The advent of laptop made many people enjoy the wonders of computer to the highest level. In just a few years, smaller versions have come out and they were an instant hit in the market. The small laptops – also called netbooks and mini laptops make it even more enjoyable to surf the web and work on some other programs. These laptops are easy to carry, ‘cute’, portable, and lightweight.
The interesting tale about small laptops
The inventor of mini laptops, Mary Lou Jepsen, did not intend to create a super small laptop that would have to compete with its larger competitors. She was just trying to design a cheap laptop. Together with her colleagues, she designed a laptop that would make use of a smaller colored screen and a smaller yet fully functional keyboard. They were pushing for the program called One Child One Laptop. For just a hundred dollars, every child from the third-world countries will be able to purchase their own computers. Jepsen and the others did not realize that their design would hit the shelves of the US, Europe, and all other highly developed countries in the world.
Small Laptops vs. Big Laptops
When Mary Lou Jepsen made the small laptop, she didn’t intend to overpower the larger version of it. She admitted it was less of a laptop. Nevertheless, netbooks have evolved for the past few years. More features were added and every computer manufacturer would add something to make their mini laptops one step ahead of their competitors. Today, almost all pc makers do have their own smaller versions of laptops.
The main feature of mini laptops is the Wi-Fi. Every single netbook out in the market today are Wi-Fi ready. But of course, users have the option to make use of other internet sources like dongles, cables, and the most popular plug-in broadband. They also come with card slots and USB ports but they have no CD/DVD Rom. As to the operating system, users can choose what they want – Linux, Windows, Mac, Fedora, etc. Of course, majority of users are into Windows OS.
But if you’re looking for a laptop that you can use to play video games or access high-end applications you use at work, you may not want to buy a netbook. Small laptops are made to supplement your regular computer and not to replace it.
When it comes to the price, small laptops are the best of course. For over $300, everyone can buy their own laptops. In fact, a mini laptop that costs $300 is already one of the most updated! One can get such laptop for a hundred bucks!
Buying Checklist: What Makes a Good Mini Laptop?
While they’re typically lower in specs than the usual laptops, it doesn’t mean that users should settle down to mediocre netbooks. There are small laptops that really work wonders. If you’re looking to buy a small version of your current laptop, there are some things you need to check out. When it comes to the specs, look for the one which has the highest. Don’t expect the RAM of a small laptop to be as high as 4GB. Small laptops have RAM that only ranges from 512 to 1GB. Look for a processor with speed of at least 1.6 GHz and mass storage of at least 8GB. Look for a small laptop that has more number of ports and SD slots. Netbooks have built-in cameras too.
Small laptops are great gadgets that can make your internet experience more exciting. If you’re looking to buy a computer but you don’t have enough cash, then a mini laptop is perfect for you. But as a user, you should understand that they have limitations too. It’s very important that you look at the speculations more than the design.
