Computing on the Cheap: Buying a 'Netbook'

Don't look now but the Lilliputian laptop, a.k.a. the netbook, is making a play for your computing affections.

Faster and more powerful than a smartphone, these runts are especially useful for basic computing tasks like e-mailing, web surfing and note taking on the go. Hoping to shave off a share of the roughly $32 billion laptop market, manufacturers like Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), Asus and Acer are shrinking both the portables (average 7 to 10 inches in width, under 2.5 pounds) and their price tags ($300 to $600).

Makers have even taken a page from cellphones' success, designing netbooks as fashion accessories, complete with custom colors and decorative details. Last fall models carried HP's peony-inspired Vivienne Tam edition on a New York runway as a "digital clutch."

Of course, anyone who remembers Bill Gates predicting tablet PC domination back in 2001 knows that even tech visionaries have stumbled badly on the road to mini-computing nirvana. (Many tablets didn't even survive to a second generation.) While analysts project that the weak economy will likely spur sales of these low-priced laptop alternatives, forecasting growth of 74 percent this year, actual sales data is slim (netbooks were introduced just over a year ago), and computer-tech companies like Intel (INTC) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) are already questioning their long-term market potential.

Will these pint-size portables catch on, even with their cramped keyboards, shorter battery life and disk-drive deficit? We spoke with experts and consumers and test-drove a handful ourselves.

On first glance, many netbooks look like something straight out of Toys "R" Us: machines for munchkins. But for anyone who's borne the weight of a bulky 15-inch, 6-pound portable through a daily commute -- or a grueling business trip -- the appeal of cutting a computer's size and weight almost in half is obvious. Netbooks don't hog space in your bag. They don't overhang the airplane seat-back tray. They may even save on chiropractor bills.

But being diminutive has its drawbacks. Keyboards on many models run 20 percent smaller than standard laptop ones -- often tough for users with big hands or chunky fingers. Larger keys like "shift" and "return" are sometimes shrunk to a third their usual size; others get relocated on the board. (Hello, spell-check!) And the smaller screens require significant scrolling on dinky track pads, like the one on Acer's Aspire One. ("It's a design area we're hoping to improve," says an Acer spokesperson.) Indeed, consumers we spoke with reported mild netbook maladies like wrist cramps and finger fatigue.

When they first came out, netbooks had a reputation for being good for Web browsing -- and not much else. They lacked basics like hard disks and decent storage, and many ran only the Linux operating system, a geek favorite.

These days models pack in more consumer-friendly goodies common to larger laptops: things like Windows XP, Microsoft Office and built-in Bluetooth wireless. Kent Russell, a Ph.D. candidate at Kansas State University, uses a 10-inch Asus 1000 for writing his dissertation, and he likes the built-in webcam for videoconferencing; his fiancee takes her Asus Eee 901 everywhere, wirelessly checking restaurant reviews, booking trips and making free web calls to China via Skype.

But if you're a gamer -- or just addicted to watching episodes of "The Office" on your laptop -- netbooks probably don't pack enough punch, since they lack DVD drives, and screen resolution is decent at best, squinty at worst. We had no problem downloading iTunes or streaming media content from the web, but still, it limited our entertainment options.

That's not to say they're a bust, entertainment-wise. With a strong web signal and enough juice, you can while away that airport layover with a few episodes of your favorite show. Trouble is, the typical netbook still runs about half the life of a regular laptop. And running video seriously sucks the battery, while wireless usage can accelerate the drain by as much as 35 percent. So much for that Steve Carell marathon.

Most companies say they're working to turbocharge their mini machines. Some tout more energy-efficient designs like LED screens and "advanced thermal engineering" features. HP says that, come 2009, it'll amp up battery life on its Mini 1000 from three to six hours, while Asus promises nearly seven hours with some models. Experts say to take battery-life estimates with a grain of salt. But hey, shorter times are probably easier on those fingers.