Buying netbooks is a wise decision. These diminutive laptop computers run by an operating system are not only portable and easy to use, they are also very affordable. One can buy them at a price ranging from $300 to a little more than $600. A person who is in a tight budget can buy them without any regrets. They were primarily used for surfing the net and for email when they where first made. Now they are used in many ways and in many purposes. Manufacturers are still looking for more features to add in order to satisfy the growing demand.

Netbooks usually have a screen size ranging from 8 inches to 10 inches. Optical drives are usually absent due to its size and the keyboard is typically smaller than a full-sized laptop. Its size, however, does not stop it from having the features and add-ins that people are looking for such as Bluetooth capability, Wi-Fi, USB ports, card readers, and cellular modems among many others. Netbooks almost always have an Intel Atom platform, which means they have the Atom processor, 1 GB RAM and built in graphics card.

The use of netbooks has evolved from the usual word processing and surfing the internet to doing almost anything that one can do with a personal computer. Uploading pictures from a digital camera and editing them using a popular software for editing photos is both fun and easy with netbooks. One can also change a video from one format to another and make movie out of it. Watching videos is also possible by using popular video sharing websites or playing them from an external optical drive. Business people are not left without an option. They can run clients, share files through a network while maintaining security by using antivirus programs.

There are a few things to remember when looking for a netbook to buy. Probably the most important of them is getting one with the fastest and most efficient processor possible. Intel Atom processor fits that need. Next, look for the Random access memory or RAM. 1 GB should be enough but it can be easily upgraded to 2 GB when needed. Another important thing to look for is the battery life. This is crucial when portability is to be considered. Netbooks usually comes with three-cell battery that lasts for about 2 to 3 hours. There are also models that come with six-cell battery that are capable of running the netbook for 6 to 8 hours of continuous usage. There are other features that one can find in many varieties of netbooks available in the market today. This depends on your taste or preferences. For gamers there are netbooks with Nvidia graphic cards. For the internet savvy there are those with wi-fi or mobile broadband features. Operating system is also important. One can choose the common Windows XP or upgrade to the newer Windows 7, the successor of Vista. For some, size matters so manufacturers now sell netbooks with wider frames suc as the dell netbook, which is 12 inches wide. For the trendy ones, there are colorful frames available but some may opt for the common aluminum frames.

Portability, affordability and ease of use among many other features make netbooks a great choice. Manufacturers are even adding more and more features which make Netbooks even more desirable.

Before buying a netbook, make sure you read some netbook reviews online. It will help you to make a better choice out of the many netbook models that are available in the market now. For instance, you will definitely find this article useful: HP Mini 311 review. Make sure you check it out!