What's Hot: Best-Selling E-tail Products

What products prompt online consumers to part with their cash? These vendors have the answers. RetailVision teamed up with NPD Group to honor the products that had the highest sales totals in the e-tail market across 22 product categories. The list of best-sellers was culled from NPD's retail sales tracker for all of 2008. Vendors picked up their trophies at RetailVision Spring 2009, a conference owned by Channelweb.com parent company Everything Channel, at an awards event April 28. Here's a look at the hottest products sold online.

Netbooks continue to gain popularity. The ultraportable form-factor makes the devices easy to travel with while still providing access to functions such as Web browsing and checking e-mail. For e-tailers, the sapphire blue 8.9-inch Acer AOA150-1570 was the best of the bunch, racking up the most sales in 2008. It is equipped with an Intel Atom 1.6GHz processor, which puts low strain on the battery, providing longer life off a single charge. The AOA150 provides a keyboard large and comfortable enough so users don't feel cramped while typing.

Linksys By Cisco, the consumer arm of Cisco Systems, nabbed the top spot for wired networking products sold through brick-and-mortar retailers with its EtherFast 10/100 5-Port Workgroup Switch EZXS55W. This small wonder offers a budget-conscious way for users to build fast and reliable desktop Ethernet networks. The switch can connect up to five devices. This pint-size bad boy makes hubs a thing of yore, supporting half- and full-duplex speeds. The switch enables the network to run at 10, 20 or 100 Mbps or, if you want to kick it up a notch, a whopping 200 Mbps. Eliminating bottlenecks, overcoming bandwidth restraints and optimizing the network have never been easier.

Linksys by Cisco's WRT54G Wireless-G Broadband Router was the top-selling wireless networking product through e-tailers. The device offers multiple networking features, including Wireless-G connectivity at 54 Mbps and Wireless-B at 11 Mbps. The box also offers a built-in full-duplex 10/100 switch to accommodate wired Ethernet devices. Small enough to sit on the desktop, this 4-port wunderkind can directly connect four PCs. Or, for the adventurous, users can attach more hubs and switches to build a bigger network that can scale as needed. The routing function wraps it all together and puts a bow on it, letting the entire network share a high-speed cable or DSL Internet connection.

Hewlett-Packard's PhotoSmart C4480 was the top-selling multifunction printer through e-tailers, according to NPD. The inkjet printer packs it all into one attractive, compact package. Users can print, copy and scan from the device, and also can print digital pictures straight from a memory card -- no PC needed. HP clocks the printer at up to 30 pages per minute in black or 23 pages per minute in color, claiming it can print a 4 x 6-inch photo in as little as 25 seconds. While most users will be sufficiently happy with a three-ink cartridge, the PhotoSmart C4480 also supports a six-ink cartridge, which HP says produces lab-quality photo prints.

This super-deluxe Webcam includes Carl Zeiss optics, an autofocus feature that quickly adjusts as people move around in the screen and a 2-megapixel sensor that helps improve clarity and color. In addition, the QuickCam Pro 9000 comes with a 6-foot USB cable, QuickCam Software CD that includes Logitech Video Effects, one-click video e-mail, QuickCapture for photos, Windows Live Messenger, Skype with free full-screen video calling, video-enabled AIM, Yahoo Messenger and HP Photosmart Essential application for capturing, editing, customizing, and printing images.

Canon's PowerShot SD1100 IS packs a ton of features into a small package. This sleek, 8-megapixel beauty leaves nothing to be desired when it comes to photo quality and resolution. The camera includes built-in image stabilization technology that helps deliver in-focus images even in challenging shooting situations, and Canon's Face Detection Technology automatically calibrates focus, exposure, flash and white-balance settings. According to user reviews on Canon's U.S. Web site, the PowerShot SD1100 ranked highest in terms of ease of use and image quality, but battery life and portability were right up there at the top as well.

Kingston Technology had an e-tail hit on its hands in 2008 with this secure digital (SD) high-capacity memory card for digital devices such as cameras, MP3 players, PDAs, cell phones and camcorders. Why the big response to a fairly commoditized part? Price, price and price -- Fountain Valley, Calif.-based Kingston managed to go about as low as you can go on a 2-GB SD memory card. Currently, these babies are priced at less than $9 at several e-tail outlets.

For consumers looking for the perfect high-definition television to fit in small spaces, Toshiba America's 19LV505 fits the bill. The 19-inch 720p LCD unit includes a built-in slot-loading DVD player, making it an all-in-one entertainment powerhouse in a small package.

Samsung's stylish 46-inch high-definition LCD TV includes Auto Motion Plus 120Hz, a feature the vendor says nearly eliminates motion blur. It also boasts a 4-millisecond pixel response time, which Samsung says also helps reduce blur. The Energy Star-compliant set also features InfoLink RSS, which provides instant access to news, weather, sports and stock information.

The Garmin NUVI 350 GPS is ready to go out of the box with preloaded maps and a database of hotels and restaurants. The 3.5-inch screen ensures that the NUVI 350 fits easily on the dash of a car or in a pocket but is still large enough to read easily. Traffic alerts help keep routes smooth and quick, and its rechargeable battery lets you roam around town without worrying about the device dying out.

Sales of digital photo frames have exploded in the last three years as grandparents discovered this digital alternative to whipping out a wad of photos of their grandchildren. Kodak's EasyShare P720 Digital Frame, with its 7-inch LCD screen and 480-by-234 pixel resolution, was the top e-tail seller. Features that helped push the EasyShare P720 to the top include its touch-border controls (can't have fingerprint smudges on the kids' faces, can we?), two slots for secure digital cards and a choice of decorative mattes.

Altec Lansing likes to say that its iM600, recently updated as the inMotion Classic, "sets the standard for sound and size" in the market for portable stereos for the iPod. Consumers apparently agree. Altec said its proprietary ESS (Expanded Sound Stage) technology "widens the stereo image to fill a room with sound." Hyperbole, perhaps, but consumer reviews on Amazon.com, BestBuy.com and other sites back up the company's claims. The iM600/inMotion Classic also includes a built-in FM radio, a rechargeable battery for up to five hours of playing time and a wireless remote.

Pure Digital has made quite a splash with its Flip line of digital video recorders, so much so that it has caught the attention of Cisco Systems, which is now in the process of acquiring it. The Flip Ultra F260, 2008's top-selling Flash-based camera through e-tailers, sports 2 GB of internal memory, enough to store up to 60 minutes of recorded video. It also features a 1.5-inch screen and is available in a variety of colors.

Surges, brownouts and over-voltages, oh my! American Power Conversion's Back-UPS ES battery backup has eight outlets to protect computers, monitors, printers, all-in-one machines and other electronic devices from these potential power interruptions. The UPS also safeguards equipment from surges even if the Back-UPS ES is switched off. In addition, the device comes with software that tracks when a machine crashes and provides the reason why. APC also includes a free trial of antivirus firewall, a USB cable and a wall-mounting template.

If you're looking for a classic and comfortable design, Logitech's Deluxe 250 USB Keyboard could be worth checking out. It has a spill-resistant design that helps it withstand minor accidents, and has overlay-ready F-row keys. The keyboard is Vista-qualified and comes with a 3-year guarantee.

Antec's Notebook Cooler helps keep laptops from overheating. It features two fan speeds (400 or 600 rpm) to help keep notebooks cool regardless of the strain being put on the hardware. It also has a slim profile and weighs in at a little over 3 pounds, making for an easy fit on a user's lap.

As any Apple user knows, MacBook laptops aren't cheap. Keeping them protected and scratch-free is a priority for anyone who travels with their MacBook regularly. The Incase Designs 13-inch Neoprene Sleeve for the MacBook promises a form-fitting durable exterior and 3mm of plush, padded interior. Whether it's used as a standalone case or in a pack, the Incase Neoprene Sleeve provides enhanced protection and peace of mind.

Serious gamers know that over the course of a marathon session, the hardware in a desktop can get hot. The Antec Nine Hundred Gaming Case is designed to keep the machine cool so it doesn't crash. The Nine Hundred is built with a perforated front bezel and three 120mm fans with mounts for easier accessibility. Plus, a 200mm top-mounted fan adds an extra level of coolness to keep hardware frosty. The chassis' modular design means that pieces and parts can be added over time, and a tray for an mp3 player and digital camera adds a final level of customization for serious gamers.

Intel has since moved on to bigger and better things with its 45-nanometer, Nehalem-generation Core i7 processors, but last year's story still revolved around the chip giant's Core-based chips -- and none was a bigger hit in the 2008 e-tail market than the quad-core, 2.4GHz Core 2 Q6600 desktop part. Released in early 2007 and following on the heels of the QX700, the Q6600 was just the second quad-core shipped by Intel and was initially priced at a hefty $851. Now available in the $200 range, it's no wonder this durable 65nm part appealed to value-oriented PC builders last year. But those still wishing to get on the Q6600 train had better move fast -- Intel phased out the model earlier this year.

As the ramp of DDR3 memory progressed last year, values abounded for DDR2 kits such as Corsair Memory's 4-GB PC2-6400 package of two 2-GB sticks for PCs. While Corsair is known for its flagship Dominator line of performance memory products for overclocked gaming rigs, the Value Select lineup from the Fremont, Calif.-based company offered e-tail customers solid bang for their buck in 2008.

Here's more proof that the latest and greatest PC component isn't always the best-selling one. When EVGA released its GeForce 8800 GT card in late 2007, it wasn't the most fearsome chipset built around Nvidia's 65-nanometer revision to its G80 graphics processor. That was the much pricier GeForce 8800 Ultra. The following year, an even more out-of-control dual-card setup was delivered by Nvidia rival Advanced Micro Devices -- the Radeon HD 4870 X2. All EVGA's humble GeForce GT did was outsell those monsters on the major e-tail outlets. We think EVGA will take those results any day.

Kingston Technology's lineup of Data Traveler flash drives boasts a simple design and simpler price point, while the rugged and durable Data Traveler package keeps data safe through spills, impacts and even trips through the laundry. Other thumb drive makers like to attach weird rubber straps or annoying hinged covers to their products, but Fountain Valley, Calif.-based Kingston has kept the Data Traveler just the way e-tail customers like it -- with less flashiness and more flash.