As we get closer to Christmas and people are looking at buying computers as presents, we are being asked this question a lot. To a certain extent it’s like asking “What is the difference between a Jeep, an SUV and a People Carrier?”, there are a lot of similarities and crossover but each is really designed for a different purpose.

Well it’s the same when it comes to portable computers. Originally Notebook computers were the first slim computers to come on the market and were designed to have all the same features as the equivalent desktop computer. As a consequence the used to be very expensive (twice the price of an equivalent desktop). Then the next generation of of portable computers came out that were smaller and lighter and because they could be used anywhere, they  were called Laptops. These days people use the term Notebook and Laptop interchangeably. If someone uses the term Notebook or Laptop, they mean a slimline portable PC with a screen between 14″ and 17″ and similar processors, memory, hard disks and DVD drives that you would find in a desktop computer. Currently there is very little difference in price between Laptops and desktops, so you would really be crazy to buy a Desktop when a Laptop has all the same features and gives much greater flexibility.

With the greater penetration or broadband in the last couple of years and the increase in the use of social networking like MySpace, Facebook and Bebo, the computer manufacturers recognised that there was a market for a less powerful PC that would be primarily used to access the Internet  and for personal use. As a consequence this type of PC did not need all the bells and whistles, but did need to be very portable. Enter the Netbook PC. Netbooks tend to have less powerful processors, less memory, smaller hard disks and no DVD drives. The also tend to be smaller, usually 10″ or 11″ displays and as a result Netbooks are cheaper than Laptops.

So if you want a powerful, flexible PC with all the features then buy a Laptop. If on the other hand you really just want a PC to access the Internet and do the odd bit of Word Processing and Spreadsheet then buy a Netbook, they will be much more portable and also cheaper.