Acer Aspire One AOD250
One of the most compact netbooks, the $287 Acer is handy for quickly scanning e-mail on the road. But the tiny trackpad and mini-keys are so small that if you have medium to large hands, you'll likely battle with bumping thumbs and frequent typos. If you've already got a Blackberry or iPhone and you're a pro at thumb typing, it might be easier to stick with what you've got. The Acer's high-gloss monitor results in major screen glare, and the speakers suffer from tinny sound. But there are some nice features. Microsoft Works comes free with the system, so for basic word processing or spreadsheet tools, you don't have to shell out for the full Office Suite. And the built-in card reader lets you upload your photos directly from your camera's SD card or a Sony Memory Stick.
Price: $287
Weight: 2.4 lb.