Despite the down economy this holiday season, netbooks are experiencing strong demand. The computers, which weigh less than most textbooks, are proving popular with high school and college students.

What goes up must come down, and lately what’s coming down are netbooks, as more and more articles talk about the compact computers disappointing customers. However, we can’t blame netbooks for that.

From Windows laptops to Chromebooks to MacBooks, our experts have tested and identified the top low-cost machines that make short work of everyday computing. The best part? Many ring up for less than ...