I Was Mentioned in the Wall Street Journal!

A few weeks ago, after reading some of the articles I had been posting here regarding netbooks, Wall Street Journal reporter Justin Scheck contacted me. He wanted to know how I personally felt about netbooks and why I chose the Asus EEE PC 1000HE over the rest. What I have found is that netbooks represent a growing market for those who do not want to lug a huge fifteen inch laptop with them everywhere, especially if all they want to do is get on the Internet.

Click this articles title to read an excert from the WSJ article where I am mentioned.

Netbook Showdown

Since I will be getting a netbook soon, I have decided to do a post that compiles my research. There are certainly plenty of netbooks out there that I can choose from. However, I’ve found that the top three include the HP Mini Note 1000, the Asus Eee PC 1000h, and the Acer Aspire One. Below are the specs of each:

HP Mini Note 1000:

• Operating System: Windows XP Home SP3
• Processor: 1.6Ghz Intel Atom
• Memory: 1GB DDR2
• Hard Drive: 16GB SSD
• Screen Size: 10.1”
• Battery Life: 3 hrs
• # of USB Ports: 2
• Weight: 2.4lbs
• Other Features:
  • Memory Card Slots
  • Built-In Speakers
  • Built-In Ethernet
  • Wireless B/G Compatible

Asus Eee PC 1000h:

• Operating System: Windows XP Home SP3
• Processor: 1.6Ghz Intel Atom
• Memory: 1GB DDR2 (Expandable to 2GB)
• Hard Drive: 160GB SATA
• Screen Size: 10”
• Battery Life: 3 hrs
• # of USB Ports: 3
• Weight: 3.2lbs
• Other Features:
  • Memory Card Slots
  • Built-In Speakers
  • Built-In Webcam
  • Built-In Ethernet
  • Wireless B/G/N Compatible

Acer Aspire One:

• Operating System: Windows XP Home SP3
• Processor: 1.6Ghz Intel Atom
• Memory: 1GB DDR2
• Hard Drive: 160GB SATA
• Screen Size: 8.9”
• Battery Life: 3 hrs
• # of USB Ports: 3
• Weight: 2.4lbs
• Other Features:
  • Memory Card Slots
  • Built-In Speakers
  • Built-In Ethernet
  • Wireless B/G Compatible

As you can see, all three netbooks share plenty of similarities. They all run Windows XP Home SP3, have an Intel Atom processor, and 1GB of RAM. However, they do have some differences. The HP Mini has a 16GB SSD versus the 160GB SATA of the other two. The Acer has a 9 inch screen versus the 10 inch screen of the HP and Asus alternatives. The Asus weighs 3.2lbs versus the 2.4 lbs of the HP and the Aspire.

In a case such as this, where there are so many similarities and the differences are insignificant, it is good to look for the best price. Below are my findings:

HP Mini 1000: $349 (Best Buy)

Asus Eee 1000h:  $329 (Best Buy)

Acer Aspire One: $299 (Best Buy)

Conclusion:

In the tough economy, if you are pinching pennies and want a netbook, your best bet is the Acer Aspire One, whose only real pitfall is its smaller screen. However, if can afford it, I’d say go with the Asus Eee 1000h. It’s the best of both worlds with a great screen and large hard disk capacity. It’s also interesting that Best Buy seems to have the best prices on these things. I guess they are doing everything they can to compete with online stores, especially since Circuit City recently shut down.