They are the hottest computers around. Those little laptop computers are in such demand that stores can't keep them in stock.
The official term for these micro-notebooks is "netbook" -- a combination of network connections and notebook.
They are super lightweight (two to three pounds), with small screens, small keyboards, small storage capacities, small amounts of memory, wireless connectivity, power-friendly processors and very low prices.
HP sold the first netbook a decade or so ago, but it was Asus, a Taiwanese company, which popularized the modern-day netbook with its Eee PC.
In the year or so since Asus introduced the first Eee model (a 7-inch screen running a form of the Linux OS), it has come out with dozens of different models with screens as large as 10.2 inches, a choice of different brands of Linux or
Microsoft's (MSFT Quote - Cramer on MSFT - Stock Picks)Windows XP operating system, flash storage memory or hard drive, and a dazzling array of styles and colors.
With the holiday shopping season approaching, many other companies, including
Dell (DELL Quote - Cramer on DELL - Stock Picks), Lenovo,
Hewlett-Packard (HPQ Quote - Cramer on HPQ - Stock Picks)and
MSI, have followed Asus' lead and introduced their own little netbooks. All are priced competitively with popular models selling in the $350 to $500 range depending upon the choice of features and options.
You can see recent reviews of some of my favorite netbooks
here,
here ,
here and
here.
The big question for this holiday shopping season is whether or not a netbook is the right computer for you. The answer depends on what you're looking for in a portable computer.
Gary Krakow
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