If you are in the market for a portable computer, and we can call them all laptops, then your choice really comes down to one of three types: a tablet, a netbook or a small laptop.
While it is getting more difficult all the time to tell the difference among them as they borrow features from each other and are constantly upgrading, let’s look at what you get with each of the three basic types.
A tablet comes with a 7 to 10 inch screen and is the ultimate personal browsing, reading and entertainment device. With a touch screen you have access to apps, you can read a book or a magazine, and this unit is extremely light and thin for easy portability. In fact some will even fit in your pocket. And unlike the other two options, the tablet will turn on almost instantly.
The Apple ipad is the tablet to beat, with Motorola’s Xoom and the Samsung Galaxy Tab coming in a close second. As long as you do not need to do any heavy typing or organizing complex projects, this may be the machine for you. Tablets are priced in the $500 to $700 range, weigh in at about 1.5 pounds and have a battery charge life of 9 to 12 hours. Most have internal storage of up to 64 GB.


