Netbooks vs. Notebooks

Netbooks are booming in popularity, with many users attracted to their low prices and portability. They are sometimes significantly cheaper than notebooks, but there are several notable differences between the two. It’s important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of netbooks before buying one.

As you can see below, the difference in sizes between a netbook and a notebook can be quite dramatic. On the bottom is a notebook with a 16-inch display and on top is a netbook with a 10-inch display.

Netbooks

Netbooks are in essence “mini-notebooks” designed with affordability and portability in mind.. They typically weigh less than three pounds and cost less than $400. Many people find netbooks most useful as companion devices, using them in tandem with their more powerful notebooks or desktops. Netbooks have fantastic battery life, especially when paired with extended six-cell batteries.

Netbooks are great for basic computing; browsing the Internet, creating documents, and watching videos online are all things that netbooks are more than capable of doing.

Netbooks don’t include a lot of the features commonly found in larger notebooks. For example, netbooks do not come with an optical drive installed, which means you won’t be able to use them to play DVDs or CDs, unless you purchase an external drive.

Netbook processors and other components are also usually slower than those founds in notebooks, meaning that the computer won’t be able to perform exceedingly complicated tasks or run resource intensive programs. For example, some netbooks have trouble playing high-definition video on popular video sharing sites.

Netbooks typically have 10-inch displays and small keyboards. These are fine for bite-sized computing sessions, but many people find that these two features limiting.

Notebooks

Notebooks are come in all shapes and sizes, but generally have larger displays, keyboards and hard drives compared to netbooks. While they can be bulkier to carry around, notebooks are significantly faster than netbooks. . There is a wide variety of notebooks to choose from and they can often be customized to meet your needs and interests.

Notebooks typically have displays ranging from 11-inches all the way up to 18-inches. The lightest notebooks weigh about three pounds and the heaviest can weigh over nine pounds. The most affordable notebooks typically have 14-inch or 15-inch displays and weigh between five and seven pounds.

Many notebooks can be used for computer gaming and watching high resolution movies thanks to faster components. They can run more advanced applications and help users get their work done faster. Though they are more expensive, notebooks are ideal for users who’ll be depending on them as their main computer.

Notebooks are popular among students who use them as entertainment centers. Some notebooks can be configured with Blu-ray disc playes and special graphics chips for stunning video and gaming performance.

If your budget is in the $500 to $1,100 range you will be able to choose from dozens of notebook models.

Which is Right for You?

Netbooks are the more affordable product but may not be powerful enough for you to use as your main computer, especially if you’ll be running complicated programs, creating multimedia or playing video games. Notebooks are are more robust, but some may find them too heavy to always carry. More people are buying both; using the notebook as their main computer and the netbook as a secondary machine to bring everywhere.

Notebooks are becoming cheaper every day and you can often find an affordable one for less than $400. A notebook may be more desirable if you don’t plan on using your computer outside of your home very often. Netbooks are even less expensive, with some models starting as low as $200 and may be a great fit if you’re looking for an extremely portable computer.