Laptop vs Netbook vs Tablet, Which is the Best to Buy?

Jan. 13, 2011 - PRLog -- The Laptop/Notebook
Desktops are obviously not mobile. You can't take them to class or out with you, although it would be quite humorous if you did. The good thing about them is that they are going down in price, and a lot of people utilize them as a family computer, and the entire family shares one, so that works.

Laptops or notebooks are nice to haul around to class with you. It's the most widely recognised and understood mobile computing device available. Wireless is pretty easy to come by for the most part. Notebooks are only the tip of the mobile computing iceberg, and the market is quite confusing for anyone who's looking for a portable PC. Besides all the different notebook form factors – desktop replacement, ultraportable and so on – there's the increasingly popular netbook category to consider. And as if that isn't enough, you also have to consider tablets and the new smartbook category.

The vast majority of notebooks are based on Intel technology, but systems based on AMD hardware are also available at the lower end of the market. Intel has pretty much dominated the notebook market since it launched the Centrino platform back in 2003. The ultraportable category includes all those slim and sexy models that people like to show off in executive departure lounges, or in Starbucks while they're sipping a decaf latte. They often sport low or ultra-low voltage CPUs to ensure that the most time can be squeezed out of the thin and light battery. And they tend to be the design highlight of any notebook manufacturer's range.

General purpose notebooks tend to sport 14 or 15-inch screens, along with full sized keyboards, integrated optical drives and plenty of connectivity options around the chassis. They generally weigh around 2.5kg, which means they're noticeably heavier than an ultraportable, but still light enough to be carried around in a backpack.

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It's always worth taking a close look at the specification of a general purpose notebook though, since some models that look like bargains are often equipped with ageing and underpowered hardware. As a general rule of thumb, anything with an Intel Core processor and upwards of 2GB of RAM should be able to cope with most things you're likely to throw at it.

Additionally, you should expect to see a DVD writer built in, at least three USB ports, integrated Wi-Fi and possibly Bluetooth. It's pretty common to see a webcam built into the lid to facilitate video conferencing too. There was a time when a well built notebook with those features would have set you back over £2,000, but these days you can pickup something from the likes of HP or Samsung for around £600.

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The Netbook
When Asus launched its Eee PC back in 2007, it created a whole new product category that took the tech world by storm. Netbooks are good at web browsing and email but multi-tasking and flash can be painful. Netbooks are also good for taking note and word processing. Newer dual core netbooks are expected to improve the user experience.

The most important about a netbook is that no matter what size it is, or how good the screen is, it's still limited by the hardware inside it. Most netbooks come equipped with Intel's Atom processor and are limited to 1GB of RAM – the reason for the meagre complement of RAM, is that in order to qualify for a cut price "netbook edition" of Windows, Microsoft insists that a netbook can not ship with more than 1GB! Of course that doesn't mean you can't upgrade the memory post purchase.

But even with more memory, a netbook is still suited to basic computing duties, such as email, web browsing and basic document creation. So, if you're looking to buy a computer that you can use to, say, edit your home movies and photos, a netbook simply won't be up to the job. AMD is also hoping to gain ground in the netbook space with its Vision range. the netbook can be used when you're out and about, or relaxing in the garden, but when you need to do something a bit more heavy duty, you can use something with a bit more juice.

The Tablet
New tablets like the iPad, BlackBerry Playbook, and Samsung Galaxy Tab are fast and responsive. Tablets are very versatile. They can be used for web browsing, music/video playback, e-book reading, digital picture framing, and much more. They are highly portable and offer an easier, more flexible way to surf the Internet, play games, read books, use mobile apps, and consume movies, video, and music. Tablets offer an easy-to-use touch interface and, thanks to the rich computing environment delivered by iPad and Android-based devices, they could become the one computing tool that people need a lot of portability and who like to own a fast and responsive gadget which could be operated easily with a finger-touch.

Despite the fact that deep down, most of us know that we simply don't need an iPad, it hasn't stopped millions of consumers from buying into Apple's iPad hysteria. So, now you have a tablet computer that works without the need to use a stylus, or plug in a keyboard every time you want to type a message. And when you throw in Apple's App Store, the functionality of an iPad can be constantly expanded to suit the user's needs.

In all honesty though, a tablet device does have obvious limitations. You're not going to want to write a long document on one, like you could on a notebook, or even a netbook, since it doesn't have a keyboard. As always though, it comes down to what you're looking for from a mobile device. If you just want to use email, browse the web, watch some video and read the odd eBook, then a tablet makes a decent case for itself.

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The smartbook is a completely new mobile category, so new in fact that we're still waiting for the first products to ship. In essence, a smartbook is what the netbook probably should have been. Unfortunately many manufacturers have been intent on turning netbooks into cheap notebooks, rather than lightweight, affordable mobile devices. So now we have the smartbook, which is lighter and smaller than a netbook, offers good battery life and is always connected to the Internet via built-in 3G. One interesting looking smartbook is the Lenovo Skylight, which we saw at CES in January. The Skylight is very thin and light, but still has a keyboard that's good enough for extended periods of typing. There's no doubt that the smartbook looks as though it could be a very interesting platform, appealing to first time mobile device users as well as established notebook users who want something thin and light to complement their fully featured mobile computer.

Summary
A laptop can be a great desktop replacement. Laptops are powerful and capable. Buy a laptop if you really need to replace your old computer and use it as a main. Laptops, can be fairly portable. Laptops are good for gaming and media editing. A netbook is a great second computer to compliment your existing main computer. Netbooks are very portable but not as capable or powerful as laptops. Netbooks are ideal for surfing the web, lightweight gaming, and word processing. Tablets are just as or even more portable than netbooks. Tablets computers are perfect for media consumption. They're ideal for music, watching videos, playing interactive games, e-book reading and browsing the web. They are not ideal for work related processes such as word processing or photo editing.
Article from: http://www.papatek.com/News/News/214.html

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