Netbooks vs laptops?

[Solo2]

Can someone summarise for me the pros and cons of each of these and what a laptop would do that a netbook wouldn't and whatt eh advantanges and disadvantages are of each, really?

I am likely to use it for the following reasons:

Checking emails and getting internet access when on the go/ on holiday.

Limited wordprocessing

Watching iPlayer etc in bed.

Having email/ internet access when my home wireless broadband isn't working.

Netbook - light and easy carry, cheaper, but limited battery time and very little memory, so you can't download much or stick all the family photos on there. Some people find the keyboards a bit small and fiddly (us fat fingered types , but I am sure you get used to it.

Laptops - not nearly as portable especially on holiday, or if you are popping down to a wifi hotspot for a cup of coffee when your internet is down, but the bigger memory and power means you can do much more.

Seems to me that most 'netbooks' would have been classed as laptops a few years ago... distinction seems to be weight and screen size.

If the screen is below 11" I'd class it as a Netbook, while above that, I'd call it a laptop.

You're also more likely to get a DVD/CD player in a laptop, to go with the larger width and bigger battery (and weight).

Nowadays, many laptops seem to only run for 2 to 2.5 hours on battery, so be aware of that.

I think the portability of a Netbook would be an advantage, though your part about e-mail/ 'net access is the subject of a whole new thread - will perhaps post on that aspect by itself...

Oh, another major difference is price - laptops are perhaps 300 to 1000+ (whatever you are willing to spend).

Netbooks are anything from 200 pounds new (www.play.com) and from 100-ish s/h or refurbished.

An Asus EEE 'clam shell' netbook a friend has, is one of the lightest and smallest I've seen (and despite my not having chunky fingers, keyboard is really small and awkward to use).

I'd suggest visiting Comet, Currys, PC World (even if you find unit cheaper online) just to see/try the keyboards if this is what you plan to use for a few years...

In my case I so hate laptop keyboards I always plug in a full size keyboard and USB mouse, and can then move the laptop so it is safe from coffee spills and getting grubby!

Have a look at Thinkpad 600 on the internet. I've just bought one for £110 and it looks new. It's smaller than a lap top, but as I explained to my very technically minded DH, I only need it for Word documents, outlook express and Mumsnetting. ( He reckons its around 15 yrs old - but it doesn't look like it too me, but what do I know!)
I'm really, really, really happy
It has publisher, excel, power point and movie maker on it, and I've just downloaded the free version of spotify on it too!

I hated the thought of a netbook when I had a laptop but when the old dinosaur broke I decided that I only had the money for a netbook as they are atleast £100 cheaper.

I got an Acer Aspire one for £229.99 including case and optical mouse from Argos, and it's purple :o

I love it to bits and wish I had gotten a netbook in the first place the only downfall is it does not have a disk tray but I can count the number of times I ever actually used this.

Oh and obviously they ahve smaller Hard Drives and Ram but it only seems to be slightly slower nothing too noticable.

Thanks everyone. Would a netbook or even a laptop have enough 'power' for me to be able to watch iPlayer , C4 on demand etc?

Also, if my wireless broadband isn't working at home, how can I (or can I) still access the internet for emails? Is there something you can stick into the device to get internet access any other way? or would I just have to drive round where I live, trying to pick up another wirelss signal?

I am barely just recovering from a whole week without internet access from Virginmedia. It came back on sporadically around 2am till 7am some days and that really disrupted my work and sleep!! Don't want another nightmare like that again!

When the Virginmedia technician called on Saturday, he was only able to say that he didn't know why it hadn't worked, that it actually SHOULD have worked, that what he did on Sat. to get it working again wouldn't explain why it hadn't previously worked nor could he guarantee that it would continue to work either this naturally really inspired my confidence in Virginmedia....

Driving round and using someone else's wireless is not really an option - apart from somewhere like a pub or cafe that may offer free wireless access (sorry, I am not young enough to be the geek in a sharp suit that spends time in trendy coffee shops, so don't know what options you might have out by the shops).

I have used a 3G USB dongle on the Three network - pop into Asda Living and check the range of dongles but first check which networks have coverage where you are (assuming you expect to use this for more than just 'emergencies').

Most networks have PAYG options but many cost about 10 quid for 1 GB of data and lasts only a month. On Ebay I've bought pre-loaded SIMs for Three - with 3 GB / 3 Months from first use (whichever expires first) - for under 10 quid. If you do go for one of these dongles and PAYG for data, I can only urge you to get your money's worth.

The cost of the data at present on PAYG is very high in my view - on a contract I get 1 GB for 50p (well, 15 GB for 7.50/month) so you can see how I would never in a million years consider paying 10 quid for 1 GB. I've sometimes used all the month's data which is why I bought a PAYG SIM to cover for any extra, and last for 3 months to be able to use it up at a later date.

By the way, for anyone who still likes Windows XP, I spotted on Ebay an Asus EEE Netbook at 166.99 with Free delivery, being sold by Ebuyer.

1 GB RAM, 10" screen, 160 GB hard drive, wireless (of course). Seashell design with up to 4 hours battery life. Speakers and webcam, monitor output (to feed into a monitor/ TV if you want) and 3x USB ports.