Announcing Fantastic Netbooks new netbook rankings – to sort out the best netbooks from the also rans.

With the large number of netbooks on the market it can be difficult trying to keep up or work out which netbook is the best overall. It used to be the MSI Wind U100 a while ago but there have been so many released it can’t still be number 1 can it?

But what about if you are looking for a particular feature and just want the best netbook in that category? We have started with 2 individual categories – the lightest netbook and the longest battery life. Perhaps you want a compromise, a light netbook with a long battery life, hopefully comparing the tables will give you a good idea of which netbooks to look at more closely.

So which is the lightest netbook and which one has the longest battery life but perhaps most importantly, which netbook is the overall number 1?

Click here to see our netbook rankings.

As we add more reviews and more netbooks to this site these netbook league tables will be regularly updated to help us determine the best netbook in each category and the top netbook overall.

And let us know what future netbook rankings you would like to see. Would a league table for best screen or best keyboard be useful to you, how would you measure which one was best? Any feedback is more than welcome and we will respond to any comments you may have.

Find the latest netbooks at the lowest prices at our Netbook Shop.

Related posts:

1. Netbook Rankings updated with new models
2. Netbook Rankings Updated – Contains Over 75 Models
3. Over 50 netbooks now in our netbooks rankings

The Advent 4211 is a rebadged version of the MSI Wind U100 so is a credible netbook whilst the Advent 4213 is based on the ECS’ G10IL1 and is one of the few netbooks to include built-in broadband.

It is possible to get reconditioned 4211′s whilst the 4213 is still available brand new. Which one would you go for?

Advent 4213 and Advent 4211 comparison

As with most netbooks, the specifications of each model are fairly similar so you get a bigger hard disk and the built-in broadband with the Advent 4213 for the extra money. That is probably the one that I would choose, in order to take advantage of the built-in broadband modem.

Related posts:

1. Advent 4213 reviews
2. Advent 4211 Reviews
3. Comparison of Top 5 Netbooks

The Advent 4213 is based on ECS’ G10IL1 and is one of the first netbooks to include built in mobile broadband giving you HSDPA 3G connectivity without having to use a dongle.

Advent 4213 – Good Points:

1. Built in mobile broadband – this is what sets the 4213 model apart from the rest of the competition at this time including other Advent models such as the 4212 and older 4211 (see our 4211 review here). The built in broadband gives you HSDPA 3G connectivity on any network, you just insert your SIM card and connect up.

2. Silent mode – the silent mode underclocks the 4213′s processor to 800Mhz, which means that the netbook runs a bit cooler and a bit quieter using slightly less battery. One review mentioned that the silent mode automatically comes in with the power cable disconnected but I have not seen that anywhere else to back this up.

3. Good performance – the 4213 is a fairly quick netbook and has good scores using the PCMark05 and 3DMark06 scoring methods putting it firmly alongside other netbooks using the Intel Atom N270 processor and 1Gb RAM.

4. Connection manager software – you can use the Advent 4213 with any network so you are not tied into any carrier as with some other netbooks with built-in broadband. The connection manager software is fairly easy to use and also handles SMS messaging, as well as allowing you to connect using 3G.

5. Trackpad – the trackpad on the 4123 works reasonably well and is responsive.

6. Function keys – there are handy function keys for turning items on and off such as the HSDPA modem, wireless facility and the webcam. This means that it is easy if you need to conserve the battery.

7. Solid features – the Advent 4213 is a solid netbook. It is not the best in terms of build quality or design but has the main features that you expect in terms of performance. It is not a bad netbook and the inclusion of the mobile broadband may decide it for you.

Advent 4213 – Bad Points:

1. The keyboard – this is probably the 4213′s biggest weakness in that it is small, cramped and for some reason does not extend the full width of the netbook meaning there is wasted space. The keyboard is uncomfortable and takes a bit of getting used to, the keys are a bit too small and most reviews rated it as poor.

2. Bland looks – the lid is glossy and looks good although picks up scratches and fingerprints quite easily. Once you open the lid however the netbook looks quite bland and boring and is quite bulky with a big bulge at the back housing the battery.

3. Power key – you have to hold it down for a couple of seconds to switch the 4213 netbook on, which is a bit frustrating.

4. Battery – the 4213 comes with a 3600mAh battery that is a 6 cell but still not as capacious as some of the main rivals. This gives the battery a capactiy of around 3 hours, which is not great considering that several netbooks are able to achieve double that for a battery that does not seem to be as bulky.

5. Screen – not bad but not as good quality as on some other netbooks. It is non glossy, which is good but perhaps not as crisp and clear as on a Samsung NC10 for instance.

6. Cost – the built in broadband modem does add to the cost and so it may be better to go for an Advent 4211 if you do not need this and are happy with an 80Gb hard drive.

Overall Score – 74.8% (average from 7 top netbook reviews)

Available From – PC World at £249.98 inc. VAT – SAVE £30!

Or The Link – free with £20 per month Mobile Broadband

Reviews used to compile this report:

1. Register Hardware – posted on 20th October 2008
2. PC Pro – posted in October 2008
3. Pocket Lint - posted on 16th October 2008
4. CNET - posted on 26th January 2009
5. Computer Shopper – posted in January 2009
6. TechRadar - posted on 18th October 2008
7. Computer Buyer – posted in December 2008

Related posts:

1. Comparison between the Advent 4213 and 4211 netbooks
2. Advent 4211 Reviews
3. Comparison of Top 5 Netbooks

I have put together a quick comparison of what I view as the top 5 netbooks on the market currently. This comparison includes the following models:

• HP 2133 Mini-Note
• Samsung NC10
• Advent 4213
• Asus EEE PC S101
• Acer Aspire One AOD150

Many of the main attributes of the current crop of netbooks are very similar, such as the amount of memory, the screen size or processor, as practically all the top netbooks use the Intel Atom N270 processor.

So how do you choose between which netbook to buy? Hopefully the comparison below will give you a good starting point.

Top 5 Netbook Comparison

A quick comparison of the top 5 netbooks on the market currently.

So if battery life is important to you then the Samsung NC10 and Acer Aspire One come out on top with an impressive 6 hours. Or if you wanted the lightest netbook that you could find then the Asus EEE is the lightest at only 1.1Kg (and still has a great 4.5 hours battery life).

I hope you find this comparison table useful and I will be adding more of this type of content soon. Also, look out for reviews of each model and more along the way.

You can see how each of these netbooks ranks in our new netbook rankings.

Related posts:

1. New Netbook Rankings
2. Comparison between Asus Eee 1000HE, MSI Wind U100 and Samsung NC10
3. Comparison between the Advent 4213 and 4211 netbooks