HP Mini 210-2070nr

HP Mini 210-2070nr

The HP Mini 210-2070nr ($349.98 list) won't win any fashion awards, nor will it blaze its way to the top of the performance charts. What it will do is allow you to work untethered from a power outlet for the better part of your workday while typing away on its roomy chiclet-style keyboard. Available at Staples, this affordable netbook also comes with a speedy 250GB hard drive, but because it uses a single core CPU, it can't keep pace with the newer dual-core models out there. The Mini 210-2070nr sports a charcoal black lid with silver trim and, unlike the glossy finish used on the Mini 210-1142CL ($370 list, 3.5 stars), has a matte finish that doesn't attract specks of dust or fingerprints. It also lacks any kind of pattern and is in a word, plain. The only decoration is the ever-present HP logo embedded in the upper right corner of the lid. If charcoal black isn't to your liking, the Mini 210 is offered in lavender, blue, pink, and red colors. At 2.9 pounds, the Mini 210 weighs exactly the same as our current Editors' Choice, the Toshiba mini NB305-N410 ($400 direct, 4.5 stars), but there are netbooks out there, such as the Acer Aspire One AO521-3782 ($350 street, 3.5 stars) that are lighter, if only fractionally.