Similarities Between Netbooks and Laptops

Netbooks and laptops share many features and characteristics as they are basically both portable computers

. Laptops have been around for many years and were introduced as a portable alternative to the traditional desktop computer, although when first introduced, flat screen technology was in its infancy so they tended to be expensive.

Improvements were made when the thin film transistor (TFT) screen was introduced, but as technology improved the liquid crystal display (LCD) screen has become extremely commonplace. The netbook started to become popular a few years ago and reflects the change in the way people use computers. Instead of having programs and documents stored on a hard drive, early netbooks utilized the Internet and relied on consumers storing most of their content online perfect for people on the move.

Netbook computers are almost always smaller than laptops and because of their size very few have CD or DVD drives. Laptops, being larger, tend to have optical drives fitted as standard, meaning that CDs and DVDs can be played and in many cases recorded on them. When netbooks were first introduced, many were supplied with a LINUX open source operating system allowing them to be distributed without a Windows licence.

This made them cheaper, but many users preferred a more familiar system so most of the major manufacturers began to install a Windows operating system instead. Most of today's top selling netbooks run Windows, whereas laptops have always been offered with a choice of operating systems including Windows and, of course, Apple.

Most netbook computers are very light, making them easy to carry and store. Most also have a much longer battery life than the equivalent laptop, due to the reduced energy demands of the smaller screen and operating system. In addition, their lower prices mean that they are a viable alternative to pen and paper for business people, students, and even schoolchildren.

Any shortcomings in respect of hard drive storage can be simply addressed by adding an external drive, and as most are supplied with several USB ports other accessories can usually be added. Features such as Web cams are often included on both laptops and netbooks and they are all fitted with a wireless network card so that they can connect wirelessly to any available WiFi network or hotspot.

This connectivity, together with their small size and low weight makes netbook computers truly portable and accounts for their blossoming popularity, although there is a downside to something this compact. Netbooks don't have the same size keyboard as laptops; when you consider the size of the netbook you realize that the only way to get all the keys to fit is to make them smaller, and this can be a problem for some users. The trackpad is also often reduced in size for the sake of compactness, and these two factors combine to make the netbook a less attractive option if the user is likely to use the mouse and keyboard for any length of time.

Feature

Netbooks

Laptops

Lightweight

Yes

No

CD/DVD drive

No

Yes

Full-size keyboard

No

Yes

Full-size trackpad

No

Yes

Wireless card

Yes

Yes

Long battery life

Yes

No

WebCam

Yes

Not all

Similarities Between Netbooks and Laptops

By: David Millard

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