Picking The Best Computing Device

If you can’t figure out how viable it would be to jump from your current computing device to a netbook, here is a little food for thought.

PCS VERSUS NETBOOKS

Although these two devices fall into two a very similar category, the transition from PC to netbook isn't always a smooth one. While hardware components do get obsolete quite quickly, they can be upgraded very easily. Moreover, PCs do suffer from power surges too, for which some users may need a UPS. A netbook, however, can be charged easily anywhere and used wirelessly for 2-3 hours at a stretch, depending on the nature of usage. Each of these devices has their own strengths when pitted against each other.

WHERE PCS SCORE:

The biggest advantage of using a desktop computer is that it is completely flexible. You can append any devices as and when required or feasible, based on the configuration and make of your motherboard. You can convert your PC into a data center, a gaming machine, or a server by mere tweaks in your system setup.

Moreover, most of the software applications are compatible with a desktop. Office productivity apps, games, choice of operating systems, utility applications; all of them can be used with a desktop with ease.

WHERE THE NETBOOKS SCORE:

The greatest advantage that the netbook brings is that they are the most easiest and convenient to carry around. Even if you decide to attach a lot of peripherals to your netbook, they are mostly powered by USB ports, which make most of them quite portable in nature. Since they come with built-in Wi-Fi, it becomes easier to connect to the Internet, using either a Wi-Fi router, a plug-and-play Internet connector or a broadband service, depending on the ports that are available on your netbook.

LAPTOPS VERSUS NETBOOKS

Though these two devices resemble each other the closest, they are still different in many ways. It is not quite appropriate to consider price because a laptop can cost as little as Rs 20,000, and a netbook can cost as much as Rs 80,000, depending on its brand and system configuration. While netbooks are often revered as low-end notebooks, the configuration and ease in usage become more relevant when you decide to pick a netbook over a notebook or a laptop.

WHERE LAPTOPS SCORE:

While laptops, just like netbooks offer portability, they are ergonomically better to use as compared to a netbook. Since you end up using the same applications on a netbook and a laptop, it is more comfortable to use a laptop. Moreover it offers usage of games just like a PC, unlike a netbook. While most components of  the hardware of a laptop are not really upgradable, you can get a really well stacked up system on initial  purchase. A laptop is capable of handling devices just like a PC, although you need to ensure that they don’t drain a lot of your power quickly.

WHERE THE NETBOOKS SCORE:

Although not too ergonomic, the netbook set up does make way for peripherals to bring it up to the

mark. Also, they are way lighter that laptops, and therefore easier to carry around. Netbooks offer much better battery life compared to standard laptops. This is because they use lighter equipment. The best feature of the netbook as compared to the laptop is the removable and changeable lithium- ion battery pack. This helps you maintain your system better.

TABLET PCS VERSUS NETBOOKS

Although these two devices fall into two very different genres of technology, it’s the size and portability that compels most people to draw parallels. The launch of the iPad in early 2010 created a sever dent in the netbook sales for the year. With speculation rife about which of these devices has actually moved ahead in the race, here’s a look at the advantages of each.

WHERE TABLET PCS SCORE:

Tablet PCs are essentially for people who travel frequent and enjoy reading e-books in a comfortable screen size and format, listen to music or play games on the go. The dimensions of your tablet are the same as your screen making them comfortable to use. Since they are touch-sensitive, they don’t need too many peripherals.Also, there is a huge market for apps specifically designed for tablet PCs.

WHERE THE NETBOOKS SCORE:

Some netbook models support RAM, hard disk, and battery upgrades, which are options you don’t find in tablet PCs yet. It is more convenient to feed data into your netbook because of its keyboard and fl ip-close design. You can also plug in a varied range of peripherals, which includes storage devices like external hard-disks, USB fl ash drives, pen drives and DVD drives.

SMARTPHONES VERSUS NETBOOKS

While it is quite unfair to pit these two devices against each other, smartphones have become a useful and comfortable device for basic computing during daily travels. Although they are functionally very different, the tasks they can perform are quite similar in nature.

WHERE SMARTPHONES SCORE:

Smartphones are great for listening to music or playing games on the go. There is a huge market for apps specifically designed for smartphones. Coupled with the QWERTY keypad or a touch interface, working while traveling becomes very easy. Moreover, since they are designed to fit in the palm of your hand, you can handle it with ease, using just your thumbs too.

WHERE THE NETBOOKS SCORE:

You can add peripherals to your nebook and also upgrade RAM and battery packs on your netbook

to make it work with increased efficiency. Although there are not too many netbookspecific applications as of now, it is a lot more convenient to type on the full keyboard as compared to the tiny QWERTY keypad on your phone using merely your thumbs.