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| Netbooks | 19% | 5 votes | Total: 26 votes | |
| Laptops | 81% | 21 votes |
Netbooks
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Add to FavoritesThe debate over netbooks and laptops have continued for a lengthy period of time and with continued netbook growth, it seems as if there's no end in sight. It's not so much 'which is better' as apposed to "which is better for me". The decision is ultimately a verdict of what you, the customer, believes is more important. Power or portability? If you're buying a notebook, you likely need a good combination of both, but with consumers more frequently commuting, while using the web more (and therefore requiring fewer system resources), the netbook is a breakthrough in general computing and a fantastic option. Meanwhile, there are several power hungry users that need 13" or larger displays, a full sized keyboard, and all the power they can afford, but these people wouldn't necessarily be the ones even in the market for netbooks. If one is in the market for an extremely portable, quick, internet ready device, a netbook would most certainly suffice.
The key feature of a netbook is price. Though you can buy high end netbooks for up to $2000, the sweet spot for netbooks are in the $200-$400 range. Within these ranges, you get about 1GB of RAM, a 160-250GB of hard drive space (or 16GB of the super-fast solid state drive), a 8"-11" display, a webcam, and a subpar graphics chip that are optimal solely for day-to-day tasks. But most importantly, you get an exceptionally long battery life, with netbooks lasting for nearly, or even more than 10 hours (as apposed to the 3-5 you'd get for laptops). For most people, especially those whose tasks involve browing the web, instant messaging, creating documents, watching video online, etc. their day-to-day tasks don't require very daunting specs, but they do need a really strong battery life, and the netbook is a fantastic option for these.
So, what do people complain about when they look at a netbook? First, you have the smaller display and smaller keyboard. Most laptops are equipped with at least a 13" display while netbooks generally go from 8"-10". What's the problem here? Well, there isn't one. Netbooks are now coming equipped with displays up to 12" and the point of a netbook is the drastic portability. Netbooks offer the versatility to choose between a display as low as 7" to one up to 12". Anything larger and it's basically a laptop you're buying. The keyboard may be an issue for some, but netbook manufacturers are already shipping most netbooks with a keyboard that retains 80% of a full-sized keyboard, and many manufacturers have begun implementing full-sized keyboard on their machines. Regardless, users quickly become accustomed to the keyboard on a netbook and after a few days, typing becomes a much quicker, simpler, and easier task.
Among other complaints are its lack of an optical drive, obsolete wireless G technology, and slow processor. However, these are all once again totally insignificant to the average consumer. Optical drives are becoming obsolete with the wide adoption of usb drives, digital media, and extremely large, portable hard drives. Not many people need an optical drive and for those that do, an external drive can be bought for under $60 nowadays. Second, wireless G technology supports 54mbps, which is more than the vast majority of people's ISP provide in the US and Canada. Wireless N does have a longer range and less latency, but again, netbooks are used for portability, and there are unsubstantial amount of hot spots that even support Wireless N. Wireless G remains that standard. Lastly, the argument of a slow processor is completely trivialized when people realize what they're using their computer for. Intel's new atom processor is poised to be the standard in netbooks and has proven to provide a quick, efficient processor that handles day-to-day tasks completely optimal for the standard user. Many people don't know exactly how much processing power they need and the netbook shows that it's not very much.
After solely addressing the complaints over the product, it's important to realize what a netbook is and who it's made for. Those that want a portable, lightweight machine, that's great for browsing the web, that can be carried around anywhere, capable of running Windows, Linux, Mac OS X (with a hack) or even the upcoming Google Chrome OS, with a super long battery life, features like a built in camera, while retaining features like 1 or 2GB of RAM and a 160 or 250GB HDD, and with a price point of roughly $300, you can't go wrong with a netbook.
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Laptops
Netbook is a new wave in mobile computing. First time buyers are likely to be interested in these small laptops because of their attractive price tag, while power users appreciate them because they are lighter than regular notebooks, but still has a full keyboard. Netbook Because quite popular, many new models have been released in recent years, making it more difficult to decide which is right for you. On top of that, the traditional laptop is still a choice that should not be ignored. If you're after a multimedia experience, for example, a 17-inch laptop will provide the hands-down better picture than a netbook with 7-inch screen.
Perhaps the most important factors you consider when looking for a netbook or laptop will be the price. At the low end of the spectrum, you can find several models with a simple memory, disk space, and power for around $ 300. Sub-notebooks are more expensive can cost as much if not more than a full-sized laptop, but provides more power without sacrificing portability. The price you need to spend your netbook will depend on your needs. Web surfing, word processing, and simple tasks can be carried remarkable by the cheaper machines, but for the more hard-core gaming, running windows vista, and give your business presentations will want the higher end models. This difference is not always as simple as price, however, because some of the more expensive netbooks do not offer enough value to justify their price. To get a lot, you need to see the whole package including the size, weight, disk storage, onboard RAM, batteries, and extra features.
If you buy a sub-notebook you are online, it may be difficult to assess what size of machine will arrive after you order. Please note that the seven-inch models may have a seven-inch screen, but probably more like 10 inches long. This model can easily fit into a small messenger bag or a handbag, while the larger models approaching the size of a full-sized laptops and will not be. Netbook generally weigh very little, which makes carrying them around easily, but if you want an ultra-light model you have to compare the different weights. Please note that, if you later buy a larger battery or other accessories, your computer loads will increase. Machine with more features more likely to be heavy, so you will need to consider this before making a purchase.
To make sure what you buy, you'll want to start a search with little technical knowledge. First, you are faced with a choice of operating systems. The most popular system today is Microsoft Windows, you may use to read this article. Most netbooks only run Windows XP, so if you want to use the Vista operating system that you just will have a harder time looking for options, especially at the low end. Please note that Windows costs money, even when bundled with your new computer, which means that the computer windows will cost about $ 40 more. A popular alternative to Windows is the distribution of a free and user-friendly Linux operating system. Linux comes pre-installed on many netbooks as an option, no cost, and allows you to surf the web and doing their daily work in the same way that Windows does not. Most of the free Linux software and systems tend to run faster on most hardware. This is why, among other reasons, large companies tend to use Linux to run a web site and other large-scale projects. The main disadvantage is that, while it is possible to run Windows software on Linux, a popular game may not work well if they work at all. Netbook tend not ideal platform games in general, however, so Linux has found a good niche in this market.
One thing that might confuse the new buyers are various options available disk storage. Many netbook uses a traditional hard drive (abbreviated as HD), which offers a storage capacity greater at reduced costs. If you need more than 10 gigabytes (gb) space to store files you everyday, a hard drive would probably be the way to go. Unfortunately, hard drives tend to be slightly more weight and, because they have moving parts, can break more easily when dropped or hit around. Lighter alternative is the internal flash memory, which is referred to as a "solid-state drive or SSD. SSD tends to between 4 and 8 gigabytes, the cost of higher capacity are significantly more. Four gigabytes likely enough for most users, although conventional desktop computers offer more storage. You will reach the limit very quickly, but, if you want to save a lot of music and video content. The advantage of this SSD technology, including a slight increase access speed, and reliability that comes with no mechanical parts to break. Flash drives are limited by the number of read-write cycles that can undergo. After several years of regular use, this drive will slow down and eventually fail to predict. Hard drives, on the other hand, can last for years or fail in the first month.
RAM, or Random Access Memory, is used to store information on a computer on start the program. Run out of RAM can cause your computer to run on the decrease in performance. Very cheap netbooks can have as little as 64mb (megabytes) of memory, which is too small to run almost any kind of useful programs. Most, however, offer something between 512mb and 1 GB of RAM. Once again, what would you need depends on what you plan to use the netbook for you. For most tasks, 512mb is more than enough (you might even get by on 256mb), but if you tend to run many programs at the same time, you should think about getting more memory. Most models will allow you to add memory later if you need it, which can extend the useful life of your computer.
Battery life is sometimes forgotten, but very important consideration. Chances are, you will bring your netbook around with you and will not have the opportunity to fill throughout the day. Battery capacity is measured in milliamperes per hour , but much easier to find reviews of your product and find the approximate battery in hours. You can almost always buy a bigger battery later if you need one, but it was still good to check. Two hours is the absolute minimum time the battery must provide, but rather an additional bonus. If you are not ready to spring for the expensive batteries, you also can increase the runtime by the volume and brightness of the screen after you get a new computer.
Many netbooks offer additional features one kind or another. Asus, for example, sell models of their Eee PC computers with and without webcams. If you need a webcam from Asus, be prepared to pay a little more. Other special features include the ability to turn the screen and use the netbook as a tablet, and including bluetooth or extra-fast wireless card. If this does not mean anything to you, do not worry because you may not need this feature. Sometimes it is possible to add more to your laptop a little later for an additional fee as well.
If you have used these criteria to narrow your netbook options, your final task is to examine the selection of small laptop and make sure you are satisfied with the model you want before you buy. There is nothing more disappointing than paying for something that was far below your expectations, so shop wisely. In today's technology market, you can never be too careful with your money.
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