These lightweight, stripped-down netbooks can get the job done

This time last year, it seemed downright weird - take a laptop and shrink it to the size of a hardcover book, throw in wireless Internet access, throw out the battery-draining CD-ROM drive, and sell the stripped-down device for under $500.

The idea seems a lot more sensible once you have sold 4 million of the things. That's what an obscure Taiwanese computer maker called Asus has managed to do over the past year with its oddly named Eee PC line of laptops. Asus figured out that mobile computer users don't need all the features and functions of desktop computers, or even those found on most laptops. Give them a 2-pound device with a few vital software programs, a modest amount of data storage, and easy Internet access, then stand back.

The computer industry's coined a name for these handy gadgets - netbooks. And these days, lots of companies are starting to make them, including Dell Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co. Still, Asus hopes to lead the pack by rolling out a multitude of netbooks, at various prices.

The company's newest model boasts a typically unappealing name - the Eee PC S101 - but that's the ugliest thing about it. The netbook is Asus's attempt at a fashion statement, done up in sleek, glossy plastic and adorned with chrome. The original Eee featured a skimpy 7-inch screen; the S101 has 10 inches, and a wider, more comfortable keyboard to match. Too bad the right-side shift key is badly located, making it a nuisance for touch typists. Otherwise, it's the most finger-friendly keyboard I've seen on a netbook. And its touchpad mouse has a multitouch feature that activates a host of useful features. For instance, when you apply pressure to the touchpad in a certain way, up pops a little magnifier window for reading small type.

Like previous Eee machines, this one lacks a hard drive, opting instead for more durable but costly flash memory. The S101 has 16 gigabytes of memory on board, compared to a mere four gigs on the original model. There is a memory card slot and three USB ports for adding extra storage. Asus also throws in a free online service called Eee Storage, which allows for storage of 20 gigabytes of data when the onboard memory gets crowded. You can get hooked up to the Internet through an Ethernet port, or the S101's built-in Wi-Fi access.

The first Asus netbooks were loaded with an exceptionally well-designed version of the Linux operating system. But even Linux done right can intimidate casual users. So you can get the S101 with Microsoft Corp.'s Windows XP operating system.

Throw in the S101's built-in webcam and microphone for easy videoconferencing, and Bluetooth capability that enables wireless add-ons like keyboards and a mouse, and it adds up to a netbook that's not far from a full-featured notebook. That also applies to the price. At $700, you could buy a full-sized unit for just a few hundred bucks more.

Or opt for the $350 Aspire One, a back-to-basics netbook from Acer Inc. It features a 9-inch screen, and consequently a narrower, less comfortable keyboard. The Aspire One also has an infuriating mouse with buttons on either side of the touchpad, rather than below. But it uses the same Intel Atom processor found in the S101, and also offers Windows XP. There's no Bluetooth, but the Aspire One does have a webcam and microphone, as well as two memory card slots.

The Aspire One doesn't include a free online file storage service; with 120 gigabytes of data storage it's not needed. Ironically, the extra storage also helps explain the lower price. The model uses an old-fashioned mechanical hard drive, which can hold a lot more data than the S101's flash drive, at a fraction of the price.

Both laptops have decent battery life, based on my rather lazy testing method. I visited the hulu.com website, where you can view full-length movies, and set each of them to work running the recent film "Sideways," which lasts about two hours. To add to the challenge, I had the laptops download the movie via their built-in Wi-Fi wireless networking chips, which put an extra drain on the batteries. The Acer Aspire One died after about 1 3/4 hours, but the Asus made it through the entire film, perhaps because its flash drive uses less power than a traditional hard drive.

Lacking large screens and DVD drives, the S101 or the Aspire One aren't the kinds of computers you would want to carry along on a coast-to-coast flight. But for an hour at Starbucks, or a weekend at Grandma's, either of these small and sensible machines will do just fine.

Hiawatha Bray can be reached at bray@globe.com.