Best 10 inch netbooks (mini laptops) at the moment

With so many new netbooks entering the market these last weeks, it was finally time for a new list with the best netbooks in the 10 inch class, based on my personal experience with them and reviews from buyers all around the world.

However, having so many good choices on the market, it was pretty difficult to make a top, that’s why i divided the article in 3 parts: cheap netbooks, mainstream and “money are not a problem” devices. You can read about each of them below.

Also, i have to add that prices might vary for each model in time, and you should check the links for the updated ones at the time you read this post.

And last but not least, I have to mention that this post is not a top, it is a list of recommended products, based on my experience with them and reviews from journalists and regular buyers, posted online. I can’t say which of these is better for you, that’s for each of you guys to decide, according to your needs and expectations from these little machines. That’s why i covered a vast price range and you’ll see that I’ve tried explaining shortly for each device the good/bad parts.

If you happen to live in the UK, you can also read this other post about the best netbooks available on the UK market these days (updates for the Canadian market will be available soon too).

Best netbooks for budget oriented customers

If budget is your main concern, but you’re still looking for a nice device, than these laptops in here are the ones for you. They come with decent hardware and battery life, but in most cases they won’t be the best in terms of materials and finishing quality and will offer old style flat-keyboards and no Bluetooth.

Asus EEEPC 1001PX – $299 $249

While usually Asus netbooks are not known for their competitive prices, with the new 1001PX series built on Intel’s PineTrail platform, they tried to show us that good netbooks can also be very affordable.

Asus 1001PXD - the cheap EEE PC

Thus, this 10 inch device is one of the best mini laptops if budget is your first concern. It has almost no noticeable flaws, but for the non-chiclet keyboard and the small 3 Cell battery that can only give you around 4 hours of life every charge (but for 20 bucks extra you can get the version with a better 8 hours battery).

Besides that, it just offers all the features you’ll need from a small portable computer and a non-glare display. The nice Seashell design we already know, with a rough textured plastic finish that should handle well fingerprints and scratches in time,  good build quality and software package are here too.

Prices start from only $299 $249 and you’ll notice that you can get the 1001PX in various colors, by clicking that link. The version with a 6 Cell 8.5 hours battery goes for only 20 bucks extra and this is the option we would recommend. All these with Free Shipping included within US boarders. Click the links for more details about each of the products, reviews, pictures and the option to buy them, if you want to.

Acer Aspire One AO255E – from $269 $251.99

Like Asus above, Acer too offers a cheap version of their AO255 line, for only $279 $251.99 right now. You get the same PineTrail hardware, with the N455 Atom CPU, 1 GB of DDR3 memory and 250 GB hard-drive as and the same 3 Cell 4 hours battery. In fact, the 1001PXD and the cheap AO255E are  identical in terms of feature.

Acer Aspire One D255E - sleeker looking, but completely glossy

They differ in terms of shape and size. The Asus is matte and this one is glossy. Plus there a couple extra color options to choose from (Matrix Silver, Onyx Blue, Amethyst Purple or Ruby Red), but the discounted price is available for the black version. As for the screen, this one is glossy as well. So while the AO255E might look sleeker, thanks to is thinner 1 inch body as well, it will be a complete pain to use outside, as it will catch fingerprints, smudges and will reflect every little bit of light in that glossy display.

Overall, this cheap 10 inch netbook is fairly appreciated and benefits from very good reviews and marks from previous buyers, mostly because it is a reliable computer and one of the most affordable on the market.

Speaking of prices, the Acers AO255E sell for around $269 $251.99 in the States right now, but you can find it discounted online. That’s with Free Shipping included. There’s also an option with a 6 Cell battery and N550 CPU and goes for $287.99 right now, also discounted and with free delivery. Click the links for more details, pictures, reviews from buyers or the option of buying one yourself. Also, read my full review of the Acer Aspire One D260, which is the European version of this one, for more info.

Toshiba NB505 -$299 from $267.99 – see full review

Last but not least in this list of affordable netbooks, there’s the Toshiba NB505. This one goes for around 280 bucks and brings similar hardware features to the other mini laptops above. However, it comes by default with a 6 Cell 48 Wh battery that will get you 8 hours of life on everyday use and this way it gets right on par with the 6 Cell versions of the Asus and the Acer devices, if not cheaper.

Exterior has been completely redesigned and the NB505 is covered in some high quality smooth plastic, with a  textured dimpled finish. You can get it in 5 different colors, like brown, blue, green, turquoise and orange and all look way better than that dull black you usually get on cheap notebooks. There is also a nice partially Full-size keyboard, unlike the keyboard on most netbooks that are 93-95% of a Full size one. Still, with the letter keys being full-sized, that left little room for others, so you will need some time to get used to the layout of this keyboard.

Overall, the Toshiba NB505 is for sure a solid affordable laptop. Only real objection goes towards the glossy screen that will reflect anything when used in strong light. Reviews and marks scored with this product with experts and also regular buyers stand as proof to how good it is as well.

As for the price, the NB505 is usually listed at just under 300 bucks, but some color versions are available online with discounts, for only $267.99 right now, with Free Shipping included. In Europe, this one goes as Toshiba NB500 and costs just around 200 pounds in the UK or around 250 euros in Germany .

Toshiba NB505 - best pick if you want a sub $300 netbook right now

All in all, the Asus 1001PXD, the Acer Aspire ONE 255E and the Toshiba NB505 are fairly similar devices. Picking one of the two will only depend on taste; as all these devices are nearly identical in terms of features, there’s only the aspect to differentiate them (the Acer is thinner and sleeker looking that the others) and the finishings (matte – Asus and Toshiba vs glossy – Acer). And perhaps build quality, which i consider a little better for the Asus and Toshiba laptops.

If you’re considering getting an used laptop, you should take a look at devices like the Asus 1001P, the Acer Aspire One Ao532 or the Toshiba NB205 . Should be able to find these for around 200 bucks, but buying an used laptop comes with risks (it might break after a couple of days or weeks and fixing it will cost you way more than buying a new one, in most cases) and I won’t really advice you to do it. Better go for refurbished netbooks if you’re looking to save some bucks, at least you’ll get 3-6 months warranty.

For more options of fair-priced mini laptops, you should check out my other post about cheap netbooks as well.

Mainstream netbooks – best in terms of performances/price

Want an overall good laptop (not that the above are bad) that won’t leave a hole in your wallet? Then one of the mainstream netbooks in here is what you need.

They provide the standard hardware based on PineTrail Atom and AMD Fusion platforms, but with dual-core processors, so they offer improved performances and excellent autonomy, while looking good and having price tags of up to $400. Plus some extra goodies: chiclet keyboards, ergonomic touchpads with multi-touch, Bluetooth, big batteries, HD displays, etc.

Asus 1015B – from $289.99 – see full review

The Asus 1015B is the first 10 inch laptop from Asus to come with AMD Fusion hardware and the result is a versatile netbook. On the outside the 1015B looks exactly like the more popular 1015PEM or 1015PN EEE PCs, with matte rubbery finish , chiclet keyboard, wide trackpad and non-glare 10.1 inch display. Plus a 6 Cell battery capable of up to 7 hours of life in real life use (8.5 on paper).

Asus 1015B - multimedia netbook

Inside however there’s an AMD platform which makes these machines capable of dealing with Full HD content and some recent games, just not the latest titles. And that’s something you did not get on 10 inchers with Atom on board. You also get HDMI output so you can stream your content to a bigger display.

There are two versions of the 1015B:

• the one equipped with AMD C30 APU, a lower power single-core APU that puts the device on par with single-core Atom netbooks, but with better graphics
• the one equipped with the dual-core AMD C50 APU, a true multimedia 10 incher (see the review via the link above)

Lower power Asus EEE PC 1015B goes right now for $289.99 in the US, with a slight discount. The better version however is the one you should follow and it is not yet available in stores, but should be soon, with prices around 330-350 bucks. Will update once it starts shipping.

Acer Aspire One Ao522 – AMD netbook, with HD display – $289 – see mini review

Acer AO 522 - multimedia mini laptop with HD display

This is Acer’s AMD Fusion powered 10 inch netbook. Similar in terms of features with the Asus 1015B, boosting the same Ontario C-50 APU, 1 GB of memory, 250 GB hard-drive and Windows 7 Starter, this one comes as another good and affordable 10 inch multimedia netbook, capable of dealing with Full HD content and output it via HDMI to a bigger display.

However, there are some things differentiating this one from most other 10 inch AMD laptops: comes with an HD display, 1280 x 720 px resolution. And that sleek and thin 1 inch body we get on all Acer 10 inchers these days. Those are the good things. As cons, body and display are glossy, you get no Bluetooth, no USB 3.0 slot and there’s a smaller 6 Cell 4400 mAh battery that will get you only 5 hours of life.

The Aspire One 522 is listed at $329 $289 right now, with Shipping included, with a nice discount from its list price of $339. Still, definitely a good price for a solid machine, especially if you crave for a HD 10 inch display, an option you will find on just a few netbooks right now.

Asus 1015PEM – dual core N550 on a 10 incher – from $379 $289 – see mini review

Asus 1015PEM was one of the first 10 inch netbooks available in stores with Atom N550 1.5 GHz dual-core processor on board and for sure one of the best in terms of features/price. It has been in top of bestselling lists for many months and it still is today.

This CPU is the first dual-core especially designed by Intel for small computers and it manages to provide better performances than standard single core ATOMs, while keeping energy consumption nearly the same.

Hence, the 1015PEM should be faster than other devices in everyday tasks, especially when faced with multitasking (running multiple apps at once). And it will also be able to run HD 720p content without help from any other special chip. All these while still providing around 13 hours of life on paper, which translates to up to 9-10 in practice. Also comes with matte casing and display, plus ergonomic chiclet keyboard and proper sized trackpad.

There are two different models of the Asus EEE PC 1015PEM currently on the market:

• 1015PEM-PU17 – starts at $379 $289 – with the N550 CPU, big 6 Cell 13 hour battery, Bluetooth and all the other goodies
• 1015PEM-MU17 – starts at $339 $279 – with all the things from the version above, but no Bluetooth and a smaller 10 hours only battery

All with Shipping included if you’re living in the US. Plus you get to choose between 4 color options: white, black, red and blue. See the links for more info, pictures and reviews.

No wonder the 1015PEM is so popular, as it manages to combine solid performance with a nice solid case and enough battery life to last you for an entire day.

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Update: Asus launched the successor of this EEE PC, called Asus 1015PX. It’s almost identical in terms of body and features to this one, but offers a slightly faster Intel Atom N570 dual-core processor. I will add the new model to this list asap, but in the meantime you can read my Asus EEE PC 1015PX review via this link. Oh and it sells online for $299, with a nice discount.

Asus 1015PEM - power in a sleek matte body

Acer Aspire One D255 – power with a lower price tag – from $329 $287.99

This version of the Acer Aspire One D255 is pretty much similar with the 1015PEM above in terms of hardware specs, boosting the same dual-core N550 processor, 1 GB of memory, 250 GB storage space and Windows 7 Starter as the OS.

However, there are 4 main differences between the two. First, this Acer comes with a glossy finish, while the Asus was matte. And there’s a glossy display as well. Then, the keyboard on the Acer is less ergonomic than the one on the Asus, based on my experience with both types of keyboards. Also, there’s a smaller battery on the Acer, that should allow around 6-7 hours of life in practice, when compared to the 10+ of the Asus.

And last but not least, there’s the price matter, where the Acer is cheaper right now than the Asus, as it goes for $329 only $287.99 in the States.

It’s hard to say which device is a better pick. The Asus has some strong points, but the Acer is cheaper and somewhat sleeker looking, with its 1 inch thin body and nice color options to choose from.

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Update: Acer also launched the updated version for this series, called the D257. It brings a slightly new body and prices range from $235 to $300 bucks, based on configuration. The AOD257 will also be added to this post very soon, so stay tuned.

Acer Aspire One D255 - the affordable dual-core equipped 10 incher

Samsung NF310 – dual-core CPU and HD display – $399 $370.99

Many of you guys complain about the low resolution on most 10 inch mini laptops. There are some options however on the market with a HD display, and the new Samsung NF310 is one of the best. This one houses latest generation Atom N550 hardware inside a sleek looking case and comes with good battery life (up to 7-8 hours), making it an overall worthy machine.

You’ll notice the wavy design for this netbook, which looks a little bit odd, but not bad. Casing and display are glossy, in case you were wondering. However, the keyboard and the trackpad feel very nice and are probably some of the best in the class. However, because of how this machine is designed, it is a tad wider and heavier than standard 10 inchers. Inside you get the N550 processor , 1 GB of memory, 250 GB hard-drive and a 10 inch 1366 x 768 px display like I said. I would have expected for a Graphic Chip included as well to cope with the increased resolution, like a Broadcom 3D Crystal accelerator, but Samsung decided against.

Still, the hardware installed allows the NF310 to play HD 720p content decently and run pretty much all your daily apps, but note that the increased resolution will stretch this hardware towards its limits, so overall the computer will be more sluggish than N550 machines with standard 1024 x 600 px displays.

So the Samsung NF310 definitely has its strong points, but its price tag is pretty high. Luckily you can find it discounted online, for only $370.99, with Shipping included.

All in all, the Samsung NF310 is a great device and the most affordable 10 incher with a HD display. I for one am not a big fan of the glossy exterior and overall design, but that’s just me, as many others liked it a lot, judging by the very good marks and reviews it scored with regular customers and journalists all around the web.

Samsung NF310 - multimedia 10 incher with a high price tag

Asus 1015PN – powerful N550 dual-core processor + ION graphics – $449 $349.99

If you’re looking for the most powerful 10 inch netbook on the market, this is the one. The Asus EEE PC 1015PN boosts the dual-core N550 processor, but also dedicated Nvidia ION graphics, making it unique in its class for the moment. You still only get 1 GB of memory, 250 GB hard-drive and Windows 7 Starter, and especially the reduced amount of RAM dwindles with performances. However, you can easily upgrade it to 2 GB , which is in fact something recommended on all netbooks.

Overall, the device is pretty snappy for a netbook, will run most of your apps and will handle HD content, including 1080P, and even some games. Of course, it’s not as powerful as the bigger Asus1215N, but it’s still the fastest in its class, like I said.

Asus 1015PN - most powerful, but just too expensive for a netbook

In terms of looks and build quality, it’s identical to the 1015PED and PEM, bringing the matte casing available in different colors, matte 1024 x 600 px display and big 66 Wh battery (although battery life is lower because of the dedicated graphics).

However, the 1015PN comes with a disturbing problem. Because it ships with Windows 7 Starter, you won’t get Optimus so you will have to change between graphic cards manually (and that will require rebooting). You can upgrade to Windows 7 Home and solve this problem, but this will cost you some extra tens of bucks. And when added to the initial price of the Asus 1015PN, which is $329 , you might end up spending nearly 500 bucks on a 10 incher. Not sure most of you would want that.

For more details on pricing and availability, see this link. As I said, the 1015PN ships in the States for $429 $349.99 right now and Amazon adds Free Shipping within US borders with that.

All in all, the Asus 1015PN is the most powerful 10 incher on the market like I said. Can play HD content and games, but in order to properly benefit from its abilities, you’ll have to pay around 30% extra than what you’d pay on other high quality options, like the Asus 1015PEM and Acer AO D255. Not really worth the money in my eyes; after all, do you really plan on gaming on running 1018p content on a 10 incher?

Toshiba NB305 – $399 from $349 – see full review

Toshiba NB305 - an older netbook, but still a viable choice

This is in fact at the moment my favorite 10 inch netbook (Update: This one is getting old and will soon be replaced by the new Toshiba model, the NB520. It still remains a good pick though). It’s not the best in every aspect, but overall is the perfect choice and the most comfortable on a daily base use. These without being too expensive.

And speaking of the price, you’ll reckon that this one just makes it in the under $400 category, with a tag of $399 (in the meantime it got cheaper). But, it has its strong points over the competition: one of the best keyboard+touchpad in the class, matte body with excellent construction quality and noise-free operating are only some of them. For more, i’d advice you to read my full review of the NB305 series.

This Toshiba is also offered in many versions and different color options, with prices varying right now between $350 and $380. You can see more info about them via this link, where you’ll also find more technical details, pics and reviews+marks from previous buyers. All these with modern Atom N550 CPUs, DDR3 memory and the other nowadays goodies you find on top netbooks.

Asus 1018P – the business companion – from $429 $387.99

Asus EEE PC 1018P - the business travel companion

Just by taking a short glimpse at the Asus 1018P you’ll notice that this is not your ordinary 10 incher. It is a lot sleeker and lighter than the mainstream devices, plus it comes with a premium casing and some extra options most other 10 inchers lack.

There are actually two different versions available for this EEE PC: the cheaper Asus 1018PB and the more expensive one, the fancy 1018P (a comparison between them in this other post). I’m going to focus on that last one, which brings the N550 1.5 GHz processor , 250 GB storage, 1 GB of memory and top connectivity, with Wi-Fi N, Bluetooth 3.0 and USB 3.0 ports. Plus, there’s a fingerprint reader like on the expensive business laptops.

The fancy 1018P is available in black only, with an aluminum finish. It’s on sale for around $429 $387.99 (with a discount and Free Shipping), which might seem quite steep, but judging by the fact that this is a premium netbooks, it might be well worth it. However, couldn’t find it with that fingerprint reader in any US shops.

There’s also the cheaper 1018PB which should go for around $379 (couldn’t find it in the States just yet), with a white textured plastic casing and no USB 3.0 or fingerprint reader, a device i actually tested and reviewed here on the site.

Now, the 1018P is a true success for the 1005HA and the 1008P-KR machines, thus the fancy looks and bigger price. It’s not a pick I or most of you would make, but if you’re on the market for a premium mini laptop, solid and light (thus great when traveling), this one could be a good option for you. Unfortunately you only get a 4 Cell battery capable of around 6 hours of life, which is decent, but I was expecting more, especially in this price range.

Dell  and HP Mini netbooks – from $279

Although not a particular fan of the Dell or HP Mini series, i could not let these netbook out of this list, as they are fairly popular and appreciated in the US. Their main main advantages are the vast network or dealers and services in the US and the the possibility to configure your device just the way you want it on HP’s and Dell’s websites. But, while prices start from $279, a decent device will run for at least $349, with the new N550 processor, 1 GB of RAM, 250 GB hard-drive, 6 Cell battery and Windows 7 Starter as an OS (similar features as the other premium netbooks in this class offer).

Dell iM1018 - most popular Dell 10 incher right now

Also, the HP and Dell mini laptops can be upgraded with some extra parts competitors won’t offer, like mobile broadband module, HD displays, extra battery, etc.  Still, these upgrades will make for some very high price tags.

There are however a couple of pre-configured Dell and HP Minis I consider worth the money, you can check them out below (in the mean time they might have become unavailable, but I’ll add other if i spot anything interesting):

• Dell Inspiron iM1018 – $289 + Free Shipping – available in Black for this price, this Dell offers a new look and superior build quality over the previous generation, while still providing good performance for an even better price. For under 300 bucks you get the N455 processor, 1 GB of memory, 250 GB hard-drive, Windows 7 Starter, Wireless N and a 6 Cell battery. So a good bundle, but nothing to really make it special, especially since it’s heavier and bulkier than a standard 10 incher.
• HP Mini 210 – from $314.99 with Shipping included – the cool part about the Mini 210s is that you can choose between 6 different color options, including pink, lavender or charcoal, all with prices between 315 and 330 bucks. However, for this kind of money you only get the N455 Atom CPU, while there are Asus and Acer devices on the market that offer a dual-core processor for less. So while the Mini 210 are solid built and good looking devices, not sure why would someone pick them when they are 10 to 30% more expensive than the competition. Unless you really want a particular color scheme that you can only get on them, like I said in the beginning.

Toshiba NB520 and NB550 – not available in the US

These are two devices that deserve a place here in our top but are only available in some European countries right now.

On the outside, they are all the same and resemble the NB505 you can find above, with a smooth plastic exterior and a dimpled finish, partially Full-size keyboard and glossy 10.1 inch display. Inside though, they couldn’t be more apart:

• Toshiba NB520 comes with Atom N550 CPU, 1 GB of memory, 250 GB hard-drive and Windows 7 Starter
• Toshiba NB550D comes with AMD C50 APU with dual core 1.0 GHz processor and DirectX11 capable graphics, 1 GB of memory, 250 GB hard-drive and Windows 7 Starter as well (more details in my review here)

Plus, both come with potent Harman Kardon speakers in the palm rest, the best you can get on 10 inchers for sure.

Price wise, the NB520 is available in Germany for 300 euros and in the UK for 280 pounds. The AMD powered NB550D goes for 320 euros in Germany and around 300 pounds in the UK. So we should expect around $350 for the NB520 and $379 for the NB550D when they are going to reach the States, but for now we don’t know when is that going to happen, or if it will happen at all.

Toshiba NB520 and NB550D - cool design and Harman Kardon speakers

Fancy and exclusive netbooks – best money can buy

If all the above are just not enough for you and you’re ready to pay $450+ for a 10 inch mini laptop, than the devices in this category are the ones for you. They are just the best money can buy and offer some fancy features and aesthetics, like touch-sensitive HD displays, metallic cases and stellar battery life.

However, i will not insist too much on this category, mainly because in the 10 inch class, you can hardly find anything above $400 really worth that kind of money. You do get the HP Mini 5103 with a metallic casing and lots of customization options (touch display, carrying handle, fast 7200 rpm HDD, extra memory, big battery), which can easily jump even to 1000 bucks, but you will still end with the same level of performance offered by other cheaper netbooks.

Plus, there’s another solid business netbook with aluminum casing and quite good features and specs, the Asus EEE PC 1016P. But are you really sure you want to pay that much extra for “details”?

Business 10 inchers: HP Mini 5103 and Asus EEE PC 1016P

Of course, if you’re looking for exclusivity and fancy looks, you can try some of the existing designer netbooks, like the Asus 1008P-KR signed by Karim Rashid (costs around $470 $350 now and is available in Coffee Brown or Hot Pink . Comes with 2 batteries and a very sleek matching leather case).

Or even better, the extra-feminine HP Mini 210 Vivienne Tam, which is something every girl would love to have (I’ve seen it too and I must say it’s impressive, with high quality finishing and solid construction. Still, the color and the design make it a clearly a mini laptop for a girl).

This one has a list price of around 700 bucks, but you can find it on Amazon.com for $559 (also check there pics and reviews from owners). And there’s a matching mouse for it too, from the same designer, available for 25 bucks. Plus a matching case, for around $10.

Fancy netbooks - HP 210 Vivienne Tam (left) and Asus 1008P Karim Rashid (right)

Wrap-up

That’s about it for now. If the post was useful, please tell your friends about it and leave a comment. Like i already said, as time passes and new devices will enter the market, you’ll see changes and updates. So make sure you check this one periodically. Also prices and availability might change in time, so be sure to check the links for each product for up-to-date details.

If you liked the products in this list but don’t quite have the budget for them, keep an eye on our section of deals were we periodically add the interesting offers we might spot online (they are only available for limited periods of time in most cases, so the best way to keep in touch is to subscribe to this site via RSS or email).

Also, if you’re looking for more powerful mini laptops, you could also take a look at the recommended 11.6 inch and 12 inch notebooks, also posts from this site.

In the end, i can only hope i could give you a hand in deciding which of the current 10 inch netbooks is the best for your needs and budget. Once again, I have to say that is a list of recommended mini laptops you will be able to find on the US market.

They might not be available in some other countries or have different names, that’s why I’ll also put together a similar post useful for you guys in Canada, UK (can find it here), rest of  Europe (will be available soon) and hopefully for the Asian market too.

Thanks once again for your time and don’t forget, feedback would be greatly appreciated.

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Tags: best netbook, best netbook deals, best selling netbooks, Pine Trail

Last updated: January 16, 2012 | Published: January 8th, 2012 | See the comments or add yours!