Netbooks are now available in a range of bright colors that don’t perhaps suit the boardroom. Although the ‘Matte Luminous Rose’ HP Mini lives up to type, it also comes in more sensible hues. We tested the Midnight Greyh version.

The HP is slightly faster than the average netbook, although a WorldBench 6 score of 38 is still well short of even the slowest ultraportable, if you require something only for checking email and browsing the web on the move, it ought to be adequate.

The keyboard, according to HP. is 93 percent of a full-size model. It’s very usable, enabling you to type with barely an error. The keys are well spaced, while the accompanying touchpad supports some multitouch gestures. This can be turned off while you’re typing, and its textured surface makes it easier for your fingers to find without looking down.

The stereo speakers are Beats Audio-badged, and the Mini proved itself able to handle anything from bassy dance music to shrill sopranos. The 10.1in (1024×600) glossy screen is also decent, with an anti-glare coating that works well without dulling colors. The viewing angles are usefully wide, too.

Portable laptops need to withstand a bit of a battering, and the HP Mini seems to be tough enough for this kind of lifestyle. It’s heavier than the standard netbook at 1,39kg, but it won’t give you any back trouble.

The most vital aspect of any travelling gadget is how long it can survive without a recharge. Happily, the HP Mini isn’t going to let you down on that front, it lasted 7 hours 54 minutes in MobileMark 2007, If you were flying to the US, for example, it should last until touchdown at New York’s JFK, even if LAX would be out of range.

The 250GB hard drive is standard for a Wintel netbook, enabling you to cram in plenty of films and music. There are three USB 2.0 ports, plus analogue VGA for connecting to an old monitor or projector. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity are included; white an SD Card slot helps you get pictures from a digital camera.

Intel’s thin-and-light Ultrabook concept has been gathering steam over the past few months, with a host of players looking to take on Apple’s hugely popular MacBook Air. Proudly leading the charge is Asus with its 13in Zenbook UX31E. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and this little laptop looks startlingly familiar.

From the design of the box to the hardware itself, it seems Asus has been taking notes from Apple, but the Zenbook is still strikingly attractive in its own right – it isn’t only pretty by Ultrabook standards, it ranks among the prettiest laptops to sport a Windows sticker. Concentric circles shimmer across the dark-grey lid, the brushed-metal finish softening to a lighter grey on the base, and the combination of sharp angles and smooth curves makes for a beautiful design.

Measuring mere millimeters-thick at its front edge and tapering to a delicate 17mm at the rear, the Zenbook weighs only 1.4kg. That’s nowhere near light enough to trouble Sony’s flagship VAIO Z Series – that pricey ultraportable weighs only 1.15kg – but where many thin laptops sacrifice durability, the Zenbook feels unyieldingly stout. It’s far sturdier in the hand than either the Sony or Samsung’s Series 9 – so much so, you’re likely to pull a muscle before you eke any flex from the rock-solid base.

When Intel developed the Ultra book, the first company to take up the project was Acer. The ultra-thin notebook is out now. It betters the MacBook Air with its 0.51-0.68 inch thickness.

And don’t miss the 13.3-inch display, metal casing and the placement of the keypad and the navigation pad. Not surprisingly, the navigation pad controls the cursor. In order to achieve the slim form factor, Acer has moved the Aspire’s two USB ports, 1 HDMI port and the power jack to the back. This is not only inconvenient to access but also uncomfortable when charging or when a pen drive is connected. Along with Windows 7 Home, Acer has packed in an Intel i5 1,6GHz processor, 4 GB RAM and 320 GB storage. The display is bright and watching videos and images is a breeze. Dolby Home Theater v4 is onboard for a great sound experience. Also, the laptop did not heat up much. The company claims the three-cell 3,280 mAh battery lasts for over six hours. However, on above average use, its life was closer to five hours.

HP Mini 100e

The HP Mini 100e netbook is bundled with a spill-proof keyboard and an integrated handle. And the hinges and case are reinforced. Moreover, the outer lid incorporates a LED network activity lid, so that teachers can be notified about the online activities of each student. For example, the teacher can pick up the very student who is browsing the Web, when he/she is supposed to be studying in the classroom.

The Mini 100e Education Edition sports a matte 10.1-inch display with a 1024 x 600-pixel resolution, a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N455 CPU, a 5,400-rpm 160GB HDD, and up to 2GB of RAM. Included also in the package are two USB ports, a modem port for developing countries, Ethernet and VGA.

Fujitsu Lifebook T580 is revealed when it comes to the matter of best design and good durability. Its design is perfectly called as utilitarian.  This notebook has 1366×768 pixel resolution and has 10.1 inch display. One can enjoy the exceptionally clear videos and images and derive great pleasure.