It’s an essential question-what makes us by? And when I look at so many of us literally breaking our backs (not to mention our bank accounts) on gleaming laptops which serve as mere document editors and web browsers that question gets even louder. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could get all you wanted in a truly portable computer? How about an option that’s wallet friendly as well – now that wouldn’t hurt, would it? Well then its time you gave your back (and bank account) a break and switched to a laptop that’s huggable, not just luggable!
Call them mini-notebooks, ultra portables – the product category no one would give a second glance to under a year ago has gone supernova!
You could thank the Asus Eee PC, the little 7-inch wonder that started it all towards the end of last year – though truth told this wasn’t the first stab at this hitherto elusive market. Previous generations crammed in cramped keyboards, sluggish performance at stratospheric price – not usually the recipe for success, wouldn’t you agree?
Where the Eee PC, and many others on this page innovated was with keeping price low – we are talking about under Rs 20,000 for some. All this while retaining screens that are not much bigger than a paperback book. Pocket friendly-check, back friendly – check. Which one is right for you lets find out.
So is a mini-note for you? While there’s no question that their size makes them much easier to carry than standard laptops, you’d have to see if screens and the reduced size keyboards work for you. Depending on when you decide to buy one, you may have to look around a bit, as not all brands make it to Indian shores. Judge each one on quality, price, portability and simplicity – all reasons which make this category so popular in the first place - and decide.
Clearly, mobile users with moderate performance needs and students are the obvious target, but then again, I’m considering one to supplement my desktop-replacement 17-inch notebook – for all the times I pack in a laptop just to stay connected while travelling, I’m investing in a far more important piece of my life . My Back!
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Asus Eee PC
Where it all started really. The Eee PC, which launched towards end 2007 with a low-end Intel Mobile CPU, 512MB of RAM, and a 4GB solid-state flash hard drive (versions with 8GB hard drives are now available, although India still only has the 4Gb version on offer)proved naysayers wrong and turned out to be highly portable Web surfing and office productivity machines. Even the choice of OS-Linux-did not deter first timers from lapping it up worldwide.
The same could not be said about it’s keyboard-too cramped for touch typing for any but the smallest hands. Over the span of this year, Asus has launched the Eee PC 900($550), an 8.9-in model with a big jump in resolution-up to 1024x600 pixels which makes a big difference in on –screen estate.
RAM has been doubled, and you get the option of Windows XP pre-installed, although there’s only a marginal improvement in terms of keyboard design. It’s hunt-and-peck friendly though still not at touch typing levels. And battery life is about the only chink in it’s armour worth mentioning, but it’s still be a significant chink.
At the time of writing, Asus has announced support for Intel’s new low-power chip in the Eee PC 901(and update to the 900), but the writing is on the wall for Asus-innovative or perish. It may still be one of the best implemented mini-notes but the competition catching up.
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HP 2133 Mini-Note
Setting its crosshairs square across Eee-territory is the HP 2133, also known as the Mini-Note. Clearly one of the best lookers of the lot,HP’s emphasis on design shows in its keyboard design.
Bucking the trend to fit the keys to the screen size, the 2133 sports a keyboard , manna from heaven for pecksore fingers. Due for launch soon in India, the Mini-Note ranges between $499 to$789 and operates either on Linux or Windows.
The base model has 4 gigabytes of flash memory storage instead of a hard drive while the top -of –the-line version comes with a 160 gigabyte hard drive. Built-in wireless and webcams are standard issue as well.
Where this baby suffers is under the hood-the 1.6 Ghz VIA processor is just not an even match for the preloaded Windows Vista, and as a result, it drags in places. Even the top-end model has the same processor, and at that price, the price-feature equation does not work in HP’s favour.
Nothing “personal” HP-just change the processor and the Mini-Note a fighting chance.
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Intel Classmate 2(2 Go PC)
Initially positioned as a basic, inexpensive computer to students in developing countries inside a moderately rugged, smaller- than-ultraportable case, the original Classmate PC met the brief well, and remains the toughest PC on this list. Blame commercial interests if you
must, but clearly Intel saw the need to release a version designed for mature markets as well(read: the US and Western markets)- the Classmate 2($400).Toting a 9 -inch LCD display, six -cell battery , 512MB RAM, 30GB HDD, integrated webcam, 802.11b/g WiFi support, Windows XP or Linux OS and Intel Celeron M processor (future versions will move to Intel’s Atom platform), it retains some semblance of its education roots by providing mesh networking-so that laptops can piggyback their wireless and create ad hoc networks. The tough tag is well deserved –a nifty handle is velcroed on to the machine for carrying and has a “water resistant” keyboard. The screen however displays at a low 800x480 pixels, and the finish is rather, shall we say, key-oriented. Storage space, at around a half GB available to the user, is not nearly enough, and limits the number of serious consumers this will attract in the mainstream market.
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MSI Wind
No compromises. Aside from the name (WiFi Network Device, anyone?), the MSI Wind 100 is the first mini-note to sport Intel’s zippy new 1.6 GHz Atom chip, and looks and feels closest to a regular notebook. At 1 kg, it boasts a relatively large (nearly disqualifying it from our list) 10-inch and a keyboard that’s 80% of a full sized keyboard. Battery life is in the upper end of 4 hours on normal usage. 3 USB ports as well (shame MacBook Air!), as well as the option to boost the processor up to 1.9 GHz when plugged into mains power! Plus it runs Windows XP (its fast!) and priced extremely attractively at $499! Could anything go wrong?
That’s usually the cue for things to go wrong, but with the Wind, they don’t. It offers a complete package, and my only wish would be a higher resolution screen. If I had to pick one mini note over all others, this would be it.
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Upcoming models
With Intel recently announcing the availability of its low-power chip, appropriately named the Atom, the signs are clear that the age of the cheap Mini-Notebook is here and now. Intel and HP are not the only biggies with their fingers in this pie, with laptop major Acer announc
ing its Atom powered 900-grams Aspire One with a generous 8.9 inches of screen estate at a shade under $400. Even Dell’s CEO Michael Dell, whose held off from dipping his feet in this waters, was recently spotted at a conference with the cherry red number you see along side. Dell’s positioning this as the perfect device for the next billion Internet users. Apple’s likely to introduce a mini as well, although I can’t really see them price one so low, to be honest.
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