Lenovo S10-3 (5906-6559) @ Php12,990

Lenovo S10-3 IdeaPad

Netbooks are getting cheaper than ever and now there really is a good budget netbook. Lenovo Philippines has a lower end version of its 10.1-inch Lenovo S10-3, which has one of the best keyboards in a netbook, priced at just Php12,990. At this price you only get a 3-cell battery and the operating system is DOS. We like the availability of DOS equipped laptops and netbooks, since it gives us the option of buying one to run Linux on without having to pay for a operating system we do not plan to use. It's other specifications are pretty good for the price, you get a Atom N455 processor (1.66GHz), 1GB of RAM, a160GB hard driver, WiFi, webcam and a card reader.

Neo has even a cheaper option, the B3360N netbook priced at Php11,999. It's specifications are nearly identical to the S10-3, but it comes with a larger 250GB hard drive. The cheapest option is the eMachines eMD350-21G16ikk at Php11,900. The eMD350 has nearly identical specifications to the S10-3, but which comes with the older Atom N450 processor. 

Despite being the most expensive of the three, the Lenovo S10-3 is the best of the three. It comes down to build quality, and the Lenovo is better built than the Neo or eMachines units. 

You can install Windows 7 Starter on it for an additional Php1,500-1,950 or, try Ubuntu Netbook Edition Linux operating system. It's easier to use than you think and has an excellent interface for small screens. This post is being typed on a laptop with Ubuntu 10.10 Linux installed. WiFi worked without a problem on install, and it was easy enough to configure Smart Bro's Plug-It modem through a wizard. Since we are talking budget, give Ubuntu a spin and if you like it you can maximize your savings.

Ubuntu Linux Netbook Edition