A netbook retains certain laptop features like Internet connectivity and basic mobile computing.  It fits the needs of a travel-hungry computer user just as well as it fits in a small luggage.  More importantly, most netbooks come at prices below $400, which can easily fit anyone’s budget.

With netbooks dominating the mobile PC market despite the worldwide economic downturn, computer manufacturers have started venturing into creating faster and bigger capacity small thinking machines.

Aside from the absence of an optical drive, a prevalent disadvantage of a netbook is its lack of storage space.  It is understandable that netbooks’ disk space is only a fraction of laptops and notebooks since bulky data download and large file storage are usually done not on the run.  The general public would rather have cheap but very portable PCs that contain the essentials rather than bring expensive laptops that serve as desktop replacement or gaming machines or graphic editors.

Below are five must have netbooks that we think have topped the small thinking machine category in 2009.

5. Dell Inspiron Mini 10

The Dell Inspiron Mini 10 is one of the netbooks that fall in the upper price range of more than $500.  It may be priced higher than the other dell laptops but the extra hardware explains the additional cost – it comes with a TV antenna and tuner that allows its users to watch shows while traveling.

The Dell Inspiron Mini 10 comes with a Z-series Intel Atom processor, which features a chipset that supports better video playback.  This netbook is run by an Intel Atom Z530 processor clocked at 1.6 GHz.  This processing power is supported by an installed memory of 1 GB DDR-800.

Weighing 3.4 lbs, the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 has dimensions of 10.3 inches x 7.2 inches x 2 inches.  Despite its size, this netbook has a small and light layout that makes it stylish.  The Dell Inspiron has a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, higher than most netbooks’ 1024 x 600 pixels.

4. Acer Aspire One AO751h

While most netbooks have 10.1 inches of display, the Acer Aspire One AO751h is bigger by an inch-and-a-half at 11.6 inches.  This beefs up the resolution size to 1366 x 768 pixels, which is slightly larger than its competition. It is also a bit more expensive than other netbooks in the market.  The Acer Aspire One AO751h has full dimensions of 11.2 inches x 8.5 inches x 1.3 inches. It weighs 3.6 lbs.

Due its larger size, the Acer Aspire One AO751h features more media slots than other netbooks at three.

The Acer Aspire One AO751h is powered by an Intel Atom Z520 processor that runs at a speed of 1.3 GHz.  It is  backed by 1 GB of DDR2-667 SDRAM.

3. Asus Eee PC 1005HA

The Asus Eee PC 1005HA can pass off as the twin of the slightly older Asus Eee PC 1008HA.  The Asus Eee PC 1005HA contains almost the same technical specs, namely: a processor of Intel Atom N280 clocking 1.6 GHz, a memory of 1 GB of DDR2-800, a display size of 10.1 inches and a maximum resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels.  Both also have the capacity to store 160 GB of digital files.

The difference comes in size and price.  The Asus Eee PC 1005HA is slightly bigger at dimensions of 10.3 inches x 7 inches x 1.5 inches.  The reason for this is the location of the VGA port – the older Eee PC has it on a space-saving dongle while this version has it grafted on the side.  This is why the Asus Eee PC 1005HA is designed to be slightly bigger than the Asus Eee PC 1008HA, and why it’s cheaper too.

The Asus Eee PC 1005HA comes with a Bluetooth, 802.11n, a three-cell battery, and two USB ports.

2. Asus Eee PC 1008HA

Like its predecessors, the Asus Eee PC 1008HA comes in a sleek, stylish and fairly solid design.  It is powered by an Intel Atom N280 that clocks at 1.6 GHz and is supported by 1 GB of DDR2-800 SDRAM.

With a display measuring 10.1 inches, the Asus Eee PC 1008HA offers a maximum resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels.  The Asus Eee PC 1008HA weighs just around 2.9 lbs, thanks to its sleek dimension of 10.3 inches x 7 inches x 1.1 inches.

However, unlike its small-capacity ancestors, the Asus Eee PC 1008HA comes with a higher disk space of 160 GB, which is more than enough for storage for typical office files as well as a moderate amount of multimedia files.

The Asus Eee PC 1008HA also comes with a Bluetooth, 802.11n, and a three-cell battery that has a life of four hours. This makes it ideal for people who frequently  travel with their mobile PCs.

1. HP Mini 5101

The HP Mini 5101 is a netbook that almost feels like a laptop to most users. Aside from being powered by an Intel Atom N280 that clocks at 1.6 GHz, this netbook’s 1 GB DDR2-800 SDRAM support could be upgraded to 2 GB, giving it a faster performance when switching between applications.  That speed is relatively good for a netbook, and is actually not that much different from a laptop in that aspect.  Other netbooks offer only 1 GB of memory.

Another feature that makes the HP Mini 5101 comparable to a laptop are its layout and design.  It has a sleek aluminum-magnesium alloy frame with a box measure of 10.3 inches x 7.1 inches x 1.5 inches.  With a weight of 3.6 lbs., the HP Mini 5101 also offers a near-full size keyboard, and neatly positioned mouse buttons.

The HP Mini 5101 comes with a 10.1-inch anti-glare display and a 1366 x 768 pixel resolution.  It has a storage space of 160 GB.  All these features and its similarities to a laptop are what makes the HP Mini 5101 number 1 in our list.

Related posts:

1. Top 5 Netbooks of 2009