Chuwi Minibook X: the netbook we deserve
Netbooks are dead, but the Chuwi Minibook X scratches the same itch.
The Minibook X is a 10.5″ x86_64 sub-ultrabook with 16GB RAM, a 512GB NVMe drive, and only one majorly annyoing Linux quirk.
I needed a knock-around laptop, so I bought myself a Minibook for my birthday last year. The more I tote it around, the more fun I’m having with this ridiculous little computer.
Much like the netbooks of yore, the Minibook is a budget machine. But it’s 2026, so even budget machines pack more oomph than I need from a utility laptop.
One oddity is that the Minibook comes bundled with a 12V/2A USB-C charger. I chucked the charger; I worried I’d fry some 5V SoC someday. The Minibook works fine with a PD charger.
I’d assume the 12V charger was a cost-saving choice, but it also creates some weird possibilities for DC/off-grid setups.