The main differences between ultrabook and netbook. Ultrabook and laptop - how are they different How a laptop differs from an ultrabook

A little over 40 years have passed since the first portable computer appeared. During this time, this technique has become a very dense part of our life, and the potential buyer is simply dazzled by the numerous modifications and brands of various mobile devices. Laptop, netbook, ultrabook - what to choose? Let's try to answer this question by comparing two types of modern portable computers - laptop and ultrabook.

Throughout the existence of portable computers in the environment of developers of this technology, there is a struggle between two trends. On the one hand, there is a desire to bring a laptop computer as close as possible in hardware and capabilities to a stationary PC. He is opposed by the desire to achieve the greatest possible mobility of a portable device, even if its capabilities are not so broad. This confrontation led to the emergence of portable devices such as ultrabooks alongside classic notebooks. Let's take a closer look at the differences between them.

Difference 1: Form Factor

When comparing the form factor of a laptop and an ultrabook, the first step is to focus on parameters such as size, thickness and weight. The desire to maximize the power and capabilities of laptops has led to the fact that they began to acquire more and more impressive dimensions. There are models with a screen diagonal of 17 inches and more. Accordingly, the placement of the hard drive, optical drive, battery, and interfaces for connecting other devices requires a lot of space and also affects the size and weight of the laptop. On average, the most popular laptop models are 4 cm thick, and some of them can weigh more than 5 kg.

Considering the ultrabook form factor, it is necessary to pay a little attention to the background of its origin. It all started when Apple released its ultra-thin laptop MacBook Air in 2008, which caused a stir among professionals and the general public. Their main competitor in the market - Intel - has set its developers to create a worthy alternative to this model. At the same time, standards were defined for such equipment:

  • Weight - less than 3 kg;
  • Screen diagonal - no more than 13.5 inches;
  • Thickness is less than 1 inch.

Also, Intel has registered a trademark for such products - ultrabook.

Thus, an ultrabook is an ultra-thin laptop from Intel. In its form factor, everything is aimed at achieving maximum compactness, but at the same time remaining a powerful and convenient device for the user. Accordingly, its weight and size compared to a laptop are significantly lower. It looks like this:


The currently produced models have a screen diagonal of 11 to 14 inches, and the thickness does not exceed 2 centimeters on average. Ultrabook weight usually fluctuates around one and a half kilograms.

Difference 2: Hardware

Differences in the concept of devices also determine the difference in hardware between laptop and ultrabook. To achieve the device parameters set by the company, the developers had to solve the following tasks:


The list of hardware differences is not limited to this. Ultrabooks lack a CD-ROM drive, Ethernet controller, and some other interfaces. The number of USB ports has been reduced. There may be only one or two of them.

In a laptop, this set is much richer.

When buying an ultrabook, you must also keep in mind that, in addition to the battery, very often there is no provision for replacing the processor and RAM. Therefore, in many ways it is a one-time device.

Difference 3: Price

Due to the differences listed above, laptops and ultrabooks belong to different price points. Comparing the hardware of the devices, we can conclude that the ultrabook should be more affordable for the general user. However, in reality, this is not at all the case. Laptops cost half the price on average. This is due to the following factors:

  • The use of SSDs in ultrabooks, which are much more expensive than a regular hard drive;
  • The ultrabook case is made of high-strength aluminum, which also affects the price;
  • Using more expensive cooling technologies.

An important component of the price is the image factor. A more stylish and elegant Ultrabook can harmoniously complement the image of a modern business person.

Summing up, we can conclude that modern laptops are increasingly replacing stationary PCs. There are even products called desktop devices that are practically not used as portable devices. This niche is more and more confidently occupied by ultrabooks. These differences do not mean in any way that one type of device is preferable to another. Which one is more suitable for the consumer - you need to decide for each buyer individually, based on their needs.

Every major manufacturing company wants to launch a new product on the market. And if this does not work, then they try to at least offer customers a modified version of an existing item.

This is the case with many products: cars, mobile phones, cosmetics, drinks and more. Laptops did not stand aside. It is difficult to understand all these names from a habit. In this article, we will tell you about the three most popular classes of these devices. And also answer the question: netbooks, ultrabooks and laptops - what's the difference between them?

The differences between these three classes are numerous, but not very significant. The oldest term of the three is laptop. Its diagonal is usually within 15-17 inches. Someone also classifies 14-inch models in this category, but this is already a controversial issue - most devices of this size are more likely ultrabooks. But let's get back to laptops for now. Almost all of them can serve as a replacement for a desktop computer: good performance, sufficient screen size, disk drive, full-size keyboard, and so on. An example is Toshiba notebooks - the company has released many models that fit the above definition. Despite their portability, not all laptops are designed to be regularly transported from place to place. Devices with a 17-inch diagonal are often used in the same place - in the office or at home.

The netbook is an example of how performance has been relegated to the back burner to give way to portability. This category includes devices with a diagonal of 10-12 inches, low power, light weight and long battery life. Also, initially, netbooks were distinguished by a low price, but nowadays there are also models with a very high price tag. This is due to the fact that manufacturers began to produce productive netbooks, in terms of characteristics that can rival good desktop computers.

It is easy to identify an Ultrabook on store shelves. Choose the thinnest and lightest of all - this will be it. The term "ultrabook" is young - it appeared in wide use only in 2011. It was introduced by Intel, which presented the first models of such computers. As already mentioned, the ultrabook is distinguished by its small thickness and light weight. In addition, they boast high performance and a personable appearance. Unfortunately, ultrabooks are currently priced at a high price - they come at a price for compactness and style.

So, let's summarize. All ultrabooks and netbooks are laptops, but not vice versa. You see before you a thin and powerful executive-class device - an ultrabook. A small and inexpensive computer made of beautiful plastic? So this is a netbook. Otherwise, this is a classic laptop. Which of these classes to choose depends on your needs and desires.

Laptop, netbook, ultrabook. ... ... These device names can be confusing for those who don't follow the world of portable electronics very much. And if we add a chromebook to this series, then a person who chooses such a device for himself may come to real confusion. In this article we will tell you for what purposes this or that device is used and which one is better.

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Definition of concepts

Part of the names of all of the above devices is the word " beech". Most readers of our site will translate this title as a book and they will be right. In form, both a laptop and a netbook, as well as other "beeches" resemble a book.

As for the second words that are included in the name of the devices, they just define the difference between them.

(from the English. Note - notebook) - a mobile portable computer that has a lightweight body. One part of which contains the screen, and the second the keyboard. Laptops have been developed as convenient portable computers. Initially, they were intended to enter notes and other data, which were then used on more powerful devices. Hence the name (Note - notepad). Today, when the characteristics of laptops are practically not inferior to those of stationary PCs, they are used everywhere.

(from the English. Net - network) - a mobile computer, the main task of which is to provide comfortable surfing on the Internet. Netbooks tend to have smaller screen sizes than laptops. Also, such devices have a simpler filling. This means they are somewhat cheaper.

- a mobile computer that is lightweight and lightweight. Today, there is a trend in industrial design to reduce the thickness of various electronic devices. Therefore, all modern laptops can be safely ranked as ultrabooks.

- laptop with operating system Chrome OS... This operating system from Google that allows you to use applications for work without installing them on your device. Basically, a chromebook is an input device with which a user controls their cloud server.

Laptop - (from the English Lap knees) - the collective name of portable mobile devices, which are often called laptops in English-speaking countries. Today, thanks to the increased certification and classification of such devices, the term is used less and less.

Device dimensions

The main difference between the above devices is their size. Most often, the diagonal of netbooks is 10-12 mm... As for ultrabooks, the main indicator here is the thickness of the devices. It does not exceed 20 mm... At the same time, ultrabooks outperform netbooks in performance.

If you find out which is better, then of course the "palm" obviously remains with ultrabooks. They are productive, but at the same time they are quite compact and very lightweight. But, such computers are much more expensive than netbooks. Therefore, if you are looking for a small compact gadget, the main purpose of which will be to browse the Internet and check your e-mail, then the netbook in this regard is better, and most importantly, more economical than laptops.

Power

With regard to power, this is another difference between the above devices. Laptops are more powerful. There are even gaming models that boast a lot of RAM, CPU clock speed and a powerful graphics card. In fact, laptops are on par with home desktops today. Moreover, many people today choose a laptop or their kind of ultrabook as a home PC.

Laptops and Chromebooks outperform in terms of power. But, here you need to make a reservation. Chromebooks don't need much power. After all, they use the computing power of the servers on which the applications used by the users of such technology are based. And chromebooks are intended as office devices, not gaming PCs or media centers.

Functionality

As we have already found out, each of these devices has its own purpose. Based on this, they have different fillings. Because of it, the functionality of laptops and netbooks is different. Laptops are more powerful. What affects their resource consumption. A netbook can work 2 to 4 times longer than a laptop without recharging. By the way, chromebooks are also very autonomous. But, at the same time, they cannot work without being tied to the Internet.

Memory size

It is also worth highlighting the difference between laptops and netbooks as the amount of memory. The capacity of hard drives in netbooks is several times less than that of laptops. But, very often, netbooks are installed SSD drives... That speeds up the operation of such devices, but increases their cost. Today " hard drives»More and more space is taken up in the configuration of laptops. Especially ultrabooks.

As for netbooks, they have a small amount of internal memory. But at the same time, you can easily synchronize your work with various cloud services. In addition, Google gives all owners of chromebooks free space for files in the size 100 GB.

Price

The most expensive devices in this article are ultrabooks and gaming laptops. Netbooks, due to their configuration and small screen, cost the least. If you are looking for a device only for viewing websites, youtube and other Internet services, then you should not overpay for unnecessary functionality.

When choosing a mobile computer, it is worth considering the purposes for which it is purchased. It's better to use a laptop for work. Netbooks are practically not produced today. They were replaced by tablet computers. Many of which have keyboards and can be used as laptops.

Video. What to choose: computer, laptop, ultrabook, netbook or tablet

Studying, working and traveling at the same time is the life of a modern person. If before every house stood, now laptops have been replaced everywhere due to their compactness. The new format of the personal computer has also changed over time, becoming more productive, lightweight and stylish. With the advent of the model range on the market, a new era began - ultrabooks. How do they differ from laptops and what is the reason for the popularity of mobile laptops?

Laptop advantages:

  1. Large display. This type of device has a diagonal of 15-17 inches, which is convenient for watching videos, as well as many hours of work (including graphics).
  2. High processor performance and frequency. With the same hardware parameters, a laptop will be more efficient and perform much better than its mobile counterpart.
  3. The ability to replace the battery and other parts for repair and improvement. If the laptop can be taken taking into account further changes (replace the OP, battery, video card), then the ultrabook is a complete model.
  4. There is a separate video card for gaming and graphics models.
  5. The presence of a floppy drive and at least 4 USB ports.
  6. You can change the amount of data storage.

Ultrabook advantages:

  • Light weight. If you need a laptop for easy transport and use outside the home, then this is the best option. The answer to the question of what is better to choose - and a laptop should come from individual needs.
  • The case does not heat up. In such devices, processors are installed that operate without generating heat. Models without a cooler weigh much less.
  • Suitable for work and school duties. This is not a gaming computer, and therefore it is chosen for specific purposes.
  • More battery life. This type of laptop is capable of working away from the network for more than 5 hours.
  • Stylish design. Slim body with graceful keys has been on trend since 2008 and still delights the eye of users.

Overall dimensions

The most obvious difference between a laptop and an ultrabook is size, which really matters here. After all, all models of compact personal computers are called a laptop, and for the title of an ultrabook you need to meet standards. To do this, a mobile PC must be no more than 14 inches in diagonal, up to 2 cm thick and weigh up to 1.5 kg. As, for example, a device weighing less than a kilogram has a 12.5-inch display. If we compare these dimensions with the dimensions of conventional laptops, the difference is palpable. The thin and light device is easy to carry in your bag every day.

Weight

Ultrabook and laptop - the same berry, only in the first everything is done to minimize excess weight. The hardware for both devices is about the same, only made of different materials. For example, hybrid hard drives or SSDs are used as drives. Manufacturers have simply excluded some elements as unnecessary for "slimming" a laptop - a floppy drive, ports, discrete video adapters. For slimness and portability, Ultrabooks use a dedicated rechargeable battery that cannot be removed.

Hardware part

Ultrabooks, while lightweight, can also be productive and powerful. They are equipped with modern fifth and even seventh generation Intel processors, but with limited power consumption. This allows the device not to overheat during operation. Although models from well-known brands, for example, or stuff ultrabooks with good processors, but the frequency of their operation is reduced. This means that when testing the speed of the laptop and its thin version, the former will take the lead.

Ultrabooks don't have a separate one for heavy graphics. Even the most powerful models will not become the best companions for web designers - devices have an acceptable minimum requirements for programs and no more. It is impossible to play heavy games with 3D and online modes on such a personal computer. An integrated graphics chip is installed here, which should be taken into account when selecting programs and applications.

The limited amount of memory in a laptop is far from always possible to fix, so you need to initially choose a model with sufficient space to store files. There are ultrabooks on sale with different values \u200b\u200bof this parameter, among them there are devices with 256 GB and 320 GB of memory.

Battery

If, when choosing a device, an ultrabook or laptop is guided by the battery life indicator. And rightly so, because this is what often becomes the reason for buying a thin gadget. Ultrabook batteries are made with a special technology that makes them flexible. Therefore, they do not take up much space and do not weigh much. The operating time for such a device is longer than for laptops. For example, at the same cost, a thin personal computer will work autonomously for 5 hours, and its analogue with a diagonal of 15-17 inches - only 3 hours.

Hi admin, can you advise what to buy: tablet, laptop, ultrabook or a simple computer? I just can't decide.

Ultrabook? At first I liked the ultrabook, thin, graceful, pretty, but the price bites, on average, give 40-50 thousand and do not sin! What's inside the ultrabook? Processor with a frequency of 2 or 2.6 GHz, RAM: 4 GB, SSD hard drive - 128 GB and integrated graphics Intel HD Graphics 4400. It will not be enough!

The tablet? But after all, if necessary, you cannot connect it to the wired Internet, and NOT all USB devices will work with it, for example, a printer and a scanner will definitely not.

Notebook ? Will work with any equipment and any type of Internet, decent components, for 40 rubles you can buy a fairy tale straight: Core i7-3227U processor, Clock speed - 3.6 GHz, RAM - 8 GB, Hard drive - 1 TB, Video card - nVidia GeForce GT 740M, but a laptop, it's somehow not fashionable, I'll get it in front of my friends in a cafe and no one will say: "Ah"!

Netbook? The same laptop, only smaller and without a floppy drive. You won't surprise anyone!

Simple computer? It's cheap and practical and you can't take it anywhere with you, and everyone has it!

Can look away hybrid computing devices, but I haven't heard anything about them, just that they are very expensive, even more expensive than an ultrabook? Julia, Moscow.

Hello friends! Today we have to choose a computer device: a PC, a laptop, an ultrabook, a netbook, a tablet or a hybrid, or a transformer (they will do the devil)! Do you think which of these devices will best suit you not only in terms of performance specifications, but also perfectly fit into your lifestyle?

Note: Be sure to visit our section -! From it you will learn how to choose the right laptop, simple computer, monitor, video card, and so on and so forth.

If the best advisor in choosing a specific model (with a specific hardware filling) is the amount of money you are counting on (the golden rule: we buy the best possible at an affordable price), then the type of computer device is not so simple. For example, for the price of an average ultrabook model, you can buy two PCs with advanced hardware. And if you need a device outside your home to view messages on social networks or while away the time on YouTube, it will be much cheaper, instead of an ultrabook, to buy a powerful PC and some kind of average Android tablet or smartphone.

So, which computer device would be more appropriate to buy in what situations? Consider below the features of the main types of computer devices on the market today.

PC (stationary computer)

PC - it is also personal, it is desktop, it is also a stationary computer - a structure from a system unit, a monitor and various external devices (microphone, video camera, audio system, etc.).

The advantages of a PC - it is much cheaper than portable devices, it is more powerful in terms of technical characteristics, it is more convenient to work with. A PC is a kind of constructor that can be upgraded over time, replacing outdated hardware components with more advanced ones. Failed connected devices can always be replaced with new ones - for example, a broken PC keyboard can be easily replaced with a new one, while a laptop with such a problem may not be repairable at all.

A child's acquaintance with the world of computer technology should be started only with a PC - you cannot take a bulky structure out of the house to show off to friends. Children's uncontrollable energy, and sometimes even ordinary envy, is not the best atmosphere for quite vulnerable laptops and tablets. Plus, a computer desk for a PC will become a kind of personal space for a child, which is necessary for the formation of a self-sufficient personality in it.

In contrast to the advantages of a PC, we have very conditional, but, nevertheless, disadvantages - dimensions and inconvenience of transfer. You won't take a PC under your arm like a laptop, and you won't put a PC like a 7-inch tablet in a spacious inner pocket of your jacket to take with you to work or school. Since the PC was not originally designed for mobility, these shortcomings should only be considered if the system unit or monitor needs to be taken to a service center. Again, all this is conditional. For example, if you like movies in HD quality, and a huge bright monitor will please your eye for more than one evening, it is unlikely that you will find it difficult, if something happens to the equipment, take a taxi to the service center, placing a system unit or a large monitor in the back seat of the car. And if you have your own car or a familiar system engineer with whom you can pay for a home call with a bottle of beer, the disadvantages of a PC, in comparison with portable devices, will seem insignificant at all.

Notebook

Laptops are portable computers that, ideally, can have exactly the same power potential as a PC, but the cost of such devices will be fabulous. Therefore, in contrast to the two main advantages of a laptop - portability and image, it is immediately worth opposing the financial moment specified above - for the cost of a PC with serious hardware characteristics, you can buy an average laptop for playing multimedia, working with office applications and web surfing.

The operation of the laptop from the built-in battery could be attributed to its advantages if this phenomenon were not so fleeting. Today's standard laptop battery life rarely exceeds 4 hours of moderate use. So on a long trip, after a couple of hours of active watching movies on a laptop, you will have to spend the rest of the trip watching your own thought forms.

The laptop screen is another serious disadvantage of the laptop. Even not for the minimum, but for a reasonable price, you will get a laptop with a small screen (due to the specifics of the device itself), the viewing angles of which will leave much to be desired. When the laptop is running on its own, you will be able to enjoy the brightness of the laptop screen for a short time - if you do not have a charger or mains with you, to save battery power, you will have to be content with the power saving mode with a dim screen.

Laptops as a type of computer devices are divided into subtypes - netbooks and ultrabooks - portable devices, somewhat different from a standard laptop in design and functionality.

Netbook

A netbook is a mini-laptop with a screen diagonal, usually no more than 12 inches, with small dimensions, with low performance. Unlike laptops, netbooks are not equipped with a CD / DVD drive, some models may come without a webcam and microphone (check with the seller). Netbooks are characterized by low power consumption and an affordable price. Designed to perform minimal resource-intensive operations, mostly for web surfing.

Ultrabook

An ultrabook is essentially the same laptop, only ultra-thin and lightweight, and this design feature does not compromise functionality or performance. But an ultrabook is much more expensive than a regular laptop. This is a fashion device, and there is no point in investing in it if you are not in a business environment. Unless you have extra money, and the doctor does not recommend you to carry weights over 2.5 kg. But for business people, the ultrabook will be both a reliable technical assistant and emphasize representativeness.

The tablet

A tablet is a portable computer device in the form factor of one screen only, without a keyboard. Data entry is carried out by touching the touch screen. The standard tablet screen sizes of 7 "and 10" have recently added an intermediate segment of 8 ". The tablets are not equipped with CD / DVD drives, they do not have a network adapter for wired Internet (only Wi-Fi), and not all USB devices can be connected to them like to a PC or laptop. Moreover, budget models of tablets may not have a mini-USB port at all.

A tablet is a much more convenient device in terms of portability than a laptop, at the same time, many operations that can be performed on a PC or laptop are given with great discomfort on a tablet - and due to the small screen size, due to the lack of a physical keyboard ... And models of tablets with a docking keyboard will cost the same price as a full-fledged laptop.

As for the performance of tablets, today on the market you can find models that can compete with many average configurations of PCs and laptops in terms of speed. Again, the question of price - there is no point in buying a tablet with powerful technical characteristics for the price of a full-fledged PC. Another thing is a budget tablet with modest hardware for mobile web surfing and multimedia playback in addition to a PC.

Hybrid computing devices

Hybrid computing devices can easily convert from laptop to tablet and vice versa. Unfortunately, there are no hybrid devices that can transform from a full-fledged PC into compact laptops. However, you can connect various devices to your laptop - USB mouse, USB keyboard, game controllers, and other USB devices. And the image from a laptop can be displayed on a large monitor screen or digital TV.

Hybrid computing devices on the market have emerged to fill the gap between laptop and tablet. Typically, these are laptops with a detachable touchscreen that can be used separately as a tablet. True, the cost of such devices is incredibly high. There is no need to talk about the practicality of such devices: one portable device transforming into another, the same portable one is not even an image chip, but another toy for advanced enthusiasts.