There seems to be a general amount of confusion regarding what exactly a "notebook" is in comparison to other kinds of portable computers. Unlike netbooks, which are a recent emerging kind of portable PC with a distinctly different role to play, notebooks have been around for a while and are now almost indistinguishable from standard laptops. The two terms are, in fact, often used as synonyms today.
The term "notebook" was first used in 1989 to describe an emerging line of portable computers that were smaller than the average laptop. These systems were about the size of an A4 paper notebook, and they emerged from the labs of NEC and Compaq, who produced the UltraLite and the LTE lines of notebooks respectively. Not long after they did so, IBM unveiled the ThinkPad to the masses, which popularized the notebooks and expanded the market several times over. Laptops before then (and many since) were usually wider, taller, and thicker than these notebooks. The larger laptops of that age owed their size to the limits of technology, but the larger ones of today exist so we can have larger screens or more powerful hardware inside. Or both, in a lot of cases.
For years after this initial introduction, the term "notebook" was common vernacular for these smaller laptops, which became really popular among businessmen and students for their light weight and more discreet size. The reduced size, however, came with a price.
Notebooks essentially traded ease of use and comfort for raw processing power, as the smaller portables generally contain weaker, more power efficient chips within their framework. This created a slight segmentation of the market, as notebooks made good companions but poor replacements for desktops, whereas the more powerful laptops can equal all but the most powerful desktops on the market. This remains somewhat true even today, years after notebooks have lost their original A4 size in favor of physical sizes that make them more or less indistinguishable to the more general laptops.
This does me that notebooks are, for all intents and purposes, "between" laptops and the new netbooks that have emerged in the last few years. Netbooks are now the lowest denominator in all respects, from prices to hardware capabilities, but then that is what they were designed for. The inherent limits of netbooks keep them from completely overshadowing notebooks (and laptops in general), but they are the attractive option for people low on funds in need of a computer, and this will likely prove more true as technology improves and prices fall, allowing for even more powerful netbooks in the future.
With notebooks and laptops becoming more similar and converging on the same territory, it is possible that within a few years there will not be any difference between them at all, and that netbooks will come to be the new notebooks of the 21st century.
One final thing that is worth mentioning is that in the last few years one distinct difference has emerged between laptops and notebooks that will probably be around for a couple of years. This difference is that many more notebooks are now shipping with touchscreen technology, allowing you to handwrite notes and messages. While it is true that a few laptops are also shipping with this technology built in, for now it is mostly a notebook perk. - 31403
The term "notebook" was first used in 1989 to describe an emerging line of portable computers that were smaller than the average laptop. These systems were about the size of an A4 paper notebook, and they emerged from the labs of NEC and Compaq, who produced the UltraLite and the LTE lines of notebooks respectively. Not long after they did so, IBM unveiled the ThinkPad to the masses, which popularized the notebooks and expanded the market several times over. Laptops before then (and many since) were usually wider, taller, and thicker than these notebooks. The larger laptops of that age owed their size to the limits of technology, but the larger ones of today exist so we can have larger screens or more powerful hardware inside. Or both, in a lot of cases.
For years after this initial introduction, the term "notebook" was common vernacular for these smaller laptops, which became really popular among businessmen and students for their light weight and more discreet size. The reduced size, however, came with a price.
Notebooks essentially traded ease of use and comfort for raw processing power, as the smaller portables generally contain weaker, more power efficient chips within their framework. This created a slight segmentation of the market, as notebooks made good companions but poor replacements for desktops, whereas the more powerful laptops can equal all but the most powerful desktops on the market. This remains somewhat true even today, years after notebooks have lost their original A4 size in favor of physical sizes that make them more or less indistinguishable to the more general laptops.
This does me that notebooks are, for all intents and purposes, "between" laptops and the new netbooks that have emerged in the last few years. Netbooks are now the lowest denominator in all respects, from prices to hardware capabilities, but then that is what they were designed for. The inherent limits of netbooks keep them from completely overshadowing notebooks (and laptops in general), but they are the attractive option for people low on funds in need of a computer, and this will likely prove more true as technology improves and prices fall, allowing for even more powerful netbooks in the future.
With notebooks and laptops becoming more similar and converging on the same territory, it is possible that within a few years there will not be any difference between them at all, and that netbooks will come to be the new notebooks of the 21st century.
One final thing that is worth mentioning is that in the last few years one distinct difference has emerged between laptops and notebooks that will probably be around for a couple of years. This difference is that many more notebooks are now shipping with touchscreen technology, allowing you to handwrite notes and messages. While it is true that a few laptops are also shipping with this technology built in, for now it is mostly a notebook perk. - 31403
About the Author:
Matthew Kerridge is an expert in electronic products. If you want further information regarding notebooks or are searching for notebooks please visit http://www.ebuyer.com
