Acer Review, Asus Review – Netbook 10

I’m a little put off that there are very few netbook options in my favorite color, purple.

Asus 8.9″ Eee 4GB PC Netbook Computer with Linux
This Asus Eee is one of them, and although I think it’s stylish, there are a few things left to be desired.

1. I’m a Windows user. I think Windows XP is the best OS there is. So to offer me something with loaded with Linux is already a point for concern. Good for you if you use Linux, then this might just be the netbook for you.
2. It only has a small 4 GB Solid State Disk.
3. It has an 8.9″ screen. With the other netbooks all coming up with bigger screens, you would have to think twice if you really have your heart set on getting an 8.9″ netbook.

Here are the specs:

8.9″ Notebook Computer with WSVGA, TFT LCD Display and 1024×600 Pixel Resolution

Loaded with Linux, 4GB Solid State Disk and 512MB DDR2 Memory

Intel Mobile Processor

RJ-45 Port, USB 2.0, 3 USB Ports

802.11b/g Wireless Connectivity , 10/100 Ethernet LAN Network Card

Intel UMA Graphics Card

Also Includes Adapter, Battery

Features MMC/SD/SDHC Memory Card Reader

8.86 x 6.69 x 0.79 “; 2.18 Lb.

It’s available for $249.99 from Amazon. However it’s two generations behind the latest netbooks and only buy this if you have severe budget constraints.

ASUS Eee PC 900 8.9″ Netbook
This is similar to the netbook I’ve described above, but this one has an 8GB SSD and runs on Windows XP.

While the pre-loaded Windows scratched away my OS concerns, I’m still looking at the 8.9″ screen and the SSD. However, it’s already an improvement. This costs $299.99 from Amazon. Again, our recommendation is to not buy this as it’s a couple generations behind the latest netbooks.

The Muse in Purple Dell Inspiron Mini9
Even the Muse in Purple Dell Inspiron Mini9 netbook is no better.

Intel ® Atom™ Processor N270 (1.6GHz, 533MHz, 512K cache)

1GB 533MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM

16GB Solid State Hard Drive

Integrated Intel® Graphic Media Accelerator 950

8.9 inch WSVGA (WLED) Truelife Display

Windows XP or Ubuntu 8.04

The Dell Mini 9 also is not competitive with the latest netbooks. And try to get a mini 10 or mini 12 in a more updated configuration.

In the US, there are always Dell deals and coupons for the Mini and its worth waiting for those. It currently retails in various configurations between $279 and $400.

In the UK, the Mini 9 with Windows XP is £379.99 ($550 US) and the one with Ubuntu is £314 ($470 US) for Dell.co.uk.

I guess if I really have to choose, I’d go for the ASUS Eee PC 900 8.9″ Netbook. Asus is a reliable netbook, and they have a good lineup of netbooks. It also has Windows XP and has a reasonably large SSD capacity.

All said and done, there is no A grade netbook available in Purple. I’d love to see an MSI Wind U123 or a Samsung NC20 in purple. Something with a 10″ or 12″ screen and a battery pack that lasts at least 8 hours.

Related posts:

1. Asus 8.9″ Eee 4GB PC Netbook
2. Green Netbook Guide – Green Netbooks that Soothe
3. Netbooks – the Operating System Wars
4. Top 10 Netbooks – Today’s Most Popular Netbooks
5. Asus 10” Eee PC Netbooks – EeePC 1000, Asus Eee PC S101, Asus 1002HA

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