The 5 Best Netbooks for Travel

Netbooks are great for people on the go. They're compact, ultra portable, and can do most of what bigger laptops do at any given Wi-Fi spot. What makes a computer great for travel is a strong battery (all the netbooks in this list have 6-cell batteries), reasonable processing speed, and ease of internet access. Here are the best five netbooks to take with you when you leave home, but still want access to the internet and your computer files.

5) Samsung N120. Even though it is only a 10.1 inch netbook, the N120 has a keyboard that you might actually be able to type fast on. The keyboard feels like something you might find on a 12 or 13 inch laptop, allowing you to type with less wrist strain and more speed. It also has really good speakers for a netbook.

An Intel 1.6 GHz N270 processor, 1 GB of ram, a 160 GB hard drive, WLAN, and Windows XP are all standard, and battery life ranges around 5 hours. A little more expensive than most at $447.30(for this price, click here), consider this if you want to spend more time sightseeing than picking at a tiny keyboard.

4) Velocity Micro Notemagix M10. Reliable and practical, M10 is one of the lowest-priced 6-cell netbooks out there. Excellent customer service and a heritage of top-end notebooks and desktops are the reason to consider this value netbook.

For $299(as of the writing of this article) you get a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor, 160 GB hard drive, Windows XP, WLAN, 1 GB of memory, a 10.1 inch screen, and battery life of about 6 hours. This computer also comes with its own foam sleeve if you order it here.

3) Asus EEE PC 1005HA. Considered by many as the originator of the netbook, Asus has been continually working and refining its netbooks while other companies are just dipping their toes in the market.

A solid case and keyboard are the standouts that you notice first on this computer, but it is the battery life that is in the otherworldly realm that really makes this netbook shine. Depending on usage, you can get around 10 hours of use. For a budget netbook that is about as good as you are going to get.

Specs include a 1.66 Intel Atom N280 processor, 10.1 inch screen, 160 GB hard drive, WLAN, Bluetooth, 1 GB, webcam, and Windows XP as the operating system. You can find it for $328.39 at buydig.com when you click here.

2) Averatec N1200. You can't get any more portable than this. Weighing only 2.46 pounds and being less than an inch thick(the 6-cell battery is actually a little more than inch, but the netbook itself is still ridiculously thin). Using a super-thin screen, hard drive, and a magnesium alloy case all helps to keep the weight of this "pocket Hercules" down.

The N1200 comes with Windows 7 Starter, a 250 GB hard drive, 1 GB of memory, a 10.1 inch screen, WLAN, Bluetooth, a webcam and the 1.66 Ghz Intel Atom 450 processor. Battery life is about 6 hours, and you even get HD audio(somewhat of a rarity in netbooks).

The thin size and feathery lightness of this model are perfect for travel, and Averatec has a history of excellent products. You can't go wrong for $379, which is the price at J&R.com. Click here for all the details.

1) Fujitsu MH-380 Mini-Notebook. In my opinion, Fujitsu is the Cadillac of laptops. Their machines are well-built, well-tested, and well worth the extra money that they cost. The MH-380 is no exception.

The case is solid. Most netbooks can tend to be a tad flimsy and even "rubbery" feeling. Not this one. It feels like it has the quality of a $1,000 laptop. It has pretty basic netbook specs, including an Intel 1.66 GHz Atom N 450 processor, a 10.1" screen, integrated WLAN, a webcam, and 1 GB DDR2 memory.

Above average is the 250 GB, 5,400 rpm hard drive, Windows 7 Starter, Bluetooth, and a 6-cell battery that gives about 7 hours of wire-free computing. The screen is also top notch, with a brightness not found in some laptops that cost twice as much. The quality of this machine is outstanding, and the netbook itself is rugged enough to withstand a lot of travel. It costs $449 Fujitsu's website. Click here for more details.

Some would say that travel is a way to get away from the modern world. Others(like me) want to have their technological security blankets with them wherever they are. If you want a good netbook for travel, consider one of these.