What is a Notebook?

When one thinks notebooks, one generally thinks of a stack of papers bound together, with the purpose of hand-writing notes. In today’s day and age however, a Notebook refers to a small and lightweight personal computer, optimised for portability.  

Differences between a laptop and a notebook

Now, since portability is in question here, one often confuses a Notebook with a laptop, and may often use the two terms interchangeably. However, the two are entirely different in reality, and the differences between them primarily boil down to two important distinguishing factors. Namely – size and functionality.  

In contrast to a laptop, which can be tailored to specific kinds of use cases, a Notebook is primarily geared more towards basic personal computing. Examples of this could include emailing, surfing the web, or streaming one’s favourite movies and TV shows. Notebooks get their name from the very same notepads and diaries carried by students or working professionals, for, as you may have guessed, taking notes. 

As compared to a regular laptop, which can be had in a variety of configurations and sizes varying from 10 to 18-inches, Notebooks are sleek, and smaller with screen sizes of below 15 inches. The form factor of the notebook takes precedence to the extent that, it often lets go of certain functionalities that a laptop may have, to ensure they remain lightweight and small. A typical Notebook weighs below 2 KGs, and is generally below three inches thickness. Some of the most popular notebook manufacturing brands include HP, Apple, Samsung, and Dell.