It seems such a simple question, but it is one that’s often quite hard to answer – What is a netbook?
There are so many different things that make a netbook a netbook, as opposed to a laptop, but to try and explain why in a short sentence is actually quite tricky.
In this article, we’ll take a detailed look at what makes a netbook a netbook, then try to come up with a short, snappy description at the end!
Screen Size
Netbook screens are often classed as those in the range of 7-10 inches, with anything bigger tending to be put into the laptop category.
Some manufacturers, however, are blurring the edges with screen size, as they are building 11 or 12 inch machines and still calling them netbooks!
What does look to be a current trend, is for most netbooks to have a 10 inch screen with a screen resolution of 1024×600.
Weight
Netbooks are designed to be ultra portable – basically meaning that you can take them anywhere without the hassle of them being too heavy to carry.
Almost all netbooks weigh 2-3lbs (1-1.5kg), although there are a few models that go slightly outside of this range.
Operating System
The standard choice of operating systems at the moment are Linux or Windows XP. Windows Vista is available as an option on some netbooks, but Vista tends to be resource hungry, so most people stick with XP for now.
Windows 7 is due later in 2009, and it is expected to replace Windows XP for netbook use, as it is more efficient with system resources – helping it to run more smoothly.
Memory
The usual amount of RAM memory that netbooks come with is 512MB to 1GB, although almost all netbooks are able to carry upto 2GB.
Storage
There are two types of storage options for netbooks; Solid State Disk (SSD) or Hard Disk Drive (HDD) – see an earlier article for a comparison between each.
SSDs offered in netbooks are smaller in size than their HDD counterparts, as they are more expensive to make at the present time. SSDs capacities range from 4GB to 32GB, whereas HDDs range from 80GB to 160GB in most netbooks.
SSDs are a good choice if your netbook is likely to be knocked around a lot on the move, as they are more shock resistant.
Connectivity
Netbooks come with the usual range of ports that you would expect on a computer these days; USB 2.0, memory card reader, headphone/mic socket.
Some models come with an express card slot and optional extras include Bluetooth and 3G.
Most netbooks come with a built in microphone and webcam to make video conferencing calls.
Keyboard Size
With netbooks by default being smaller computers, they don’t have full size keyboards like conventional laptops. Keyboard sizes range from 80-93% of full size, depending on the screen size of the netbook.
Netbooks with 10 inch screens tend to have the biggest keyboards, often around 92% of full size. Those with bigger fingers may struggle with smaller size keyboards – worth considering before you buy.
Processing Power
Netbooks use low powered computer processors so that they are able to give good battery life whilst on the move.
In order to achieve this, the processors have one core rather than the two cores found in many laptop computers.
This does mean that netbooks are not suitable for the most intensive computing tasks, such as video editing or playing graphically intensive games, but they are easily capable of 95% or more of your everyday computing needs.
Cost
Netbooks start off at around $300 for a standard model, although with optional extras, the price can get as high as $700-$800.
Most of you will be able to find a netbook that suits your needs for less than $500.
Some netbooks are available for just $99, but only if you subscribe to a mobile broadband contract, which has a 24 month commitment costing around $60 per month.
So, there’s a look at what makes a netbook a netbook in detail. The challenge now is to think of a short and snappy sentence that you can tell your friends when they ask you what a netbook is.
“A netbook is a light weight, low-priced portable computer
that is ideal for everyday computing tasks.”
That sounds good to us! What do you think?
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January 27th, 2009 at 7:17 am
The line between netbooks and notebooks is constantly becoming thinner. Many of the features that were stripped from netbooks are being added back, making them look more and more like notebooks.
I think one point that you missed was the processor, since most of them come with a lower powered processor.
January 27th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Thanks for highlighting the processor point – I knew I had missed something off the list! I have now tweaked to include a reference to processing power.