The bad: The Air has limited connections compared with other 13-inch laptops, and its keyboard isn't backlit. It's outclassed by the new MacBook Pro line.
The Review: Apple's original ultrathin MacBook Air was the very definition of a specialty laptop: its alluring design was offset by a limited number of connections and an underpowered CPU, making it truly useful for only a small fraction of users. The second generation of the 13-inch MacBook Air addresses most of our issues with the Air, adding a second USB port, an SD card slot, a higher-resolution display, and better CPUs.
To maximize battery life, this new MacBook Air moves to an SSD-only hard drive, the system starts up in a flash and wakes up from its sleep state even faster.
If you can survive without a built-in optical drive, and don't need more than the two USB ports provided, we'd be tempted to say we'd grab this 13-inch MacBook Air over the more powerful 13-inch MacBook Pro, because its slim, lightweight design makes it a lot easier to carry around, but keep in mind that the newly refreshed 13-inch MacBook Pro (with Intel's latest Core i-series CPUs) both is much more powerful and has better battery life.
Dell Inspiron M101z Cost $549.99
The good: Dual-core processor in an 11-inch laptop; good keyboard and touch pad; much faster than similar-size Netbooks.
The bad: Upgraded components aren't cheap; limited graphics; merely average battery life.
The Review:
The dividing line between Netbooks and laptops has long been a fuzzy one, as Intel's Atom CPUs have migrated into 11-inch and even larger systems, while other 10- and 11-inch models have added alternative CPUs, graphics hardware, and high-resolution displays. Dell's new 11-inch entry, the Inspiron M101z, has one foot solidly over that Netbook line, falling somewhere between what we would call a premium Netbook and an ultraportable laptop.
The key is the dual-core AMD Neo K325 CPU, which offers a much-improved user experience over the single-core Intel Atom found in most 11-inch Netbooks. This $579 configuration of the M101z also includes 4GB of RAM and a 7200rpm hard drive. At the same time, a single-core version, with AMD's Neo K125, is also available for $449--further confusing the Netbook/laptop issue.
The more expensive dual-core version runs like a charm, and is a great experience for anyone beaten down by lumbering Atom-powered Netbooks. Unfortunately, it's also just about as expensive as a standard laptop, and for only a little more you could trade up to an Intel Core i3 system. You're clearly paying a premium for the small size here (whereas the less expensive single-core version is still about $50 too much).
The actual design and build quality are excellent, if bland, and the dual-core version of Dell's M101z is a good fit for anyone who likes the small size and portability of Netbooks, but doesn't mind paying more for near-mainstream performance.
HP Mini 5103 (Intel Atom N550) cost
The good: Solid, stylish design; huge number of configuration options; comfortable keyboard; newly added dual-core Atom N550 and HD screen options.
The bad: Subpar battery life with included four-cell battery; small trackpad; gets pricey in the higher-end configurations.
The Review:
Even with these additions, however, HP's business Netbook doesn't stand head and shoulders above the crowd in the quite the same way as it used to, especially since higher-powered 11.6-inch ultraportables such as the 11-inch MacBook Air have stolen the spotlight with better performance. With a starting price of $399, it's effectively a higher-priced, far more configurable Netbook that can climb into absurd territory at the high end--our dual-core Atom N550 configuration with capacitive touch screen and Broadcom HD accelerator comes in at about $670. And the few features it does lack--HDMI in particular--stand out more than ever.
We could justify the $400 range for one of these Mini 5103s in the case of an executive or small-business owner needing a solid, well-performing device, but at higher prices there are better computing solutions for your business dollar, such as the similarly priced Lenovo ThinkPad x100e.
Pictures of these will be posted later.
Even with these additions, however, HP's business Netbook doesn't stand head and shoulders above the crowd in the quite the same way as it used to, especially since higher-powered 11.6-inch ultraportables such as the 11-inch MacBook Air have stolen the spotlight with better performance. With a starting price of $399, it's effectively a higher-priced, far more configurable Netbook that can climb into absurd territory at the high end--our dual-core Atom N550 configuration with capacitive touch screen and Broadcom HD accelerator comes in at about $670. And the few features it does lack--HDMI in particular--stand out more than ever.
Even with these additions, however, HP's business Netbook doesn't stand head and shoulders above the crowd in the quite the same way as it used to, especially since higher-powered 11.6-inch ultraportables such as the 11-inch MacBook Air have stolen the spotlight with better performance. With a starting price of $399, it's effectively a higher-priced, far more configurable Netbook that can climb into absurd territory at the high end--our dual-core Atom N550 configuration with capacitive touch screen and Broadcom HD accelerator comes in at about $670. And the few features it does lack--HDMI in particular--stand out more than ever.
We could justify the $400 range for one of these Mini 5103s in the case of an executive or small-business owner needing a solid, well-performing device, but at higher prices there are better computing solutions for your business dollar, such as the similarly priced Lenovo ThinkPad x100e.
Pictures of these will be posted later.
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