Tuesday 10 November 2009

Should I buy a laptop or a netbook?






































Criteria
Laptop
Netbook
Battery life2-3 hours6-8 hours
Screen sizelarge screen, 13" - 17"
(good for presentations, spreadsheets, multitasking, anything at all)
small screen, 9"-11"
(OK for email, web, word processing, one application at time)
WeightHeavy, 2.5- 3.5 kg
(heavy enough to notice, too heavy to carry every day)
Light, typically 1.1 - 1.3kg
(light enough to carry everywhere and even run for the train)
ProcessorHigh power processor. Few things need a powerful processor, but it is necessary if you want to edit photos, edit video, or play the latest gamesLow power processor (fine for everyday use such as word processing, web, Youtube)
KeyboardFull size laptop keyboardReduced size keyboard (90% of laptop keyboard size)
DVD DriveBuilt-in DVD drive (can watch DVDs)No built-in DVD Drive, have to connect an optional external USB drive
Price£350 - £900£200 - £350





In summary:

Get a netbook if you value convenience and mobility. The light weight and long battery life mean that you can have it available any time, anywhere. However the cramped screen and keyboard mean that you won't want to use it for long periods, and will turn to a desktop or laptop for prolonged use. My personal favourite netbook at the moment is the Asus eeePC Seashell 1008HA, which has a great combination of weight, battery life, size and slim design.

Get a laptop if you want a workhorse which is comfortable for extended use. It could be your main computer and will do almost anything. You'll use it mainly in a fixed location but it is too heavy to be really portable so you will carry it with you only occasionally. You can use it for long periods, as long as you can find a power socket. Good examples of laptops: The Toshiba Tecra range (for business) or Satellite Pro range (for consumers).

There is a third category: the ultraportable. These have larger screens than netbooks, but longer battery life than laptops. They are not as mobile as a netbook but are more powerful. Until now they've been expensive (upwards of £1000) and aimed at those few top executives who can afford them. Typical examples are the Toshiba Portege range or the Macbook Air. However prices are now coming down, with models based on Intel's new and cheaper CULV (Consumer Ultra-Low Voltage) chip design coming on sale.

Any portable computer will always be a compromise between mobility, functionality, and what you are prepared to pay. The important point is to decide what is important for you.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I think that so long as you're not doing anything too taxing like watching video, the new Macbook's battery life is much more than 2-3 hours: more like 5 or 6 (officially it's 7, but that's clearly not going to be real-world). And it's pretty damn light too :)

Oliver.