HP Minis (netbook), from $249

If you're looking for an incredible computer deal, take a look at the HP Business Outlet. Once you're there, scroll down to the "Home & Home Office" section to see HP netbooks starting at $259 (you may even find some as low as $249). Most of these are refurbished. You'll also see some great prices on the HP EliteBook 2730p convertible tablet PC. I'm waiting to get a killer deal on the 2740p tablet.

Visit the HP Business Outlet.

Win an HP Mini 311 netbook

Enter to Win an HP Mini 311 — Courtesy of LAPTOP Magazine. Are you willing to fill out a short survey so that you can enter to win a free HP netbook?
Click here for details.

HP Mini 5101 netbook

Are all netbooks equal? Not when you have some that are tiny and others that really look like a small laptop. If you're thinking about spending a few hundred dollars for a netbook, consider the HP Mini 510.

The HP Mini 510 netbook received an "Editor's Choice" by Laptop Magazine and 4 out of 5 stars. They say, "This business-friendly netbook offers excellent performance in a durable and attractive design."

Pros:
* Stylish, durable design
* Comfortable keyboard (this is very important if you're buying a small computer)
* Excellent performance
* Good audio

Cons:
* Touchpad has too much friction (maybe a tiny bit of grease can fix that problem)

PC Magazine also rates this netbook as "Very Good" (4 out of 5 stars). Here's their Bottom Line: The HP Mini 5101 is much improved version over HP's previous netbooks, but you'll have to pay extra for many of its fringe benefits—if they become available.

Pros:
Very attractive metallic chassis. 95-percent keyboard is right up there with those on the top netbooks. Mouse buttons are quiet. Bevy of options, including an "HD" resolution, 3G, SSDs and 7,200 rpm HDDs. Good performance scores. 802.11n wireless capability.

Cons:
Options can bring up the cost significantly and aren't available for purchase yet.

If you're interested in reading the reviews: click here for the PC Magazine review. Want to read some more? Then, click here for Laptop Magazine.

I don't plan to buy a netbook anytime soon. My Thinkpad is small and light enough that I use it most of the time. Also, I have a Samsung Q1 Ultra UMPC (and I still have my OQO model 02), so why needs another small computer, right?

HP Mini 1151NR Netbook on Verizon Wireless

I told you it was coming. Here it is. Verizon Wireless now offers the HP Mini 1151NR. Is this a business-class netbook or purely a consumer model? You can visit the Verizon Wireless store and try one out.

It's hard to believe that netbooks are so affordable. Several years ago, I spent over $2,000 for a tiny Sony Vaio laptop that would now be equivalent to a modern netbook that only costs $300.

Netbooks at Best Buy

I was walking through Best Buy today and I noticed that they now have many more netbooks on display. They had the Asus Eee, the HP Mini, the Dell Mini 9, and a few others. However, they had very few tablet PCs. In fact, the only convertible tablet PC was an HP tablet TX2Z that features a capacitive multi-touch display (which means that you can use two fingers on the screen and perform gestures). The phrase "multi-touch" has gotten confusing in the tablet PC industry. My Lenovo Thinkpad X200 tablet is considered to have a multi-touch screen because I can use my active digitizer pen or my finger as an input device. However, I can't use two fingers on the screen because it is a passive screen (not a capacitive touch screen like the iPhone or BlackBerry Storm).