Tiny, mighty netbook lets on-the-go people carry on with Net surfing

Portable computing is now more portable -- and powerful. Did I mention easier, too?

I'm writing this on a HP Mini 1151 NR computer, which is part of the newest category of computers -- the netbook. These are miniature laptops costing less than $400, weighing less than 3 pounds, with 7- to 10-inch screens, measured diagonally. They have most of the functions of full-sized laptops, but in a smaller form. This makes them easier to tuck in backpacks, or just tote like a book.

While most netbooks have hard drives, they lack compact disc or digital video disc drives. They are designed primarily for connecting to the Internet, making them ideal for e-mail, Web browsing and using Web-based services.

Although the machine I am testing is made by HP, its connectivity comes from Verizon Wireless. Their wireless 3G card is built-in to the computer. Connecting to the Internet is possible from anywhere I can find a signal to the Verizon Wireless 3G data network, and that's just about anywhere in the United States. The service is also available in more than 170 countries.

To connect, I simply launch the Verizon VZ Access software and click a single button. The software does the rest. I never lost the 3G signal during my testing. The broadband pipe to the Internet is fast enough to watch video on hulu.com and other video sites, although I did encounter some brief buffering periods resulting in choppy video.

The price is right for this speedy computer -- $199.99 with a two-year mobile broadband plan. Verizon doesn't offer an unlimited data plan for the netbook, so keeping an eye on data use will help keep you from paying overage charges. Customers see their monthly use as they log in.

There are two data plans available: $40 a month for 250 megabytes of data; and $60 a month for 5 gigabytes of data transfer. Overages are 10 cents and 5 cents per MB respectively.

Users can avoid data charges if they connect to the Internet with the built-in Wi-Fi card. I found connecting this way was generally faster than the 3G connection, thanks to my recent upgrade of my home wireless network.

This model has an 80 GB hard drive, 1 GB of random access memory (RAM) and runs on the Windows XP Home Edition operating system. It weighs just 2.4 pounds and measures 10.3 inches-by-6.6 inches. It's 1 inch thick when the clamshell lid is closed.

I didn't care for the extended battery, which replaces the standard battery, as an extra-thick ridge resulted in an awkward viewing angle. The high-gloss screen couldn't be pushed back far enough to eliminate glare, so I stuck with the regular battery and plugged-in the AC adapter/charger after each use.

Although I wouldn't want to count on this small machine to be my daily work computer, I found it did a stellar job when I was traveling.

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