As an additional family computer or the replacement for an on-the-fritz laptop, consider a netbook -- a mini laptop with a much smaller price tag. The Good Housekeeping Research Institute tested nine of these petite machines, all with Web-surfing and word-processing programs.
Though these computers lack a full-sized keyboard and an optical drive for playing CDs and DVDs, here are four favorites from the evaluations and great, legal Web sites to watch movies and television shows online (for free).
Best overall netbook. The ergonomic Asus Eee PC 1000HA ($339) sets itself apart with its excellent battery life (four-plus hours) and speed. It was the fastest of those evaluated to load programs and transfer files. One quibble. It takes time to adjust to the trackpad.
Best screen. Use the MSI Wind U120 ($380). Inside or out the screen was rated most viewable in both direct sunlight and darkness. The Wind also performed well, with speedy boot-up and file-transfer times.
Some users raved about the good-sized keyboard, while others complained that keystrokes felt stiff.
Ultra portability. The smartly packaged Lenovo IdeaPad S10 ($409) is the most compact of the winners -- and its 10.2-inch screen size is marginally the largest (others were 10.1 inches or smaller). Battery life was quite good, lasting nearly four hours, and the model is available in five colors.
Fashionable model. The testers' style favorite, the Dell Mini 10 ($349) comes in seven colors, and it can be customized with any of five patterns. It's the only netbook tested with a built-in HDMI port for easy watching of Web video on a TV, helping you save money on cable packages by utilizing the Web sites below.
These machines all run Windows XP and have 1 GB RAM and 160 GB hard drives.
Here are some tips for watching free movies (legally) online. DVD subscription services and DVRs are great, but the monthly fees add up. The Good Housekeeping Research Institute evaluated 11 sites that stream movies and TV shows at no charge. Here are four standouts:
Hulu.com. The consumer testers' fave, it streams 1,250 current TV shows from Fox, NBC and more, plus full-length movies. Top-rated video and audio quality and options like full-screen and hi-res make watching online a real joy.
Joost.com. The highly searchable site has movies, TV shows (from several networks) and music -- and lets you share faves with pals. Testers rated it easiest to use.
TV.com. Owned by CBS, this fast-loading site has full episodes of some shows in HD, and enticing extras like episode recaps, clips, articles and message boards for more than 20,000 shows.
Veoh.com. It has studio content (from Warner Bros., ABC and more), independent productions and user-generated videos. Overall, testers liked this site, though a couple found it to be slow-loading.
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On another matter » As you prepare to start packing school lunches again, keep these money-saving ideas in mind. Secret shoppers from the Institute found on-sale store-brand turkey for $3 less per pound than a national brand. At a pound a week, that's a school-year savings of more than $100. Avoid prewashed, precut fruits and veggies. A 16-ounce bag of green apple slices are around $4 -- two more pounds of whole apples can be bought for the same price. Package portions yourself. Store-brand popcorn kernels are as cheap as 5 cents per serving, while brand-name single-serve bags are 60 cents each -- 12 times more.
