• While a laptop is great for mobile computing, they can be heavy, expensive and power hungry. Sometimes you only need to do some word processing, email and Internet browsing, in which case a netbook can satisfy your needs without draining your wallet. Because they are not powerful computers, most of them run Windows XP, and some run Linux to cut down even further on costs.
  
  

Acer

• Options range from the Aspire One A150, which weighs 2 lbs. with only an 8.9-inch screen (measured diagonally), to the Aspire One 751h, which weighs in at about 3 lbs. with an 11.2-inch screen. All A150s ship with Windows XP Home Edition, while many of the 751h line come with Windows Vista Basic. None ship with Linux. Prices range from about $300 to $400 as of August 2009. Netbooks cannot be purchased from the website.
  
  

Dell

• As of August 2009, Dell's "Mini" line ranges from $239 to $399 for the three base models. Screen size maxes out at 10.1 inches. None ship with Vista, but several have Windows XP or Ubuntu Linux. Some models come with cellular broadband, TV tuners, a solid state hard drive and bundled anti-virus software. Netbooks can be purchased from Dell's website.
  
  

ASUS

• The Eee PC is a popular netbook line, with prices ranging in August 2009 from $300 to more than $700 for people who want most of the power that comes with a laptop in the size and weight of a netbook. Most ship with Windows XP, but some come with Linux. As a pioneer in the field, the Eee PC has accumulated a large market for accessories and personalization. Products cannot be purchased from Asus' website.
  
  

HP (Hewlett Packard)

• A relative newcomer to netbooks, HP has a smaller selection ranging from about $300 to $550 as of August 2009. Some come with XP, while others come with a netbook-optimized version of Linux called "Mi." Options include a solid-state hard drive, up to 2 gigabytes of RAM, wireless networking and Intel's Atom CPU. Netbooks can be purchased from HP's website.
  
  

Lenovo

• Lenovo offers "IdeaPad" netbooks from $350 to $500 and up to a 12-inch screen. All ship with Windows XP. Almost all use the Intel Atom CPU. Netbooks can be purchased from the website, but the additional software selection is small. However, the accessory options are plentiful, including external monitors, storage devices, input devices and printers.