Laptop Vs Netbook Vs Tablet

I have been working around electronics since I was 4 years old, when my father would come home with computers and we would fix them together. Technology has come a long way since the three foot towers of the '90s now we have laptops, micro-laptops or "netbooks" and even laptops with touch screens that are known as "tablets". Personally I think each has their own benefits and drawbacks.

A standard laptop is what 90% of portable computer users have and use. The models can range from the ultra-thin design of the Macbook Air to the high performance suitcase of the Alienware brand laptops. It is the most versatile type of portable computer out there. Some laptops can be fully upgraded while some can only have their ram upgraded. They can be used for everything from word processing to high-end gaming if the system is built to spec. This group of laptops contains the broadest cost because of its broad range of computers, with prices ranging from $350-$2000+ new.

The smaller laptop is called a "netbook" it is built around being compact, usually around 10 inches of screen, a budget processor, 1gb of ram, and a light version of an operating system [unless the manufacturer is smart and installs XP on the netbook. XP is significantly smaller than any of the current operating systems while retaining the full functionality of a "full figured" OS. Most netbooks have a 1.6ghz processor and 1gb of ram, Xp can run this just fine while the graphics oriented operating systems of today will bog the system down. Netbooks are great computers for what they are, tiny very portable versions of laptops with limited functionality but make up for it in their footprint. I carry mine in my coat pocket! This group of laptops are by far the least expensive laptop available, with prices in the range of $200-$400 new.

Finally we get into "Tablets" which are like electronic paper tablets, you can write on their screen with a pen like stylus and because of this It is used in graphics as well as shipping applications. There has been a split in the tablet market there is a true tablet which contains a slate computer with a touch screen and no keyboard, the keyboard is integrated into the touchscreen like the Apple iPad and the combination tablet such as some of the Toshiba Tecra models where the laptop screen will rotate around and fold flat, so that you can utilize the screen when you want to and the keyboard when you want to use a normal laptop. The downside to the combination tablet is the fact that it is so thick, they are usually as thick as the high performance laptops while having the same performance as a mid range laptop. This group of laptops are by far the most expensive laptop available, with prices in the range of $700-$2000+ new.

If it wasn't for my size requirements I would have a combination tablet because of it's versatility, but for what I do now, My netbook works great. It can't play every video on Youtube but if you restart the computer it will play most of them. However if screen size is a factor for you a netbook isn't going to be enough for you.