Inexpensive Notebooks
Inexpensive notebooks are more functional and affordable than ever, and many consumers simply can not get enough of these portable computers. Notebooks provide the standard in portable computing these days because they are so much smaller and lighter than laptops but with that mobility boost, they are lacking a few features.
Many of the inexpensive notebooks that are sold lack a built-in CD/DVD drive. A few years ago this would have been a huge deterrent, but external CD/DVD drives are just about as common as external hard drives these days. They are also just as affordable. CD/DVD drives are not used as much as they were prior to a couple of years ago, since digital media and distribution as a whole has boomed, so you may not need to read discs at any point anyway.
Something else to consider when looking at inexpensive notebooks is the battery life. Though they are smaller than your standard laptops and lack some internal hardware parts, as mentioned above, depending on the model the battery may last for just as long as any other larger and bulkier model. Finding out about an individual model or series' charge duration and how long the power supply will hold that charge is a must. The main draw of notebooks is that they are so much more portable, even more so than laptops, and a power source that can not last for more than a few hours negates the whole purpose.
The monitor size is also a concern. Many notebooks can be found with monitors that are 14 to 15 inches, though the mini notebook models that are common these days have monitors that are even smaller. The overall size of the monitor (and in relation, the notebook itself) affects how well you will be able to see it. It is difficult to use the mini models from a slight distance because of their ultra-small monitor sizes, so be sure that the ones you consider are of sizes that you will be comfortable looking at.
For slightly more graphically intensive or processor-heavy programs, it is in your best interest to look at models that have at least 100 gigabytes of hard drive space, 2 gigabytes of RAM, and at least a 1.6GHz dual core processor. These specs are standard in many of the more inexpensive computers, and the small size of notebooks limits what they can really do. While they can not be expected to run all of the latest games or many of today's more intensive graphic design software suites, they are perfect for simple web browsing and computer usage. Inexpensive notebooks have their place in the consumer's tech library, but they should not be expected to out perform more expensive laptops or desktops.