Notebook vs Netbook : performance or portability?

Notebook or netbook ? what's the difference between them? which is more suitable for my daily life?

Notebook, or laptop, is a portable computer that normally have :

• Screen size : 12 Inch and up
• Processor : Intel Pentium Dual-Core,Core 2 Duo or AMD Turion X2
• Graphics : Integrated or External Graphic Card, from Intel GMA x3100 to AMD Mobility HD 3870X2
• Weight : 1.9kg and up

Netbook, a smaller variant of notebook, 1st poineered by Asus with their release of Asus Eee PC 700,and now laptop companies such as Acer and MSI released their own netbooks (Acer aspire one and MSI wind respectively), have :

• Screen size : 12 Inch max
  
• Processor : VIA C7 1.2GHz, Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz or AMD Geode 800MHz
• Graphics : Integrated Graphic Card, mostly Intel GMA 900 or 950
  
• Weight : 1.1kg and below

1st, let's compare the screen size. With notebook screen size normally hovers around 14.1 to 15.4 inch, you can have a good movie viewing pleasure and don't have to squint your eyes just to see some text. With screen size 12 inch and lower, you might have a hard time typing documents in your netbook.

2nd, the processor. It is a very important part or consideration because it process the website content. The faster the processor, the faster the page loads. If you normally surf around the YouTube (which is heavy in javascript and flash) then you will know that loading that website takes longer than sites such as wikipedia or forums. With a slow processor, you browser might suddenly hangs if you opened too much tabs. The netbook cpu can't even handle 1080p movie and it will shutter all the way till the end. You can read more about the Intel Atom cpu here.

 

3rd, the graphic card. If your primary concern is playing games, you can skip the netbook altogether as their graphic are really really lame. Some claim that they install World of Warcraft inside their netbook, but with lame graphic card and small screen, how are you ever gonna enjoy playing that game. On the other hand, notebook have better graphic card than netbook even in the low-end section. They can handle World of Warcraft and other older games easily without breaking a sweat literally.

4th, the weight. This is where the netbook really shines. With their low weight (and small screen), they are truly fit the definition of portability. Thier weight are almost half of the notebook weight, which is a good thing if you're not into bodybuilding. Coupled with their power adapter, the max weight might be only 1.5kg. 

In the end, it all boils down to you. Which one you prefer the most. If you like to play games or watch movies, notebook is the way to go. If you surf the web more often and type short documents, netbook is you choice. Be warned that netbook keyboard is really small and not suitable for long-term typing.

Core i7 have been Released!!

Core i7 (codenamed Nehalem) has been released! It combines quad-core with Hyper-threading and SSE4.2 for better multimedia editing. Be warned that Core i7 requires both new motherboard with Intel X58 chipset and DDR3 RAM. It uses tri-channel memory controller for greater memory bandwidth, so remember to get slot in 3 RAM modules rather than 2.

Below are the websites for the Core i7 review:

• Bit-Tech
• Anandtech
• Extremetech
• Hardwarezone
• Hexus.net

To know more about the Core i7 architecture, click here.

Intel vs AMD : Clearing Up The Myth

Let's say you are given 2 options :

A. Intel Pentium Dual-Core E2180 (2.0 GHz) + Biostar P35D2-A7 (total price: RM525)

B. AMD Athlon X2 5200+ (2.7 GHz) + Biostar TA780G M2+ (total price: RM495)

If you choose option A because you heard people say that Intel rules and AMD sucks, then you are half right. The reason is that Intel really rules......IN THE HIGH-END(RM 600++) section, while AMD sucks because they can't compete in the high-end. But that does not mean that in the low-end(RM200~350), AMD still sucks.

Option A and B, both their performance are almost equivalent (see this, the 5200+ and E6420 you see are 2.6GHz and 2.13GHz respectively, try to gauge the performance yourself). But the difference is the motherboard. While both MB(motherboard) are almost the same price, the AMD MB sports extra features, like an integrated graphics card and smaller chipset die (55nm - means less power consumption).

Not to mention that AMD MB can support next-gen cpu while Intel cannot. Intel likes to change their chipset cpu support every year, so the Intel MB you bought this year might not be compatible with the cpu that released next year.

So it all boils down to choices, whether you prefer AMD or Intel.

Remember, this post is for the non-overclock, average guy. If you are an overclocker, stop telling people to buy Intel cpu because they overclock better, NOT all people understand or want to take the risk of overclocking.