Computer influence daily life in all areas of life. Mobile Internet Access – not least because of smartphones like the iPhone or Nexus One – now standard.
Almost every week come out new netbooks. The portable devices are smaller than conventional laptops, often not much larger than a paperback book. Thanks to its low weight and long battery life, they are particularly suitable for mobile use.
The construction corresponds to conventional laptops, which makes the operation cumbersome.
Tablet PCs with touch-sensitive displays explore other paths: Products such as Apple’s iPad or the Galaxy Tab from Samsung dispense entirely with a keyboard. The operation is done exclusively via the touch screen, writing of texts on an inserted in the display software keypad. The compact, weight-saving design of the equipment supports mobile working longer. But office work is no longer in the foreground. Tablet PCs – particularly the iPad – are entertainment machines par excellence. Movies, games, music, books, newspapers go through iTunes or the built-in Online Store on the iPad. WLAN and UMTS provide connection to the Internet. The many programs designed specifically for your device increase the use of options.
Tablets – Pros and Cons
PROS
- Size and weight : Tablet PCs are very small and light: The Apple iPad, for example, is only half as thick as a netbook and also weighs only half (680 grams).
- Operation : Tablet PCs do not have a keyboard and mouse. It is controlled by touch screen. The iPad is without settling very fast and smooth to operate. The Windows Tablets are ” cumbersome “.
- Operating noise : Most tablet PCs work silently. Only the devices with netbook technology produce a fan noise.
- Battery : Tablet PCs have low-power processors, keeping it in battery mode therefore, up better than notebooks. The Apple iPad succeeded in the test even more than eight hours.
CONS
- Screen : Some tablet screens provide only 800×480 pixels (for example, the ViewSonic ViewPad 7) – For many websites this is not enough. You have to scroll back and forth a lot.
- Keyboard : The text-input on-screen keyboard of the touch screen is quite a chore.
- Memory : Some Tablet PCs offer only 16 gigabytes of memory – which often is not enough time for the MP3 collection.
- Connections : Many tablet computers do not have a USB port, such as a USB stick or an external hard drive.
- Programs : Additional programs – called apps – are available for many tablet PCs only from the manufacturer.
- Price : In terms of performance and features, tablet computers are still quite expensive.
NetBooks – Pros and Cons
PROS
- Size and weight : Netbooks are much smaller than notebooks, weigh around 1,200 grams – ideal for working on the go.
- Battery : Netbooks are quite persistent. Most models hold when in battery mode by around four hours. Devices with extra-large battery create even six hours.
- Keyboard : Even longer text, you can tap hassle free with a netbook. Since the keyboard almost exploits the entire case width, the keys have approximately a notebook format.
- Connections : Through its USB ports expand netbooks will – as with printer, DVD burner or external hard drives. Also network jack, VGA monitor output and Wi-Fi are in netbooks to standard equipment.
- Programs : For the Windows operating system, there are a lot of software.
CONS
- Speed : For compute-intensive programs such as video editing, the low computing power leads to be longer waiting times.
- Storage : There are usually available only up to 250 gigabytes of data storage.
- Screen : Usual netbook screens have around 25 inches in screen diagonal and 1024×600 pixels. That’s enough for simple internet works, but rarely for several application windows.
- Optical drive : For a DVD burner has no place in netbooks. They are expandable with external USB drives.
Laptops – Pros and Cons
PROS
- Speed : Even laptops of the $500. Class now have dual-core processors and provide ample power for intensive computing tasks.
- Screen : With a diagonal of 40 cm. and a resolution of 1366×768 pixels already are 15-inch laptops for most PC programs.
- Storage : Laptop hard disks offer with 320-500 GB. of storage. A DVD burner is standard equipment.
- Keyboard : Laptops on tap as well as on a normal PC keyboard. Larger devices even have a number pad.
- Connections : With three USB ports, two monitor ports (VGA and HDMI) and a network jack, enough connections are available. Wi-Fi and a built-in webcam for laptops are also standard.
- Programs : Because laptops are using Windows, there is software for every conceivable purpose.
CONS
- Dimensions and Weight : Laptops are relatively large and heavy. 15-inch laptops measure about 38×26 inches, 17 inches around 42×28 inches. Models in the 15-inch format weigh hand luggage with about 2.5 kg. 17-inch models weigh around three pounds.
- Battery : The vulnerability of many laptops. Most laptops keep on battery power by only about two hours. Some models even make tuckered out after 90 minutes.
- Operating Noise : Many laptops produce a clearly audible fan noise, especially when running computationally intensive tasks.