Netbooks and Tablets Written by Tim Keyser Georgia

Netbooks and Tablets Written by Tim Keyser Georgia CTAE Resource Network 2010

Netbooks l Netbooks are much smaller than standard notebook computers and normally, far less powerful.

Features l Battery life on netbooks is significantly longer than traditional notebooks since the less powerful components consume less electricity. l Netbooks generally do not have DVD (optical) drives and they rely on network or removable storage (USB) installation of software. l External DVD drives provide a convenient method of installing operating systems and other software.

Convenience l The long battery life and ultra small size of netbooks often make them much more convenient to carry than standard notebook computers.

Cost l Netbook computers are significantly less expensive than standard notebook computers since they have fewer features and less powerful components.

Expansion ports • Expansion ports are common on netbooks, but netbooks generally have fewer ports than standard notebook computers.

Tablets l Tablets have been on the market for several years, but they have not been nearly as popular as notebooks. l Tablets function like notebook computers with the addition of displays (screens) that swivel into a position similar to writing tablets. l Tablets also have touch screen capability and a stylus.

A Typical Tablet

Cost l The demand for tablets is lower than that of notebooks and netbooks. l Lower demand, combined with the additional features of tablets, increases the overall cost of the computer.

The Future of Tablets l Recent developments by companies such as Apple and Google have lead to new tablet designs that have greatly lowered the cost of computers with tablet functionality. l Other companies have developed inexpensive, scaled down tablets in the past, but they have not found a large following in the consumer market.

Understanding Be sure to familiarize yourself with different styles of netbooks and tablets and the features that affect their cost. l Reading reviews of products is an excellent method of researching before making purchasing decisions. l