does anyone have any recommendations on a small laptop for the missus….

all mine have been big in the past!

You'll at least need to specify a budget, and what it'll be used for…

In my experience netbooks are too small for frequent use. I have an Acer Aspire 1810 which though small has a full size keyboard. It's great.

If just for web and e-mail what about an iPad?

netbooks are fine for frequent use if that use is sitting on the couch just browsing the net, my 20" iMac rarely gets used now as i have my 10" netbook on the couch right next to me, mostly just used for internet but occasional word and excel use too. Was going to go iPad but the netbook was half the price and does flash which i'm glad i have now as i find myself watching a fair bit of flash stuff. Just depends what your preferences are really.

girlfreind using it at college….not bothered about budget just want a good thing that'll work for 3-4 years

Can i recommend the acer Ferrari one has dual core processor 2 or 4gb of ram is quicker than a net book but at only 11" is just bigger i have the old acer Ferrari and its been faultless there only £400 as well.

Look different as well with carbon bits and red top 😀

basic macbook pro ticks all the boxes superb construction and can run both mac OS and windows via bootcamp. Buy off apples resale http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/specialdeals/mac?mco=OTY2ODY3Nw for a cheaper unit. If not perhaps dell or lenovo?

I got mine from there £750 last year 15% VAT the only fault is a slight anodizing blemish barely noticeable.

I've got a samsung NC10 I've had for a year and a half and I love it. Got the MS Office suite installed on it and it's perfect. I put it in my bag with the rest of my gear when I'm travelling so it doesn't require it's own bag unlike larger laptops

small laptop for the missus.

Clearly I'll need photos before considering parting with my laptop! 😀

i'v had a LG netbook for 18 months now.

Installed linux mint on it and it does all my pc duties including watching vids. Even when it had windows on it, a careful selection of programs and youll be able to do most things on it.

there is a surprising amount of power in there.

I've a really nice Sony viao p series that I've been trying to sell, I did stick it on eBay, cash on collection, only for it to be won by someone wanting to pay with paypal and for it to be posted to a shipping address… …hmmm that ain't happening! So it could well be up for grabs if your interested?

drop me a mail with the cost……

I've got an Aspire ONE net book and it's a cracking little bit of kit, good graphics, great sound, great battery life.

Don't find the keyboard too much of an issue to be honest.

10.1" screen so plenty big enough for browsing etc.

Picked mine up for £210 inc a neoprene cover 😀

In my experience netbooks are too small for frequent use. I have an Acer Aspire 1810 which though small has a full size keyboard. It's great.

got one too, fully recommend, easily 6 hours + battery life, quiet, good screen, light, only downside speakers are a little tinny for watching films but easy to remedy by hooking up speakers.

Lenovo Thinkpad X100e couple of spec to choose from with 11'' screens or Lenovo Thinkpad Edge 13''. Both are a step up from netbooks but below proper laptops. Both well built, i have a dual core amd x100e. Edge would ve better for your wife… Take a look at lenovo website – good deals on both if you buy direct… They are also available from Dabs 'wiggle for comps' though you can not alter or tailor specs

Another thumbs up for the Samsung NC10 here. And it's a lot nicer than the Asus eePCs my colleagues have.

Acer Aspire 4810TZ, small footprint and 8 hour battery – really impressed with it.

Biggest problem with laptops though is that they are most frequently dropped and/or stolen – so don't 'overspend'. Plus the batteries start to loose their power after 18 months or so.