With the ever evolving technical world, computers are shrinking in size but still feature some of the most advanced operating systems. Today, people are required to travel around the world with their PC's in toll. But, one cannot move around with their desktops loaded on their backs. Thus, came the invention of laptops, also known as notebooks, that were easy to carry around, but expensive.
Yet, people looked for smaller versions of laptops with specific features according to one's needs. This led to the creation of the ultralight, super small netbooks. The availability of choice has confused consumers who often wonder which is better - netbook or notebook? We shall have a look at the differences between netbook or notebook in short and you can decide for your own which is better, a netbook or a notebook.
Netbook - Notebook Comparison
Generally, it is the students who are stuck as they cannot decide which is better of the two: netbooks or notebooks for college. Both these devices are the same basically - very personal hand held computers with distinctive features. Let us go through the netbook vs notebook computer information that will help you understand each of them better.
Overview of a Netbook
If you are someone always on the move, then you can think about getting yourself an ultralight netbook. The netbooks are very small and have a screen size of 12" or may be even smaller. You can carry around your netbook in your backpack or purse without having to worry about the weight factor. Netbooks may come with a CD or DVD drive that may help one watch a movie while traveling in a subway or bus (with headphones on). These devices are basically made for using the Internet, communicating and checking some data. They have a very good battery life that can last up to 12 hours. If you wish to check a few mails or read ebooks and stay connected with the virtual world, you can try using a netbook.
Overview of a Notebook
Notebooks are a bit larger than a netbook with a bigger screen size. They weigh about 5 pounds and are meant for some rather heavy work. They are very useful to those who want to create graphics, edit music and manage a large music and video library. It has a big hard drive that gives better speed and storage capacity. You can run heavy programs on a notebook. However, you will find the battery draining off faster than a netbook.
Netbook vs Notebook
The following table will highlight some of the differences between notebooks and netbooks. Read through the following table for a better understanding of the two devices.
| Netbook vs Notebook: Difference | |
| Netbook | Notebook |
| Netbooks are ultra thin devices that are easily portable. | Notebooks weigh about 1.9 kg or more and may be slightly difficult to carry around. |
| The size of a netbook is about 7" to 12.1" only. | The screen size of notebook is quite large and can be more than 12". |
| The processor used in a netbook is VIA C7 1.2GHz, AMD Geode 800MHz or Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz. | The processor in notebooks can be AMD Turion X2, Intel Pentium Dual-Core, Core 2 Duo. |
| The netbooks come with an Integrated Graphic Card that is mostly Intel GMA 900 or 950. | Notebooks can use Integrated or External Graphic Card by Intel GMA X3100 or AMD Mobility HD 3870 X2. |
| Netbooks tend to have a slower speed when one loads it with many software and applications. | It has a larger hard drive that is capable of storing more software and applications. |
This was some information related to netbooks and notebooks. From the above information you can decide which is better - netbook or notebook. As you can see, a notebook is a portable version of a desktop computer while a netbook on the other hand has limited usability. Hope the above information has helped you decide which device will be suitable to your needs.
