Battle of the Netbooks

Before you permanently ditch your desktop, consider the comparisons of these five models we road tested.

Asus.com

1. Asus Eee PC 1000HE

WINNER!

Price*: $399

Looks: Solid, sturdy plastic chassis with a battery enclosure that's flush with the rear. The screen's barrel hinges are trimmed in steel, lending some pizzazz to a no-nonsense, but highly functional, design.

Keyboard: Hands down the best keyboard and touch pad in the group. The keyboard is responsive and comfortable, and the touch pad has big buttons that are easy to find and push. Bonus: The touch pad lets you scroll with two fingers.

Screen: The 10-inch LED screen is bright and delivers vibrant, steady video. The speakers pump out ample volume - for a netbook.

Battery life: 5 hours, 7 minutes

Bottom line: This winning netbook comes out on top in all tests. Asus has chosen the best components to yield a device that is eminently usable, with the keyboard and touch pad to beat.

MSIMobile.com

2. MSI Wind U100

Price*: $399.99

Looks: Elegant and simple, the MSI Wind is the Zen master of netbooks. At 2.6 pounds, it's also the lightest of these mini-laptops. But its plastic case feels a bit slight.

Keyboard: The keys are a bit wee, but they are springy and responsive, enabling easy touch-typing. The touch pad is small but effective, and the mouse buttons are a breeze to depress.

Screen: Video looks great on this 10-inch LED, but the audio is tinny and anemic.

Battery life: 1 hour, 39 minutes

Bottom line: Solid components, elegant design, and a comfy keyboard and touch pad put this netbook near the top. Its anemic battery life keeps it from advancing further, however.

AcerAspireOne.com

3. Acer One Aspire

Price*: $349.99

Looks: Slick and sturdy look marred by protruding battery in the back. The build is solid, however, and this netbook has nice some design accents that give it flair.

Keyboard: The keyboard feels well built but it's cramped. The touch pad and mouse buttons are curiously recessed and very difficult to depress.

Screen: The screen is bright with vibrant colors, and video playback is smooth. Audio is crisp and ample.

Battery life: 4 hours, 25 minutes.

Bottom line: A bit sluggish on tasks other than Web browsing, this netbook delivers ample battery power at a price that makes it one of the best-selling netbooks on the market.

HP.com

4. HP Mini 2140

Price*: $449

Looks: Clad in rugged anodized aluminum, HP's netbook is both sturdy and sleek. The design is business casual, suitable for the conference room or the first-class waiting lounge.

Keyboard: The spill-resistant keys are wide and flat, providing a comfortable typing field. Mouse buttons flank the overly horizontal touch pad, making for a very frustrating user experience.

Screen: The 16:9 aspect ratio screen is perfect for high-def movies, but the audio is a bit below par.

Battery life: 2 hours, 6 minutes

Bottom line: Built for business, with nice features for corporate users and fast battery charging, this netbook's 16:9 LED can't override the unfortunately placed mouse buttons. Its anodized aluminum chassis says "serious machine."

Dell

5. Dell Mini 12

Price*: $569

Looks: The Mini 12 has a 12-inch screen, making it look and feel like a traditional laptop, albeit it a thin and crisply designed one. And if you prefer a snazzier look, check out the Tristan Eaton case designs.

Keyboard: The large footprint of this netbook provides space for a roomy keyboard and touch pad, with easy-to-use mouse buttons. The keyboard feels flimsy, however, with noticeable bowing in the middle.

Screen: The screen is large but dim, and video is sometimes a bit choppy. The audio is just barely audible at full volume.

Battery life: 1 hour, 52 minutes

Bottom line: Dell's netbook is slim and cleanly designed, but its performance is sluggish. The price knocks it out of anyone's value range.