Buying a Mini Laptop

Mini laptops are among the hottest new products this year but there are many factors that will determine which one consumers should buy. The mini laptops, which are becoming popularly known as mini laptop netbooks, caught on because they offer people a mobile, easy way to wirelessly access the Web. They come with 7-inch to 10-inch LCD screens and are about half to two thirds the size of a laptop. They weigh around 2 lbs, carry batteries that last up to 7 hours and generally cost between US$99 and $599. Here is what users need to know when choosing a mini laptop.

1. Know what the Mini Laptop will be for and the Maximum Price.

While the above statement is vague and obvious it is important when choosing a mini laptop. Is there a specific purpose for the mini laptop? Does the mini laptop simply need to be lightweight for web access? Or does it actually need to have full features of a regular computer? Do not buy a mini laptop if hoping for the same thing as a full laptop.

To ensure longer battery life, some key components on a mini laptops, such as the microprocessor, are far less powerful than common laptops. That is why they are good for surfing the Internet, doing homework on a word processing program, working on spreadsheets or for presentations and other Office-like work. Mini laptops are not designed for serious gaming or entertainment.

2. Buy a mini laptop with an 7 inch screen or larger.

Remember, resolution matters. A mini laptop has to let users see the important stuff on a webpage.

3. Make sure to get a 6 cell battery for the mini laptop, it is worth it even if it costs a bit more.

Most mini laptop companies are offering mini laptops with 3 cell batteries as the standard, but that does not offer a whole lot of run time, even for a mini laptop. A 6-cell battery doubles a mini laptops run time, and in some devices designed around a 6-cell battery.

4. Try out the mini laptop keypad and make sure it is comfortable.

Some mini laptops have tiny and clumsy keypads while other mini laptops have a more comfortable keypad layout making typing easy. Go for comfort in a mini laptop, not just the cool looks.

5. Software is critical, see what the mini laptop comes with and consider trying the Linux or Android OS.

First to consider about mini laptop software, some vendors have skimped on including software in their mini laptops on the pretense that users can download a lot of free software on the Internet.  Second, it may be time to the give the Linux OS a try. The Linpus Linux Lite OS is very user friendly. Mini laptop users used to Windows will find the transition quick and easy.

6. Price matters, if a mini laptop costs more than $500 look at a regular laptop computer.

Companies have started promoting a wide range of mini laptops at ever higher prices, but once they hit $500, mini laptops start to compete with laptops, and a laptop will almost always provide more value for the money. Laptop computers have far more powerful processors than their mini laptop counterparts, as well as other components like DVD drives. There are no DVD drives on mini laptops.

Thats about it, as far as mini laptops go, the above list is really what users need to consider prior to investing in a particular mini laptop.