the battery life. While the previously discussed U100 netbooks have 802.11 b/g WLAN and typically last up to 2.5 hours, these three MSI Wind U100s all have 802.11 b/g/n onboard and have a longer battery life at 3 hours.
That’s it for the cheapest netbooks for sale at Amazon.com. If you are looking for a great gift for yourself, your children or a loved one, then a basic netbook with standard features and – don’t forget – a low, low price should be more than welcome. So head on over to Amazon and check out their cheapest mini notebook computers.
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[...] it’s a terrible economy, and many many XP running netbooks & notebooks are practically being given away at Amazon and other retailing sites. This could be a reason why Windows 7 isn’t doing even [...]
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Load times are great too. Once you push the very easy to find and nicely centered power button in the center of the mini, you will be in windows XP in no time. I’ve had a few programs open at once and the delays were barely noticeable. It isn’t as fast and reactive as a regular laptop or desktop will be but for a computer this size it’s greater than expected.
Lastly included with the NB205 is a webcam that is integrated right into the top of the inside of the screen. My family used Skype a few times with it already and each time it worked quite well. A few lag issues due to some wifi break ups but the camera and images were great for such a little product.
The real drawbacks to this great netbook are..
Firstly the speaker is horrible. If you are going to be going on sites like Youtube or listen to mp3s on this, you must get a usb speaker attachment or rely on headphones. The speaker is very little and hidden under the bottom of it and even on full volume you