Studying, working and traveling at the same time is the life of a modern person. If previously every home had a stationary PC, now laptops have replaced them everywhere due to their compactness. The new format of the personal computer has also changed over time, becoming more productive, lightweight and stylish. With the advent of the MacBook Air model range on the market, a new era began - ultrabooks. What is their difference from laptops and what causes the popularity of mobile laptops?
Advantages of the laptop:
- Large display. This type of device has a diagonal of 15-17 inches, which is convenient for watching videos, as well as working for many hours (including with graphics).
- High processor performance and frequency. With the same hardware parameters, the laptop will be more efficient and will do the job much better than its mobile counterpart.
- Possibility to replace battery and other parts for repair and improvement. If a laptop can be taken taking into account further changes (replace the RAM, battery, video card), then an ultrabook is a complete model.
- There is a separate video card on gaming and graphics models.
- Availability of a disk drive and at least 4 USB ports.
- You can change the amount of data storage.
Dimensions
The most obvious difference between a laptop and an ultrabook is size, which is what really matters here. After all, all models of compact personal computers are called a laptop, and to be called an ultrabook you need to meet standards. To do this, a mobile PC must be no more than 14 inches diagonal, up to 2 cm thick and weigh up to 1.5 kg. Like, for example, ASUS Zenbook 3 - the device weighs less than a kilogram and has a 12.5-inch display. If you compare these dimensions with the dimensions of regular laptops, the difference is noticeable. Carrying a thin and light device in your bag every day is easy.
Definition of concepts
Part of the names of all of the above devices is the word “beech”. Most readers of our site will translate this title as a book and they will be right. The shape of both the laptop and netbook, as well as other “beeches,” resembles a book.
As for the second words that are included in the names of the devices, they precisely determine the difference between them.
A laptop (from the English Note - notepad) is a mobile portable computer that has a lightweight body. One part of which contains the screen, and the second the keyboard. Laptops were designed to be convenient portable computers. They were originally intended for entering notes and other data, which were then used on more powerful devices. Hence the name (Note – notepad). Today, when the characteristics of laptops are almost as good as those of desktop PCs, they are used everywhere.
Laptop
A netbook (from the English Net - network) is a mobile computer whose main task is to surf the Internet comfortably. Netbooks typically have a smaller screen size than laptops. Also, such devices have a simpler filling. This means they are somewhat cheaper.
An ultrabook is a mobile computer characterized by its small thickness and weight. Today in industrial design there is a trend towards reducing the thickness of various electronic devices. Therefore, all modern laptops can safely be considered ultrabooks.
Chromebook is a laptop with the Chrome OS operating system. This operating system is from Google, which allows you to use applications for work without installing them on your device. Essentially, a Chromebook is an input device with which the user controls his cloud server.
Laptop - (from the English Lap knees) is a collective name for portable mobile devices, which is often called laptops in English-speaking countries. Today, thanks to increased certification and classification of such devices, the term is used less and less.
Weight
An ultrabook and a laptop are a bird of a feather, only in the first everything is done to minimize excess weight. The hardware of both devices is approximately the same, just made of different materials. For example, hybrid hard drives or SSDs are used as storage devices. Manufacturers simply excluded some elements because they were unnecessary to “lose weight” of the laptop - a disk drive, ports, discrete video adapters. For thinness and mobility, ultrabooks use a special rechargeable battery that is not removable.
Why is a netbook often called a compact laptop?
Portable devices have a similar design, namely, they have a thin display that is attached to the system unit with special hinges. Thus designated computers can be folded, that is, closed and opened, like a book. But despite this, all portable devices differ from each other. For example, the difference between a netbook and a laptop is its dimensions.
The latter is much larger in size. The fact is that netbooks have a display diagonal of no more than 12 inches, but their components are identical. The designated computers are equipped with:
- Microprocessor;
- Optical drive;
- Hard drive;
- Keyboard;
- RAM.
Among the advantages, it is necessary to note the ability to take any of the indicated devices with you on the road. That is, there is no connection between a laptop computer and a power supply due to the presence of a battery that can hold a charge for a certain time.
Hardware
Ultrabooks, although lightweight, can also be productive and powerful. They integrate modern fifth- and even seventh-generation Intel processors, but with restrictions on energy consumption. This allows the device not to overheat during operation. Although models from well-known brands, for example, Mac, Asus or Dell, pack ultrabooks with good processors, their operating frequency is reduced. This means that when testing the speed of a laptop and its thin version, the first will win.
Design features and limitations of a netbook
Netbooks, due to their reduced size, have undergone some changes, namely limited functionality. For example, they do not have the ability to use DVDs and CDs, since there is no space to accommodate an optical drive. Although, today, mostly everyone uses flash drives or removable hard drives to store data.
It is important to know! Using USB drives, you can easily install software and OS (operating system) on any computer device.
Among the features of netbooks, it should also be noted that it can work autonomously twice as long as a laptop. It is also necessary to indicate that there is another type of computer device on sale, an ultrabook. The difference between a laptop and an ultrabook is that the latter is quite thin, even compared to a netbook. In addition, it is quite expensive, but has high operating speed, but the functionality is somewhat limited due to its small dimensions.
Battery
If, when choosing a device, an ultrabook or laptop is based on battery life. And they do the right thing, because this is often the reason for buying a thin gadget. The batteries in ultrabooks are made using special technology, which makes them flexible. Therefore, they do not take up much space and do not weigh much. The operating time for such a device is longer than for laptops. For example, at the same cost, a thin personal computer will work autonomously for 5 hours, and its analogue with a diagonal of 15-17 inches will only work for 3 hours.
When a netbook is indispensable
When the question arises as to whether it is better to choose a netbook or a laptop, the former is indispensable when the extra weight gets in the way. For example, when going on a trip, the volume and weight of the cargo is calculated, and accordingly you will have to pay extra for the excess. It is also very inconvenient to carry heavy things with you when going on vacation or on a business trip. In addition, the designated computer device is considered comfortable to use because it has:
- Greater speed of operation, therefore it is preferable to use it for business purposes.
- The cost of the gadget is reasonable, even if you purchase a model with increased power.
- Another advantage is the long period of operation of the device in offline mode.
Even taking into account the fact that netbooks have a small amount of built-in memory, they can synchronize data using various cloud services. In this case, it is necessary to outline the difference between a netbook and an ultrabook. The latter has greater productivity and smaller dimensions, but the cost is higher.
Price
The pricing policy for both versions of equipment depends on the technical parameters: the more powerful and modern, the more expensive. With the same characteristics and manufacturers, an ultrabook will cost less. When purchasing, you also need to take into account possible expenses for improving the device (improving OP, memory capacity, adapters for ports, and so on). Also, ultrabook owners need to invest in a hard drive to store heavy files without cluttering up their personal PC.
Advantages of laptop computers
Having a laptop computer, you can be anywhere, while doing work, hobbies, watching movies, playing games, listening to music, reading your favorite books, chatting with friends and much more.
If your work is somehow connected with a computer, imagine how wonderful it would be to take it with you to the dacha or just go out to a clearing near your house on a nice day and work in the fresh air. And here the question arises: which device to choose for this, what size it should be, what power, how long the battery can last, what tasks it can perform, and much more.
A separate section of the site, which begins with this article, will be devoted to solving these issues. Now we will decide which device is most suitable for your tasks, and in the following articles we will separately consider what parameters to choose this or that device.
Which is better, laptop and ultrabook?
It is quite difficult to determine the best gadget, because it all depends on the technical requirements. If you need a portable gadget for work, study, that is, for standard workloads (reading, watching videos, typing and working with installed programs), then an ultra-thin laptop will do (a fairly budget HP Notebook laptop - thin, light and ideal for a student - bright example). But for gamers, designers, programmers and those who squeeze performance out of their PC, the full arsenal of this device will not be enough. It is much easier for them to spend money on a good personal computer with a large diagonal, which can also be carried with them on occasion.
If you wish, you can upgrade any equipment, but this requires time, money and knowledge. Not all models can be disassembled and some elements can be changed. Therefore, buying an ultrabook because of the cost with the hope of further transformation is a risky proposition. Then it’s better to take a low-power laptop and make the update much easier with it. New models of both devices are designed to be as productive as possible; manufacturers are trying to make the body thinner and the weight less.
Characteristics of a netbook: how it differs from a laptop
Let's highlight the main features:
Purpose
The main thing that distinguishes the two devices is their primary task. The netbook was designed primarily for mobile use. Of course, no one forbids using a laptop in a cafe, traveling, studying or working. But since it is more bulky, it is therefore not so convenient for these purposes.
In addition, some laptop models can become a full replacement for a desktop computer. A netbook cannot do this. You can say this - it is an addition to the PC.
Therefore, when choosing a suitable laptop computer model, consider the purposes for which it will be used.
Portability
The first thing that catches your eye when choosing equipment is the size of the devices. This is the characteristic that defines the obvious difference between them.
So, the standard laptop screen diagonal is 15.6 inches. The size of the display depends on the diagonal of the display. In addition, models with larger dimensions can be found on sale. Their diagonal can reach 20 inches or more.
If we talk about a netbook, then for it this characteristic will be 12 inches maximum. This makes it light and compact.
"Iron"
Of course, size plays an important role when choosing the right laptop option. However, they are not as significant as technical characteristics. In addition, the latest generation of laptops from some well-known manufacturers are also distinguished by their ultra-thin design and low weight.
What is the difference in the “stuffing” of a netbook and a laptop:
- CPU. The design of netbooks means that they will become an addition to a desktop computer, and not a full-fledged unit. Therefore, manufacturers equip them with compact, rather than powerful and modern components. This allows them to remain small in size. For example, many models of miniature netbooks are equipped with an Intel Atom processor, which is considered one of the least powerful of all the options presented. This “filling” makes the device economical and inexpensive, while making it impossible to work with “heavy” software. At the same time, some modern laptop models are equipped with a powerful processor, for example, Intel Core i5 or i7. It allows you to work with any programs, even professional software, and play games. However, such models are quite expensive.
- Video card. The miniature computer is equipped with a low-power controller. Therefore, it has limited graphics capabilities. Many programs and games simply cannot run on it. Therefore, if you work with “heavy” software, graphic editors, or like to play video games, give preference to laptops equipped with a powerful video card.
- Hard disk capacity. On some laptop models, the HDD capacity can reach 4 TB. At the same time, it is quite difficult to find a miniature computer on sale even with 700 GB of memory.
- RAM. The RAM of most modern laptop models reaches 4 Gb. This volume is quite enough for watching video files, working with a variety of software, and playing games. In addition, if necessary, the volume can be increased up to 32 Gb. Netbooks cannot boast of a large amount of RAM. For most models it does not exceed 2 Gb.
Keyboard
The keyboard of most laptops is similar to the one used to work with a personal computer. In addition, devices with a screen larger than 20 inches may have additional “gaming” keys.
If we talk about miniature models, their size imposes limitations. Therefore, the keyboard of such devices is devoid of some buttons. For example, here you will not find “hot” buttons or system keys. In addition, the buttons themselves are small, and the distance between them is not maintained. Therefore, it is not very convenient to type large texts on them.
Software
The low-power hardware of netbooks also affects the installed software. Compared to its older “brother”, it is weaker. Therefore, such devices are not suitable for normal operation. Linux OS is integrated on most models. It is lightweight and more optimized for working with low-power gadgets. More modern versions are equipped with a “stripped-down” version of Windows.
Price
Even the most budget laptop will cost more than a netbook with average specs. Therefore, if your goal is to save money, buy a miniature computer. It will be a good assistant for communicating on social networks and Internet surfing.
Netbook or tablet
I do not recommend a netbook as your main and only computer; it is better to take a cheap laptop. But this option is quite acceptable for working with documents and the Internet on the go or while studying. In this case, I recommend a netbook with an 11.5″ screen. On a netbook you can watch movies, but you can only play some very old games.
If you only need a mobile computer for reading, internet and entertainment, then take a tablet. On it you can read books, watch movies, play a lot of interesting games, take photos, videos, use a navigator and much more!
Desktop computer
Friends, first of all, I decided to say a few words about desktop computers, since many people think about what to buy: a computer or a laptop.
A computer is certainly more suitable and convenient for regular work, watching movies, playing games, and professional activities, since it has a large screen, a separate comfortable keyboard and more powerful components. A desktop computer, unlike a laptop, can be easily improved or repaired by replacing individual components. In addition, a laptop that is close in power to a computer will cost several times more and will still be less convenient. Therefore, for constant work in one place (at home or in the office), buy a desktop computer.
You can purchase a computer ready assembled, or you can order a computer assembly from independently selected components. The latter option is preferable, since you will get a more powerful computer for less money. In any case, you need to understand what components should be in your computer.
The article “How to choose a computer” will help you with this.
