Laptops & desktops: netbooks offer a lighter, cheaper alternative to traditional laptops.(Buyers guide)

IT HAS LONG BEEN A TRUISM that a laptop can never be too thin or too light. And it has been just as true that such a slim-and-light model would set you back at least $1,500. But now, in the nick of time for cash-strapped consumers, netbooks have come to the rescue.

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You've probably started seeing netbooks in airports, coffee shops, and just about anywhere people on the go congregate. Here's why: Although some netbooks are thicker than many 13-inch slim-and-light laptops, the typical model weighs just 3 pounds, is about 10 inches wide, and costs $330 to $450-little more than a high-end iPhone.

These compact laptops are increasingly being positioned more as an additional mobile network-connected device than as a supplemental computer. AT&T, for example, recently began offering subsidized netbooks from Acer, Dell, and LG for $50 to $250 in a few markets. The catch: You have to sign up for a two-year wireless plan for the netbook. Verizon is planning a similar promotion.

The six netbooks we tested for this report all performed well enough for Web surfing and e-mail, but we found some major differences in battery life among them. One new netbook, the Dell Mini 10, arrived too late to test for this report. We'll test it in the near future.

In addition, we've rated 31 conventional laptops and 27 desktops, and we offer a First Look at two of the smallest and cheapest desktops on the market, built with the same technologies used in netbooks.

What to expect in a netbook