Previously we discussed preferences for notebook sizes. Now it’s time for you to tell us which netbook size you are. Netbooks are, of course, those tiny, mini-sized notebook computers that cost a fraction of the price of their bigger siblings, but do pretty much the same. By definition, netbooks are considered devices that are used primarily to run applications on the Cloud, or via the Internet. Having lower-powered specs than full-fledged notebooks, netbooks are mostly used for Web browsing, email and other forms of online activity via the Web browser. But of course, netbook users know that these little gadgets are just as usable and powerful as bigger computers in many aspects.

Through the several months that netbooks have been popular, they have overtaken notebook computers in sales, mostly due to their lower price point. One basic difference among the various brands and models is the screen size, though, which usually also dictates the form factor and the price. Here are the usual choices.

7-inch netbooks: for early adopters

If you’ve bought a 7-inch at one point in your life, you’re most likely an early adopter. When Asus released the first EeePC, it came only in the 7-inch variant. The screen was tiny, and the netbook’s lid had quite a big bezel, with the speakers to each side of the screen. Still, it was a breakthrough at that time, and people went snapping up the $400 (or less) from the shelves and from online retailers just for the thought that ultraportable computing can now be affordable.

However, 7-inch netbooks are so 2007. If you’re still using a 7-inch netbook now, then you’re probably either a penny-pincher, or you’re using such a gadget for the novelty of it. That’s unless you use a Sony Vaio-P, which is in a widescreen 8-inch form factor, but with a $2,000 price tag (hey, it’s a pocketable design!).

9-inch netbooks: portable yet usable

A few months after the 7-inch netbooks became popular, the 9-inch screen netbooks debuted. Touted as more usable than the tiny 7-inchers, the 9-inch form factor was actually a popular choice, because the bigger screen usually didn’t result in a big increase in the overall size of a netbook, except for a few cases, where a netbook’s design could actually accommodate a 10-inch screen, like the Acer Aspire One and the HP Mini Note. In most cases, though, 9-inch screens easily filled the lid of netbooks similar to 7-inch models in other dimensions. The 9-inch screen also introduced the bigger 1024×600 pixel resolution, which helped do away with needing too much vertical and horizontal scrolling that 7-inch netbooks had with their 800×480 pixel screens.

10-inch netbooks: more comfortable, yet still portable

Now the complaint most people had with netbooks was their tiny keyboards, which gave trouble particularly to folks with big fingers, and touch-typists who needed the spacings to be just right. For some, even the 9-inch screens were still too small for comfort. and so netbook manufacturers came up with 10-inch models. Some, like Asus, built an entirely new chassis in the 1000 series, which was quite larger than their previous models, but had very long battery lives. Some, like HP, just reconstructed their netbooks with bigger screens, but on the same chassis.

The main advantage of 10-inchers is the more comfortable keyboard and, of course, larger screen. But screens were usually still 1024×800. And then the increase in bulk also added to weight, which went against the argument of netbooks being more portable than regular laptops.

There are other odd-sized form factors, like 11-inch netbooks, and the above-mentioned 8-inch Sony Vaio P. Your choice of screen size and form factor would usually stem from your main use of a netbook. So, which size are you?

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