7 Best Netbooks for under $300
Most netbooks fall in the $350 to $400 price range with some going for as much as $500 - $600, but what should you do if you want to spend as little as possible but still retain the core netbook functionality and experience? Well that's why I've put together this list of the 7 best netbooks based on my own hands on experience and research that fall in the $300 price range and below. I'm ranking these in order of my least favorite to the very best netbook under $300 and that is why I'll start with number 7 first:
7. MSI Wind U100 10-Inch Netbook $294
We start this list off with my least favorite pick of the bunch - the MSI Wind U100. Yes this is a list of the 7 best netbooks under $300, but someone has to be last. The netbook has an Intel Atom N270 1.6 GHz processor, 10.1 inch screen (1024 x 600 resolution), 160 GB Hard Drive, 1 GB RAM, 1.3 MP Webcam, Windows XP Home and 3 cell battery. About the only reason why this netbook is number 7 on the list is because the battery life isn't as strong as some of the other netbooks mentioned later on this list, but if you like MSI as a computer maker you can't go wrong with this netbook at only $294.
6. Gateway LT2021u 10.1-Inch Red Netbook $299.99
The Gateway LT2021u is next on the list of the 7 best netbooks under $300. This netbook has an Intel Atom N270 1.6 GHz processor, 10.1 inch screen (1024 x 600 resolution), 160 GB Hard Drive, 1 GB RAM, .3 MP Webcam, Windows XP Home and 3 cell battery. The battery life in this Gateway machine is not as good as some of the other netbooks mentioned later in this list so like the MSI Wind U100 the Gateway is a little lower on the list. This model is still a great netbook and if you like Gateway by all means buy it for $299.99
5. Acer Aspire One AOD250 10.1-Inch Netbook $289.99
This netbook is available in five different colors and all currently priced at $289.99: Diamond Black
4. MSI Wind U123-002US 10.2-Inch $299.99
The MSI Wind U123 is a better model than the MSI Wind U100 and is actually only temporarily at $299.99 (it usually sells for $349.99). The netbook has some of the best specs in the group including an Intel Atom N280 1.66 GHz processor, 10.1 inch screen (1024 x 600 resolution), 160 GB Hard Drive, 1 GB RAM, 1.3 MP Webcam, Windows XP Home and 6 cell battery. This price of $299 truly won't last so if you happen to read this article after the price has gone up continue reading the list for other great inexpensive netbooks. Pick up the MSI Wind U123 for $299 here
3. Samsung N130-13B 10.1-Inch Slate Blue Netbook $299.99
The Samsung N130-13B netbook is an amazing machine for the price. Samsung makes some of the most well built netbooks in the industry and they also don't fudge on their manufacturers suggested battery life and with this netbook offering up to 5.8 hours of battery life it has the best battery life of all the models discussed so far. The netbook has an Intel Atom N270 1.6 GHz processor, 10.1 inch screen (1024 x 600 resolution), 160 GB Hard Drive, 1 GB RAM, Windows XP Home and 5.8 hour battery life all for just $299
2. Acer Aspire One AO751H 11.6-Inch Netbook $299.99
The Acer Aspire One AO751H is the only 11.6 inch netbook on our list, so if you're looking for something a little larger than the typical 10 inch netbook size buy this netbook
1. Asus Eee PC 1005HA-EU1X-BK 10.1-Inch Netbook $282.44
The Asus Eee PC 1005HA is my favorite choice for the best 7 netbooks under $300. It offers a stellar battery life when compared to the other netbooks (only bested by the Samsung N130-13B) and an admirable feature set for the price range. The netbook has an Intel Atom N270 1.6 GHz processor, 10.1 inch screen (1024 x 600 resolution), 160 GB Hard Drive, 1 GB RAM, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, .3 MP Webcam, Windows XP Home and 4 hour battery life. If you don't need a web cam buy the Samsung N130-13B the only reason why I rated the Samsung model at number 3 is because there it has no web cam. Also, please remember this model is a little watered down when compared to the version I reviewed a few months ago but when it comes to price this is the best model Asus has to offer at only $282.44
Wrap Up:
You may have noticed that all of these netbooks have Windows XP as their operating system and one reason why some of these models are less than $300 is because the manufacturers are reducing prices on Windows XP machines to make way for their Windows 7 replacements. If you want to save some money on your inexpensive netbook purchase I suggest you buy one of these models listed above sooner rather than later or they may go out of stock. Now if you really want Windows 7 instead of Windows XP then be sure to check out this list of Windows 7 netbooks as well. I'll also write a post in the coming weeks of the best Windows 7 netbooks so be sure to stay up to date on all the news by subscribing to our RSS feed (email option here).
Lastly, now that the holidays are nearly upon us feel free to take a few minutes to share this article with any of your friends and family members looking for an inexpensive netbook and remember that as always I'm available to personally help you make a netbook purchase decision. Simply contact me via email or on Twitter and I'd be happy to help.
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Tagged: Acer Aspire One AO751H, Acer Aspire One AOD250, Asus Eee PC 1005HA, best netbook, best netbooks, cheap netbook, featured, Gateway LT2021u, MSI Wind U100, MSI Wind U123, Samsung N130
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I vote for the 11.6 aspire one, it’s my daily use netbook and I love it
Wow, these are going down in price. I did an inexpensive netbook guide about a month ago and some of these things have gone down 50 bucks since then.
Word of warning though – battery life. I wouldn’t buy a three-cell battery netbook no matter the price.
I vote Lenovo S10-2. Price around $300. it’s very handy for travel.
[...] to share your experiences in our netbook forum. You might also want to check out my post on the 7 best netbooks under $300. Lastly, as I mention in almost every post now feel free to contact me for netbook shopping advice. [...]
My daughter is in the Navy and will be on an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf next year. Her laptop is too large to take. She thought a netbook would be perfect for her to watch movies on in her bunk. Will your #3 choice –Samsung work? Do I buy flash drives for the movies? what size? Hopefully, I can find a good buy this week. Thank you.
Yes the Samsung would work great. You don’t need flash drives for the movies though as the netbook comes with a 160 GB hard drive already built in.
How does the Samsung N130 compare with the Samsung NC 10? I was very ‘taken’ with the NC 10 a few months ago, but ended up with a Wind because of price. This is a very good price for the 130, but is it considerably different from the NC10?
Beth
They are very similar I believe. I’ll check again when I have full computer access (on my iPhone now). I believe you will be just as satisfied if you buy the 130 vs the NC10 though. It’s a newer generation netbook.
Thanks for the great review. I am new at the netbook thing. I wanted to pick one up and install a Mac operating system. What are your thoughts, ie, is there enough memory, will it work smoothly? Thank you very much!
I’m looking for an affordable netbook for my wife. The only thing she would like to do, other than surf the web, is download her digital photos. Do any of the above listed netbooks have cd burners to save photos to cds?
Hey Bob, actually there are no netbooks that have CD burners built in so you would need to purchase an external one.
[...] November People in large numbers tend to gravitate to the best products, search this list for ideas Best netbooks under $300 If you're shopping on a bargain turn here Best netbook for games In case you're going to use your [...]
I am thinking of adding a new netbook to my collection. Maybe I will go with the Samsung N??
I feel it looks the coolest?
[...] Will you buy one of the netbooks on the list above or if you've waited this long will you just wait a month or two longer to buy the next generation of netbooks using the faster Intel processors? If you want to get something now and don't care about the faster processors coming out then read my post about the best netbooks under $300. [...]
I confused to choose, betwen Toshiba NB300, Win 7 and Acer aspire one AO532, Win 7. which one the best to buy ? thanks for the answer…
I recently purchased a Gateway 2106u netbook, 1GB memory and 160 GB HDD,Intel Adam N450, Windows 7 starter, 6 cell L1-ion battery for $279 on sale. I have not opened the box as I suspected Fry’s would might have a better unit on sale for under $300, and today’s paper says they have a Lenovo with all the same specs except 250 GB HDD, for $299.99. So I would like your opinion as to whether the difference in 160 and 260 GB HDD is worth taking my Gateway back. I checked out that Gateway is now owened by Acer, so assume Gateway and Acer are manufactured in the same way, etc. Don’t know anything about Lenovo. Thanks for your help.