Information & Communication Technology Arena

Since the creation of the laptop computer, it has gotten smaller and smaller. A notebook is basically a laptop that is located somewhere between a large desktop replacement and ultraportables. A more recent addition to the family is the netbook, and its main difference from a notebook is size because it is considerably smaller. Being small has its good and bad aspects. On one hand, you can easily carry it around without breaking your back while, on the other hand, its small screen and cramped keyboard leaves more to be desired. One major problem with the small screen is the low resolution. Most netbooks have a resolution of 1024×600. The current standard for online sites is 1024×768. This just means that certain sites may not appear in its totality, and you have to scroll down when you should not need to.

Aside from the physical dimensions, netbooks are also inferior to notebooks when it comes to hardware. Notebooks usually have processors that were intended for desktop computers while netbooks use special “mobile” version processors. These processors consume less power and generate less heat at the expense of processing power. Netbooks also lack an optical drive most probably to reduce the size and cost of the unit. There are external drives that you can purchase separately and connect through the USB port. 

A major advantage of netbooks that was already mentioned before is low power consumption. This is not your typical 10% to 20% more on the battery life as a netbook with a 6-cell battery can get up to 7 or 8 hours in a single charge. That is roughly 3 times the 2-3 hour capacity of most notebooks. This is also very useful if you do not rely on electric companies for power, such as, if you are on a boat, on the road, or you just want to be off the grid.