What is The Difference Between a Laptop and a Notebook

With technology changing colours every day, the things we use in our day to day life have gone a drastic change. Right from the smallest mobile to the high end computers all have gone through a makeover. Not being the face of change, all these technologies have become indispensable parts of our lives. We are so used these technologies that imagining life without them scares us. Such is the impact of the technological advancements.

With technology changing the tug of war between 2 technologies regarding whose better always exists.

Knowing in detail

When we say Notebook, a small, portable item that can fit into our briefcase and can perform the computer functionalities strikes our mind. On the other hand a laptop is just the portable version of a computer having all the functional qualities of a high end computer.

Notebook Vs Laptop

Notebook and Laptop both are the kids of the same genre; the mother being the Computer. With changing technologies, it is quite obvious that people tend to get confused with technologies and use the same terminology for all similar types of technologies. Notebook and Laptop are the classic examples of the confusion. Notebook and Laptop though look like twins they are different from each other. For many they seem same but for those who must have used them can easily tell that they are different.

• The one major difference between Notebook and Laptop that strikes us on our face is the size and portability. Though laptop is also considered very portable, notebooks beat laptops in size and portability. Notebooks come in such small sizes that they can fit into a briefcase and are so light they can be easily carried and handled with ease.
• When it comes to performance and functionality laptops clearly sweep the marks. Laptops though little bigger in size and heavier than notebooks, laptops have many in built functional features compared to notebooks. Again the reason being that laptops are designed not to just meet computer functionalities but have many more features in built in them. Whereas notebooks are designed giving more importance to portability and size ability.
• Coming to the additional features also Laptop takes over notebooks. Laptops have inbuilt CD ROM whereae notebooks due to their smaller size need additional external attachment for the same. Connectivity wise also laptops are much powerful and preferred
• Battery life is one of the most important aspects of any machine. Notebooks have battery backup which can be used where the power is off. But this battery needs charging every few hours. Whereas that’s not the case with laptops. Laptops are equipped with long running battery backups.
• As the laptops are bigger in size compared to notebooks they have a better display features. For people who work for long hours laptops are best option as they have better display and don’t affect vision.
• Computers not only perform high end tasks but are also meant for storing huge volumes of data. When it comes to storage Laptops prove their might over the notebooks. With laptops large data can be stored in the inbuilt memory itself. When external memories are attached the availability of storage has no limits. Whereas when it comes to notebooks, Notebooks have much lesser storage capacity compared to laptops. The reason to some extent being that notebooks are not designed to perform high end computer applications.
•   The scope of the number of software supported by notebooks is limited. Whereas that is not the case with laptops.

Be it any decision regarding selecting any product, the most important thing is to first analyse your needs or the needs that you plan to satisfy buying the product. Once that is clear it makes the buying decision easy. When the buying decision is between close competitors like Notebook and Laptop which have differences worth not identifying, it becomes very important to make our need crystal clear. So when you have a conflict between choosing a notebook and laptop, there are a few questions that must be answered:

1. What kind of work you plan to do with the computer? Is it high end tasks or simple net browsing and general computer works?
2. How many hours you spend working on the computer?
3. Do you travel much or stationed at one place?
4. Last but not the least your budget.

In short notebooks are for those who are always on toes.

A notebook is a micro or a minicomputer. It is a small electronic device that has all the functions of a micro or a mini computer. It is similar to a calculator. The only difference between them is that while a calculator calculates and works on the logic of numbers, a notebook calculates both the alphabetic and arithmetic characters. A notebook converts all the calculated logics from machine language to human language. It is an ideal device which has the advantage of portability and handiness.

It has a full-sized keyboard as well as a flip-up monitor. Thought it does not have space for floppy-disk drives, it provides communication ports so as to connect an external drive. It is very thin as compared to a laptop. It is so designed as to provide mobile computing and offers all the power the mobile users require for work and leisure pursuits. It is very expensive owing to the level of miniaturization. Some notebooks seem like tablets as their screens are touch sensitive and can be folded back to cover the keyboard.

Features of a Notebook

A notebook has some or all of the following features:

• Light-weighted
• Battery life of 4-5 hours
• No in-built floppy drive
• Minimal graphics subsystem
• No in-built CD or DVD system
• 12-14 inches of TFT screen
• Very sleek
• Integrated modem with a network connection
• Small keyboard
• Low power consumption Celeron/Centrino or Sempron style processor

Difference between a Notebook Computer and a Regular Desktop Computer

The similarity between a notebook and a regular desktop computer is that they both can hold a large amount of information. The difference lies in the fact that a notebook, when compared to a desktop computer, is a more lightweight and convenient computer. A notebook is portable and can be carried in a computer bag.

Difference between a Laptop and a Notebook

A laptop is a larger device as compared to a notebook. Unlike a notebook, a laptop has a built-in disk drive unit. A notebook is smaller and lighter than laptops. It is often referred to as “ultra small laptop”

Benefits of Buying a Notebook

There are internal as well as external attributes of a notebook. These serve as benefits which one can have on buying a notebook.

External Attributes: When you a buy a notebook, you buy extra portability and extra handiness. It is a lightweight microcomputer. Its appearance is very elegant and decorative. Notebooks are more common among women.

Internal Attributes: Some notebook models come with attractive features of Window Vista. It allows the user to use any software that they require to carry out their official work. The battery life of a notebook is more than 5 hours. There are models which has batteries made up of mercury. Mercury is a good electrical absorber and comes out with a profound storage of electricity.

A notebook is an idea choice for someone who is looking for portability and handiness. With its lightweight, it is very easy to carry around. But before you purchase a notebook, do not forget to do a complete research on the device.

A laptop is a computer that has been designed in such a way that it is easy to carry with you while travelling. Portability has been the main consideration while designing a laptop. With this, we understand that a laptop is a small and light device. It is termed as ‘Laptop’ because it is so light that it can comfortably be placed on a user’s lap.

Laptops are very common among business people. They can be easily used on a train or aero plane. They have a rechargeable battery which means that users can use it without any mains electricity. Laptops can run for three to five hours without recharging the battery.

Types of Laptops

• Sub-notebook: It weighs between 0.8 and 2.7 kgs and has a screen that is between 6.4 inches and 13.3 inches. It is very light and is smaller than a laptop but larger than a handheld computer.
• Netbook: It is a more compact laptop which is designed for the purpose of surfing the internet and basic word processing. It has a screen of 10 inches and weighs between 1.5 and 3 lbs.

Parts of a Laptop

• It has matrix displays, expansion bay for expansion cards and PC Card or Express card
• It has one or more USB ports
• It has hand disks that are physically smaller as compared to the standard desktops.
• Integrated video and sound chips
• A higher end laptop has graphic processors
• It has specific processors that are powered by lithium batteries. These lithium batteries use lithium polymer technology
• It has a battery life of 3 to 5 hours. The battery might have to be replaced after 5 years depending on its charging and discharging system.
• It has a docking system that offers one to three expansion slots, host of connections and storage bags.
• It has an external AC converters

Benefits of Using a Laptop

• People can work while traveling. Hence, it has a higher productivity
• It is useful in small areas as it takes less space. It can be placed on a user’s lap while working on it.
• It is 80% more power efficient than desktops. It can be used without any means of electricity, unlike desktop computers.
• Unlike desktop systems, it has ‘all in one’. Case, monitor, mouse and keyboard are all connected.

It also has a disadvantage – compatibility problem. Each company manufacturing laptops has its individual connectivity system. Since there is no uniform standard, keyboards and other parts are not interchangeable.

There are numerous brands and models of laptops. At times, this poses a problem when you are shopping for a new laptop. Your choice would depend on the purpose for which you are buying a laptop. If you are planning to play games on laptop then you would require a laptop that has features different from a basic computer.