5. Toshiba NB500, £250
A budget netbook with a keyboard that's a joy to use and plenty of storage on a 250GB hard drive.
Design and usability
The NB500 gets zero points for styling originality, offering the same boxy looks as its predecessors the NB520 and NB305. The only 'exciting' aspect (if you can really call it that) is the lid, which is rubberised and available in a selection of different colours. Its 1.3kg weight and 262 by 36 by 190mm dimensions are standard for a 10.1-inch netbook.At least the keyboard is a joy to use, with its large, sensibly laid-out and pleasingly springy keys making touch typing a cinch.
Connectivity
There are three USB ports on offer, none of which, sadly, are compatible with 'sleep and charge', so you can't charge gadgets while the NB500 is turned off. There's also a VGA output for connecting to an external display; we prefer HDMI as it's digital and also carries sound, but wouldn't expect to see one on a model this cheap.Ethernet, Wi-Fi and a headphone socket round off the connectivity. Bluetooth is left off the list, presumably because -- like HDMI -- Toshiba has reserved it for pricier models.
250GB of hard drive space means plenty of room for music and movies.
Performance and battery life
The single-core 1.66GHz Intel Atom N455 processor and 1GB of RAM offer performance that's on a par with similarly-equipped rivals. That means you can rely on the NB500 to tackle the simple things like email, web surfing and updating your Facebook profile -- but don't expect much more than that. Multi-tasking will push the netbook to its limits, and the on-board graphics processor isn't suited for anything except the oldest of games. Even HD videos on YouTube stutter along irritatingly.The 1,024x600-pixel screen is bright, with rich colours, but doesn't excel when it comes to a wide viewing angle.
Battery life topped out at 4 hours and 23 minutes in our Battery Eater Classic test. That's not hugely impressive -- the similarly-specced Samsung NF110 managed 5 hours. Less intensive use -- the sort of tasks the NB500 was designed for -- will give you a fair bit extra.
Should I buy it?
There are better equipped, better performing rivals out there than the Toshiba NB500.
4. Samsung NF110, £240
This curvy netbook sports a marathon battery and eye-pleasing screen.
Design and usability
The Samsung NF110 couldn't be further removed from the accepted idea of netbooks as being boxy and boring. Its curvaceous, organic styling and use of three colours in the body make it a bit of a stunner. It's adequately light and compact at 1.3kg and 265 by 29 by 189mm.The keyboard features isolated keys and, while they're small, their spacing and responsiveness makes typing a pleasant experience.
Connectivity
There are no surprises when it comes to the NF110's socket selection: you get three USB ports, Ethernet for wired networking, a headphone jack and a card reader, plus a VGA port for connecting the netbook to a television or monitor. The latter is a tad disappointing -- we'd have preferred a more up-to-date HDMI socket tackling external video duties.Wireless capabilities come in the form of Bluetooth 3.0 and Wi-Fi, and storage duties are handled more than capably by a roomy 250GB hard disk drive.
Performance and battery life
The NF110 sports a lovely screen. It's not the sharpest -- the resolution is a standard, non-HD 1,024x600 pixels -- but the matte finish means you can use it outdoors without pesky sun glare spoiling the view. Colours and bright and punchy.Audio quality is decent too, thanks to the larger-than-normal speakers. They won't be giving hi-fi manufacturers any sleepless nights but they're adequate for general listening purposes.
A single-core Intel Atom processor clocked at 1.66GHz handles processing duties, backed up with 1GB of RAM. Performance is acceptable. Basic tasks aren't a problem, so if you require your netbook mainly for email, word processing and web browsing, it won't let you down. Ask anything more of it -- HD video decoding or 3D games, for instance -- and it'll fall over.
Battery life, however, is very decent. In our tough benchmark test the NF110 lasted 5 hours, putting it up there with some of the longest-running netbooks around. You'll get more life out of it with normal use too.
Should I buy it?
The keyboard, screen, styling and battery life all combine to make this one of the better budget netbooks on the market.
3. Samsung NC110, £240
The spiritual successor to Samsung's first ever netbook, the NC110 is a budget model with bite.
Design and usability
This is a great-looking laptop. Available in a range of colours, it sports a swish glossy lid, swooping curved profile and gorgeous white keyboard with a chiclet design (every key is isolated).This keyboard layout means you don't hit adjacent keys by mistake and typing feels responsive. The large trackpad gives you plenty of room too, so overall this is a lovely netbook to use.
At 259 by 34 by 180mm and 1.3kg, it's standard in terms of portability.
Connectivity
A 250GB hard drive means there's bags of space for storing files. There's a 4-in-1 card slot on board too. On the socket front, you get three USBs, including one 'sleep and charge' port for topping up the battery on your mobile phone while the NC110 is turned off. There's a headphone jack and a VGA output for connection to an external monitor or TV. We'd have liked an HDMI for the latter but it's a rare find on a budget model.Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0 round off the connectivity.
Performance and battery life
A dual-core Intel Atom chip clocked at 1.5GHz, backed up with 1GB of memory, provide the processor power behind the NC110. This is a run-of-the-mill setup for a netbook -- our benchmarks showed it to be marginally less speedy than the similarly equipped Toshiba NB520. It's more than up to the task of web surfing, emailing and other simple tasks, but it huffs and puffs when asked to perform anything more intensive such as multi-tasking.Its graphics performance, like all Atom-powered netbooks, is weedy -- 3D graphics aren't worth bothering with here. Even HD video decoding is a struggle, with 1,080p YouTube movies stumbling along at an unacceptable frame rate. It's a shame because the 10.1-inch, 1,024x600-pixel screen serves up punchy colours.
Audio quality through the speakers is fine but you're better off rigging up your headphones if you want good performance.
The battery life topped out at 4 hours and 52 minutes in our Battery Eater Classic benchmark test, which is impressive. This test is very intensive, so you'll get a lot more use out of the NC110 in real life situations. In fact, Samsung claims 10.7 hours.
Should I buy it?
The stylish design and keyboard are the Samsung NC110's standout features, but it performs adequately for a budget model and should definitely come under consideration if you're looking for a cheaper netbook.
2. Toshiba NB520, £270
Toshiba's Atom-powered netbook offers plenty of thrills for the price, including top-class speakers.
Design and usability
If it's excitement you're after, the NB520's styling might not be for you. Its coloured, rubberised lid coating is a nice touch, but the abundance of matte black plastic elsewhere is pretty unappealing. At 1.3kg and 262x36x190mm, it's average in terms of portability.That said, the sturdy build quality, accurate trackpad and well-spaced keyboard are huge plus points, and arguably more important than snazzy looks.
Connectivity
As with most netbooks, there are three USB ports on offer here. Handily, one is a 'sleep and charge' port that'll top up your phone or MP3's battery even when the NB520 is turned off. There are 3.5mm headphone and mic sockets too, and an SD card slot, as expected. Video output is limited to a VGA port -- there's no HDMI port here. That's a shame as it would have been useful for hooking up the netbook to your HDTV.Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0 round off the connectivity, and a 250GB hard drive provides plenty of storage space.
Performance and battery life
The NB520's dual-core Intel Atom processor runs at a speedy-sounding 1.5GHz. There's 1GB of memory too. Together this makes the netbook fairly adept at juggling basic tasks like email, web browsing and document editing. Push it further and it struggles, while its 3D graphics talents are disappointingly limited in comparison to its AMD-powered stablemate, the Toshiba NB550D. Needless to say, don't opt for this model if you plan on playing any 3D games, as they may well cause it to explode.Dual-core processors are notoriously power-hungry, but Toshiba has neatly sidestepped this problem by fitting the NB550D with a 10-cell battery. The extra capacity allowed the netbook to last an impressive 5 hours and 15 minutes in our Battery Eater Classic benchmark.You'll get much longer out of it in real-world use.
The 1,024x600-pixel, 10.1-inch screen doesn't excel in terms of size or resolution. But it does come with a semi-gloss coating that makes colours appear richer than on a matte screen, without being annoyingly reflective at the same time.
The Harman Kardon speakers deliver far louder sound than we've come to expect from a netbook: you might actually use them to listen to music, for once!
Should I buy it?
The NB520 doesn't excel when it comes to raw power, but given its cheap price tag it, performs well. Plus the classy speakers are very welcome indeed.
1. Toshiba NB550D, £270
A well-rounded 10.1-inch model that boasts powerful graphics performance.
Design and usability
The NB550D isn't the most inspiring netbook in terms of its looks, with dull matte black plastic dominating the exterior. Only the pleasingly rubberised lid offers a splash of metallic colour (copper and blue are the choices).At 1.3kg and 262x36x190mm, it's not especially light or skinny, but it does feel sturdy and built to last. The keyboard is nicely spaced too and, while a touch on the noisy side, the springy keys feel comfortable and responsive.
Connectivity
An HDMI output lets you swiftly hook the NB550D to an external monitor or HDTV. It's joined by a trio of USB ports. One of these is 'sleep and charge', allowing you to charge a phone or MP3 player while the netbook is turned off. Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0 are also on board, as are a 3.5mm headphone jack and SD card slot. There's an impressive amount of storage space on offer thanks to the 250GB hard drive.Performance and battery life
The NB550D packs a 1GHz dual-core AMD C-50 processor and it's a beauty. In standard benchmarking tests it slightly outperforms Toshiba's Intel Atom-powered NB520, but when it comes to 3D video performance it absolutely destroys its rival. Don't get us wrong -- it won't ace Modern Warfare 3 with all the settings turned up to high -- but it'll handle lighter 3D games adequately. That's something most netbooks will not do.Video decoding is similarly impressive, with 1,080p HD YouTube clips ticking along nicely. You won't be able to view these at full resolution on the non-HD 1,024x600-pixel screen, of course, but you can output them to an HD telly or monitor, thanks to the HDMI port.
This graphics grunt does have some effect on battery life, which is shorter than on many of the NB550D's peers: it topped out at 4 hours and 7 minutes in our intensive Battery Eater Classic test. That's not terrible for a dual-core model, mind you, and with normal use you'll probably get a lot longer out of the battery.
The Harman Kardon speakers also mean sound is beefier and clearer than on the average netbook -- in fact the audio performance here trounces some full-size laptops.
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