In former 2008 , the peregrine computer landscape was dominated bylaptopcomputers . There were a few alternatives to traditional laptops – tablet PCs , advancedPDAsand even a few smartphones could perform many basic computing task . But the laptop computer set the monetary standard for roving computing – some companies offered laptops that were closely as powerful as their desktop counterparts .
A year subsequently , the traditional laptop computer face some challenger in the mobile computer science market . It can be confusing for consumer – there ’s a host of new footing and categories to take into consideration when snitch for a peregrine computer . There are laptops , notebook , netbooks and ultra - nomadic personal computer . But what ’s the difference ? Are the terms interchangeable ? Are they well - specify ?
The answer to these questions bet upon whom you ask . One someone may call a particular microcomputer a netbook while another insists it ’s a notebook . It ’s like asking someone to describe an elevated geographic feature – some may call it a hill and others take a firm stand it ’s a mountain . There ’s no cosmopolitan definition upon which you could rely .
There are , however , some universal guidepost we can use . laptop computer computers , notebook computer and netbooks use the same basic form constituent – the main discriminator is size . That form factor is a figurer with two main parts : a blind and akeyboardattached by hinge . In ecumenical , netbook computers are smaller and lighter than notebook computers , which in round are smaller and lighter than laptops . But there are no specific size or weight social class for computer . So , for example , if the computer has an 11 - inch ( 27.9 centimeter ) screen , is it a netbook or a notebook ? That ’s where people take issue .
Let ’s scratch line with laptop computer and notebook . Some hoi polloi use the terms interchangeably because many of the laptops on the market are humble and scant than their harbinger . As laptop applied science evolves , manufacturers are able to pack more power into a lowly package . The notebook formatting is becoming the norm .
But there are still some laptops that are too large to be consider notebooks . The Lenovo ThinkPad W700ds has a 17 - column inch ( 43.2 - centimetre ) independent screen and a retractable 10 - in ( 25.4 - centimetre ) lowly cover . It weighs 11 pounds ( about 5 kilogram ) and is 2.1 inches ( 5.3 cm ) thick . Gaming laptops can also be on the tumid side – Toshiba ’s Qosmio X305 weighs 9 pound and has a 17 - inch ( 43.2 - centimetre ) covert . While these electronic computer are portable , you probably do n’t desire to lug them around all day long .
Netbooks vs. Notebooks
notebook computer computers are light than thelaptopswe looked at in the previous segment . They usually have screens roll from 12 to 17 inches ( 30.5 to 43.2 centimeters ) and weigh around 5 to 6 pounds ( 2.3 to 2.7 kilogram ) . Ideally , a notebook computer has the same processing baron and feature of speech as larger laptop figurer . Many producer charge a agiotage monetary value for the convenience of a small electronic computer that packs a crowing punch .
The Lenovo ThinkPad X300 is a notebook computer . It has a 13.3 - inch ( 33.8 centimeter ) cover and weigh only 3.2 pounds ( 1.5 kg ) , make it a lightweight in the notebook computer category . When closed , it measure only .9 inches ( 2.3 centimeters ) thick . It also has many of the features you ’d find in a distinctive laptop computer electronic computer : a WiFi card , aBluetoothantenna , a duple - core processor , 1 gigabyte ( GB ) of RAM and a 64 - GB solid - State Department hard crusade . It also has a DVD drive and an integrated internet camera . It come with theWindows Vistaoperating system .
Netbook computers are proportional newcomers to the data processor market . The general definition for a netbook computer is that they are smaller , less powerful and less expensive than notebook computer computers .
When they first began to get attending in other 2008 , netbooks seemed to contradict the pop philosophy in the computer market . For many year , the prevailing strategy for computer consumers was to find the fast , most potent computer in their Mary Leontyne Price range . But consumers are beginning to read that they do n’t necessarily need a hemorrhage - border computer for most of the labor they do . And as the Web take a more prevalent role in computation , the processing requirements for consumer computers become less demanding .
Though people disagree on specific metrics for netbooks , in general they have screens smaller than 12 column inch ( 30.5 centimeters ) and weigh only one or two pounds ( .5 to .9 kilograms ) . Typically they be between $ 300 and $ 600 . An deterrent example is the Asus EEE PC 4G. It weighs two lb ( .9 kilograms ) and has a seven - inch ( 17.8 centimetre ) screen . The mainframe is an Intel Celeron M 353/630 Mc chip and it has 512 MiB ofRAM . It hail with a 4 GB self-colored - state hard parkway and costs around $ 400 .
Ultra-mobile PCs
That leaves us with theultra - mobile PC(UMPC ) . Technically , the term applies specifically to a Microsoft Cartesian product . It ’s a tablet computer – conceive of a computer screen without a keyboard . The interface for most UMPCs is atouchscreenwith a stylus and an array of physical key determine along the side of the concealment . These pad of paper be given to be light like netbooks and boast small screens in the 4- to 7 - inch ( 10.2- to 17.8 - cm ) range .
Some UPMC example have a fullQWERTY keyboardthat you could slither out from under the screen . Others rely entirely on the touchscreen interface . Most ladder on theWindows Vistaoperating system . While UMPCs are more portable than notebooks , they are more expensive than netbooks .
Samsung ’s Q1UP - XP Ultra Mobile PC is a good representative . It has a seven - inch ( 17.8 - centimeter ) LCD touch screen show and weighs just two pounds ( .9 kilograms ) . It has a schism QWERTY keyboard with key on either side of the screen . It ’s also WiFi andBluetoothcompatible . The information processing system has a microphone and can serve as a voice over cyberspace protocol ( VOIP ) gadget . The damage tag for the Q1UP - XP at the meter of this writing is $ 1,299 .
But some people utilise the term UMPC to describe all small information processing system devices , including netbooks . Others use it to severalize pricey mobile computer from cheap netbooks . For lesson , while Apple calls its MacBook Air product a notebook computer , others say it does n’t correspond the notebook category . The Air is slender enough to fit inside a standard manila envelope and features a 13.3 - inch ( 33.8 - centimeter)LEDbacklit display . But its central processing unit is less herculean than other MacBook models . It has limited storage outer space and only a few larboard . The Air also costs a pretty penny : the start toll is $ 1,799 .
The Air ’s design , processing mogul and price make it tricky to categorize . That ’s why some journalists habituate the term UMPC to describe gimmick that are portable but are more powerful and expensive than netbooks . Using this nomenclature , a netbook is small , inexpensive and has small processing powerfulness . A UMPC is small , more expensive and generally has a better processor than a netbook .
The Future of Mobile Computing
New product will glaze over the job further between netbooks , notebooks and UPMCs . At CES 2009 , Asus showed off the Eee T91 and T101H computers . These devices are a crisscross between tablet and netbooks . They boast screens mounted on a pivot – you may grow the cover around and fold it back over the keyboard . Atouchscreeninterface allows you to practice the netbook as a tablet personal computer . These intersection will impinge on the market in 2009 . At the clip of this article , Asus has not made an official announcement regarding the toll of these products .
Smartphonesalso have the potential to make the fluid computing landscape painting more confusing . As smartphones become more sinewy , they start out to sate the same recess as netbooks . In ecumenical , smartphones range in price from around $ 199 to more than $ 900 . They ’re very portable and multifunctional . Companies that figure applications for smartphones may incorporate more cloud calculation strategies in their products in the near time to come .
At the same time , some netbook manufacturers are partner withcell phonecarriers to include cellular technology in their product . Some netbooks can access 3 G , EDGE and other cellular networks for data transport . While data point transfers using these protocols tend to be slower thanWiFi , the base for cellular networks has a hard foundation than WiFi networks .
One matter is for sure : mobility is important . People want to be able-bodied to get at applications and data any meter and anywhere . They may want a machine that has its own spacious hard drive or a netbook they can use to log into a remote information repositing armed service – or they may not know what they want .
While netbooks calculate for a significant pct of computer sales during the 2008 holiday time of year , the replication rate on netbooks is comparatively high-pitched . That may be due to consumers misunderstanding the purpose of netbooks . The devices are n’t as hefty as notebook computer , laptop and background computers . They also run to have smaller keyboards and some people have trouble typewrite during an lengthy computing seance . And people who take netbooks running onLinuxmay become frustrated with an unfamiliar operating system ( OS ) .
Despite the return rates , the popularity of netbooks and other portable computing gadget continues to raise . The convenience of these machine coupled with hard economic time may intend the Day of the top-notch - powerful and expensive screen background PC are numbered .
To take more about portable computers , take a look at the links on the next page .
