Are the mini laptops good?

Some are definately better than others. Expect it to be like a slower, smaller laptop. Also, many of them have fairly good size hard drives, so you may not need an external hard drive, unless you get a netbook with a SSD, most of those are only around 10gb. Another thing to consider is the size of the keyboard, some of the 10" netbooks have keyboards that are fairly close to the size of a standard laptop keyboard, but some have pretty small keyboards that will feel uncomfortable to type on.

Unless you want one because of their small size, I would probably recommend getting an inexpensive laptop for about the same price since it will in most cases be more powerful and comfortable to use.

Best Mini Laptops

The latest mini notebook computer craze features the smallest laptops with customizable skins and even one with a floral print. Nearly weightless, compared to the dinosaur relics of, say, 2007, these new mini laptop PC computers fit into a purse or book bag and weigh less than 2 pounds.

Some of these mini laptops are great for most consumers; they're able to run Windows Vista and XP, familiar operating systems and have enough memory for everyday computing similar to a desktop PC. Others, though, run Linux or other lesser-known systems that can intimidate users. Macintosh also offers a mini laptop, their 13 inch MacBook.

Best Mini Laptop Review

The Asus EEE PC, consistently voted #1 from consumers at Intellreview, tops the power-meter chart with a whopping 9.5 hours usage on one charge. Unfortunately, it comes loaded with a Linux operating system that is designed to be quick and customizable, but frightens some Windows users.

Some reviewers at Amazon and other sites claim that switching it over to accommodate a Windows operating system isn't difficult, others needed help from tech-savvy friends or their local computer repair shop.

Smallest Laptop Computer

Remember when the MacBook Air was the thinnest mini notebook computer? It's the one that comes out of a manila envelope in the commercial. They also make another mini, the 13 inch MacBook which boasts a unibody aluminum frame construction, webcam and a backlit LED glass screen that goes all the way to the edges.

The Ten Best Mini-Laptops

1. Acer Aspire One - £200

The Aspire One, which runs on Linux, not Windows, is a competent compact computer in that it’s light, it’s small – with a screen size of 8.9in – and it’s cheap. The battery life is less exemplary at a measly two hours.

2. Vye mini-v S18P - £500

With its rotating 7in touch-screen and compact size, Vye’s mini-laptop is an intriguing beast. On the plus side, it’s very lightweight and has a good battery life, but it has limited memory and is prone to sluggishness.

3. MacBook Air - From £1,199

While it’s not mini all over, the wafer-thin MacBook is certainly the slimmest laptop the world has ever seen. It’s undeniably expensive, but you get Apple’s expertise, and a lot of style, as well as the substance.

4. Belinea s.book 1 - £440

With its seriously small 7in screen and 9 x 6.7in dimensions, the s.book 1 can easily slip into your handbag without spoiling the line or breaking your back. It comes with a Bluetooth Skype phone for cheap calls.

5. HP 2133 Mini-Note - £410

As mini-laptops go, the Mini-Note is hard to beat. True, it’s heavier than some of its brethren, but it has a broad keyboard, 120GB of storage and it looks great: perfect for on-thego computing at a reasonable price.

6. Fujitsu Siemens LifeBook P8010 - £1,292

If you’re after a business laptop that is fast, reliable and compact, this is well worth a look. It has a fingerprint scanner, splash proof keyboard docking, and data protection features.

7. Samsung Q1 Ultra - £693

This is a compact but sturdy handheld device with a sensitive touchscreen. Mercifully for anyone who actually needs to do some work on it, it comes with a detachable keyboard but it’s not ideal for office use.

8. ASUS Eee PC 901 - £300

The latest Asus, with its 8.9in screen, cements the brand’s position as one of the leading mini-laptop providers. Like the Aspire, it uses Linux rather than Windows, but offers a higherend product with longer battery life.

9. Sony Vaio VGNTZ31MN/N - £1,099

ThisVaio might be a little on the large side for a true mini, with its 11.2in screen. A solid keyboard and sevenhour battery life make it a viable business option, although it will never be as pretty as the MacBook Air.

10. MSI Wind - £330

If your typing resembles an arcane dialect full of random vowels, it could be that your keyboard is a little too portable. The MSI Winds get round this with a decent-sized offering, complete with a 10in screen.

There are most useful to people who are always mobile and want to stay connected.

There is no CD-ROM drive and small amount of RAM about 512MB to 1GB.

Me personally, i wouldn't buy one. I'm a student and i always have to install software...

there is only 1 or 2 usb port to connect things into it but you can use a USB hub but thats one more thing that you have to carry around.

I could go on and on about the disadvantages but these are the main issues.

one more: If you do purchase one, you would only be able to use an external drive only when there's an outlet. But you can purchase a large flash drive but that will increase the cost and is one more thing to carry around.

I've seen people in my lecture who have them and battery life is actually quite good! I'd still prefer a normal sized laptop to them any day tho - the mouse pad is very hard to deal with. Just a small movement would make the arrow go far because it's such a small pad.

All the best.

well for school stuff its gonna suck. I got 1 and typing takes some getting used to (with such a small keyboard). but for the rest they go quite well, & the battery's are normally amazing!

My husband has a Dell mini 9 that he uses as a second computer for his "mancave". He likes it a lot, but only uses for internet, email. NO gaming or anything.