'Netbook' is a popular term in recent years. It's a tiny and low cost computer that is designed for Internet access and core computing functions. Due to its popularity, many ultra-portable notebooks tend to be called as netbooks even though they are not. The purpose of this article is to clear up the confusion between netbook and other laptop computers that existed previously.

The easiest way to identify a netbook is by looking at the size and weight. Typically, a netbook will have a screen size of 10-inch or below, while the weight is around 2 to 3 pounds. Also, a netbook does not have a full-size keyboard.. normally just 80 to 90 percent of a standard size keyboard.

The price for a netbook is normally lower than US$500. Some mini-laptop such as Sony VAIO P has a price higher than that, but are not considered as netbook by most people.

In terms of specifications and features, while they continue to evolve, all netbooks that released in 2008 seemed to have a standard specs like this: Intel Atom CPU, Screen resolution 1024x600, Wi-Fi B and G, Ethernet at 100Mbps, A slot for a flash RAM memory card, External VGA output jack, Integrated graphics, Two or three USB ports, Built-in camera, Headphone and microphone jacks.

Compare to standard laptops, the netbook is lacking in a few features. It does not have optical/CDs/DVDs drive, and also the battery capacity is lower (6-cell batteries for higer-end models and 3 cells for normal models).This is because netbook has to sacrifice these features in order to maintain its size, weight, and portability. Another obvious difference between netbook and standard laptop is that it make use of solid-state disks (SSDs) and SD cards as storage medium.

Netbook typically run on Windows XP Home edition or Linux. Other operating systems that are more resource-intensive like OS X or Windows Vista are not suitable to run on a netbook. They required too much horsepower to run well on netbooks. Even though there's company like HP that offer Windows Vista on their netbooks, the price of these netbooks become too high that some people do no consider them as netbook.

Netbook has become a highly demanded electronic gadgets. This is because it provides solution for many people who want something with more flexibility than a smart phone but less overhead than a traditional laptop. People are buying netbook not as their primary computer but as a gadget that they can used for Internet access and some light-weight computing.

Another great feature of netbook that contributes to its popularity is the built-in connectivity. It provides the convenience for people to access the Internet from anywhere with WiFi or 3G coverage. This is useful especially to frequent traveler.

The most attractive part of netbook is of course the price. For a few hundred dollars, you can walk away with a portable computer that adds to, rather than replaces, your existing computing setup. This certainly sounds like a great deal for most people. And because of this, netbook is going to continue to gain popularity in the coming years!

One of the most popular netbook currently is the Asus Eee PC 1005HA. While it has the standard features described above, just like most netbooks available in the market today, it stand out from the crowd in terms of battery life keyboard design. Check out the Asus Eee PC 1005HA review for more details. Besides the Eee PC 1005HA, there are many more netbook brands and models out there. To find the best netbook, one should always do some research before buying one!