For reasons only a psychologist might understand, miniature things have always held an allure for me. As a kid, I collected Matchbox cars and foreign-language dictionaries no bigger than a half-eaten Fig Newton. I consider a hotel stay to be a dismal failure if I'm unable to load up on travel-sized toiletries. I love Tater Tots. And in case you're wondering: Yes, I drive a Mini Cooper.

But I'm not here to be psychoanalyzed. I'm here to discuss mini-notebooks, also known as "netbooks,'" "mobile Internet devices'" and my favorite, "laptots.'" These ultra-compact portables have become hot sellers since Asus introduced its first Eee PC last fall. This week: some background on the mini-notebook phenomenon and a guide to currently available models. Next week: the pros and cons of mini-notebooks.

The Choices

Asus Eee PC 900: This mini-notebook earned a PCW Rating of 71 (Good). With the Eee PC 900, Asus bumped up the screen size to 8.9 inches and added Windows XP. You can buy a Linux version with 16GB of solid-state storage for about $350.

Worth noting: As of mid September 2008, Asus had 12 Eee PC models listed on its Web site. Check out online pricing for various Eee PC models using PCW Shop & Compare.

Hewlett-Packard 2133 Mini-Note:

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