Mobile Computing News

Photo: Dell

When discussing the mini laptop, the first question that always comes up is ‘How are these, if at all, any different from netbooks?’ Some believe there’s a marked difference, while others believe it comes down to semantics. Well, here’s our take on what makes them legitimately different, and some key features to look out for in mini laptops.

The mini laptop or the netbook? Difference or semantics?

The reason manufacturers have begun gravitating toward the term ‘mini laptop’ is due to the feeling that netbook was a dismissive, almost derogatory term for the capabilities the mini laptop had. These computers are more than a keyboard and screen intended for connecting to the Internet and are actually powerful pieces of kit.

Key feature 1: genuine power

Of the varied mini laptop features, the first one to look out for is genuine power. Let’s be fair – netbooks, for the most part, are pretty crummy machines with very little capability. Mini laptops, without over-exaggerating just how good they are, sit snuggly between netbooks and notebooks in terms of power. They often borrow the processors synonymous with netbooks – your Intel Atom N450 and the like – and pack the kind of RAM you’d find in notebooks – 2GB plus.

Key feature 2: Size

Photo: Intel

Though it’s difficult calling size a feature, size is one of the reasons netbooks took off the way they did (and price, of course). Now, mini laptops are generally anything below 13 inches. Often times they sit between the 9-inch and 13-inch range. Dell has been very smart about actually calling their laptops Mini (Dell Inspiron Mini, specifically) and sizing them at 10.1-inches, negating any doubt about what they are.

Key feature 3: OS overlays

Though this is not common to all mini laptops, some manufacturers take the time to add OS overlays to how their devices function. This ranges from slight widgets, to quick launch functionality that is simply not found in bigger form factor laptops. It’s very clever when done well, and after growing familiar with the functionality, it proves quite difficult giving up these little OS tweaks.

The truth is the key feature about mini laptops is that they take the best of notebooks and netbooks and combine them into one small form factor to create a surprisingly capable device.