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With no sign of abatement in sight, recession-addled consumers continue to flock towards the small, low-cost, low-power laptops called Netbooks. According to IDC, Netbooks went from essentially zero to a full 8 percent of the portable computing market in 2008, making this a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy economy for PC makers.

Typically, a Netbook means a 10-inch display, Intel's Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, Windows XP, and a 160GB hard drive--but those lines are clearly beginning to blur. Some of the Netbooks in this roundup include new CPUs from AMD and Via, or larger displays (that some would say disqualifies them from being Netbooks at all--a position we can't say we fully disagree with).

And beyond these current models, we have several potentially interesting new Netbooks on the horizon, including Dell's Mini 10v, which intends to bludgeon the competition with a $299 starting price; and Asus' Eee PC 1008HA, which reinvents that popular line with a slim, upscale design.

See our reviews of all the latest Netbooks after the break.

Samsung's NC20 stands out from the crowd in two very important ways. First, it's one of only a handful of 12-inch Netbooks (the best-known example being Dell's Vista-addled Mini 12); secondly, it's the first laptop we've tested with Via's Nano CPU, intended as an alternative to Intel's popular Atom processor.

The Atom is found in virtually every other Netbook, so it's always good to see some competition, and the new Nano managed to fight Intel to a tie, beating it in some benchmarks and falling behind in others.

We're more concerned about the NC20's 12-inch size, which blurs the line between typical Netbooks (and we're even hesitant to use the term in reference to a 12-inch display) and more full-featured ultraportable laptops. The key to Netbook satisfaction is keeping one's expectations realistic, and with a larger screen and keyboard, the NC20 looks and feels more like a traditional laptop, but still struggles, as all Netbooks do, with multitasking and video streaming.

Read the full review of the Samsung NC20.

Samsung NC20 Netbook

In Episode 24 of the Digital City, we discuss what happened at the recent Game Developer's Conference, the jump in Netflix's Blu-ray surcharge, and how VIA plans to take on the Intel Atom with its Nano CPU for Netbooks.

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Via Technologies has released a new Netbook reference design aimed at PC manufacturers that want to start selling Netbooks for the first time.

The reference design for the Via Surfboard C855 mainboard, unveiled Tuesday, includes the Taiwanese chip company's new VX855 media system processor alongside a C7-M processor. The mainboard will provide "smooth playback" of high-bit-rate 1080p high-definition video, as well as eight-channel HD audio, according to Via.

Via's Surfboard C855 reference design.

(Credit: ZDNet UK)

According to Richard Brown, Via's vice president of marketing, one advantage of the Surfboard C855 design is "the head start it affords mini-notebook system developers or those seeking to enter the market."

Via's 1.6GHz C7-M is a relatively old processor, as it first appeared in 2005. It has gone back to this chip for the new reference design despite having a more recent range of processors--the Nano range--that is already used in new Netbooks, such as Samsung's NC20. The Nano range offers better performance than both the C7-M and, according to ZDNet UK reviews, Intel's ubiquitous Atom processor.

Despite being based on an older chip, the new reference design is being pitched by Via as sufficiently capable of HD video playback. Reference designs for other new lower-range Netbooks, such as those based on ARM architecture, also include this feature.

The C855 board supports an 800MHz front-side bus, and connectivity options on the board include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, and 3G. Internal display resolutions of up to 1,366x768 pixels are supported, as are external display resolutions of up to 1,920x1,440 pixels.

David Meyer of ZDNet UK reported from London.

In making embedded devices, one of the biggest challenges has always been reducing the physical size of the device without compromising the functionality. And the main component that decides the size of a computer is the motherboard.

In this regard, VIA Technologies has some good news. The company announced Tuesday its latest board form factor for embedded systems, the Em-ITX. The new board boasts dual Input/Output coastlines while still establishing an off-the-shelf standard for ultraslim embedded devices.

The Em-ITX board's layout

(Credit: VIA)

Measuring merely 4.7 inches by 6.7 inches, the Em-ITX form factor is 30 percent more compact than the existing Mini-ITX standard, yet offers 200 percent more I/O real estate.

The Em-ITX form factor's unique design with dual I/O coastlines and an Em-IO expansion helps bring flexibility and scalability. On top of that, it also supports the 64-bit VIA Nano processor, the same CPU used in Samsung's new NC20 netbook.

While you will unlikely find computers that use this new ultracompact form factor, the Em-ITX board is the ideal base for industrial automation, digital signage, kiosk and other applications.

The Em-ITX board includes a variety of connectors including COM (RS-232/422/485), RJ45, DVI, VGA, LVDS, USB 2.0, and DC power. Its modular expansion through Em-IO Bus also integrates the majority of popular bus signal technologies, including USB 2.0, GPIO, LPC, PCIe, IDE, IEEE 1394, S-ATA, PCI, DVI, HDMI, Gigabit Ethernet and Card Bus.

General consumers might never have the need to get an Em-ITX board by itself, unless you want to build a highly customized device. However, according to VIA, products based on the Em-ITX form factor will be available early next month.

Samsung Electronics is adopting the Nano processor from Via Technologies for its NC20 Netbook.

The NC20 is set to be Samsung's successor to the NC10, which, like most Netbooks on the market, has an Intel Atom central processing unit.

The new Samsung NC20 Netbook

(Credit: Via Technologies)

Via's Nano chips are its first 64-bit, superscalar processors in its x86 platform portfolio. When coupled with the Via VX800 system media processor, a Nano chip supports full Microsoft DirectX 9.0 3D graphics, high-definition video and audio playback, and up to 4GB of DDR2 system memory.

The Samsung NC20 will feature the 1.3GHz Via Nano CPU and a 12.1-inch display with 1,280x800-pixel resolution. At 3.4 pounds, it will be a tad heavier than its 2.8-pound, 10.2-inch NC10 predecessor.

The Netbook will come equipped with Wi-Fi (802.11g) and Bluetooth wireless connectivity, and a six-cell battery that provides up to 6.5 hours on a full charge. You'll be able to choose between a regular SATA hard drive or a solid-state drive for storage. Other than that, the computer will also have an integrated 1.3-megapixel Webcam, a 3-in-1 memory card reader, and three built-in USB ports.

The Samsung NC20 will be available for purchase soon, with an estimated price of about $650 that will vary with configurations.

Johnny 5 is alive!

(Credit: Lynxmotion)

Via Technologies' EPIA-P700 Pico-ITX is an x86 embedded board that measures 10 cm x 7.2 cm, uses a 1GHz Via C7 CPU, and thanks to its low power consumption, is an ideal fit to process small little cute robots that will soon be our lords and masters. Well, maybe not soon, but one day, you'll see.

With robotics development representing the cutting edge of technological progress, Via's commitment to extremely compact designs, robust performance, extensive feature sets, and extremely low power consumption means that the company's off-the-shelf EPIA boards are becoming an essential component for academic, hobbyist, and commercial robot developers.

Via plans to be at the forefront of the eventual robot takeover as it has been a major supporter of robotics development for academics, hobbyists, and military applications. Friday in Taiwan--which is probably Thursday by now--Via showed off its EPIA Pico-ITX-based robots at the Taipei International Robot Show (TIROS), taking place August 21 to 24.

At the Via booth will be three compact robots provided by PlayRobot, a Taiwan-based robot developer and distributor of educational, scientific, and entertainment robots for government, academic, and research institutes, as well as robot kits for enthusiasts.

Smaller and cheaper have always been big tech buzzwords, and the currently hot category of Netbook laptops seems to be embracing that spirit better than anyone else in recent memory. After all, we used to be crazy for 11- and 12-inch ultraportable laptops, which combined uninspiring performance and poor battery life into packages costing upward of $2,000. Now we can get comparable performance and (sometimes) better battery life in small 9- and 10-inch systems for $400-$700.

With low-power processors, tiny screens and finger-cramping keyboards, most of these Netbooks aren't good for much more than surfing the Web, checking e-mail, working on office documents, and maybe a little light multimedia playback--but that's 90 percent of what we do with our laptops anyway.

Still, the Netbook craze may be getting out of hand. Even without upcoming entries from Dell and Lenovo, we've looked at five new models recently, and consumers who may very well be interested in a second or travel laptop are confused by the different components, prices and even operating systems available.

To help clear up the confusion, we looked at a bunch of current Netbooks and created a handy chart to show you what's inside each one, as well as battery life, and most importantly, price.

CNET's handy Netbook comparison chart

Do you want a more detailed comparison? Check out "Searching for the perfect Netbook."

To our surprise, we found that none of these Netbooks hit all the benchmarks we were looking for--some were underpowered, some had terrible batteries, and others simply cost too much for what should be almost an impulse purchase.

The Eee PC 901 hits most of the marks, and we love its extended battery life, but at $600, it's just as expensive as a comparable 15-inch budget laptop. The Eee PC 1000 is even more expensive, thanks to its best feature, a 40GB SSD drive, but again, excellent battery life, topping five hours.

Acer's Aspire One is great-looking Netbook, and at $379, it's also one of the cheapest. However, by saving a few bucks, you have to accept a measly 512MB of RAM and a battery that lasts only about two hours. It also has a Linux OS instead of Windows XP. While that certainly has its advantages (cheaper, runs well with less RAM), we generally prefer Windows XP in our Netbooks--it's more familiar to people, and makes it easier to install new software or troubleshoot problems.

The MSI Wind came close to fulfilling our Netbook dreams, but we'd rather have a smaller SSD drive (for less weight, better battery life, and hopefully more reliability, thanks to its lack of moving parts), than an 80GB standard platter drive. Also, at less than two hours, this is one of the worst batteries we've seen on anything besides a massive desktop replacement.

The Sylvania G Netbook has some decent component choices, but it was totally undone by a tiny 7-inch screen, virtually unusable touch pad, and a sluggish older VIA processor (we're still waiting to see something with VIA's new Nano Netbook CPU, which has been garnering some positive buzz).

If you're in the business of making PCs, listen up, because we're about to tell you how to build the perfect Netbook--a Frankenstein-like system, combining our favorite parts from all the Netbooks we've tested.

Our dream Netbook

• CPU: 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270--We're open to new challengers, but this has quickly become the default Netbook CPU.
• Hard Drive: At least 20GB SSD--We know SSD drives are expensive--but that's our minimum for useful storage and expansion.
• RAM: 1GB--Perfect for running the stripped-down version of XP found in many Netbooks.
• OS: Windows XP--Netbooks are supposed to be especially consumer-friendly--having a familiar operating system helps, plus it's easier to install new software or troubleshoot problems.
• Screen: 8.9-inches--The best marriage of usability and portability.
• Battery: At least 180 minutes--We know longer battery life requires bigger, bulkier batteries, so we'll compromise for a solid three hours.
• Price: $499--Here's the most important part. A Netbook needs to come in less than that magic $500 mark to stand out from the scores of cheap mainstream laptops on the market.

So there's our challenge to the computer industry. Build one of these, and you'll not only likely sell a ton of units, but you'll also have the satisfaction of saying you built the perfect Netbook.

Or, if you have a better idea of what the perfect Netbook would include, let's hear it--there's plenty of space for comments below.