Netbooks were primarily released as a low cost portable solution to travellers and mobile business. Since the first release of the Asus Eee PC, netbooks have gone from mainly using Linux, to the majority of netbooks using Microsoft Windows. Size has also increased and most netbooks now feature a 10 inch display, which also means the keyboard can be bigger, as well as other increased specifications.

Many netbooks are still cheaper than laptops though with their £200-£300 price tag. What happens though when you’re looking into the Dell Inspirion Mini 10? It features a 10 inch display, Intel Atom processor running at 1.33GHz, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive. The low cost netbook is available from Dell and PC World for £299. But also available from Dell’s website, the Inspiron 15, which features a 15 inch display is also available for £299. The notebook doesn’t feature the portability aspect like a netbook, but the notebook is still reasonable portable with the added bonus of an easier to read display and easier to use keyboard. Not only that, the Inspiron 15, generally has better specifications than the Mini 10. The main differnce being the screen size and processor. The Inspiron 15 features an Intel Celeron processor which runs at 2.16GHz, with a dual core processor also being available for an additional cost. Both machines feature a 160GB hard drive, with the netbook having Windows XP installed and the notebook using Vista. Both machines feature 1GB of RAM and come in black. The netbook can also be purchased in white for no additional charge, while both models offer other colors for a nominal extra. The notebook will also last longer while on the road as it comes equipped with a 4 cell battery over the 3 cell of the Mini 10, but both can be upgraded to a 6 cell battery.

Samsung’s release date for the NC20 netbook in the US has been put back to possibly the first week in April according to Laptop Mag. The release was set for the 16th of March previously (as reported here).

In an exclusive deal with NewEgg.com the NC20 will be brought to US shores by Samsung and the model they are releasing will cost $549 . It will have a higher capacity battery and only the black model will be available in America initially.

Netbooks may not be as flexible as laptops in terms of usage and performance because of their modest features and specifications. But these small devices are undeniably useful to people who often need to keep in touch with their family, loved ones, and colleagues because of the easy email access. Netbooks also enable users to do basic computing tasks such as viewing and typing documents, listening to music, watching videos, browsing the Web, and even playing games. All these can be done using a less sophisticated machine that has a lower price tag than laptops.

Laptops are quite heavier and bulkier, but their capabilities that are comparable with a desktop computer compensate for their being less portable. Unlike in many netbooks, laptops allow watching videos in high resolutions, photo and video editing, and playing the latest 3D games with intensive graphics.

Laptops offer greater advantage when it comes to performance, but netbooks are more beneficial in terms of portability and affordability.