Laptop, Netbook or Tablet?

[MTR]

My sister is moving away to college and doesn't have a laptop. Since I hardly use my old laptop that I got in 2007 when I went to college (due to it's size and the fact that my desktop is much more powerful), I've decided to give her the old laptop to take with her. It's nowhere near top of the line, but for what she plans on using it for, it's perfect.

Well, this gives me an excuse to now get a replacement for that laptop. The problem is, I can't decide if I want to get another laptop, a netbook or a tablet PC. I'm leaning away from the laptop idea simply because a laptop is too inconvenient for me to carry around. I also don't really like the battery life, and to be honest, laptops are a little more expensive than I want to pay to replace my current one.

A tablet would be really nice, but I'm not sure where to even start looking in terms of which one to get, and I'm somewhat afraid that the lack of keyboard would get to be an issue (I don't want to buy a hybrid tablet).

I can't really think of any issues with a Netbook, other than, like the tablet, I don't know where to start looking or what one would be good for me. I thought about a Chromebook for a brief moment, but I'm not too keen on the idea of not being able to use the computer without an Internet connection and I don't like the lack of storage space.

Thoughts and help deciding?

[Sosseres]

What are you going to use it for? Writing things up? Handling image collections? Watching anime? Reading manga? Reading news? Surfing online? Writing novels?

Knowing the main usage area would be helpful.

[rathoriel]

A rep from a tech company came to our warehouse for a meeting and he had a weird looking netbook.

It turns out it was a ipad in a case with a bluetooth keyboard.

I am sure they will make something similar for other tablets.

[zetskee]

If you didn't use your laptop because your desktop was more powerful, I don't see why you would want a netbook. I had a netbook and was frustrated with the tiny screen and low performance, not to mention the slightly smaller than standard keyboard and touchpad.

[Freedom Kira]

^ He didn't use his laptop because it was inconvenient to move around AND his desktop was more powerful. The inference that he would use his laptop on-the-go if it was more convenient to move around is pretty obvious.

OP: I'd discourage treating a tablet like a netbook. They are two different products that cater to different needs. Apples and oranges.

If you need office-like productivity, forget about the tablet.

If you want it for more entertainment purposes than anything else, a tablet would make more sense.

It wouldn't be at all far out to have both. That is, if you have money to throw away.

[fohfoh]

I can't remember if it was Acer or Asus which had a tablet where an addition of a clip on keyboard would double or triple your battery life and actually turn your tablet into a laptop/netbook. It ran a full OS IIRC so it's not as craptastic as a tablet...... but depends what you want your tablet for and if you really want the android or iOS platform.

It was like a $150 keyboard too.

I think it was this one:

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/acer-iconia-tab-w500-936986/review

It also has an android version as well.

[kitamesume]

^ omit Laptop if you dont need power. for simple uses, its either a netbook or a tablet.

a tablet is indeed nice for collage, try considering a hybrid of netbook and tablet if you cant decide which to pick.
something like this:
DELL Inspiron Duo (iMD-3487FNT) Tablet PC (Foggy Night) Intel Atom Dual Core N550(1.50GHz) 10.1" 2GB Memory DDR3 800 320GB HDD 7200rpm Intel GMA 3150

[chaohellsing]

^ He didn't use his laptop because it was inconvenient to move around AND his desktop was more powerful. The inference that he would use his laptop on-the-go if it was more convenient to move around is pretty obvious.

OP: I'd discourage treating a tablet like a netbook. They are two different products that cater to different needs. Apples and oranges.

If you need office-like productivity, forget about the tablet.

If you want it for more entertainment purposes than anything else, a tablet would make more sense.

It wouldn't be at all far out to have both. That is, if you have money to throw away.

Indeed, that's it in a nutshell.

As far as brands go, my Mom has a toshiba netbook which has worked well for her but I'd still recommend you go to newegg.com and check out the stuff they have.

[fohfoh]

I agree with the hybrid idea. Though you yourself will have to consider whether you want a full OS or a minimalistic one like android or iOS.

Apps to me are just cut down versions of things. But sometimes you don't need the full functionality.

[kitamesume]

^ you could check the comment, someone installed an android OS and it works.

[Saras]

Personally, I'm against netbooks. They are simply too small to actually work on and unnecessarilly large to be just a portable entertainment system. Kind of a jack of all trades that can't do shit.

I would either get a small laptop (think 12-14 inches), they are light and plenty mobile. If you get one with a built in GPU instead of a stand alone unit, they tend to have a 4-5 hour battery life to boot.

If you only want to watch a film, surf the web for a bit, read something or other miscellaneous shit like that, just get a tablet.

[Freedom Kira]

Speaking of which, my buddy recently took a trip to Hong Kong and picked up a Fujitsu S-761 for $1700 CAD (that's on sale). The specs are pretty damn solid for such a small (13.3") laptop. It's not at the top of the top-of-the-line but it's enough to last a good 10 years. Cool thing is that it supports a second battery, which extends the maximum battery life to 16.5 hours or something. With a single battery it's over 12 hours IIRC.

[MTR]

Thanks for all the input

As far as usage goes, I typically would only be using it for entertainment purposes. Any office productivity work that I need to do (such as word processing) I use a desktop computer for. In fact, I waited until I got home to write this message on my desktop because the idea of trying to type it all out on my phone didn't really appeal to me :p. Music, movies/YouTube, general web surfing, e-mail and remote access to my desktop pretty much covers what I would be using it for. If I am seeing/thinking correctly, a tablet would be fine then?

Someone asked about the OS, and I'm not too sure about that either. I'm not a huge idea of having Windows 7 on a tablet because of the interface. I think it's pretty clear that Windows was made for a desktop/laptop than a portable solution (and the same opinion goes with Windows Phone 7, which from what I understand, in it's current version is missing necessary features such as multitasking and copy/paste), so I guess that leaves Android and iOS? Or is Windows 7 not as bad as I think on a tablet setup?

[Saras]

Yes, a tablet would be your best bet in that case.

As for the OS, it doesn't really matter. If you use an iPhone, get and iPad. If you're using android, get a android tablet.

[fohfoh]

Android tablets are a bit cheaper than the apple counter part. The iPad isn't bad per se. It's smooth and easy to use.

I hear honeycomb or whatever android is currently having a little issue. But nothing a new update won't fix soon.

(Missed the hybrid note from OP in my last post)

[metro.]

Honestly, for most uses I'd suggest something like a 14 inch laptop. Of course you gotta be willing to shell out some cash for something that won't become obsolete in 14 seconds. If you have a desktop but simply need something that you can type on while not at home then I'd say get a 14 inch laptop, or if you have smaller fingers and hawk vision a netbook. Some of the ones that are rectangular are pretty cool, but sacrifice normal screen resolution, which effects how lots of websites read and programs run for, for a larger keyboard.

I personally don't see any use for tablets, they're cool gimmicks i guess, but even as artistic tools direct import pen pads are better, and you can hook them up to your behemoth of a desktop, if that's your plan ofc. But if you really wanna get one, I'd suggest one that runs on the Android OS. Not only does it have much more 3rd party support you are less limited to OMGZ APPLE products that make me want to hate the future of computing. Also, Google is much better to deal with, and Android has alot more customization if you're into that, but user friendly enough to sync with most devices.

That's my ramble.

[Lupin]

Thanks for all the input

As far as usage goes, I typically would only be using it for entertainment purposes. Any office productivity work that I need to do (such as word processing) I use a desktop computer for. In fact, I waited until I got home to write this message on my desktop because the idea of trying to type it all out on my phone didn't really appeal to me :p. Music, movies/YouTube, general web surfing, e-mail and remote access to my desktop pretty much covers what I would be using it for. If I am seeing/thinking correctly, a tablet would be fine then?

Someone asked about the OS, and I'm not too sure about that either. I'm not a huge idea of having Windows 7 on a tablet because of the interface. I think it's pretty clear that Windows was made for a desktop/laptop than a portable solution (and the same opinion goes with Windows Phone 7, which from what I understand, in it's current version is missing necessary features such as multitasking and copy/paste), so I guess that leaves Android and iOS? Or is Windows 7 not as bad as I think on a tablet setup?

I've used both a Galaxy Tab as well as an iPad. I'm an Apple hater but the iPad does provide a better user experience.

You might also want to check out HP's touchpad whose prices just dropped.

[metro.]

I've used both a Galaxy Tab as well as an iPad. I'm an Apple hater but the iPad does provide a better user experience.

You might also want to check out HP's touchpad whose prices just dropped.

I found Asus's tablet to top both of those in my humble opinion.