Laptop, Netbook, or Tablet? There are a couple of reasons you might be asking yourself this question. Perhaps you are looking for a new portable computer and are unsure which route to go. Maybe you don’t really understand the difference at all and wish you did. Have no fear! The following is a simple breakdown of the key differences between these devices.
Laptops
In many cases, laptops are the most powerful of the three. They can range in price from $250 to well-over $1,500. This vast price differential is based on the laptop’s capabilities. Generally the higher-end the laptop, the faster its processor will be. A processor is like the brain of the computer, and it determines how quickly it performs tasks you require of it. There are a lot of good processors available these days, but ones by Pentium remain a good bet. You are also paying for the memory in a laptop, which helps determine how well your device can multitask.
A third group of factors that determine the price you pay for a new laptop is the non-essentials. Things like video cards, soundcards, weight, screen size, and speakers can drive up the price of a device quite quickly. This is especially true of weight. In general, the more lightweight and powerful a laptop is, the more expensive it will be. If you want an example of a good high-end computer, check out the Dell XPS15 Series. Be warned though, you shouldn’t be buying a new computer without a deal. Search the web for coupon sites to see if you can find Dell coupon codes or discounts. Chances are you can.
Netbooks
Netbooks are similar to laptops but they are designed to perform fewer complex functions. Most Netbooks are made primarily for surfing the Internet and sending emails, but they are not any good at running computer games or storing lots of files. Also, they may not have the capabilities to run programs like Microsoft Office, so you definitely want to check before making a purchase.
The major advantage of Netbooks is that they are portable, light, and inexpensive. Generally, you should be able to get a new Netbook for anywhere from $250 to $500. Almost all of the major companies have Netbooks on the market these days, but my advice is to buy one from a name that you recognize and trust.
Tablets
If you’re like most people, you probably have that one friend who has the newest and coolest tablet and swears by it. Are you missing out on the technology revolution by not having one yourself? Probably not. Still, tablet devices are pretty cool and they can be perfect for limited uses.
Most tablets are essentially Internet devices without a built in keyboard. The things that make them different from laptops and Netbooks are that they’re ultra lightweight and portable, usually have high quality touch screens, and contain many unique applications (or apps). A tablet is not going to substitute for a laptop if you need to do a lot of typing and advanced functions, but it can certainly compete with Netbooks if your primary goal is web browsing. One drawback to tablets is that they tend to be more expensive than Netbooks, and for a new one you are looking at a price range of $300-$800.
Now you Know!
That’s pretty much all you need to know. Whether you’re in the market for a new device or just wanted more information, this breakdown should be helpful. Happy computing!
Stefan Georgi has been an avid computer user and enthusiast for over twenty years. He enjoys helping consumers make informed decisions, in fact, Mr. Georgi highly recommends Cheap Sally for the latest in Dell discounts.
This post has been contributed by a guest poster. Their details, if any, appear at the end of the above article.
They all are excellent portable devices. I love to have 3 of those. If I have to choose one of those, I will choose Laptop because I can do all my work on laptops without any limitation.
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I have a laptop. And I’m looking forward to buy a new tablet, maybe between iPad or Galaxy Tab.
Andrew Walker’s recent post ..Who Loves Coffee has to try the Cuban One
I have to admit that netbooks are cool, but they can’t be compared with laptops in terms of capabilities… not right now. On the other hand, netbooks are smaller and more portable and cheaper.
For the moment I’m keeping my laptop – both work and personal.
Twitter: sanjaykhemlani
says:
I have a laptop, PC that I use. I don’t like to use tablet because of the power and performance, maybe just for browsing its ok. PC will have the best performance ever.
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Yes! I guess that is just the basic information i have been craving to know about this devices. I own a desktop and I want to know more about Laptops and I am as well very curious about this tablet devices. Thanks for sharing.
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Hey!! nice information, I have laptop,, which I carry for my persnol use,, nw I understand why many people jump for tablets….
Thanx for giving information
While I love all the fun new gadgets coming out that are great for lives on the go… I’m still pretty heavily reliant on my laptop. Maybe they’ll become outdated one of these days… I do love my ipad also, but it just doesn’t quite replace my laptop.
Hopefully I don’t sound stupid for admitting this, but until this post I actually wasn’t sure what the difference was between a netbook and a laptop. I think I might get my little cousin a netbook for his birthday.. He really wants a computer, but I don’t think he needs that many features. Might be perfect for him!!
~Kayla
Twitter: WindowsTalk
says:
Netbooks are perfect for younger people, especially students as they are smaller and lighter and have the tools they need for homework and assignments, etc.
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As a marketer I would choose Laptop because it play a vital role in my life today. laptops continue to explore and penetrate each and every major industries.
Zhyra Bonete’s recent post ..שליחת SMS
Laptop! Netbooks run really slow, and I don’t like tablets as I ned a physical keyboard to write in my blogs. I bought a netbook a year ago and I regret it. It was OK at first, but after having used it for a couple of months, it started to run slower and slower, even for Internet browsing.
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I have a laptop ( which is broken) and a netbook. I have my eyes on a tablet now, i was thinking about an Ipad but considering the price at which it comes.. Thanks for helping with the distinction.
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I understand the differences between the three and I used to use a laptop, but recently I started using a netbook for the reasons of conformity, not just mobility, of course.
It is smaller, and easier to be carried around.
Gaming on the netbook is something that never occurred to me-I use consoles for that purpose, and I do not mind if the memory is smaller, as it is still quite enough what I need.
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Tablets aren’t worth their prices yet. They’re more of a trend, people don’t really buy them for functionality. Regarding netebooks, i can understand people buying them because they’re cheap and if all you do is surf the web they’re enough. But they’re not good enough for my needs because i run Photoshop from my laptop, i need power and a wider screen for the graphic chalanges that may arise. In my situation i can afford paying more than on a netbook, but i’m just the minority.
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Twitter: Janis167
says:
I use PC and a tablet. I use tablet for reading blogs and eBooks, but PC is for working and those God damn video games…
)
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Thinking about newer technologies like tablet is good to imagine. But I still choose the laptop, I can do whatever I want, bigger capabilities and I am really used with the functions. I would still go for laptops.
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it depends on what do you need it for. I prefer the laptop, as a desktop replacement, but if you travel a lot, you might consider the tablet
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Twitter: thetechadd
says:
All have alot of portabiliy but I don’t really like netbooks, I like to carry my laptop while travelling because it gives me enough power for all of my work. I am also considering buying a tablet .
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Twitter: shergillgames
says:
A smaller laptop with a 13 inch screen is the best compromise available between portability, price and performance. I’m shopping around trying to find one to replace my old laptop.
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Laptop for my vote. Have all three, but tablets just for goofing off (and getting pissed off). Laptop with 3d graphics for $350 last year was all I really needed, puts everything else to shame!
Love the tablets. Great for transportation. It’s really useful for a traveling portfolio this is especially great for artist.
As a developer I’ll stick with my laptop for now. Doing anything that requires lots of typing is hopeless on a tablet.
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I like the appearance of the tablets but, personally, I don’t see why I would choose it instead of a Netbook.
You say that Netbooks don’t work with Microsoft Office, but I think that there are some pretty good Netbooks with 1.6Ghz and Intel Atom N570 that can work with Office just fine.
We say ‘human wants are unlimited’ and its so true. I have a laptop but I want a tab so that it can be more convenient to carry around and I want a netbook as well because of some of its amazing features
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One thing that tablets have over both laptops and netbooks is battery use. I’m not current on the battery usage of today’s netbooks and laptops but i believe it’s still in the 2 – 4 hour range which is extremely laughable by tablet standards.
I don’t own a tablet as yet, but i do have a main work laptop and a netbook, and in my line of work it helps to be very portable. Sure the on-screen keyboard is not conducive to long term typing, but you can always invest in a portable keyboard if necessary. And the kind of work i do on my laptop and netbook can be done from a tablet (with the exception of anything that requires use of a powerful graphics cards that only laptops can field… for now).
I honestly feel that tablets will eventually replace laptops as the PC of choice for mobility and endurance on the go, while laptops will replace (and they already have in my workplace) desktops for heavy home/office usage. Laptop provide continuity in the event of some disaster (i.e. moving your workspace to a temporary generator-powered zone is easier with a single laptop than with monitor, tower and assorted peripherals), and have the added bonus of their own batteries.
Nice detailed explanation. Just want to point out one very good feature of a tablet. It has touchscreen capability. Which means you dont need a keyboard and mouse to surf the web. Also, many available games for kids can be quite enjoyable in touchscreen.
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I’ve never really seen the use of a netbook. They’re small and that’s good but a tablet now even has more computer power and options. Not for me. Give me a laptop and an i pad and I’m happy.
I’ve experienced using both laptops and netbooks and also tablets. For me, personal computers tend to surpass them all. But given a limited choice, I’ll go for the laptop.
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I think that netbooks were the answer until ultrabooks started to gain traction. Now these new MacBook Air clones will be the next in PC revolutions. Especially when Windows 8 comes into play.
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Twitter: infoamit
says:
as a webdeveloper i ll always prefer laptop.because it is portable and ans powerful than tab.
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