Choosing the Best Netbook For Mobile Computing

Finding the right netbook is always going to challenge some. There are a lot of choices on the market right now and as time goes on there will be more. If your looking for a netbook you should assess your needs for the right netbook. By looking online you will find some of the best deals and even find coupons for netbooks from some manufacturers. Some of the first netbooks to become popular came from manufacturers like MSI Wind, ASUS, and Acer. These manufacturers have made great improvements on design, battery life and performance when it comes to small portable mobile devices. You will also find newer entrants like HP and Dell, so looking at the specifications and deciding on your needs should be the first thing in finding a netbook.

Processor:

The most common processor you will find is the Intel Atom N270 and the latest N280. With speeds of 1.6GHz and 1.66GHz they are single core processors that are designed for smaller mobile devices. They are designed to run your applications like word processing, web browsing, watching videos and more. You may also find some competition in the future with the VIA NANO and even a possible AMD Athlon Neo. Netbooks from ASUS, MSI, Dell and HP include the Intel Atom so look for the newer N280 for the best performance and battery life.

Memory:

When checking out netbooks you will find the lower end models usually come with 512MB and the newer models come stocked with 1GB. Once you buy one look into upgrading your netbook memory to 2GB. The performance increase with be worth the money spent on more memory. Look for something in the 1 GB range to start with and that has the possibility of upgrading in the future. The more operating systems evolve the more processor and memory intensive they become. Get more memory will also reduce the life of your battery, although its hard to say how much.

Battery:

Depending on make and model you may also get a chance to choose anywhere between 3 and 6 cell batteries. If the battery is not built in then look for the larger battery or find one that provides a larger battery in the future if you decide to upgrade. If you choose the lower of the cells you will get a lighter netbook, but the downside is less hours to use the netbook. With the Atom N270 and N280 processors they are designed to maximize the life of your battery. They can be energy efficient giving you 8 to 10 hours of battery life.

Accessories:

Well your not going to find to many of the smaller and cheaper netbooks that include a CD or DVD drive, so

you will want to look for a netbook with more than three USB ports you can hook your external CD or DVD along with your mouse and keyboard for when you are more stationary. Getting one with WI-FI is a must. If you plan on traveling with your netbook get one with the latest integrated Wireless and Bluetooth. You can find most come with 802.11G or even 802.11n. If you buying through AT&T, Verizon and others you may get a free mobile broadband wireless card that will keep you connected anywhere.

You can find more information about Netbooks and portable mobile devices at Netbook Life. Check out the latest Netbook trends and find reviews, information and more on these portable computers.