HP Mini 5101
HP sells two PCs a second, making it the biggest PC-maker in the world. Even as the company grows, though, its computers are getting ever smaller. That's especially true of its top mainstream netbook, the $400 Mini 5101, which weighs about 2.5 pounds and has a 10.1-inch screen. The aluminum finish gives the Mini a professional look, though the top side of the machine and the trackpad do pick up smudges from oily or dirty fingers. Some features the 5101 offers — like a "disk sanitizer" that will permanently destroy everything on your hard drive — suggest that it's aimed at business travelers with sensitive data to protect. But the 95%-sized keyboard, with solid, Scrabble-tile-like keys, is comfortable and well-designed. Little buttons above the keyboard offer shortcuts to e-mail and the Web. HP lets you select either a lighter battery designed to last 4.5 hours, or a nine-hour battery that adds some heft to the machine. And when you're on the road, the fast-charge feature comes in handy. You can recharge the netbook's battery to 90% within 90 minutes. For some reason, the Mini comes with Corel's office suite of software (anyone out there still use Corel?), but it also includes an SD-slot so you can view and share your photos quickly without fishing for your camera cable.
Price: $399
Weight: 2.6 lb.