Netbooks Versus Laptops: Is Bigger Always Better?

by Danny Davids

You've seen them in ads and in the stores. They're those tiny little portable computers that you can carry around one-handed, don't require a huge leather briefcase for transport, and let you access your e-mail, the Internet, and all your data anywhere, anywhen. They're cheap and lightweight and are a godsend to the consumer and the computer industry. Looks like the netbook is here to stay.

Well, don't hold your breath, folks. Thanks to changing user requirements and innovations in hardware, we soon could be seeing the end of the netbook.

These miniature laptops with their seven-inch screens and their price tags of $300 or less took off in 2008. Most came with wireless capabilities, and it was easy enough to purchase an air card that let you access the Internet from practically anywhere for a nominal monthly fee. It seemed to be the perfect solution for those who were traveling and wanted a lightweight solution to checking in with the office, the family, whoever.

Then people started figuring out that "lightweight" didn't refer only to the product's lack of heaviness. A seven-inch widescreen can't compare to a 22-inch widescreen monitor, either in quality of display or quantity of material displayed. The smaller footprint of a netbook means a smaller keyboard, which some adults may find difficult to use during extended periods of typing. Cheaper prices for hardware usually means older, less powerful components are used in construction. Because of the reduced size, items that are standard on a desktop or larger laptop, such as an internal DVD burner, ports for external devices such as printers or USB devices, or slots for expandability and upgrades, are nonexistent. Batteries are smaller and have less capacity than batteries for larger laptops. All these factors contribute to a system that provides a slower, less powerful, and more inconvenient computing experience than what people are used to working with, especially in the workplace.

So is the netbook a dying breed? In its present incarnation, probably so. Aware that many people are buying these devices as their primary computer system, they've begun upgrading the systems. Newer netbooks are coming out with screen sizes ranging from 10 to 13 inches, with comparable increases in the sizes of the keyboards. Thanks to innovations in technology, traditional laptops are being manufactured that are ultralight and ultraslim, yet still contain the processing power and capabilities of their predecessors. As the price differential between the laptop and netbook continues to decrease, more people will choose the more powerful laptop over the netbook.

In my years of experience with computers, I've seen portable computers go from a machine the size of a small suitcase (and much heavier) to devices the size of a cell phone. Each has had its own niche, but for current needs, most people want a laptop that's big enough to be powerful and small enough to be portable. Netbooks currently are very good at providing the latter need, but tend to fall down on the job when it comes to the former. We'll see in the next couple of years if new technologies will rectify the problem. In the meantime, keep two things in mind when considering purchasing a netbook. 1) Size DOES matter. 2) You get what you pay (or don't pay) for.

Article submitted Monday, November 16, 2009 & read 473 times.

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» left by Nancy Daniels (2 years 86 days ago.)

Great article Danny Well-said, well-written. I'll stick to my laptop.
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