So, yes, I’m still in the market for a Netbook but I’ve changed my mind about have an SSD. Now, call me fussy but here is what I’m after…

1. Windows XP
2. An Atom processor
3. At least 16 GB hard drive
4. 1 GB memory
5. A resolution of, at least, 1024×600
6. Small, but with a good keyboard
7. As close to £200 as possible. £280+ is out of my range
8. A good case for it – if it doesn’t come with a good one, I need to be able to get one
9. If it doesn’t have a good battery life I want the option, in future, to buy a larger battery

Surely that’s not too hard? My wife has an early Asus EEE PC but I don’t get on with the keyboard.

The Dell is now out of the running due to the cost, but I’m left with the Acer Aspire One and the Advent.

The Advent 4490, at £230, looked perfect. All the specs were there. BUT. It has average battery life and other than a £70 monstrosity, I can’t find a replacement battery for it.

Having said, I read that it was the same as the MSI Wind, which does have spares but after some careful comparison I realised that the 4990 is NOT an MSI Wind. And Advents support is poor.

The more I look into these Netbooks, the more confused I got. They’re all pretty much the same kind of spec, but they all have their pros and cons.

Now I’m looking at the Acer Aspire One – it doesn’t have the best battery, but at least there are larger capacity ones available.

Hmmm. Stay tuned – I’m sure I’ll make a decision one day!