There seems to be quite a bit of confusion regarding just what a "notebook" actually is when talking about the differences between them and laptops in general. Where netbooks were born only a few years ago and have clearly separate design aspects, notebooks and laptops have been around for decades, with so many similarities between them that some have begun to believe that the terms are one in the same. Thanks to this, the two terms are often used as synonyms today, with no regard to their differing historical meanings.
The term "notebook" was first used in'89 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 a while thereafter, the term "notebook" was used as a term to describe smaller laptops, which were generally used by businessmen and students thanks to their lighter weight and smaller form making them easier to carry around. Thanks to this reduced size, though, notebooks were generally known for something else as well.
Notebooks had all the elements of a younger sibling, including somewhat weaker hardware specs. This distinction helped to create a distinct market for notebooks, as they made for great computers to own in addition to a desktop, but they were not so great for a complete desktop replacement depending on what you used your desktop for. More powerful laptops, on the other hand, could easily match any but the most powerful desktop systems available, and this is the case even today. This distinction remains in force today, though not quite as much as it did ten years ago.
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.
The overlap between the notebook and the laptop, though, means it is possible that very soon there may be no real distinction between the two, and that the terms may really become synonymous in the near future.
On a final note, it should be mentioned that there remains one distinct difference between the two that has actually increased within the last couple of years. This difference is that an increasing percentage of notebooks now come with a touchscreen for hand writing notes and messages. While there are a few laptops out there that also have this technology on their screens, this has, for the moment, remained a notebook advantage, and one that can be immensely useful. - 31403
The term "notebook" was first used in'89 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 a while thereafter, the term "notebook" was used as a term to describe smaller laptops, which were generally used by businessmen and students thanks to their lighter weight and smaller form making them easier to carry around. Thanks to this reduced size, though, notebooks were generally known for something else as well.
Notebooks had all the elements of a younger sibling, including somewhat weaker hardware specs. This distinction helped to create a distinct market for notebooks, as they made for great computers to own in addition to a desktop, but they were not so great for a complete desktop replacement depending on what you used your desktop for. More powerful laptops, on the other hand, could easily match any but the most powerful desktop systems available, and this is the case even today. This distinction remains in force today, though not quite as much as it did ten years ago.
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.
The overlap between the notebook and the laptop, though, means it is possible that very soon there may be no real distinction between the two, and that the terms may really become synonymous in the near future.
On a final note, it should be mentioned that there remains one distinct difference between the two that has actually increased within the last couple of years. This difference is that an increasing percentage of notebooks now come with a touchscreen for hand writing notes and messages. While there are a few laptops out there that also have this technology on their screens, this has, for the moment, remained a notebook advantage, and one that can be immensely useful. - 31403
About the Author:
Matthew Kerridge is an expert in electronic products. If you would like more information regarding laptops or are searching for notebooks please visit http://www.ebuyer.com
