With their size and affordability, netbooks are a boon to blogging, and vice versa. You can now literally blog wherever and whenever because of these ultra-portable devices. Wifi connectivity is a given in most netbooks. Add to this the easy availability of broadband dongles from the leading telecom providers and you have a formula for on-the-go blogging success.

Now, I am old to blogging but I am certainly new to the ownership of these netbooks. I got hold of my first baby, the pretty and dainty HP Mini by Studio Tord Boontje, only two weeks ago. It helped that I got it at a special price (thanks to HP Philippines and Stratworks!) Still, it has become a good supplementary laptop for me, considering that I can't afford to lose my Macbook (and so, the latter stays in the house most of the time).

My new HP Mini is also ideal for my present pregnant state since it's light and easy to carry, being only 1.06 kilos!

Other things to love about this baby: 2GB of memory using Windows 7 Starter, the six-cell battery which lasts even longer than my old Mac, as well the Seesmic social networking tool which gives me a one-touch log-in to Facebook and Twitter.

Most useful is the Windows Live Writer which helps you set up a blog or publish to any blog service - be it Blogger, Wordpress, LiveJournal and the whole lot of 'em. Highly recommended for beginners!
I was in Singapore when the limited edition HP Mini by Tord Boontje was launched in September last year.

The netbook landscape has changed since then, and competition among various brands is indeed heating up. Here's the lowdown on new products (at least the ones introduced to this writer via presscon):

The Samsung N150 and N220, ideal for those with a budget between P21,900 to P24,900. The specs aren't to be scoffed at: they boast of the latest Intel Atom N450 processor on an elegant, scratch-proof design.

The Samsung line-up also boasts of long battery life, anti-reflective screen, easy USB charging of other portable devices like mobile phones and the entertaining YouCam which adds special effects to video chats or recorded videos. N220, the high-end model, offers "Instant On" capability and boasts of wi-fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

Asus Eee PC's Seashell Karim Rashid Collection should appeal to lots of women because of its vibrant hot pink color! Almost the same specs as the Samsung with Intel Atom N450 processor, six-hour battery life and easy boot-up through Express Gate. This enables you to make Skype calls, play online games, and surf the web in an instant.

Earlier on, the more expensive Sony Vaio launched its Spring 2010 collection with laptops ranging from 150K to 29K. The high-end Vaio Z runs on Intel Core i5 processor and most of the line-up operate on Windows 7 platform.

But mostly, I was eyeing the Vaio P with 8-inch screen because it was small enough to fit my bag, LOL.

(Write the author at annalyn.jusay@gmail.com)