How to Compare Netbook | Prices & Sizes for Your Mini Laptops

If you are looking to buy a laptop, the need to compare Netbook prices (laptop prices) is crucial, especially if you are an average user on a budget.

Average users tend not be overly concerned about the features and performance capabilities of their laptops but are rather more concerned about the cost.

Of course, cost itself is dependent on many factors such as CPU processing power, hard drive space and the material from which a notebook or laptop is made etc.

If you are still not convinced for buying the laptop over the desktop, here you go – Laptop Vs Desktop.

So given all these variables,

How much should you expect to pay after you compare Netbook prices?

To answer this question simply, you can compare laptop prices according to the various size categories in which laptops come in.

Compare Netbooks

The popular categories we’ll look are netbooks, tablet PCs, ultraportable, thin and light, midsize and desktop replacement laptops.

1. Compare Laptop Prices- Netbooks

Netbooks sometimes called Mini-laptops, or subnotebooks, first entered the scene around 2007 when Asus launched the Eee PC. Since then, netbooks have been a very hot trend.

Their very small sizes and in many cases, embarrassingly low cost, have made them a huge hit with average computers users and with people who hitherto, could not afford laptops.

But is a netbook right for you or should spend more on a more traditional notebook?

2. Processors

The majority of netbooks use Intel’s Atom or AMD’s Neo processor. These are slow processors that offer specs of around 1.66 GHz – 2 GHz single core.

Netbooks are not designed for speed but rather to provide enough processing power to deal with basic tasks such as net surfing, send email etc.

3. Display and Weight

Netbooks range in weight from around 1.4 pounds to as high as 4 pounds. And you can also expect correspondingly small screen sizes.

The first netbooks had 7-inch screens but now, they are generally 10 inches. Many newer systems offer expanded displays such as 11-12 inches. Machines with smaller screens tend to be cheaper since LCD displays are a big cost to manufacturers.

Due to their small screen size, many netbooks experience difficulty trying to fit all the necessary pixels that common applications require.

4. Graphics

The vast majority of netbooks offer integrated graphics (which are quite slow). Their speed range from about 133MHz to 800MHz. If you go for better graphics, expect to get less battery life.

If you are looking for a gaming purpose, you need high-quality graphics. You can check out the best Budget Gaming Laptops for this year.

 5. Memory

People have usually have a doubt- whether they should go for higher memory or better graphics card.

The average netbook will give you around 1GB of memory. This should suffice if you run Windows XP on the system.

If however, you want to run the more resource-intensive Windows 7, you should be more apprehensive about buying a netbook.

6. Hard Drive

The typical system will have a capacity of around 160GB for a regular hard drive or 16GB solid-state drives (SSDs). However, some manufacturers offer 60GB or 80GB without passing on much savings to the consumers.

We recommend that you go with a system that offers at least 160GB if you plan to use your netbook for storage.

7. Features

Fewer ports and connections. Many have their DVD drives removed. Generally, the cramped keyboard that is difficult to type on. Look for netbooks that offer large and curved keys.

8. Price

How much does a netbook cost?

You can get netbooks for under $300 but some of the latest models can cost $400 and as high as $1500.

The “higher-end” models have additional features such as slightly larger displays (11 and 12-inch), better graphics and screen resolution. These additional features have put some netbooks in direct competition cost-wise with full-featured low-cost laptops.

We recommend that you go for a netbook that is priced between $400 to $500 ranges. The majority of them are priced within this range and this is where you’ll find the optimum balance between price and performance.

Compare Netbook Prices- Conclusion

Is a netbook right for you?

Yes, if you are just looking to do basic things such as web surfing and want to spend as little money as possible on a laptop.

These machines are very portable which make them great to use whilst traveling. However, their keyboards are small and cramped which can make them uncomfortable to use for full-time computing.

If you are particular about performance or enjoy gaming, a netbook is not for you. Rather you’ll have to spend more money on a larger, more powerful laptop.

Earlier we have shared some of the most essential and basics tips for buying a new laptop. You can give it a look before making your choice for your new gadget.

That said, there are some more powerful netbooks. Some have dual-core processors rather than single core, can run the resource-intensive Windows 10 Edition and even play games.

I hope this article will guide you to compare Netbook prices and sizes.