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You are here: Home / Prepping the Move / Netbook vs. Tablet — the Best Portable Computer for Expats

Netbook vs. Tablet — the Best Portable Computer for Expats

September 13, 2011 by FutureExpat

Netbook vs. Tablet — the Best Portable Computer for Expats

Technology for Expats

tablet computerWhen I went to Panama last spring, I debated long and hard about what type of computer to carry with me. Did I want my industrial-strength laptop, weighing in at over 10 pounds? Not so much.

So I started investigating smaller, lighter alternatives. The two main contenders, based on portability and cost, were either a netbook computer or a tablet.

I found the tablet intriguing, but in the end opted for a netbook.

My reasoning? I needed to work while on the road, and to do that I needed a “real” keyboard (even if smaller than standard), not a tablet’s virtual keyboard. I thought a tablet was good for consuming content (reading email, watching movies, browsing the internet) but not for creating it (writing articles for the website, travel notes, etc.).

Since then, I’ve changed my mind.

The Netbook

I tossed my trusty netbook into a messenger bag and flew to Panama. I used it daily while I was there. I:

  • Took notes at the conference
  • Did some live tweeting from the conference
  • Wrote and uploaded articles like this one
  • Uploaded and processed pictures from my camera
  • Browsed the internet
  • Read and wrote email
  • Updated Facebook
  • And a few other things

I was able to do everything I needed to do, with a device that was reasonably light (about two pounds) and portable.

But I may be giving the tablet another look.

The Tablet

A recent conversation with my brother has convinced me to take a new look at the tablet as a content creation device.

Following the memorial service for our mother, my three siblings and I met to discuss some estate business. My brother pulled out his tablet, as well as a small wireless keyboard. He proceeded to place the keyboard on his lap and type.

Afterward, I asked him how he likes the tablet and how it fits into his overall computing.

He was enthusiastic about using the tablet as an input device. He routinely takes it with him to meetings, and uses his Bluetooth keyboard on his lap as I had seen. The benefits, for him, are that

  • He can take notes at meetings on a low profile device that doesn’t get in the way of making eye contact
  • If he needs to show a document or a presentation, he can put it on the tablet and pass it around if need be
  • All of his software integrates seamlessly with his laptop and desktop computers, and he syncs content “in the cloud” so all three devices are always up to date

Shipping weight of a 7″ tablet is about 1.5 pounds (I don’t know how much of that weight is packing materials), and for the large 10″ tablets, about two pounds. Add a keyboard, at less than a pound, and you’ve got a pretty portable, lightweight device.

Different tablets can use different wireless keyboards, like Bluetooth or, in the case of the ASUS Transformer, a special Docking Station with keyboard that basically turns it into a full netbook.

The tablet has one strong advantage over the netbook — wireless connectivity. With a data plan in place, the tablet can connect to the internet the same way your smartphone does. The netbook needs a wifi connection or an ethernet cable.

Whichever you get, netbook or tablet, make sure you can sync it to your other computer(s) and smartphone to get the most out of it.

Until recently, you could assume any netbook was a Windows machine. However, now that Android operating systems have entered the computer market, you can find Android netbooks as well, and they’re surprisingly affordable.

Apple doesn’t really offer a netbook. Its MacBook Air machines are the smallest and lightest, at 11″ and 13″ respectively. However, Apple tablets (the iPad) and phones (iPhone) are quite popular.

Ultimately, choosing a netbook or a tablet will depend on what you’re comfortable with, whether you have other computing devices you’ll also use, and when and how you intend to use it.

Have you used a netbook or tablet computer while traveling? What are some of the pluses and minuses you’ve experienced?

Filed Under: Prepping the Move, Technology Tagged With: computer, expat, netbook, portable career, portable computing, tablet, Technology

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. marianney says

    September 16, 2011 at 11:47 am

    We are debating this right now and so far it seems that a netbook may be the answer for us when we travel. The main reason being that it has a USB plug which means we can download photos and videos from our cameras into the computer to make more room on the SD cards to take more pics. So far, I don’t know of any way to do this solely with a tablet.

    As far as sharing data in the cloud, you can do that with a netbook too using dropbox, sugar sync, or box.net or other similar cloud sharing sites.

    Otherwise I do like the tablet’s small size and ease of use (no booting up, etc).

    • FutureExpat says

      September 16, 2011 at 8:59 pm

      True, you can share in the cloud with a netbook — but you need to have a wifi connection available. The advantage of a tablet with a data plan is it connects to the cloud the same way your smartphone does. And a lot of tablets now have USB ports and slots for SD cards, although I don’t believe the iPad does. (Which begs the question, why not??) A quick Google search for “tablet PC with USB” turns up a lot that do.

  2. Sarah O'Leary says

    September 16, 2011 at 12:57 pm

    Hmmm, I’ve been wondering about this for a while and this is helpful. I lugged my macbook around on my last extended trip – and it was convenient to have it when I wanted, but damn heavy to carry around. I’ve been seriously considering an iPad with a keyboard because of connectivity, but hadn’t thought about not being able to upload my photos. That’s a serious downside, especially if I want to use them for blogging. Right now I’m leaning towards purchasing a macbook air for the next big trip. They’re now making them even smaller and lighter than when they first came out. I’m an Apple person through and through so a netbook realy doesn’t work for me, although I considered it for a while. I need everything to sync between computers and it’s easier if they are all Apples.

    • FutureExpat says

      September 16, 2011 at 9:02 pm

      The MacBook Airs are certainly lighter, although still good sized. You’re right, the iPad doesn’t have a USB port, although many Android tablets do. So if you have to have Apple, it wouldn’t work for you.

      But it’s nice to have choices, right? 🙂

  3. John Hunter says

    September 26, 2011 at 11:57 pm

    I use a Macbook Air and it is excellent. I t is amazingly light and useful. It is a bit bigger in dimension but in a backpack (or suitcase) it takes up practically no room.

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