In the past year the miniaturization and low-power consumption trends in silicon chip design have come to a head in personal computer manufacturing. Culminating in the creation of a laptop with less than half of an average PC’s weight, size and energy profile, these phenomenal new advancements are called netbooks.

Netbooks are different from traditional laptops in that they contain no optical drive, meaning they have no CD or DVD bay. The savings in weight, power consumption and processor speed mean that these machines are built for cruising the internet, watching streaming online video and word processing/e-mail services. Their weight and size make them extremely portable, with some being not much larger than a paperback book. With so many new makes and models of netbooks emerging it can be difficult to make a smart decision when shopping for a new mobile PC, but keeping a couple of key aspects in mind might make the entire process much easier.

Step 1 – Size Constraints

Due to the portability and extreme battery life of netbooks (some, like the Asus Eee PC have been known to last as long as 5 hours on a single charge) their size and weight might be the only things constraining it in terms of portability. What good is a laptop with an eight hour battery life if it weighs 30 pounds, or won’t fit in the back of your car? That’s where your keen sense of judgment comes in. Coming with screens ranging from seven to 10 inches, netbooks offer the full spectrum of LCD screen options. If you plan on taking your laptop with you everywhere you go, and plan on using it primarily for emailing and word processing – a smaller screen may be the best bet. With the increased mobility you sacrifice viewing area, but if you aren’t doing photo editing or other screen real-estate intensive tasks, then the larger screen may be a waste. Once you’ve decided on a screen size, you’re well on your way.

Step 2 – Processing Power

Due to their limitations, netbooks are being paralleled to smart phones, like the iPhone or Blackberry. Unfortunately for smartphones, they are nowhere near capable of the processing power of most netbooks. Armed with an Intel Atom power-sipping processor, mobile PCs are becoming a better and better option for the professional on the move. Extensible with USB ports, Bluetooth and firewire – netbooks simply offer a much wider range of possibilities than a smart phone. So, when shopping for your netbook, be sure you purchase one that has enough RAM (512 MB will work, but 1 GB is recommended) to power your laptop for whatever you will need it for.

Step 3 – Aesthetics and Selection

Once you’ve decided on the size and speed of your netbook you need to think about aesthetics. What color would you prefer? Gloss or matte finish? Do you want an onboard webcam and microphone? Then make sure to seek out those features when shopping.

Whatever your tastes may be, netbooks offer a little bit of something for everyone and at an ultra-affordable price.