Netbook vs Notebook

Netbooks and notebooks both fall under the category of computers with a difference as subtle as the difference in the words. Netbooks are ultraportable devices designed to mainly focus on users wanting easy Internet access at any point in time. Notebooks are light-weight laptops designed to replace desktop computers with similar performance levels.

Netbooks are relatively new to the market when compared to notebooks. They entered into the computer market in 2007 at relatively low prices when compared to notebooks. They are designed to be compact, light-weight, less expensive, and less powerful than the notebooks. Netbooks have screen sizes ranging anywhere between 5 to 10 inches and weigh around 1 or 2 pounds. Notebooks have screens size ranging from 12 to 17 inches and weigh around 5 to 6 pounds. The processing speed and other features are the same as that of a large laptop computer. Netbooks are primarily designed for web-based applications which don’t require a sophisticated processor. Hence the processor in the netbook is designed to have comparatively low clocking speeds than that of a notebook. Because of the size constraints, the memory and the storage capacity in a netbook is almost half of what is currently offered in a notebook. The storage capacity offered in a netbook is around 80 to 160GB. Netbooks are ideal for tasks such as; browsing the Internet, sending and receiving mail, spreadsheet calculations, and accessing web-based applications. Notebooks have relatively larger processor speeds when compared to netbooks and are best suited for tasks such as; multimedia, gaming, watching movies, and use of other heavy applications. Notebooks offer storage capacities of 300 to 800 GB.

Netbooks have an advantage over notebooks in terms of battery life. Netbooks are designed to be small computing devices with only basic hardware installed. Because of the size and space parameters, netbooks lack optical drive and bigger screens which in turn adds to an increased battery life when compared to notebooks.

The netbooks are the ultimate choice of students and teachers over notebooks because of their small size, light weight, portability, and easy web access for academics-related tasks such as; word editing, presentations, and tutorials. A netbook is available in the market at a price less than half of the price of a conventional high-end notebook. A netbook costs around $300 to $600 while notebooks range from $600 to $1500. Users requiring mere basic computing consider the cost factor of a netbook as the biggest plus point over a conventional high-end notebook. For users requiring heavy applications for their day-to-day computing tasks, a notebook is still the ideal choice over a netbook.

Summary:

1. Netbooks are ultraportable, light-weight, computing machines while notebooks are sophisticated, portable laptops.

2. Netbooks have basic and less powerful hardware installed when compared to notebooks.

3. Netbooks are suited for users with basic computing needs such as; word processing, presentations, spreadsheet calculations, and web browsing while notebooks are meant for users with a need for heavy computing tasks.

4. Netbooks lack certain features and have less computing power when compared to notebooks.

5. Netbooks are handy for easy web access and running Office Suite whereas notebooks are suited for running heavy applications.

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