Libretto - Size matters. Not what you can do with it.

Toshiba has recently launched their new netbook. As usual, it looks quite similar to other netbooks and being Toshiba, it's a little bit more expensive.

I appreciate the fact that the standard size of netbooks seems to accommodate a usable keyboard, but I prefer the ones that are really small.

More than ten years ago, Toshiba released this fantastic Libretto 50, a small mini notebook. The keyboard was too small to touch type and the screen is very small.

If it was released today, with specs updated to run XP and priced in the same range as the Asus, I would buy it within a heart beat.

Specs to ponder.

• Pentium 75 Mhz
• 16MB Ram
• 6.1" screen
• 810MB HDD

Sharp PC6200 - Netbook?

The netbooks remind me of similar sized notebook that Sharp came out with a long time ago. My mother used to upload her blogs to a local BBS.

Specs to ponder over.

• MS DOS
• Intel 80286
• 12MHz
• 1 MB RAM
• 20MB Hard disk
• VGA Graphics - Mono

Asus Eee PC S101 - Gorgeous, Quirky and Overpriced

When the first Asus netbook came out, it was fantastic. What was fantastic? The price. Cheap enough to buy on impulse. You can really throw the small thing into your bag and type something at the coffee shop.

With the S101, it just makes me think about the macbook air.

Gorgeous points to ponder.

• Less than 1 inch thick.
• Shiny body.
• Luxurious mocha-copper brown coating.

Quirky points to ponder.

• The logo is somewhat cheap looking.
• XP almost makes anything gorgeous look dull.
• Bigger than 901.

Overpriced pointed to ponder.

• The original Asus was so cheap, it made netbooks fun.
• The price for the S101 is not fun.
• 20GBs of included online storage floating somewhere.