Which should I buy? Notebook vs Netbook

The Samsung netbook range, including the NC10 and NC20 have proved a great success in 2009.  Buying a small lightweight portable comupter is now a much harder choice than ever before.  Thankfully SammyNotebook.com is on hand to help guide you through this decision making process!

What is a Notebook?

Traditionally a notebook is simply a small laptop.  However you can be forgiven for being confused by all the terms being passed around by the marketing teams.  Notebooks tend to fit in the range of 13 to 15 inch screens, they will be lighter and more compact than laptops.   Often the compact space can come at a premium price but more and more we are seeing fully functional neat laptops on the market for a very respectable asking amount.

What is a Netbook?

The term netbook has come to mean a small ultra portable PC, typically costing much less than other laptops and notebooks.  They are aimed at the cheap end of the market and favour less functionality for less cost and lightweight specifications.  However the lines have blurred significantly in recent months making it harder and harder to classify the different offerings from the top manufacturers.

Which is right for me?

Lets forget about terminology for a moment!  To work out what you want you need you are going to have to look at what you actually want to use your new computer for.  Ultimately it won’t matter what the device is called just aslong as it does the things you need it to do and at a price you can afford!  So what factors influence the netbook vs notebook buying decision?

• Cost: This will be the decider fot a lot of you reading this.  Those looking for a second PC to compliment an existing desktop PC or those looking for a low cost PC will be looking more to the netbook end of the market.  That said, if you check out our reviews you will see some affordable notebooks too – so don’t rule out this option just yet!
• Portability:  Now if cost isn’t the big decision maker, then size should be a key factor.  The smaller you go, the easier it is to carry your machine around – but usability becomes much harder.  If you are wanting to carry out real work then you do really need a screen you can see and a decent sized keyboard.  I find a 10″ screen is comfortable to work with on most day to day applications.  However if you use professional apps that need larger work areas then you will most likely want to think bigger.  Notebooks are usually much heavier, nearer the 4kg mark – twice as heavy as some of the netbooks.  This might not sound much but if you are travelling the world or carrying lots of stuff with you then trust me, you will notice this extra weight!
• Functionality: A big win for the notebook is processing and graphics power.  You will find a much bigger range of CPUs available, including multi-core processors.  Graphics hardware will normally be better making it possible to play more recent games in some instances.  Notebooks will usually come with an optical drive, greater connectivity and more room for expansion.  That said, modern netbooks have caught up a lot and many of the mid priced models can compete on a number of levels.
• Connectivity: Again the notebooks traditionally have the edge here.  With less size and cost limitations that a netbook it is easier to pick up higher specced notebooks for a reasonable fee.   But the newer netbooks are coming along with 3G modems and wireless-n WiFi so the options are definitely there.