Over the past six months or so, Asus, Everex, and HP have managed to bring low-cost ultraportable notebooks to market. But dozens of other computer makers have promised to bring out their own mini-notebooks. Some will run Linux, while others will be preloaded with Windows XP or Vista. Some will have flash memory, while others will have hard drives. But every one will be smaller, lighter, and cheaper than most existing laptop computers. Here’s a roundup of some of the computers that have been announced or are already available.


Already available

Asus Eee PC 701 The Asus Eee PC builds on the concepts originated by the OLPC XO Laptop and Intel’s Classmate PC. But unlike those low cost ultraportables, Asus has marketed the Eee PC to consumers since day one. And the success of the original Eee PC 701 has sparked a whole new trend in mobile computing.

  • Processor: Intel Celeron 800 or 900MHz, underclocked to 571MHz or 630MHz
  • RAM: 512MB to 1GB
  • Storage: 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB solid state flash memory
  • Display: 7 inch 800 x 480 pixel screen
  • Expansion: 3 USB ports, 1 VGA output, 1 SDHC card slot
  • Operating System: Xandros Linux or Windows XP
  • Connectivity: Ethernet, 802.11b/g
  • Webcam: 0.3 megapixels
  • Weight: .92kilograms / 2 pounds
  • Battery: 4 cell 4400mAh or 5200mAh battery for between 2 and 3 hours of battery life (with a claimed battery life of up to 3.5 hours)
  • Price: $299 to $499
  • Official Product Page
  • Cheap, refurbished units now available on Amazon

Dreambook Light IL1 Australia’s Pioneer Computers announced the Dreambook Light IL1 back in February. And while it doesn’t sport a 9 inch screen or next generation processor, it’s sure pretty to look at.

  • Processor: 1GHz VIA C7-M ULV CPU
  • RAM: 512MB to 1GB
  • Storage: 40GB to 80GB 1.8 inch PATA hard drive
  • Display:7 inch 800 x 480 pixel screen
  • Operating System: Ubuntu, Windows XP, or Windows Vista
  • Expansion: multimedia card reader
  • Connectivity:
  • Webcam:
  • Weight:
  • Battery: 1.1 kilogram / 2.4 pounds
  • Price: $499 Australian, or about $450 US
  • Official Product Page


Everex Cloudbook Everex was the second company to release a consumer oriented subnotebook. But many feel that this product was poorly thought out and quickly rushed to market. Early models shipped with software that was not optimized for the computer’s small screen

  • Processor: 1.2 GHz VIA C7 Mobile processor
  • RAM: 512MB
  • Storage: 30GB hard drive
  • Display: 7 inch 800 x 480 pixel screen
  • Expansion: DVI-I output, 2 USB ports, 4-in-1 media card reader
  • Operating System: gOS Linux (based on Ubuntu)
  • Connectivity: Ethernet, 802.11b/g
  • Webcam: 0.3 megapixels
  • Weight: 2 pounds
  • Battery:4 cells
  • Price: $399
  • Official Product Page

HP 2133 Mini-Note In April, HP launched its Eee PC competitor, the HP 2133 Mini-Note. The computer has a sleeker, more professional look than the Eee PC or Cloudbook, but it also weighs close to three pounds, while the competition weighs just 2. The Mini-Note is also more expensive than the competition, but you get a larger screen and more storage for your money.

  • Processor: 1GHz – 1.6GHz VIA C7 Mobile Processor
  • RAM: 512MB to 2GB
  • Storage: 4GB solid state flash memory or 120GB/160GB hard drive
  • Display: 8.9 inch 1280 x 768 pixel screen
  • Expansion: VGA output, 2 USB ports, Express Card slot, SD card slot
  • Operating System: Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows Vista Business, or OpenSUSE Linux
  • Connectivity: Ethernet, 802.11b/g, Bluetooth on some models
  • Webcam: VGA
  • Weight: 2.8 pounds
  • Battery: 3 cells or 6 cells
  • Price: $499 through $849
  • Official Product Page
Coming Soon

Asus Eee PC 900 The Asus Eee PC 900 is already available in Hong Kong, and is set to hit Europe and the US in the coming weeks. This is the second generation Eee PC and features some nice improvements like additional storage space, a larger display, and more RAM.

  • Processor:900MHz Celeron processor
  • RAM: 1GB
  • Storage: 12GB or 20GB flash memory
  • Display: 8.9 inch 1024 x 600 pixel screen
  • Expansion:VGA output, 3 USB ports, SDHC card slot
  • Operating System: Windows XP or Xandros Linux
  • Connectivity: Ethernet, 802.11b/g
  • Webcam: 1.3 megapixels
  • Weight: .99 kilograms / 2.2 pounds
  • Battery: 4400 or 5800 mAh 4-cell batteries
  • Price: $549
  • Availability: May 12th in the US, May 28th in France
  • Official Product Page
  • More Information

ECS G10IL This little computer has all the best features of the Eee PC 701, plus one extra treat: HSDPA support.

  • Processor: Intel Atom CPU
  • RAM: Up to 2GB
  • Storage: 80GB hard drive or flash storage
  • Display: 8.2 or 10.2 inch screen
  • Expansion: VGA output, 3 USB ports, 4-in-1 multi card reader
  • Operating System: Linux or Windows XP
  • Connectivity: Ethernet, 802.11b/g, HSDPA or HSUPA, Bluetooth, and a 56k modem
  • Webcam: 1.3 megapixels
  • Weight: .92kilograms / 2 pounds
  • Battery: 4 or 6 cell batteries
  • Price: $500
  • Official Product Page

Everex Cloudbook Max Asus isn’t the only company looking preparing to launch a second generation low-cost ultraportable. While Asus is building on the success of the Eee PC 701, you could argue that Everex is building on the failure of the Everex Cloudbook which hasn’t gained the traction the Eee PC has. But the Cloudbook Max does look like quite an improvement over the original Cloudbook, and might actually be worth considering.

  • Processor: 1.6GHz VIA processor
  • RAM: 2GB
  • Storage: 80GB hard drive
  • Display:8.9 inch 1024 x 600 pixel screen
  • Expansion: VGA, S-Video output, 3 USB ports, 4-in-1 card reader
  • Operating System:Windows Vista
  • Connectivity: Ethernet, 802.11b/g, Bluetooth, GPS and WiMAX support
  • Webcam: 2 megapixels
  • Weight: 2.2 pounds
  • Battery: 4 hour battery
  • Price: N/A
  • Availability: N/A
  • Official Product Page

MSI Wind While MSI isn’t a household name, the upcoming MSI Wind laptop could change that. The computer has an attractive look, should be available as early as June, and skips over that whole “let’s put a 7 inch screen in a little computer” thing and matches the second generation Asus and Everex computers right from the get go.

  • Processor: Intel processors between 1GHz and 1.6GHz
  • RAM: 1GB
  • Storage: 80GB hard drive
  • Display: 8.9 inch 1024 x 600 pixel screen
  • Expansion: 3 USB ports, VGA output, SD card reader
  • Operating System: Windows XP Home
  • Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth
  • Webcam: 1.3 megapixels
  • Battery:3 cells
  • Weight: 1.2 kilograms / 2.6 pounds
  • Price: Reportedly between €299 and €699
  • Availability: Should be available in Europe in June. No word on a US release.
  • More Information

Surcouf La Révolution French online retailer Surcouf plans to start shipping a new computer based on the VIA Nanobook reference design in May.

  • Processor: 1.2GHz VIA C7 CPU
  • RAM: 1GB RAM
  • Storage: 60G hard drive
  • Display: 7 inch 800 x 480 pixel display
  • Connectivity: WiFi and Bluetooth
  • Expansion: Optional webcam, 3G, and GPS modules
  • Price: €399 /$624
  • Availability: Scheduled to ship in France starting in May
  • More Information
  • Official Product Page

Recently Announced

2Go PC The 2Go PC will likely be the first computer to market sporting Intel’s Netbook reference design for the Classmate PC 2. While this computer is intended primarily for educational use, CTL, the company behind the 2Go does plan to sell the laptop to consumers.

  • Processor: Intel Celeron M 900MHz
  • RAM:512MB or 1GB
  • Storage:40GB 1.8 inch 4200 PATA hard drive
  • Display: 9 inch 800 x 480 pixel screen
  • Expansion: SD/MMC card reader, 2 USB ports
  • Operating System: Windows XP or Linux
  • Connectivity: 802.11 b/g with support for open mesh
  • Webcam: VGA
  • Battery: 4 cells, 3 hours battery life
  • Weight: Less than 3 pounds
  • Price: $400 to $500
  • Availability: N/A
  • Official Product Page
  • More Information

3k Longitude This could be one of the least impressive ultraportables announced in recent times. When it was first announced, the machine reportedly has just 1GB of flash memory, although now the product page says 4GB. But the price has also risen from $399 to $499.

  • Processor: 400MHz CPU
  • RAM: 512MB
  • Storage: 4GB flash memory
  • Display: 7 inch 800 x 480 pixel display
  • Expansion:3 USB ports, SD card reader
  • Operating System: “Genuine Linux”
  • Connectivity: Ethernet, WiFi
  • Weight: Under 2 pounds
  • Price: $499
  • Availability: Late May
  • Official Product Page
  • More Information

ACi Ultra-mini It’s not clear whether the ACi Ultra-mini will be available outside of India, but I certainly hope so. This little computer features a solar panel that is suppose to help extend the machine’s battery life to as much as 12 hours.

  • Processor: VIA 1GHz ULV
  • RAM: 512MB to 2GB
  • Storage: 40GB HDD
  • Display:7 inch screen, with a touch screen in the higher end models
  • Operating System: The pictures seem to show it running Windows Vista
  • Connectivity: WiFi and Bluetooth
  • Webcam: Yes
  • Weight: N/A
  • Price: Rs 15,000 which is less than $400 US to Rs 22,000 or $549 US
  • Availability: N/A
  • More Information

Airis Kira This computer seems to be built from the same reference design as the Nohrtec Gecko (see below), but comes in a variety of pretty colors.

  • Processor: 1GHz VIA C7
  • RAM: 512MB
  • Storage: 2GB flash memory
  • Display: 7 inch 800 x 480 pixel screen
  • Operating System: Linpus Linux Lite
  • Expansion: SD/MMC/MS/CF card reader
  • Connectivity: Ethernet, 802.11b/g, 56kbps modem
  • Webcam: Yes
  • Weight: 1 kilogram, or about 2.2 pounds
  • Battery: 4 hour battery
  • Price: €299 or about $470
  • Availability:N/A
  • Official Product Page
  • More Information

Blue Digital Systems Deep Blue Blue Digital Systems is a Philippine company that you’ve probably never heard of. It’s not clear if their Eee PC clone will be available outside of the Philippines.

  • Processor: 1GHz VIA Esther CPU
  • RAM: 1GB
  • Storage:40GB hard drive
  • Display: 7 inch 800 x 480 pixel screen
  • Operating System: Linux or Windows XP Home
  • Expansion: 2 USB, card reader
  • Connectivity:Ethernet, 802.11b/g
  • Webcam: Yes
  • Weight:1.2 kilograms / 2.6 pounds
  • Battery: 4.5 hours battery life
  • Price: 16,995 Philippine Pesos, or about $405
  • Availability: N/A
  • Official Product Page

Elonex One The Elonex One is a low-cost notebook aimed at the UK market. What makes this computer unique are its low price and unique design: the keyboard snaps off and you can use the Elonex One in tablet mode

  • Processor: Aday5F-300MHz x86
  • RAM: 128MB or 256MB
  • Storage: 1GB or 2GB flash memory
  • Display: 7 inch 800 x 480 pixel display
  • Operating System: Linux
  • Expansion: 2 USB ports
  • Connectivity: Ethernet, 802.11b/g (optional), Bluetooth (optional)
  • Webcam: Optional 2 megapixel camera
  • Weight: 950 grams (with keyboard) / 2.1 pounds
  • Battery: 3 cell, 2200mAh battery
  • Price: Starts at £100 or about $200 US
  • More Information

Fukato Datacask Germany’s Fukato announced the Datacask in mid-April. This computer features a slowish processor, which might be great for battery life. But it also has a mediocre screen and storage capacity.

  • Processor: 500MHz AMD Geode LX CPU
  • RAM: 512MB
  • Storage: 20GB 1.8 inch hard drive
  • Display:8 inch 800 x 480 pixel screen
  • Operating System: Linux
  • Battery: 3 hours
  • Price, availabilitym, and other info N/A
  • More Information

HCL MiLeap X India’s HCL Infosystems is bringing two different computers to market under the MiLeap name. The MiLeap X is a low cost computer that looks like it uses Intel’s Netbook/Classmate reference design. The Y Series is a bit fancier, pricier, and looks more like a UMPC than a laptop. So we’ll just look at the MiLeap X here, but you can read more about both on Eee Site.

  • Procesor: 900MHz Intel Celeron Processor
  • RAM: 512MB
  • Storage: 2GB flash memory
  • Display: 7 inch 800 x 600 pixel screen
  • Expansion: SD card reader, 2 USB ports
  • Connectivity: 802.11b/g
  • Battery: 6 cell battery good for 4 hours
  • Weight: 1.44 kilograms / 3.2 pounds
  • Price: $350

Jisus This little notebook with a funny name comes in a variety of colors, and that’s pretty much its selling point. But it looks like a respectable alternative to the Eee PC, and matches the original Eee PC almost spec for spec, with the exceptions of the screen size (but not resolution), processor and stated battery life.

  • Processor: 1GHz 64-bit Loongson 2F
  • RAM: 512MB
  • Storage:4GB flash memory
  • Display: 8.9 inch 800 x 480 pixel screen
  • Operating System: Ubuntu Linux
  • Expansion: 2 USB ports
  • Connectivity:Ethernet, 802.11b/g
  • Battery: “4.5 hours of wireless productivity”
  • Price: £299
  • Availability: May 25th
  • Official Product Page
  • More Information

Kohjinsha SCC This ultraportable will cost a few bucks more than some of the entry level low-cost notebooks. But its screen flips back so you can use it in tablet mode. And how can you put a price on that?

  • Processor: 500MHz AMD Geode LX800
  • RAM: 512MB
  • Storage: 80GB hard drive
  • Display: 7 inch 800 x 480 pixel screen
  • Operating System: Windows XP Home (not tablet)
  • Expansion: 2 USB ports, 3-in-1 card reader, VGA output
  • Connectivity:Ethernet, 802.11b/g
  • Weight: 945 grams / 2.1 pounds
  • Price: Â¥59,800 to Â¥59,800 or about $592 to $780 US
  • More Information

Medion Akoya Mini This is one of the newest entires, and one of the most intriguing. The Medion Akoya Mini has the polished look of the HP Mini-Note, but it will run the Intel Atom CPU and sport a 10 inch screen, which is about as large as you can go and still be considered an ultraportable

  • Processor: 1.6GHz or 1.8GHz Intel Atom CPU
  • RAM: 1GB or more
  • Storage: 1.8 inch hard drive
  • Display: 10 inch screen (unknown resolution)
  • Operating System: Windows XP or Linux (unknown distribution)
  • Expansion: 2 USB ports, memory card reader, VGA output
  • Webcam: 1.3 megapixels
  • Connectivity:Ethernet, 802.11b/g
  • Price: €399 or about $640 US
  • More Information

Noahpad The Noahpad is one of the wackiest ultrportables around. At first, it looks like a typical Eee PC clone. But upon closer inspection, you’ll realize that it has a unique keyboard that does double duty as a two-handed trackpad. While the computer has a native 800 x 480 display, you can use the trackpad to drag and drop the screen around and view a wider screen area. Honestly, this kind of thing just makes me dizzy.

  • Processor: 1GHz VIA Eden C7
  • RAM: 512MB
  • Storage: 30GB
  • Display: 7 inch 800 x 480 pixel screen
  • Operating System: Ubuntu
  • Expansion: SD card reader
  • Connectivity: Ethernet, 802.11b/g, Bluetooth
  • Webcam: 300k pixels
  • Weight: .8 kilograms / 1.8 pounds
  • Price: TBD
  • Official Product Page
  • More Information

Nohrtec Gecko This notebook is the fist I’ve seen which appears to run Linpus Linux Lite out of the box. Linpus is a light weight Linux distribution designed for computers with small screens. To be perfectly honest, it looks a lot like the easy mode interface Asus designed for the Eee PC.

  • Processor: 1GHz VIA CPU
  • RAM: 256MB
  • Storage: 4GB flash memory or 40GB hard drive
  • Display: 7 inch 800 x 480 pixel screen
  • Operating System: Linpus Linux Lite
  • Expansion: 3-in-1 card reader
  • Connectivity:Ethernet, WiFi
  • Price: Reportedly around $300
  • Official Product Page

Proview Handbook PC-81001

This low cost PC from Brazil is a bit larger than some of the others on the list, with a 10 inch display. But it’s still cheaper than most full sized laptops, and easier to fit in your bag.

  • Processor: AMD LX 800, 500 MHz
  • RAM: 512MB
  • Storage: 60GB hard drive
  • Display: 10.2 inch 1024 x 600 pixel screen
  • Operating System: Linux or Windows XP
  • Expansion: VGA output, 2 USB ports, PCMCIA slot
  • Connectivity:Ethernet, WiFi
  • Battery: 2600 mAh battery with an estimated 2 hour battery life (if that’s what the company claims, I shudder to think what the actual battery life will be)
  • Weight: 1.2 kilograms / 2.6 pounds
  • Price: 800 Brazillian Reals, or about $482 US
  • Official Product Page

Sungjut TangoX This computer seems to be built from the same VIA reference design used in the Everex Cloudbook. But unlike the Cloudbook, the TangoX packs a touchscreen display.

  • Processor: 1.2GHz VIA C7-M ULV CPU
  • RAM: 1GB
  • Storage: 40GB – 80GB hard drive
  • Display: 7 inch 800 x 480 pixel touchscreen
  • Operating System: unknown
  • Expansion: 4-in-1 card reader, DVI output, USB ports
  • Connectivity: Ethernet, WiFi, removable SkypePhone
  • More Information

Few details available

The following companies have all announced plans to develop a low-cost ultraportable computer. But few details are available at this time and we have no pretty pictures to share yet.


Acer
Acer is expected to show off its first entry into the low-cost ultraportable market at the Computex show in June. Here’s what we know so far:

  • Display: 8.9 inches
  • Price: Less than $300
  • More Information (but not much)

Dell Dell CEO says the company plans to release an Eee PC competitor. While it’s not clear whether the Dell 500 will be that computer, the company has announced plans for a low-cost computer by that name in India, which could fit the bill.

  • Operating System: Windows XP or Ubuntu
  • Expansion: 8-in-1 card reader
  • Connectivity: WiFi
  • Price: Rs 24,500 or about $600

Gigabyte M912 Computer maker Gigabyte has also announced plans to develop a low-cost subnotebook. We first heard about the company’s intentions back in January, when it was said that Gigabyte would have something ready to ship by June. We haven’t heard much since then.

Update: Cloudbook UMPC has a nice overview of several laptops based on the VIA Nanobook design. This is the same design used for the original Everex Cloudbook.

Support Liliputing

Liliputing's primary sources of revenue are advertising and affiliate links (if you click the "Shop" button at the top of the page and buy something on Amazon, for example, we'll get a small commission).

But there are several ways you can support the site directly even if you're using an ad blocker* and hate online shopping.

Contribute to our Patreon campaign

or...

Contribute via PayPal

* If you are using an ad blocker like uBlock Origin and seeing a pop-up message at the bottom of the screen, we have a guide that may help you disable it.

Subscribe to Liliputing via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 9,545 other subscribers

86 replies on “Comprehensive list of low-cost ultraportables”

  1. Could you post, for each of these, if they have bigger font options and accessibility options? I’d like one I can easily make the font bigger on. I do a lot of reading, study, and internetting.

  2. it would be nice to have a table that includes some standard measure of speed, cost, and battery life. I tried one at a local store, and it took forever to bring up a blank spreadsheet. Here are some examples I what I have in mind. How long to load a spreadsheet with 1000 cells filled, how long to load a three page document, how long to start up, shutdown, start a web browser, load a standard page (you pick) like your home page, something more than google, display a mail message from hotmail (or some other popular email site). Cost is the easy one, list and range found in stores or on the internet.

  3. Suggestion: Wibrain B1
    https://www.wibrain.com
    Although it has something of a different form factor (more like a Gameboy Advanced), it fits nicely in with the cheapest model (the B1LE) being 500$
    Ubuntu and Windows XP are available.

  4. What I’d like to see are some performance benchmarks… specifically, how these compare to my old Fujitsu Lifebook P-2120.

  5. I think the yet to be fully announced Acer Sub 300$ notebook, The ACi Ultra Mini and the elonex one currently appear to be the most promising of the lot concidering the price vs features factor.

  6. Where’s the one that uses the 1280 x 768 seven-inch screen that the Toshiba Libretto U-100 series had? That was the only seven-inch screen with a truly usable resolution. So – where is it?

  7. The 3K Razorbook 400 actually comes with 4GB of flash memory and is available for $399.00. The initial release was incorrect at 1GB of stated storage. I just wanted to clarify the cost of this unit. $399.00 with storage at 4GB. Thanks and happy computing.

  8. You left out one crucial thing about ultraportables: size. So here are the sizes on comps able to display 1024-resolution. Do add them to appropriate places.

    PC-81001 260(W) x 180(D) x 33(H) mm
    Asus Eee PC 900 225(W) x 170(D) x 20-34(H) mm
    HP2133 255(W) x 165(D) x 33(H) mm
    ECS G10IL 259(W) x 180(D) x 29(H) (mm)
    CloudBook MAX 239(W) x 175(H) x 28(H) (mm)
    MSI Wind 260(W) x 180(H) x 19-32(H) mm
    Medion Akoya Mini 260(W) x 180(H) x 19-32(H) mm (as above)

  9. It is confirmed that the Dell 500 is not the low cost mini laptop they are producing. What we do know is they will probably use the Atom chip, it will offer Windows or Linux OS’s, and it will be manufactured by Compal from Taiwan.

    The Dell 500 is a full sized laptop for developing countries.

    1. The 500 is basically a replacement for the Vostro 1000, which currently sells for $400. The Vostro 1000 uses an AMD processor and chipset, but since AMD can’t seem to produce decent Linux drivers, they’re going with Intel.

      It’s more of a competitor to the Everex VA1500V than the Eee PC – cheap but not small.

  10. Finally a nice overview of these rabit like breeding devices. BTW the Medion Akoya Mini is a rebranded MSI Wind.

  11. Unsurprisingly, the eee is on sale in Taiwan. I spotted it on Tuesday in Taipei.

  12. Hi Brad,
    Thanks a lot for this very useful list (and site).
    I’ve added to ‘recommended resources’ that we maintain for people in international development agencies on a somewhat related topic, https://www.infodev.org/devices-list.
    -Mike
    ps I try to contact you through this site with more info but the the contact function kept bombing out.

  13. You should probably also point out the the 3K Longitude 400 and Jisus both have MIPS-compatible processors. You can not run Windows apps on them. And no Flash, Skype, or codec packs in Linux either.

  14. I brought a nanobook type ((belinea S book) which has been great. its a pity that the worst nanobook clone (the everex cloudbook) is the best known. The belinea was more expensive but is much more usable and has a touchscreen and runs XP.
    Still i am kind of amazed that so many new ones are coming out which have such low specs 256 or 512 ram.

  15. But what do you do with them? They seem small for development, especially Windows, and expensive for an email client. Just wondering…

  16. You might like to add this one from Astone. Just called the Astone 7″ UMPC and made in the Philipines. It’s available now in Australia. I’m not sure about elsewhere other than the Philipines. It’s a little over $500, more with Windows and less with Ubuntu. Details here: https://www.auspcmarket.com.au/index.php?redir=https://www.auspcmarket.com.au/show_product_info.php?input[product_code]=SY-KSTOUMPC1A&input[category_id]=1611

    I have an EEEPC 701 4G, so I won’t be buying another for a while. You’ve done a great job of getting them all in one place.

  17. I own a dell e520 vista, it has nerver worked longer than three days since I have had it. My system started out costing me aprox 1k. I have been paying $60.00 per mo. since 05/07/06 my current balance is today some how $1,796.00. No one at Dell has ever been able to help me, they have replaced the PC twelve times! When I ordered the system I did not know how to use a PC and to this day I still do not. Dell now sends info to me to get me to buy a lap top. How can I trust them? Can anyone help me?

  18. I have two questions!
    I know their were other UMPC before but I see the OLPC’s XO computer kind of being the beginning of this low cost market. Second question is would you call this new class of low cost computers UMPC or is their a better name…I love Liliputers though! I have read somewhere that the XO might be available to consumers soon in the US..

    1. @Vern

      Read (the title)
      think (about the title)
      and then finally post that the Macbook Air, the XPS and Vaio are anything but low-cost 😉

  19. None of these computers are a very good deal. The only factor that makes them even desirable is their small form factor. The Asus EEE PC would have been a good deal if they had stuck to their $200 price point. At $500, it’s just not worth it anymore. The 3 pound dell I just got for $600 beats all of these machines.

  20. Wow, great post summarizing nearly all the options out there. I’m guessing that most of them will migrate to the Atom platform as and when Intel makes it available. And also, as an Indian user, let me tell you that the HCL Mileap is a UMPC tablet. The low-cost version is based on the reference Classmate PC design, but is well-nigh invisible on the market.

  21. While I understand why some of the ultra-portables will cost $500 to $600, they would sell a lot more computers if the price was $300 to $400 or less. The magic of the EEE was that it was small and cheap (almost disposable) but it had the power of a conventional laptop. It’s been said before but at prices above $500, you’re almost better off with a regular laptop.

    Great list, had never heard of many of these brands. Thanks.

  22. 1.5ghz CPU, 512mb RAM, 4Gig HDD, 12″ screen, built in wireless G card.
    If anyone can make that for $250 I’d buy it.
    Until then I’ll pay the $700 for a dual core, 3gig, 320 gig hard drive, 17″.
    Sub notebooks aren’t worth the money unless they are super cheap.
    Otherwise you’re just paying money to look cool.
    You may as well buy a Macbook.

  23. If you wait about 2 more months to get one of these UP’s you’ll save yourself a tremendous amount of money due to planned price drop documents that have been scouring all over the net.

  24. We are exporting Alpha-400 Linux based 7inch portable computer prices wholesale USD259, retail 319.
    They come in four colors: Red, White, Blue, Black

    If you want to have further details, please feel free to contact us direct: [email protected]

  25. More info on the dell laptop: i was talking to a dell rep on the 23 and this i got out of him
    Atom prossor
    802.11g wifi
    8.9 and 10 inch screens
    xp and mabey ubuntu
    ssd hd
    to market in/by july
    over 2mill going to be produced

    and i was able to see a slide with a image on it for a second, it looks sweet

  26. Why wasn’t the XO from the OLPC project included? I use mine as a UMPC and it is more durable than EVERY single laptop on this list. Given it is not as powerful, it has tons of advantages over all of these including: community support, largest aside from the Eee. (almost) Completely open source. Battery life, component replacement, screen resolution, hackability, etc. The list goes on and I think I overstated my point. All I meant to do was promote the OLPC as a UMPC for people in the states with ideals that they want to simulatneously support.

  27. I’m surprised to find that apple’s 3lb. airbook isn’t on the list. Sure, it’s probably more expensive than any other option on this page, but it will also run any OS – XP, Linux, or OS X – even all three simultaneously, if you want! Furthremore, the solid-state HD option, the battery life blows most of these out of the water. Finally, the keyboard is full-sized – something worth mentioning for those of us who aren’t women or under 5’7″.

  28. Meggeler: That’s my guess as to what a lot of these machines are aimed at and being advertised too. Women who want something fairly light, nice looking and handbag (or purse for the Americans) sized. Most of the advertising fluff I’ve seen for a lot of these units has women using it or womens hands and so on.

    I’m waiting for all of these to hit the market before I make my choice though, but the green EEE looks too cute not to have.

  29. Thank you so much for the wonderful list. I am having a terrible time trying to decide with Laptop to buy or wait to buy for that matter….

  30. Are there any that are actually worth using outdoors when it’s sunny out?

  31. Wow… Sometimes I see these and regret buying my Asus Eee 701 but then i remember I’m in Australia and none of these products are here and half of them won’t ever make it here… Though if one with a touch screen/tablet mode comes out before i get to university i’d be much obliged to purchase one… Wonderful summary!

  32. I bet Palm are kicking themselves now!
    If their Foleo had been just a bit smaller and less dependent on the PDA…
    It might have saved their bacon.

  33. My 11 year old son wants to buy one of these for himself. I think he and his age group are a big part of the target market. His hands are small enough that the keyboard’s not an issue and his paper route doesn’t generate *that* much spare cash that he can afford $500+.

    The lower end eeePC is just about the right price point for his budget. However, the main thing he does when on the family computer is work with Scratch – a graphical programming environment from MIT. Unfortunately, Scratch requires a 1024×768 window to show its UI so getting anything with a 800×480 screen just won’t due.

    That pretty much limits the selection to the HP. Hopefully, the other guys will up the res just a little at the $300 price point in the near future.

  34. Why is the OLPC XO missing? It started this whole thing, after all.

    1. The OLPC XO is the best and the cheapest:
      $188, sunlight readable mode that lasts 20h on a battery, WiFi mesh that reaches 3 times further then any other laptops WiFi antennas, Linux software that is optimized for the customized hardware, dustproof, waterproof…

      I think OLPC XO should definately be on this list, there is no reason other vapourware should be on the list and not the OLPC XO which has been distributed to 500 thousand children already. Unlike most other laptops on this list, the OLPC XO is for real.

      1. I primarily wanted to cover consumer-oriented laptops. While the XO was made available to customers in developed nations through the BOGO program, its primary focus is educational markets and schools/governments in developing nations.

        That, plus everybody already knows about the XO. But I might add it to the list later. This page is clearly a work in progress.

  35. Good work.
    It would be interesting to show also width/length/height in the specs, where available.

  36. Funny how these are suppose to be low cost. I just bought a Dell Vostro 1500 15.4″ Core2Duo 2GB laptop with a 160gb hdd, 2GB ram, dvd burner, wireless, and 2M built-in camera for $625. including shipping. If the device is not less than say $350., I don’t see these mini pcs as a good bargain.

    1. Well, there’s two ways to think of low cost. There’s the sub-$400 group, which is pretty cheap by any standard. And then there are the $500 to $600 computers, which are cheap by ultraportable/subnotebook standards. There was a time where you had to pay $1500+ to get a laptop that weighed 2 pounds and had a 10 inch or smaller screen. But by putting cheaper components together, these companies have brought those prices way down.

    1. The Zepto computer will have a 15.4″ inch screen, which in my mind means it’s not really an Eee competitor. It’s just a cheap laptop.

  37. Brad, Kudos for the awesome site. I guess you did the right thing by moving from eeesite to Liliputing after all.

    Just a suggestion. This post was/is extremely long. Maybe you can consider having a one paragraph summary for long posts like this, with the details in the “Read” link.

    This way people not interested in a certain post won’t need to scroll a lot to reach the next post.

    And where is your mini-note??

    1. Yeah, I would have liked to have done that, but this is one of the disadvantages of using Blogger as a platform. I don’t think there’s a good way to create a jump in some posts, but not others. If I wind up posting long items like this on a regular basis, I might set the blog up so that every article only shows the first paragraph or two on the first page and then you have to click to read the rest.

      And in more exciting news, according to FedEx, my Mini-Note should be here today!

  38. Wow… I had no idea there were so many sub-notebooks out or close to release. Thanks for posting such an in depth summary!

  39. Awesome summery. Finally a post with all the options!

    Still have to wait for over a month for Computex. Damn it!!

    Hopefully more info will leak about the Wind sooner though.

    I don’t know about the rest, but I’m not interested in any of the options with VIA processors. It’s a shame, the Cloudbook Max really looks nice (and it’s the only one to have s-video out!).

    The ones that I’m watching are the Wind and Acer. These are the only two names that could make a decent product. Intel options look awful, and although the Medion sounds interesting, I don’t want to end up with a laptop that only 2 people have and with no support.

  40. See Ma – I told you these little thingies were gettin’ popular. Where does the PDA end and the Laptop start? My eeepc 701 is too large for my pocket, maybe my wife can fit it into her purse! 🙂

Comments are closed.