Should I buy a laptop or a netbook ?

Since the dawn of the netbooks, consumers have been repeatedly asking the same question again and again. Should I choose a netbook over a laptop? We have tried to answer that commonly asked question to help you make an informed buying decision.

Size and Weight

The screen size of the netbook is in the range of 7-10 inches and the keyboard is really cramped. In comparison, the normal laptop ranges from 12 to18 inches. The average weight of a netbook is around 3 pounds, while the weight of the laptop is over 4 pounds. Due to the minute size and low weight, netbooks are very convenient to carry around.

Storage

Surprisingly, with these little netbooks, you can store lots of movies, music and files as they have so much space to store data. Currently there are models that have storage capacity up to 160 GB. On the contrary, the newer model laptops have storage capacity from 320GB – 500 GB.

Processor

It has become a netbook standard to use Intel Atom 1.6Ghz. But they also come with VIA C7 1.2GHz or AMD Geode 800MHz. Netbook is engineered for efficiency and low cost as it for “net-centric” computing. “Net-centric” computing is just checking your emails, browsing the web, running web applications and running small applications. Complex programs (like Photoshop etc) may slow down the netbook significantly. If you are looking for running complex programs, Laptops may be your better choice.

Graphics

Netbooks fall short in the graphics arena. Laptops use integrated or external graphic card from;' Intel GMA x3100 to AMD Mobility HD 3870X2, which is way better than netbooks. Bottom-line, netbook may not satisfy your need as a gaming system.

Battery

The average battery life in a laptop is 2-4 hours. But in a standard netbook, it is 3-4 hours. If you can get a battery upgrade of 6-cell batteries, then the charge can stay up to a whopping 6-10 hours! Thanks to the Intel atom processor, which uses ultra low voltage.

DVD and webcam

This is a very important point that may sway your decision. At this point of time, there are no netbooks on the market that have CD or DVD drives. Also we noted that most of the netbooks seem to have an inbuilt webcam, which is a bonus.

Price

Netbooks are very affordable. The current average price for a brand new netbook ranges between 300 to 500 US dollars. Some even are sold within 300 US dollars. But with laptops, the basic configuration can cost more than 600 US dollars and up (as you add on more memory, speed and other features).

Helen Swarna works as an editor for www.extremehotdeals.com! , a premier web blog that reveals the extreme deals of the day in consumer electronics.

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Finding Sites Giving Away Laptops Free

Many of us have possibly heard that it is possible to get laptops free online, some of us may be a little skeptical about the scheme, some of us may not have too much knowledge of the scheme, either way it is possible to get laptops free online, and the process is proven and very simple to participate in. A little time spent educating yourself on the process and the scheme can help you understand a little more as to why you should try to participate and what you are missing out on.

Having the knowledge and the confidence to participate in the scheme is what is therefore needed, but also knowing that it can be started by simply entering your email address and then being able to take the time to look through things a little deeper until you are happy to proceed should install a affair amount of confidence.

So, why would you be offered laptops for free online? Simply because computer companies want consumers to test their new models and be able to provide reviews and feedback on them, this doesn´t mean you have to be technically minded, just the normal use of a laptop is more than sufficient. When you are provided the laptop to test over a set period of time as opposed to you returning the laptop to the company and receiving a cash payment they allow you to keep the laptop as a payment, and this is how you obtain laptops free online.

With that as a brief introduction for you to understand the system a little more, and the reason in which you can obtain laptops free online maybe you will now be a little less skeptical, and even be tempted enough to look into the process a little further – after all you have nothing to lose and a lot to gain from just a little of your time.

It is also worth noting that as we said the manufacturers send you the newest models to be tried and tested so the free laptops that are offered are of a high spec including 3 GB memory, 250 GB hard drive and so forth, so they are not a cheap laptop, but quality and yours to keep after the trial period.

At this current time there is a great offer running with Dell, offering their new model of laptops free to people willing to give them a test run, and you can participate simply by visiting www.your-free-laptop.net, but be quick as numbers are limited.

Mark Grey,
mark@markfreelance.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Finding Sites Giving Away Laptops Free

10 Tips to make your Laptop Battery last longer

Computer Laptop Battery Care and Usage Tips for getting more from a notebook battery.

1. Turn off Wi-Fi and BlueTooth - Most laptops have shortcut keys to instantly disable wireless networking.

2. Don't play computer games, music or DVD movies - Multimedia activities drain laptop batteries.

3. Disconnect all external device like PC Card modems, Firewire, USB devices and optical drives. Use the notebook touchpad instead of an external mouse.

4. Adjust your screen brightness - Dimming your display saves battery power.

5. Tweak Windows Power Options - Choose a Laptop power scheme that turns off the notebook monitor and hard disk after 10 minutes of inactivity.

6. Decrease or mute the Laptop Speaker Volume.

7. Turn off all scheduled tasks.

8. Turn off Auto-save features in Microsoft Office and other applications.

9. If your PC has a built-in wireless card, turn it off or disable it when not in use.

10. Programs that are run from a CD or DVD can be copied to and run from the hard drive, which typically consumes less power than an optical drive.

Looking for the longest battery life laptop ? Actually, many factors affect the amount of time that a laptop battery can deliver power before it must be recharged.

How to extend laptop battery life? Here are some more tips to improve your notebook's battery life:

1. If you do not use your laptop for extended periods of time (a week or more), remove the battery pack from the laptop.

2. Do not expose the battery to high heat or freezing temperatures. Do not leave your battery in your car in the summer. Hot batteries discharge very quickly, and cold ones can't create as much power.

3. Make sure to plug your laptop adapter into a UPS and not directly into a power outlet or surge protector.

4. If you have a nickel-metal hydride battery, completely drain and recharge the battery once a month to maximize its capacity to hold a charge.

5. Fully charge new battery packs before use. New pack needs to be fully charged and discharged (cycled) a few times before it can condition to full capacity.

6. For laptops that work as Desktop Replacement, the battery should be re-installed every 3-4 weeks and allowed to fully discharge.

7. Leaving a battery in a laptop while using an electrical outlet for long periods of time will keep the battery in a constant state of charging up and that will reduce the life cycle of the battery.

Battery-saving sleep modes: Should I use Stand By or Hibernate

Standby mode

Use standby to save power when you will be away from the computer for a short time while working - your monitor and hard disks turn off, all applications and open files are stored in RAM. When you want to use the computer again, it comes out of standby quickly, and your desktop is restored exactly as you left it.

Hibernation Mode

Use hibernation to save power when you will be away from the computer for an extended time while working - your computer shuts down to save power but first saves everything in memory on your hard disk. When you restart the computer, your desktop is restored exactly as you left it.

When you choose Start, Turn Off Computer in Windows XP, your options are Stand By, Turn Off, and Restart. To Hibernate, place the cursor over Stand By, then hold down Shift and click.

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