Laptops are getting smaller and smaller. Earlier there were just two categories, Desktops and Laptops. Now there are several classifications within these two categories. For example there are laptops which are designed to replace the desktop machine at home, few that are designed for offices and for running around to the meetings and the latest ones are being designed for people who are on the go and do require to stay connected at all times but do not need a powerful machine.

We will talk about the later one. The small and not so powerful machines, these are the best.

It’s very important to understand that these small machines are built for a purpose, which is to keep you connected on the go. There are a few things that are a absolute must on these machines and few that are optional to keep the cost low and the size small.

Following things are a must have on these machines:

Solid State Disk: This is a must for two reasons 1) it consumes less power resulting in longer battery up time. 2) It is shock proof to a certain extent.

Multiple Connectivity Options: As these machines are specifically designed to be use on the go, they MUST have multiple connectivity options because you never know what you are up against. Connectivity options you should look for are:

• Wireless (IEEE Standards, Bluetooth, etc…)
• Cabled (Network adapter)

Camera Built-in: There should be a decent camera integrated.  Anything between 1-1.5 megapixels should do.

Battery Life: The longer the battery life the higher it goes on the buyer’s choice, as simple as that. Anything higher than 5 hrs is good.

Size and Weight: The smaller the better, but not too small either. Anything between 8 to 10 inches of screen should be idea. Ideal weight should be between 1-1.5 KGs.

Processor: The latest in the industry is Intel’s atom processor, look for those.

RAM: 1 GB and above is decent. Machines running Linux can do good on 512 as well.

Card Reader: Card Readers with the capability of reading multiple card types is a must.

Other things include, USB slots, Built-in microphone, headset jack,

Based on the features we’ve mentioned above, following is the list of laptops we have shortlisted.

Asus Eee PC 901 – Atom N270 1.6 GHz – 1GB RAM – Priced at around $600 is the best buy. Battery time on this model is 8 hours which is most impressive.

ASUS Eee PC 1000 – Atom N270 1.6GHz – 1GB RAM – Priced at around $700. Screen size of this model is slightly bigger than Eee PC 901

Acer Aspire One – Atom N270 1.6 GHz – 512 MB RAM – Priced at around $350. Looks of this machine certainly beat the competition but it has a long way to come in terms of tech specs. Looking forward to the upgrade releases of this product.

Few others which didn’t make it to the list are:

• The HP 2133 Mini-Note PC
• Sylvania G Netbook
• MSI Wind

Asus is clearly leading the technology in this area. One of these are defineatly on my shopping list. Which one are you buying?