I received a HP netbook for Christmas.  As a gadget gal, of course a netbook was on my wishlist.  The size/portability was so appealing but I was a bit skeptical about how much of a performance trade-off there would be.  But for the last few months, I have found that my HP netbook offers many features that makes it a great mother's helper.  

First, the size is perfect.  It is so small that it fits nicely on our narrow kitchen bar.  I can quickly reference our online family calendar, look up recipes I have saved in Evernote, read online news, answer emails, etc. all without leaving the heart of the home. Second, the battery life is amazing.  If you are an experienced laptop user, you know too well that battery life shortens quickly over time.   Well, I have been pleasantly surprised that this is not the case with this netbook.  As it is so small, I often tote it to a local coffee shop that offers free wi-fi without worrying about having to park myself close to an electrical outlet.

More about the specs of my HP mini 110-1125:

• 1GB RAM (expandable to 2 GB - do it yourself for less than 50 bucks)
• 160 GB Hard Drive
• Built in webcam
• 3 USB ports
• Up to 8 hour battery life (yes, in real life use)
• Decent size key board
• Runs on Windows 7 starter edition
• Built-in wireless network

Now, I will say that this netbook is not powerful enough to function as my main computer.  However, as most of my computing is done online, I use heavy program suites like Microsoft Office less and less; making my 'netbook' a perfect companion.  Here are some tips that I suggest to make the most out of using a netbook:

• Expand RAM (memory) to maximum capacity
• Use Windows 7 over XP or Vista
• Use Google Chrome as your web browser: Although a longtime advocate of Firefox, I have found Chrome much so much faster to use on the netbook.
• De-crap your netbook with these instructions. 
• For more ideas on how to maximize your netbook read this article.

As far as moving to 'online computing', here are some indispensable apps: 

• Google docs or Zoho Writer instead of MS Word
• Gmail instead of MS Outlook
• Evernote for online & desktop file storage (my digital filing cabinet)
• Springpad as my family organizer and project binder