Take a tour of the history of Netbook design, from the original 7-inch Asus Eee PC to today.
Dan Ackerman
Dan Ackerman leads CNET's coverage of computers and gaming hardware. A New York native and former radio DJ, he's also a regular TV talking head and the author of "The Tetris Effect" (Hachette/PublicAffairs), a non-fiction gaming and business history book that has earned rave reviews from the New York Times, Fortune, LA Review of Books, and many other publications.
"Upends the standard Silicon Valley, Steve Jobs/Mark Zuckerberg technology-creation myth... the story shines." -- The New York Times
The Dell Latitude 2120 packs a standard set of Netbook components into a rugged body with an unusual rubberized finish. It's not the most striking Netbook ever, but it's one of the only examples we've seen so far in 2011. [May 2011]
From top to bottom, the Mini 5103 feels like a premium product, strong and sleek but a bit on the thick side. A brushed-aluminum back lid and solid, smooth-opening hinge feel like fine furniture compared with the rest of the Netbook landscape. [October 2010]
Sony's too-expensive, designer, ultramobile PC seems out of touch with today's more-affordable and usable smartphone, tablet, and Netbook offerings. [September 2010]
It has one of the best keyboard and touch pad combos we've seen on a 10-inch Netbook, but HP's pink-hued Mini 210 is still a little pricey for what you get. [July 2010]
This sharp-looking version of the popular Eee PC Netbook has more RAM and a bigger hard drive than entry-level models, but it features the same CPU and low-res display. [April 2010]
With its interesting curves and a funky touch pad, the Lifebook MH380 is a racier-looking Netbook, but its bulky battery and overdesign may be a turnoff for those looking for a slimmer, discrete minilaptop. [April 2010]
This is the original Netbook from 2007, with a 7-inch screen, custom Linux OS, and a tiny 4GB SSD. At the time, we said, "The Asus Eee PC 4G offers an impressive package for portable Web surfing and basic productivity, as long as you keep expectations tempered." [October 2007]
