BEST TOP 10 NETBOOK

Acer Aspire One

The Aspire One was launched to much fanfare and enjoyed a substantial advertising budget — showing up everywhere from TV ads to bus-stop billboards. It’s no surprise then, that Acer has captured the largest slice of netbook market share.

Design and usability

Acer was almost spot-on with the Aspire One’s keyboard. It’s of a good size, has good spacing between each key, and gives great tactile feedback. It’s just a shame Acer got the mouse trackpad so wrong. Like the HP Mini 1000, its selector buttons live on either side of the pad instead of directly below it, which — needless to say — is crazier than bat poo.

Connectivity

The Aspire One has a real ace up its sleeve — an optional 3G/HSDPA modem. Insert a 3G SIM card into the slot nestling behind the battery and you’ll have Internet access almost anywhere you go. You also get the usual 802.11b Wi-Fi, 10/100 Ethernet, Bluetooth, three USB ports, plus individual mic and headphone ports.

Performance and battery life

The Aspire One is available with either Windows XP or a custom-built Linux Linpus operating system. The latter is particularly impressive, as it boots up in under 20 seconds and is quick, responsive and easy to use. Performance is pretty standard, thanks to the 1.6GHz N270 Atom CPU, but it’s worth noting that battery life is a relatively poor 2 hours, so you’ll need to keep the power supply handy.

Should I buy it?

The Aspire One makes this list because it’s one of very few netbooks to feature a built-in 3G modem for true go-anywhere Internet access. It could do with slightly better battery life, but the comfortable keyboard, fast-booting operating system, and the fact it has one of the lowest price tags on the netbook market make it a winner.

Places to buy: AMAZON.COM

By Cnet.co.uk