Are you familiar with Netbooks? They're like laptop computers, only smaller, more portable, and less expensive. If your son or daughter doesn't already own one, be prepared to purchase one for their birthday of Christmas. Every kid I know over the age of twelve is begging for one!

If you don't already own a Netbook, or if you have one and you're in the market for another one, you're in luck. The prices have fallen significantly since the beginning of the year. Still, a quick search on the internet or a trip to your local stores will reveal that there's a fairly big descrepancy among prices for the same item, so do a lot of comparison shopping before making a purchase. Also, be aware that the suggested battery lives are rated under ideal conditions - not in the real world.

Below are a few of the most popular models in different price ranges:

MSI Wind: This is one of the most popular netbooks on the market. The six-cell battery has almost ten hours of life. The keyboard is a little roomier than found on most other netbooks. An interesting feature is its automatic locking device that turns the unit it off when you’re not in front of the screen. It has a 1.3 MP webcam and Bluetooth. It weighs in at 3.2 pounds and has a 10.1-inch display. The lowest price I've found is $289.95.

Asus EEE PC 1000HE: This netbook has a long battery life – almost ten hours. The keyboard is almost full size. It has a 10.1-inch screen, Bluetooth, and a 1.3 MP webcam. A big plus with this model is that it comes with 10 GB of online storage, which you get free for 24 months. This netbook weighs 3.2 pounds and sells on amazon for a price of $369.

Asus EEE PC 1005HA: This is a sleek netbook with a slim, attractive seashell design. One of its best features is probably its long-lived battery that provides almost ten hours of power. Available in blue or glossy black, it has a 10.1-inch screen with LED-backlit display and weighs in at 2.8 pounds. This model has a comfortable ergonomic keyboard, 1.3 MP webcam, and hybrid storage. It’s also very kid friendly. Standard warranty is one year. The cheapest price is around $285.

Asus EEE PC 901: This is a great netbook for the price. It has a six-cell battery with a life of about eight hours. It has an SSD hard drive, an 8.9-inch display, and weighs 2.4 pounds. This model is very small and super portable. The battery provides about eight hours of life, and the 901 comes with Bluetooth and Windows XP. The tough solid state drive makes this model great for using outdoors. It comes in several colors, including white, black, off-white, bright green, pink, navy blue, and chocolate. You can find one of these models for about $279.

Samsung NC10: This is a sharp netbook with a 10.1-inch screen. The keyboard is near full size. A neat feature of this model is the keys themselves – they contain tiny particles of silver that help them neutralize bacteria. The NC 10 offers handy scrolling, Bluetooth, and a 1.3 MP webcam. It weighs 2.85 pounds and costs around $349 on Amazon.

Samsung N120-13GBL: This unit has a 10.1-inch screen with wide LED-backlit LCD display and weighs 2.8 pounds. It’s available in jet black, sunset orange, mint blue, and midnight blue. It sports a sleek look with rounded corners. The keyboard is full-size and has textured keys that help keep your fingertips in place. The N120 has great speakers for a netbook. It has a standard one-year warranty on parts and labor. The N120 has a six-cell lithium battery with up to ten hours of life. The cheapest price I've found is on Amazon, for $359.

HP Mini 5101: This model is rugged, and its black metal housing is classy and sleek. It has an accelerometer, and for an extra $25 fee, you can add the high-resolution display feature. It has a great keyboard with large flat keys that’s close to full size, but the Express Card slot is MIA. The Mini 5101 provides easy mousing. The six-cell battery has a life of nine hours. It weighs 2.9 pounds and has a 10.1-inch screen. Standard warranty is one year. Average price is $425, but Amazon has one for $399.

ACER Aspire One D250-1116: Available in red, blue, white, or black, this is a slim netbook that weighs 2.4 pounds with the three-cell battery and 2.9 with the six-cell. The touch pad uses circular-motion scrolling. It has a 10.1-inch screen and sharp colors and text on backlit LED, but has poor quality sound. The Aspire has CrystalEye webcam, but it’s only 0.3 MP. The six-cell battery has up to almost eight hours of life, and the three-cell battery has a life of about three hours. The Aspire comes with a standard one-year warranty. The lowest price is around $289, which is Amazon's price.

Dell Mini 9: This netbook has an 8.9-inch screen with LED display. It’s smaller than the Acer Aspire One and weighs 2.3 pounds. The exterior is glossy black. The Mini 9 has an 8 GB solid state drive and a 1.3 MP webcam. The Mini 9 has a well engineered mouse with easy-to-click feature. Battery life is about three hours. The down side is if you put Windows XP Home on the flash drive, you won’t have much room for anything else. If you don’t need Windows XP, this is a good netbook for the price. I found these for as low as $199.

Dell Mini 10: This is a popular model, but it’s received mixed reviews. Its popularity might rest in the Dell name. The Mini 10 has a 10.1-inch display screen, a 1.3 MP webcam, and an HDMI port. It weighs in at 2.6 pounds. Now for the negatives: to add Bluetooth and a larger battery, you’ll pay extra. Future RAM upgrades are not possible. The average price for the Mini 10 is around $350.

I found seven of these ten netbooks on Amazon for very competitive prices. If I found them cheaper elsewhere, I did not include them here: