The Asus W5 is not longer available but I recommend the Asus UL20A as an even-better replacement for the Asus W5.

This laptop was quite expensive at the time and is now well above the price of most 12.1 inch notebooks. The standard set of features hasn’t changed that much, but are now available at lower price levels.

Here are some the features:

• 12.1 inch screen
• 1280 x 768 resolution
• 4.2lbs

Check the Asus UL20A for a newer, slicker Asus alternative to the ASUS W5.

This popular “sub-notebook” us the best value for money offering of all the 12.1 inch screen ASUS notebooks. It offers less battery life than the more expensive models, but makes up for that in the slightly lower price.

The Asus UL20A hits that spot between a full notebook and the ever-popular netbooks. It costs the same as a high-end netbook, but offers a larger screen, and performance and specifications that are more typical on a notebook computer.

Here’s some of the features:

• 1.3GHz Intel SU7300 Core2 Duo CPU
• 2GB of memory
• 250GB SATA hard drive
• 12.1 inch WXGA LED LCD display
• Wifi 802.11 b/g/n
• Webcam and built-in microphone and speakers
• Windows 7 Home Premium

The weight of the Asus UL20A is a little high. Netbooks come in at less than 3lbs, whilst this model weights 5.4lbs. Not a major setback, but a little heavy for a computer of this size. UPDATE: this model comes in at 4.18lbs which is much more reasonable and pretty standard for this size. Not too much effort to lug it around. Will give you a bit of workout if you drag it around all day. The ultra-thin design is very appealing however, so despite the weight it still fits comfortably in a big bag of backpack.

The speed will not disappoint; with a processor that is pretty well specced. The memory is what helps the most and the system will be able to handle as many of the standard programs you care to throw at it: web browsing, instant messaging, typing documents and even doing graphics will all be fine. As with all notebooks, fast 3D games will not handle very well.

The not so technical features are worth noting too. The battery lasts for up to 8 hours, which is most of the day. There’s an accidental damage warranty which covers against some common things like spilling coffee on the keyboard and touts a 3 business day turnaround time for repairs.

Overall a decent amount of power in a very thin package.

Good:

• Very thin
• Long battery life
• Large hard drive
• Powerful

Not so good:

• A little heavy

Here’s a golden oldie. Released over 4 years ago this board is still available for those who want to add a new motherboard to a Pentium 4 system.

Old computers can last for a very, very long time and often get disposed of long before their capabilities run out and the components give up the ghost. This board solves one particular problem with very old boards, and that is the lack of upgrade capabilities.

But before we look at those, here’s a list of features:

• Pentium 4 support
• Two port SATA RAID
• 3 x PCI expansion card slots
• 1 x PCIe x16
• 8 x USB
• Onboard audio
• LAN port

I can honestly admit that I still run a Pentium 4 processor on my primary (and only) computer. It has been in service for 7 years. And still going strong.

I upgraded primarily to take advantage of SATA RAID. After my hard drive crashed and I lost all my data I realized that I needed some sort of RAID solution for safety’s sake. The upgraded motherboard had this as a built-in feature.

For an older P4 system this motherboard will allow the addition of a RAID setup and upgrade to a decent graphics card. The built-in features like audio and LAN can be some nice added extras too.

The pricing is not too low, but this product has been through the paces and come out a winner. With years of proven performance behind it, it’s guaranteed to work well.

A powerful desktop computer with a big hard drive and large monitor thrown in for good measure.

For a full desktop computer this system from Dell doesn’t look too bad. There have been complaints about the pricing of Dell desktop computers being a little high compared to the offerings from the other big boys in the home computer market. But his model fights back with a whole lot for under $700.

Here’s a bunch of numbers:

• 2.6GHz Intel Pentium Dual Core E5300 CPU
• 6GB memory
• 640GB hard drive
• DVD writer
• 6 USB ports
• 22-inch monitor, 1920 x 1080 resolution
• Windows 7

Lets just start off by saying that this is not the fastest or newest processor out there, however it is more than enough for most intensive programs. Graphics programs will have no problem, although heavy games that need powerful graphics cards will have a hard time.

One interesting thing is a review on CNET that pointed to this computer being low on the value scale and not matching up to its near competition.

With the price lower than their review and the 22-inch model thrown in for good measure it at least measures up to similar models in terms of pricing and has a more reasonable amount of memory at 6GB. The speed increase from 4GB upwards is not worth the money most of the time.

Hidden behind the shiny black front cover is a DVD writer and a media unit for plugging in the myriad of memory cards gathered from various home electronics.

One of the biggest upsides to the whole deal is the great monitor. Quite often 22-inch monitors still don’t support 1920 x 1080, which I think should be the absolute minimum specification for this sort of machine. So it’s not just a cheap add-in to pick up sales of the main machine, it really is a worthwhile addition to the set.

Note that the system does include mouse and keyboard, although not pictured above.

Like

• Big, high-resolution monitor
• Ample memory
• Big hard drive
• Decent speed

Not so much

• No Wifi (included on some rival machines)

A nice little little netbook with a decent price, but with a slower-than-average processor.

Netbooks are not known for their great speed. The vast majority of netbooks use a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, whilst this one uses a slower 1.33GHz version.  Not a massive game changer, but does make something that is already pretty slow, even slower.

Rather than droning on about the speed of the processor, here is a breakdown of the major features.

• 10.1″ screen
• 1024 x 600 maximum resolution
• 1GB of memory
• 160 GB hard drive
• Windows XP
• Built-in microphone, speakers and webcam
• LAN port
• 3 x USB ports
• WiFi

So there is pretty much the standard spread of features.

Overall, people’s experience with this little computer are pretty good. But there have been a few hassles, which should be noted to avoid any hassles.

There is no Windows CD included, so you cannot uninstall it then reinstall it. Not everyone needs to do this, but if you do you’ll have to get hold of a recovery disk somehow. Note that one user reports Windows 7 not working if you are planning on trying it.

The HDMI port is for video only and does not support any audio. Typical HDMI supports audio, but most computer video outputs only output video, so you’ll have to wire the audio from the microphone output.

The other bits and pieces work as expected. Wifi works in locations with good signal, and the system offers the standard 802.11b/g which is fast enough for anything that involves using the web.

All the features needed for  video conferencing are there. The webcam to handle the video and the built-in microphone and speakers to handle the audio aspects.

The battery life of 8 hours is average. There are more expensive “ultra-low voltage” laptops that can go for 10 hours and a lot of other netbooks that can also go for 10 hours. Eight is not the most, but not bad either.

The good:

• Decent battery life
• Nice price
• Complete set of features

The not so good:

• No Windows CD
• No audio on HDMI

Ah, the granddaddy of netbooks, the Eee PC. Asus were the pioneer of this small form factor portable computer. Thankfully the 7inch screens from the first models have had a few upgrades since then. This newer 10 inch size, gives a little more to those who don’t have teeny-weeny hands and don’t want to wear binoculars to see tiny text on screen.

Apart from the awful, almost unpronounceable name, this computer provides a huge range of features, in a package that is small enough to drag around anywhere and with a battery life long enough to last for an entire day.

Here’s some of the main features:

• Intel Atom CPU
• 1GB memory
• 160GB hard drive
• 10 inch screen with 1024 x 768 resolution
• Built-in webcam and microphone
• LAN, Wifi and Bluetooth
• 2.81 lbs

The styling is good. So no childish looks from this mini-performer. The screen provides enough size for webpage viewing, although sometimes requiring left to right scrolling. For desktop use I’d recommend an extra monitor as it’s easier to view. The VGA port will connect to almost any monitor, but some monitors no longer have VGA ports, so check first.

1GB of memory is just right.

160GB hard drive is fine, but I’d prefer a smaller solid state drive instead. There is an extra 10GB of online storage offered, but this strikes me as gimmicky, I would much rather they provided a subscription to one of the big online storage firms. I just don’t know how much to trust their in-house offering as Asus are a hardware company.

Networking is a critical component for netbooks that, by their very name, are designed to be online. Fast Ethernet is the staple of office networks, and Wifi 802.11n allows faster wireless speeds on networks that support it. Bluetooth is also included and will connect to Bluetooth microphones and stereo headphones.

The Asus Eee PC just can’t really go very wrong. The important part is that there are no important features missing. The blue Samsung netbook is $50 cheaper than this computer, but has less battery life, so weight up what is most important to you.

Pros:

• Compact
• Cheap enough
• Light
• Standard features

Cons:

• Little more expensive than some other similar netbooks
• Gimmicky online storage

Refurbished computers are a great way to get a whole lot of older technology for a discount price. The computer itself has been done up to catch up with the times a little and make it a little more marketable. No cutting edge technology here, but the price is pretty good.

This refurbished desktop computer comes in at around $225. The system includes:

• 17″ monitor
• 2.8GHz Pentium 4 processor
• 1GB memory
• 40GB hard drive
• Fast Ethernet
• 8 x USB
• CD drive
• Windows XP

The Pentium 4 chips are around 7 years old. They use more power than modern processors but won’t get too hot unless overclocked. My work computer is a 2.4GHz Pentium 4 and at home I still have a 2.0GHz for my main computer. And they are fine, memory upgrades, which this computer includes as standard, are the only change I’ve made in the past few years.

The hard drive is on the small side. But then again all the data on my own computer wouldn’t fill that up. For surfing the web, simple games and doing some documents it’s more than enough. You’ll run out of space fairly quickly if you are saving DVDs to your hard drive though. Fortunately you won’t be able to save any DVDs to the hard drive because the standard drive is a CD drive only.

The 17″ monitor will do. The resolution will display any web pages at full width, but not leave too much room for anything else on the screen.

The 1GB of memory is enough. With Windows XP, even a whole bunch of applications won’t fill that up very quick. The system will not handle a huge amount of multi-tasking, so keep programs running in the background to a minimum.

Fast Ethernet for network connectivity is good, eight USB ports allow easy extension and Windows XP works just fine most of the time, just remember to upgrade to service pack 3. Includes mouse, keyboard and speakers.

Pros:

• Cheap
• Decent power
• All extras included

Cons:

• Old
• No DVD burner

Well this is the first all-in-one PC I’ve looked at carefully. It’s quite functional as a desktop computer, but with only the processing power of a netbook. Pricewise it seems about right and will serve well as a computer for surfing the Internet, writing documents and listening to music if you add speakers or headphones to the mix.

Here’s the features:

• 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor
• Windows XP
• 1GB memory
• 160GB hard drive
• DVD burner
• 18.5 inch monitor
• Gigabit Ethernet

So it’s a netbook with a large monitor and a DVD burner. The processor is standard on almost all netbooks and provides only a basic amount of computing power. Enough power for day-to-day stuff, but little enough to frustrate anyone using graphics applications or processor intensive applications like video.

The 18.5 inch monitor is useful. Bigger than most laptops, but smaller than any single computer monitor you can buy.

Hard drive is big enough and the 1GB of memory will run the applications it is intended to, ie. web browser, instant messaging and other basic communication stuff.

The system comes with the now unsupported Windows XP, and although the operating itself is fine, I’d really recommend something newer. Disclaimer: the computer I’m using right now has Windows XP, so take that as you will.

The DVD burner is a plus and nicely tucked away behind the screen, which also makes it a little awkward to get to, but not too bad.

I’m not totally convinced that this machine is worth it. For $300 you can get a netbook of equivalent power, add a monitor for less than $100 and get a removable DVD burner.  And after all that, the netbook can still be moved around from place to place easily. I would suggest it as an always-on computer, perhaps in the kitchen or somewhere like that, where it’s not going to be the primary machine. It’s missing the other thing I’d expect from this type of computer: a touch screen. Sure, it’s smaller and compact, but one could have been added and the price would not have gone over $480.

Pros:

• Compact
• Energy-efficient
• DVD burner

Cons:

• No touch screen
• Not powerful

For a pretty small chunk of change you get a relatively light and pretty fast laptop computer with a very long battery life. Combined with a 13.3 inch monitor this makes the perfect travel companion for those that need full a full-sized laptop computer for working on the move. The extra size gives the feeling of spaciousness in the system, but without sacrificing the long battery life that makes netbooks so attractive.

Here are the main features:

• 13.3 inch wide screen monitor
• 1.3GHz ultra-low voltage dual-core processor
• 500GB hard drive
• 3GB memory
• Draft-N Wifi
• Bluetooth

The new range of ultra-low voltage Intel processors are really pushing the boundaries of low power and performance. The benefit of this is that the processors are much more efficient, allowing much longer battery times, while still allowing bigger monitors and more processing power. This means the power to use faster programs when needed, while not sacrificing usage time when on the move.

The screen is clearly smaller than 15 inch and bigger laptops, and bigger than the 10 inch netbook screens. This middle ground is actually pretty perfect and picks up where the smaller sizes leave off and takes the best of what the larger sizes have to offer.

Smaller netbook monitors are a little cramped, with the low resolution often necessitating scrolling from left to right in many applications. Larger monitors offer better resolutions, which allow normal viewing, but don’t actually offer enough extra to start fitting more than one window on the screen at one time. The 13.3 inch has enough resolution to comfortably view a webpage without sideways scrolling, and it big enough for easy viewing.

Not much to say about the 500GB hard drive. I’m always leaning towards online storage for important data. This hard drive is big enough for whatever you have, but remember that computer hard drives are one of the weakest links in the system. Although reliability is pretty awesome, please backup when necessary.

Talking of backups, there is no optical drive on this computer, so an external DVD burner will be needed for writing and reading DVDs and CDs.

3GB of RAM is plenty. The optional upgrade to 8GB is not worthwhile and there will be negligible, if any, performance difference. Put that money into an external DVD writer.

Networking includes both wireless and traditional wired options. The wireless supports up to 802.11n, but is backwards compatible with b/g. Draft-N allows up to 300Mb/s connectivity and wider range than the older standards, and the RJ-45 port is a good backup just in case. Bluetooth is also included and supports microphones and stereo speakers.

Other bits and pieces include built-in microphone, built-in webcam, three USB ports (one is dual eSATA/USB), normal laptop keyboard without numeric keypad, VGA port and HDMI video port.

Overall this laptop hits that magic sweet spot between a netbook and a full-sized desktop replacement laptop.

Pros:

• Long battery life
• “Just-right” sized monitor
• Multiple networking options
• VGA & HDMI video output

Cons:

• No DVD drive

The Samsung is an unusually solid netbook with good performance and doesn’t look like a cheap kids toy. I’ve seen quite a few positive comments on this model and it offers a good mix of styling and performance. As with all netbooks it won’t blow other computers away, but the price is right and the specifications balanced enough to give a good experience.

Here’s some of the main features:

• 2.8lbs
• 10.1 inch screen
• 1024 x 600 resolution
• 1GB of memory
• 160GB hard drive
• Fast Ethernet
• Wireless 802.11b/g/n

The size of the screen is enough for a web browser, although it will be cramping some websites and they might need to be zoomed out for optimal viewing.

The Intel Atom processor is the stock specification for netbooks ever since it was first introduced so there are no surprises and no real performance differences between this and other netbooks.

The keyboard, often a tough point for those with larger hands, is about 90% the size of a standard keyboard and is big enough to use comfortably, albeit not for a full weeks work at the computer.

The outside of the netbook is robust and does well against scratches and abrasions.

1GB of memory will handle most web browsing needs. This will allow two or three programs to be open at the same time. Firefox with 15-20 tabs, Tweetdeck and an instant messaging client will handle just fine. Running one at a time will yield better results though.

I’m glad that 802.11n wireless networking is included. As netbooks are meant to be connected to the Internet mostly and do almost everything online, a decent network connection is pretty important. Speeding up the local connection, i.e. the wireless connection from the computer to the Internet router, makes the experience that much more seamless.

Other extras include audio input, audio output, built-in speakers, built-in webcam, built-in microphone, VGA port, and three USB ports.

I’m not drooling over netbooks as I once was, but I think this one would be high up on my list if I was planning on getting one. It hits does well where it needs to and looks good to boot. The $300 price is pretty tough to beat.