Low-cost laptops with a diagonal of 11"

Acer Aspire ES1-111 (ES1-111M-C1EY)

The Aspire ES1-111 is a classic representative of a new generation of seemingly forgotten netbooks. It is the most affordable not only in our selection, but also one of the cheapest laptops on the market. This Acer has a practical, strict design. The case is made of matte plastic with a pattern of waves on the lid and the working panel. It is not only elegant, but also practical: this coating is not afraid of scratches and does not collect fingerprints. In addition, the device is very compact – with a thickness of 2.2 cm, the weight of the model does not exceed 1.3 kg. By the way, the weight of the device directly depends on the configuration. Three variants of the Aspire ES1-111 equipment have entered the market, which differ in the capacity of the drive. The top configuration received a 500 GB hard drive, and a more affordable model is a 32 GB eMMS flash drive. The weight of a laptop with eMMS, theoretically, is slightly less than with HDD.

The performance of the chosen version of the Acer Aspire ES1-111 is determined by the Celeron N2840 processor, which is often found in available laptops . This CPU has two cores with a frequency of 2.16 GHz (capable of temporarily reaching 2.58 GHz with increased load) and a built-in Intel HD Graphics video adapter. The netbook is also equipped with 2 GB of RAM (with an option to expand the volume to 8 GB). The performance of the model is similar to other laptops with Celeron and a little more performant than competitors with Atom. It is enough to perform everyday work and multimedia tasks, but you will have to forget about modern games, at most – card games, undemanding casual games and old hits with two-dimensional graphics.

The capacity of the non-removable battery is enough for 6-7 hours of work in office mode. The result is unattainable for most low-cost laptops. Another nice feature of the laptop is the absence of an active cooling system. So regardless of the load, the model always remains quiet. The eMMS version is completely silent, and a regular hard drive in another modification can disturb with a quiet crackling, etc. Also, the advantages of the model can include a convenient keyboard and a large enough touchpad, which is quite capable of replacing a mouse.

The manufacturer had to make some compromises due to the compactness of the laptop. In particular, the placement of the main ports is not very convenient. LAN interfaces with a transfer rate of up to 1 Gbit/s, HDMI, USB 2.0 and USB 3.0, as well as a slot for connecting the power supply, are installed on the back side. Therefore, you will have to turn the laptop to connect the peripherals. But the headset output and card reader are installed on the left side, so it's easier to connect headphones and a memory card. As for wireless interfaces, the Aspire ES1-111, like other devices in our selection, is equipped with Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11n modules.

If you are looking for an inexpensive, compact, practical and powerful enough computer for everyday tasks, then pay attention to the model from Acer. It is not very inferior to other models in this rating in terms of parameters, but they are more affordable in price (complete set with an eMMS drive).

Asus EeeBook X205TA (90NL0731-M02450)

The ASUS product range includes laptops for every taste: from affordable models to gaming and premium laptops. In 2015, the company released three models at once, which can be called netbooks. At the same time, the X205TA is perhaps the most successful of them, although not without drawbacks.

First of all, the model is interesting for its compactness – it is the thinnest (17.5 mm) and lightest (0.98 kg) laptop in our selection . It is important that the "miniaturization" took place with a minimum of compromises. The device features a comfortable keyboard and a very large touchpad touchpad. A nice addition will be the noiselessness of the model due to the lack of an active cooling system. In addition, the X205TA boasts the best battery life among the devices presented in the rating. So, in the office load mode, reading web pages or listening to music, the battery charge is enough for 10-12 hours of work.

The X205TA is positioned as a device for office work and study. There will be no special problems with this, but in entertainment you will have to limit yourself to HD quality movies and games like HearthStone. After all, here uses a low-cost Intel Atom Z3735F processor, which handles with Word, but gives up before World of Tanks. Unfortunately, the processor does not support more than 2 GB of RAM. On the other hand, it will still not work to increase the amount of RAM or install a more capacious drive instead of 32 GB of eMMC memory — the chips are soldered on the motherboard to reduce the size of the laptop. Of course, you can choose another netbook with a more performant Pentium or Celeron processor, and a large amount of RAM, but you will have to put up with worse mobility, and it will still not cope with resource-intensive tasks and games.

The device also has a small set of disadvantages, which are associated with the need to reduce the cost of the model. So, there are two USB ports without support for a high-speed USB 3.0 interface, microHDMI instead of a full-size HDMI, a microSD slot instead of an SD card reader, there is no LAN port, and finally the webcam has a VGA resolution (that is, it will not provide HD video streaming in Skype). Taking into account the price and advantages of this model, you can put up with these nuances. If you are looking for an inexpensive laptop, primarily for travel, then the X205T should be on your list of candidates for purchase.

Lenovo IdeaPad S20-30 (S2030 59-433766)

We included IdeaPad S20-30 Touch from Lenovo in the TOP 5 because of an interesting feature — a matte touch screen. We can say that this is a Windows tablet with a keyboard and an extended set of slots. The screen does not have the highest resolution — 1366x768 pixels. And to its quality from experts (for example, www.notebookcheck-ru.com ) there are complaints: viewing angles are not maximum, contrast is not high. But it will ensure the convenience of using and managing a laptop in any conditions. Windows 8 and 10 are optimized for touch screens, so it's with this laptop that you can feel it. And at the same price, he has few competitors. And as for the classic ways of entering information, not everything is smooth with this. The manufacturer claims "the industry's best AccuType keyboard". However, apparently the computer is too compact and low-cost-friendly to install a keyboard of this class, as in the ThinkPad business models. According to reviews, the keys have a short stroke, and the keyboard itself tends to sag when pressed. The touchpad is small, but it can replace a mouse on business trips and at lectures.

IdeaPad S20-30 Touch has entered the market in several configurations, which differ in the volume of the hard disk (320 or 500 GB), the volume of RAM (2 or 4 GB) with the possibility of expansion to 8 GB, as well as the processor (Celeron or Pentium). The S2030 59-433766 modification, like the Aspire ES1-111, uses a dual-core Intel Celeron N2840 and integrated Intel HD Graphics. And in the maximum configuration, a more performant Intel Pentium N3540 is installed. However, a laptop with this chip costs one and a half times more expensive, and the performance gain will most likely not be so significant.

Intel Celeron N2840 can do without an active cooling system, but this laptop has a cooler installed. It is quiet and performant enough to save the user from performance degradation when the processor is heated (trottling). Under heavy load, this netbook will show itself better than models like the Asus X205T — at the same time, it does not heat up much, and the "speed" of the processor does not decrease. And, last but not least, the noise from the cooling system is quiet.

On the sides of the device there are two USB 2.0 and one 3.0 ports, HDMI, an SD memory card slot and a combined audio port for connecting headphones, headset or microphone. In addition, top-end modifications are equipped with a wireless Wi-Fi 802.11ac module, as well as a gigabit LAN port, which, although it increases the cost of the product, is a useful feature for some users. We still consider the versions with the Wi-Fi interface 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 and LAN with a data transfer rate of up to 100 Mbit/s to be more balanced. After all, for the tasks for which the netbook is designed, this is enough.

Lenovo IdeaPad S20-30 Touch is a compact Windows laptop with a touch screen, a good level of performance and average battery life (about 5 hours). However the quality of the screen will not suit everyone, but in this price category you should not expect more.

Asus X200MA (X200MA-KX242H)

The Asus X200MA is very compact, but still larger than the X205T — it is a laptop weighing 1.24 kg and 25.6 mm thick. The compact design complements the practical appearance, so that the device is well suited for traveling and working on the road. The X200MA is available in a huge number of configurations. And it's not even that users can choose from several options for CPUs, RAM or storage. The model is available in four colour options – black, white, red and blue. Each user will be able to choose not only the equipment, but also the exterior design that he likes.

In our opinion, balanced in terms of price/performance is the version with a dual-core Intel Celeron N2830 processor with a clock speed of 2.16 GHz, 4 GB of RAM, as well as a 500 GB hard disk. Depending on the needs, you can choose either a more performant configuration with a quad-core Intel Pentium N3520 processor, a 750 GB hard disk, or a similar one touch screen configuration if the laptop designed for a gift to a child, for example. There is also a more affordable package with 2 GB of RAM, but considering that the RAM is soldered on the motherboard, it will not be possible to increase this volume. And 2 GB is not always enough to perform tasks.

In addition, depending on the configuration, the laptop may be supplied without a pre-installed Windows operating system. Therefore, the user will have to install the preferred OS independently. The process is not complicated, but if you have little experience in such matters, it is better to have another device at hand for reading tips on the Internet.

The laptop is better equipped than some analogues. In addition to Wi-Fi 802.11n and Bluetooth 4.0 wireless interfaces, there is a LAN port with a transfer rate of up to 100 Mbps, three USB ports (one of which corresponds to the 3.0 specification), a combined audio output, a card reader, as well as HDMI and VGA for connecting to old and low-cost monitors. The placement of ports is classic, on the side faces, so connected flash drives can interfere with mouse control, but it is more convenient to connect them than to the Acer ES1-111.

Despite its compactness, the Asus X200MA uses a battery with a capacity of 3300 mAh. Thanks to its energy-efficient platform, it is capable of providing up to 8 hours of battery life. The indicator is not a record, but unattainable for many laptops. X200MA is enough for a full day at an event, on a business trip, etc.

Perhaps the main disadvantage of the model is not the most comfortable keyboard and not always responsive touchpad. So it will take some time to get used to the small stroke of the keys when typing. But considering the very low-cost cost, the laptop offers a good combination of performance, equipment and compactness.

Acer Aspire Switch 11 (SW5-111-12V4)

In our selection, compact and lightweight laptops are considered, which a couple of years ago could be confidently called a netbook. And we included the Acer Aspire Switch 11 in the TOP 5 as an alternative for them. This model is a 2-in-1 hybrid device. When the dock is connected, the user gets a compact laptop, when it is disconnected, the device turns into a tablet. Together with the dock, the Aspire Switch 11 is thicker than most of the models presented in the selection (25.4 mm) and the heaviest in this review (1.55 kg). So this model is better suited for trips in the form of a tablet, and with a docking station it turns into a working typewriter for office use and study.

A hard disk is installed in the docking station, which significantly expands the storage volume of the device. But, unlike more expensive hybrid laptops, the dock lacks an additional battery. Although the 2850 mAh battery built into the tablet is capable of providing about 8 hours of operation. The magnetic connection mechanism ensures the simplicity and reliability of connecting the tablet to the dock. But the keyboard and touchpad, judging by the reviews, are not the most convenient.

In tablet mode, Acer is larger than its counterparts and it does not have a "rear" camera. But a large 11.6-inch touchscreen display is better suited for working with Windows than 7-9-inch tablets. Please note that depending on the configuration, the screen has a resolution of 1366x768 pixels or 1920 x 1080 pixels. The second option is more preferable, but also more expensive. At the same time, both variants use an IPS matrix without such problems as limited viewing angles, etc., protected from damage by Gorilla Glass 3.

Traditionally for Acer, the model has many configurations, but only a couple of complete sets are supplied to our market. The most affordable of them includes a quad-core Intel Atom Z3745 with a frequency of 1.33 GHz and integrated graphics, 2 GB of RAM and a 32 GB drive. By the way, an SSD is used instead of an eMMC drive, that is, the speed of loading the system, copying files, etc. will be higher than that of conventional netbooks. The performance level is decent for a tablet with a full-fledged Windows 8.1 on board. Aspire Switch 11 will cope with office tasks, Full HD movies and even games that are undemanding to hardware.

Want more productivity? Please, the Aspire Switch 11 version with a Core i3-4012Y processor with 4 GB of RAM and a 64 GB SSD. With The Witcher 3, the tablet still can't cope, and such a model costs at least 15.6-inch laptops. Otherwise, the equipment of Switch 11 configurations does not differ from each other and corresponds to netbooks. It has Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, full-size USB 3.0, as well as a combined audio port. Unfortunately, there is a microSD slot and a microHDMI video output installed here, so you may have to buy adapters for SD cards and full-size HDMI.

The Acer Aspire Switch 11 turned out to be the most expensive device in this rating, but its cost is justified due to the ability to work both as a tablet and a compact laptop. In addition, it has an IPS screen, good battery life and a complete set with a CPU Core i3, which will provide a better level of performance than netbooks. Nevertheless, you will have to put up with not the most comfortable keyboard, as well as the fact that Acer is larger in size than conventional netbooks and tablets in the corresponding operating modes. If compactness is more critical for you than performance, then pay attention to the transformer Aspire Switch with a 10-inch screen.