The Netbook Diaries 2009 (Part 2): The Joy of Net(book)

Early netbooks sucked. There, I said it. They had tiny screens, ultra-cramped keyboards, limited storage, pokey processors, terrible battery life, and price tags that begged the question: Why not just spend a few bucks more on a full-size laptop?

Cut to late 2009. The MSI Wind U115 I took on my last trip has a 10-inch screen, a usable keyboard, dual hard drives (one SSD, one 160GB SATA), and a 9-cell battery that literally runs all day. (It also angles the keyboard up from the rear, which I really like.)

It's no speed demon, but it has enough power to play Divx videos full-screen without so much as a hiccup. And because it runs the relatively lightweight Windows XP, it boots quickly and runs programs like Word and Firefox at a decent clip.

And don't forget the obvious: It's compact. Lightweight. Easy to carry around. And small enough for a coach-seat tray table. (I watched other folks wrestle giant laptops and laughed.)

As for the price, a newer model, the Wind U120, is available from vendors like TigerDirect for as low as $329.99. Sure, you can now buy a nicely equipped laptop for just $400, but it'll weigh twice as much and consume twice as much space in your bag -- if not more.

Of course, netbooks aren't perfect. The U115 has a couple considerable flaws that I'll discuss in my next entry.

In the meantime, don't miss Part 1 of the Netbook Diaries 2009! And while you're at it, let's hear your thoughts about netbooks. Love 'em? Sick of the hype?