Is a netbook a notebook? Yes. Is a notebook a netbook? Not necessarily. Netbooks are notebooks that are small, inexpensive, and designed for people who mostly use a computer to get on the Internet.

Around the mid 1990s, the network computer concept was pushed by several vendors. The idea was that small computers called network computers could be inexpensive because they would rely on servers for storage and application programs. The idea did not catch on at that point, but the improvement of networks and hardware since then has changed things.

The netbook was originally developed as a small, very inexpensive notebook computer targeted at consumers in developing countries. The original models used Linux instead of Microsoft Windows to save money and to make it possible to omit the hard drive. Optical drives used to read CDs and DVDs were also omitted. Open Office, a free application suite comparable to Microsoft Office, is loaded on most systems.

Almost all netbooks have built in wifi capability. Newer models often also include cellular data access, so they can surf the web even if a wifi hotspot is not handy. Some cellular providers will provide a free netbook as part of a extended period data service contract. Newer models also frequently include blue tooth networking.

The systems that don’t have hard drives use hard drive equivalents based on flash storage, similar to USB thumb drives. These start at 4 gigabytes with 16 gb being a very common capacity. This is smaller than most modern hard drives, but provides enough working storage for most users. This increases shock resistance and battery life, and reduces cost.

Most of the newer models have more capabilities. Hard drives with about 160 gb have become widely available, except in the cheaper ones. Microsoft responded to the Linux on the desktop threat by making it cheap to provide Windows XP on these basic machines. A limited version of Windows 7 can also be had.

Marketing plans notwithstanding, netbooks became a success in Europe very rapidly, and are selling well in other higher income areas. Apparently cheap and small is attractive to people with money, even when they could afford something more. They provide everything needed for Internet access, which is all that many computer users need. They are easy to take along and have very good battery life. Top of the line machines are cool in many ways, but most users just don’t need that much machine.

Andrew Johnson is an expert in electronic products. If you would like more information about netbooks or are searching for a reputable computer retailer please visit ebuyer.com












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