About
The term netbook refers to a variant of laptop which are small to medium sized, light-weight, low-cost, energy-efficient, and which are generally optimized for web surfing, email, and playing media. The term was coined after the introduction of the Asus EEE PC in the first quarter of 2008.
Netbooks typically have screens of 7 to 10 inches and are very thin and light weight. Many keep their size and weight down by not including a CD drive or hard drive, instead replacing the hard drive with a solid state flash memory, similar to what you find in a USB memory stick. Keyboards are typically smaller, although they aren’t designed for extended periods of typing. Since they are built up around internet capabilities, WiFi is a necessity.
Sales of netbooks are expected to be up to 50 million by 2012 and are taking a market share from full size notebooks.
Uses for Netbooks
- Browsing the internet
- Listen to music
- Photo viewing
- Video viewing (including streaming video such as youtube)
- Voice over IP
- Social networking (facebook, bebo, myspace, etc)
- Instant messaging
- Playing basic online games
- Blogging
Advantages of Netbooks
- Cheaper - typically $300-$450 (£150-£400)
- More portable
- Quicker to start up
- Quicker for small tasks like checking emails
- Fun!
- Look good
Disadvantages of Netbooks
- No optical drive such as CD/DVD, although this isn’t absolutely necessary anymore
- Limited storage space
- Not powerful enough for more interactive games or advanced software
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