The newest fad I guess is Netbooks, and that goes not only for buyers but top brand PC manufacturers also. ASUS started this trend by making a low cost, ultra small and cute machine, one that could perform most if not all the tasks for an average PC user. The trend caught on in big way since then and resultantly now you have every second branded PC manufacturer offering a newer model every few months. So what’s this fuss all about? I mean why buy a laptop or desktop if a Netbook costs much less, weighs less and is small enough to fit a ladies handbag. Well frankly the answer isn’t all that easy and forthcoming.
Here is my take on this, firstly, a Netbook in most cases is run by an Intel Atom processor, with normally 1 GB of RAM and 80 ~ 120 GB HDD. So if you are making a switch from your traditional heavyweight desktop or even a present day laptop which has at least a Core2Duo running in its chest, you will definitely feel the change.
A Porsche and a Beetle won’t feel the same way when driving on a freeway, will they?
Yes and with a smaller screen size just about 8 ~ 10 inches you might feel the need to scroll through web pages or documents quite frequently. Or how about having no CD/DVD drive, I mean no optical medium, no sir. On the plus side a Netbook will last longer than a standard laptop, say at least 3 hours, since it draws less power. It won’t even bruise your shoulder like a normal laptop does! Umm did I mention a price difference of a mere $100 ~ $200, between a Netbook and a normal laptop. (Normal laptop I mean ordinary and not a Macbook or a top of the line Toshiba). So what is the simpleton supposed to do? I would say look at the pros and cons, and importantly does it fulfill your needs. So people I am going to list down some of the pros and cons here for you guys.
Pros.
- Small size.
- Less weight.
- Relatively longer battery life.
- Cheap.
- Has all necessary features less modem and Optical drive medium.
- Comes preloaded with Operating system. (Normally Win XP Home, with Windows 7 relesing soon new netbooks will be using the light footprint of windows 7 and in some cases Linux).
- Good connectivity options like WLAN, Ethernet, Bluetooth and USB.
- Good for word processing, music, movies and surfing the net.
Cons.
- Small screen size needs scrolling.
- Not ideal for multi-tasking and extensive processing since processor is Intel Atom.
- No optical medium or modem.
- Not suitable for image intensive applications or gaming.
Well these pros and cons should help you decide if and why you should go for a Netbook instead of a laptop or desktop. Frequent travelers or students might be tempted to buy it, and these machines are also not a bad choice for home users. Some of the models are catalogued for you to see them out in detail.
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Article by nauman
I am 39 year old technology enthusiast trying to keep myself updated on the latest happenings in this field. I like to keep things simple and everyday I learn something new to share with the world!