Should I get a Netbook or Cheap Notebook?

June 1, 2010, 3:25 am PDT by admin
Filed under Netbook Buying Tips

You are ready to buy a netbook or budget notebook, but not sure which is best for you. Todays netbooks have faster processors, more RAM and bigger hard drives, at time making them appear as an alternative to a budget notebooks. The recent trend of full-featured notebooks available in ultra-thin and light designs adds to the difficulty in a making a choice.

When it comes to distinguishing between a netbook and a notebook, appearances can be misleading. One clear distinction between a netbook and a notebook is the processor powering it. If it is powered by an Intel® Atom™ processor, it is a netbook. Notebooks, on the other hand, may use one of a variety of Intel® processors – Centrino 2, Core2Duo, Celeron, etc.

Learn what each of these computers were designed to do so you can pick the one that best fits your needs.

Netbook offers a wide array of great features such as ultra portability, convenience, and affordability. It is equipped with basic computer requirements that still provides ample power to perform basic computing functions such as office productivity, web surfing, communications, collaboration, documentation and presentation.

On the flip side, sporting an Intel 1.6-GHz CPU with 1GB of RAM is not exactly a performance powerhouse. With limited processing and graphics power don’t plan on playing modern PC games, editing huge pictures, or creating 1080p videos on these machines as they are too demanding for the graphics chip inside the machine. Spreadsheets won’t load quite as fast. Saving a large document will take a little longer.

Their small screens and shrunken keyboards take some getting used to. Because netbooks are small, you won’t find a DVD player in them, so if you need to watch DVD’s, you’ll need to “rip” the movie to your hard disk, or purchase an external DVD drive. Hard drive also tends to be much smaller than the monsters available standard on today’s notebooks.

If you need a powerful processor to do video editing, graphics design or modern gaming, than a notebook is what you may need. If you need to run many of the processor intensive applications that a netbook is not capable of runninng than you need a notebook. If you need to burn CDs/DVDs and watch HD videos often than a netbook is not for you. The good news is that there are many full-size notebook options out there that are also very affordable and portable. You’ll immediately reap the rewards of greater performance, quality and reliability by getting a notebook than a netbook.

Still, for a machine that – by contemporary standards – offers modest specs, it’s amazing what these little netbooks can deliver. However, netbooks are not intended to be used as a full-time substitute for a full-sized notebooks. They are meant to do about 95% of what the average student or teacher does all day long. Is there a good reason to spend $650 on a 7 pound notebook when $350 for a 3 pound netbook will facilitate in-class use better? And do we really need 2-4GB of RAM and Centrino-2 processors for typing a report or giving a Powerpoint presentation?

Netbooks serve very well as a secondary computer with a platform that offers more flexibility than a smart phone and less overhead than a traditional notebook. It is a perfect companion for people on the go who want connectivity without lugging a much heavier, full-sized laptop along. With a netbook, you won’t need to scour the airport for an outlet in order to charge your battery. With an average battery life between four and eight hours, you can start working in the airport and stay productive throughout the whole flight.

There are times when full sized notebooks make a lot of sense. For many people, saving a few pounds of weight and $100-$300 doesn’t make up for the lower performance and capacity. Better to spend a little more, carry a little more and be happy. But for those looking for a truly portable great performer – and who don’t require all the extras that today’s notebooks can provide – a netbook might be the perfect choice.

Spend some time thinking carefully about what types of activities you want to do with your computer. Balance those needs with how mobile you want it to be. Your answers will help you to decide whether you need a handy netbook or a standard notebook. Like anything in consumer electronics, it comes down to the intended use and application. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all option.