Nvidia Ion

With the right graphics, a li’l ol’ netbook can be your only PC. Nvidia’s ION chipset pairs a graphics chip with a low-power Intel Atom processor to take on tasks that usually foil netbooks, like playing high-definition movies and converting video formats. And since the graphics chip keeps the burden of video-heavy tasks off the processor, wattage stays low and battery life high. ASUS, HP, Lenovo and Samsung have ION-enabled netbooks, and more are coming in the next year.

Systems available from $400; nvidia.com