"Netbooks VS Notebooks is there a difference???" Topic

Hey… have been looking for a long time at buying a laptop and I just wondered what is the difference between a netbook and a notebook.

I assume there is thing I can't do with a netbook, but I do not know what that is exactly.

Can anyone here give me the run down of the differences?

1) Slower processor. I'm told because MS will not allow faster chips to use XP.
2) No graphics card.
3) No optical drive ie DVD/CD
4) Smaller lower res monitor maxed out at 10.1" and 1024x600?

Net effect is you can't do graphics intensive games or heavy duty video graphics editing, or massive excel files and other CPU intensive task.

For my day to day work, play and surfing I hardly feel the difference.

Hi there. I'm typing this on an ASUS EEE 701, first of the current wave of tiny computers.

The original idea for what we call Netbooks is the Small, Cheap, Computer. They have small screens and keyboards because the original idea was to be a small laptop for children. This machine is smaller than a Harry Potter hardback, fits in my bag and it iss not obvious I have a computer in there.

They have a screen 10" or less (this is a 7"), small keyboard and the hard drive is often a solid state driver rather than a spinning platter, They should have wireless and often a small webcam.

They started off as Linux machines with a mobile Phone like interface, they were devices rather than computers. People started breaking them out to proper Linux desktops.

Microsoft, seeing Linux getting a foothold, reprieved XP from death, and made it cheaply available to manufacturers.In doing so they specified that the hardware had to be limited.

A notebook is a full laptop, but usually smaller (12" screen) when refered to a notebook, spinning hard drive, you will be offered Vista if buying new.

The Small cheap computer idea looks lost at the moment. A netbook is offered with Windows (it's hard to get one from a shop with linux, though many get Linux installed afterwards) and the price is too close to a cheap laptop.

What do you want the machine for?Throw in a bag, surf the net, do emails and a bit of writing, Netbook, full on machine, laptop.

This has been typed on a ASUS 701 running the Easy Peasy Linux distro

This is being typed on a 1000H – which in fact replaces one of the original 700 series (10" screen, 160Gig hard drive rather than 7" screen and 2Gig hard drive. Still only a third of the price of a full blown sub-notebook, only problem being lack of a CD/DVD drive – no real problem though, I loaded Microsoft Office quite easily by copying the Office disc to a pen drive first then loading from the pen drive. These machines are great if all you want is an office machine, no good if you want a games machine. Incidentally, I've not noticed any problems with Linux availability.

Garrisson

You're doing well then, the talk of the websites, including ndustry ones is about

1) Lack of retail Linux availability
2) ASUS getting further involved with MicroSoft.

As far as office goes, this has OpenOffice 3 which kind of suits me, and I've tweake Firefox to maximise browser apce

Do netbooks have USB connectors to plug in a real keyboard, and an external video connector to plug in a real monitor?

thanks that answered my question. I wanted a replacement for my desktop so that I am not tied to this room 24/7, so I need a full laptop, not a surfing book…

Napthyme

I know of folk who do use a netbook as a main machine, and have a big hard drive, monitor, printer, keyboard, mouse etc to plug it into at home.

As they have USBs, my ASUS has 3 USBs, an SD Card slot, an Ethernet port, wirelss and a Monitor out, so at work I often plug the monitor into my netbook for work doen at the office, and have been known to plug in a keyboard. I usually use a wireless mouse working from a USB dongle.

Netbooks are about content viewing. If you are looking to do content creation (ie writing wored docs, spresdsheets, emails) then they will leave you generally frustrated and within 6 months you'll be buying a notebook.

Notebooks are about content creation.

Assuming the new Nvidia machines don't melt a whole through the user, they should change some opinions of very small computers.

To go with hos459, you can tune your fingers to the smaller keyboard, but even then I have a small form keybaord I often stick in my bag, it is tiny for a desktop, but wider than the netbook, and is of great use for lots of typing.

But if you are looking for a main machine, and don't want to get bugged with setting up a "docking station" get yourself a full laptop.

I'd still put Linux on it, but that's me

You can still get some classic games that'll run on them. Diablo 2, the Fallout games, Deus Ex, Half Life – pretty sure most of those would be ok on a netbook. I know some people have got World of Warcraft running on some models!

I find their main advantage is that they are truly portable, great for writing while on the move. With a high capacity battery they will literally run all day (most new ones come with a six cell battery that can give you near five hours which isn't half bad. The AC adapter can sit at home, no worries. That's something I was never able to do with the four laptops I've owned. They also don't cost much--so if I lose it or it gets destroyed I won't be out much (whereas my last laptop cost well north of a thousand dollars).

I'd avoid getting caught up in buying the current best netbook--paying 400+ defeats the point in my mind (cheap ultra portable), but they can be had for around 250 to 300 which is a fair price.

Also, I think they only make sense as a second (or third) computer, not as a primary one (for that I have a desktop).

Today's Woot is one for $175 USD shipped:

woot.com

I ordered one.

I'll let you know.

It arrived today!

The battery is charging as I type this.

…and I'm hooked up to the wireless network!

The keyboard is a bit ll, but its managable. You would not want to write a book on it.

I'm very happy.

Just saw below article and thought of this thread.

Cheers.

link