Geekster Hardware Question

[cabinetman]

What's the difference between netbooks, notebooks, and laptops?
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[crokett]

Netbooks are smaller than laptops or notebooks. Netbooks are also really only intended for web-based activities so are less flexible in what they can do. I've always used 'notebook' and 'laptop' interchangeably so if there is a difference I've no idea what. There are sub-notebooks that are much smaller and lighter but are still fully-featured computers such as the Asus Eee.

[LinuxRandal]

A lot to digest.

I will mostly agree with what Crokett says.

When I was a kid and my father was working for IBM, he brought home their first "luggable". A portable computer, the size of a large suitcase.

A laptop, was originally about the size of a small office briefcase. The name is generally still used on the larger, portable pc's. (17" or larger screens) But it also is interchanged with notebook. (portable computer about the size of a school notebook). Notebooks are 14" or larger screens. Smaller then that, generally are subnotebooks.
MOST notebooks and laptops, have a cd or dvd drive in them (burner, combo drive, etc). Netbooks don't. Subnotebooks sometimes do, sometimes don't.

Netbooks are a lower powered processor (generally the Intel Atom currently) and have been rated, cpu wise, to about a four year old Pentium 1.6M. That is more then enough power to view forums, check email, You Tube, word process, transport info, and general portability. But it isn't what you would want to try to game on, do cad, number crunch everyday, etc. But they are smaller, especially the screen (7 to 10.1", keyboards vary up to 92% full size))
Originally, the netbooks hit the market with versions of Linux, that limited their uses, to people not familar with Linux. They were more like a large palm pilot. Since they have gone to Windows, and can be bought with various configurations (storage, memory, batteries), I have seen people going to them for ordering machines, insurance machines, and basic portable work functions.

Now, I have what is manufactured, and sold as a notebook. But it is more of a notebook, netbook hybrid. It has the base netbook setup (Intel Atom, 10.1" screen), but it has 2gb of memory (most an atom based machine can have), a 320gb hard drive, and two video cards (intel onboard, and a Geforce 9300gs) that you switch between (when off). I bought the extended battery, and get between 5 and 6 hours out of it with Vista, and running Ubuntu Netbook Remix on a card, I average 8+ hours out of the battery.

There is, and will continue to be some crossover in the future. You will need to list your uses for people to help you make a decission, but it will come down, after that, to feel (smaller keyboards and screens of a netbook, verses full size on a notebook/laptop)

[crokett]

My dad still has his 'luggable'. Sever years ago he tried to bring it back to IBM. They told him just to keep it - it would be too much work for them to properly dispose of the asset. I used to write my papers for school on it. I liked it because it fit in my bedroom and no one would bother me.

[cabinetman]

There is, and will continue to be some crossover in the future. You will need to list your uses for people to help you make a decission, but it will come down, after that, to feel (smaller keyboards and screens of a netbook, verses full size on a notebook/laptop)

I was in Comp USA and saw this tiny netbook (I guess that's what it's called). I think it was an Acer, and had an 8" or so screen, and pretty sure a 160 GB HD. So, I was wondering what it won't do. It was somewhere around $300 or less. Would it be suitable for surfing, forums, and some pictures and document storage, and emailing?
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[jziegler]

I was in Comp USA and saw this tiny netbook (I guess that's what it's called). I think it was an Acer, and had an 8" or so screen, and pretty sure a 160 GB HD. So, I was wondering what it won't do. It was somewhere around $300 or less. Would it be suitable for surfing, forums, and some pictures and document storage, and emailing?
.

Yup, it would be fine for all of that, assuming that you can type well enough on the keyboard. I ordered a Dell mini 9 recently, which is similar but has an 8gb flash drive instead of the hard drive, and those are the types of tasks that I use it for. It is my computer to carry around the house and use while sitting on the couch with the dogs. Or to use in the kitchen playing music and web surfing while I cook.

Just realize that the smaller screen is lower resolution, and might not have the best color reproduction, so don't expect to do heavy duty photo editing. It would be fine to view and sort though. The the small keyboards take a little getting used to, look out for keys in odd places.

Jim

[LinuxRandal]

I was in Comp USA and saw this tiny netbook (I guess that's what it's called). I think it was an Acer, and had an 8" or so screen, and pretty sure a 160 GB HD. So, I was wondering what it won't do. It was somewhere around $300 or less. Would it be suitable for surfing, forums, and some pictures and document storage, and emailing?
.

First I thought, "he is a time traveler and worried about this computer" and then I remembered Tiger Direct bought the CompUSA name. LOL

It sounds like you saw the Acer Aspire one (10.1" screen, and 160gb drive). The 3 cell and the 6 cell batteries, are not that much apart in price, go for the six cell if you get one. Other then watching movies from dvd in it, it should do what you need, and won't take up a lot of room (heard some camera bags are being designed for these and a DSLR, haven't seen them yet though).
What I haven't done with mine yet, is hook a full size moniter and desktop keyboard and mouse to it. It is possible, but since I have a network, I just plug it into that. Realistically, these will do what most people use their computers for, and they don't use as much energy as a power hungry gaming pc.