What is a Netbook?

Companies and innovators are consistently trying to bring something new to address the needs of the customers. Sometimes, though, the need is temporary, or a new, better product comes along to replace an older tech. One such long-gone and forgotten piece of tech is the Netbook. Some may even consider it a typo in lieu of the Notebook. No, it isn’t one.

A Netbook, simply put, is a small and inexpensive laptop that was primarily designed for the sole purpose of accessing the internet. These were highly popular devices back when smartphones were not as they are today. Netbooks were mainly sold from 2007 up until 2013. It met its demise majorly due to the rise of smartphones and easy access to cheap and fast internet over them.

Netbooks are compact and are meant for personal computing. They have multiple capabilities, including web browsing, Microsoft Office applications, photo management, and multimedia. More often than not, they do not include a CD/DVD drive. Netbooks usually run a light and portable Linux OS. However, many also came preloaded with Windows XP as well. Another popular OS found on many Netbooks is Chrome OS. Given their designed purpose, they were particularly popular among students.