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The chunky battery MSI slaps onto the U160 does give it a big backside, but also supplies enough energy to keep it going longer than comparable netbooks.

Good battery life ; Attractive design ; Responsive keypad

Same netbook innards as every other netbook ; Ordinary performance ; Battery bulges out the back

The N220 is a brilliant little netbook that just needs a tiny bit more in the screen, memory and networking department. With the combination of the excellent speakers, keyboard and connectivity though, we think this will appeal to a great many people ...

Subwoofer makes an actual difference to sound quality ; Quad-band WWAN should connect to any Australian network ; Three USB ports ; Excellent keyboard ; Two-year international warranty

Only 1GB RAM ; 1024x600 screen ; Low-level networking still a netbook staple

The Acer Aspire One 532h is just as good for basic tasks as netbooks costing more, making it a solid sub-AU$600 option.

Solid netbook ; Great battery life

Few frills ; Lacklustre touch pad

As the first next-gen Intel Atom netbook, Asus' Eee PC 1005PE offers amazing battery life, but otherwise feels like a last-gen system.

New Intel Atom N450 CPU ; Fantastic battery life

Lacks modern netbook upgrades such as HD display, extra RAM ; Only minor performance boost over previous versions

Nvidia Ion graphics adds HD video and basic gaming functionality, Reasonably priced, High-def display

Annoying touch pad

HP's Mini 311 adds a larger, high-definition display and advanced graphics to a basic netbook, while keeping the price very appealing.

Sophisticated new design, Plenty of configuration options, Good battery life

Low-resolution display, Options can quickly drive up price, Small keyboard and touch pad

Dell's basic netbook adds better battery life and the newest Intel Atom CPU, and robust configuration options add a level of flexibility many other netbooks lack.

New Intel Atom processor, Excellent build quality

Some basic options can quickly drive up the price, Small touch pad

HP's sturdy and stylish Mini 5102 is a slight upgrade to one of our favourite netbooks, but we had hoped for a little more fresh thinking for 2010.

As one of the few netbooks with a dual-core Atom processor and Nvidia Ion graphics, the 12.1-inch Eee PC 1201N has superior performance compared with most Atom-based machines, but any higher-level ULV thin-and-light will still do better.

Dual-core Atom processor, Solid gaming graphics for a netbook, Large screen, Affordable for its features

Awkward touch pad, Mediocre battery life

As one of the few netbooks with a dual-core Atom processor and Nvidia Ion graphics, the 12.1-inch Eee PC 1201N has superior performance compared with most Atom-based machines, but any higher level ULV thin-and-light will still do better.

The Samsung N150 will appeal to anyone who puts battery life at the top of their list of priorities, but it's not massively different to previous-generation machines and its keyboard isn't quite as good as those on rivals such as the Eee PC 1000HE.

Matte screen eliminates annoying reflections, Long battery life

Cramped keyboard, Relatively small hard drive

The Samsung N150 is among the first netbooks to use the new Intel Atom N450 chip. As a result, it offers excellent battery life, but it's far from perfect. Unfortunately, its cramped keyboard and comparatively small hard drive let the side down.

Lenovo's popular IdeaPad S10-2 netbook has been slimmed down and its price reduced, making it a better netbook - as long as you can live without ExpressCard.

Slimmer design, Lighter chassis

Ugly, protruding battery pack, No ExpressCard slot

Lenovo's popular IdeaPad S10-2 netbook has been slimmed down and its price reduced, making it a better netbook — as long as you can live without ExpressCard.