Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Gifts for Students: Choose a Mini Laptop

By John Kessler

In this day and age students need a computer to complete their homework. A mini laptop is an inexpensive and portable solution that packs enough horsepower for web research and Microsoft Office. The small size enables the mini laptop to easily fit into a backpack or messenger bag.

With many netbooks in the market today, you can get lost just comparing specifications. But you really don't have to get lost, and that's because there are netbooks that are made specifically for students.

Lenovo IdeaPad S10e

The Lenovo IdeaPad S10e is the second edition of the IdeaPad S10 Netbook. Unlike its predecessor, however, it is being sold through Lenovo's Government & Education channel. This mini laptop is unique for having an instant-on feature, which means you can access applications without booting your netbook's Operating System. This instant-on feature is made possible through DeviceVM's Splashtop application.

The Lenovo IdeaPad S10e enables students to access their email, research the Internet and chat with friends. The IdeaPad S10e was designed specifically for students from kindergarten to college. The IdeaPad S10e has an Intel Atom processor, a 80GB hard drive or 4GB Solid State Drive. The IdeaPad S10e comes with either Windows XP Home or Novell's Suse Linux and features either a 3-cell or 6-cell battery. The price is right for this mini laptop, available online for as little as $360.

ASUS Eee PC 900

The ASUS Eee PC 900 netbook is a lightweight mini laptop that is easy to use and inexpensive. This netbook is typically sold for as little as $369 online. It is popular with users and has received rave reviews. Like all netbooks, the ASUS Eee PC 900 is a downsized version of a standard laptop, so expect ease-of-use without the odd key placement found on some mini laptops. The ASUS Eee PC 900 with 1GB RAM and a 16 GB Solid State Drive (on Linux OS) sells for $369 on Amazon.

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