Our expert Partner looks at the right device for you
What's right for me?
This is a question frequently asked by our customers. It used to be a straight choice between a more powerful laptop with greater storage, faster processing and connectivity options, and the more limited on-the-move netbooks - solely built to meet basic needs of the user when away from the home or office. However, netbooks have upped their game and for some, will now be the ideal home computer choice. Add the Tablet PC to the mix and it's easy to see why it's hard to know what type of product would suit you best.
Laptops have become more streamlined, netbooks have become more powerful and tablets offer users something unique. The right choice for you will depend on your usage, requirements and lifestyle. I'm going to run through each option and pick out what each one is ideal for - hopefully helping you make the perfect choice for happy computing.
Tablet PCs
Another option worth considering if you're seeking a portable device that won't weigh you down is a Tablet PC. These devices provide you with a cool device to take with you on your daily commute, to important business meetings or just to lounge about with on the sofa after a long day. Some models offer both Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi plus 3G options available. If you choose a model with 3G then you'll need a contract with a mobile provider for a monthly fee. Tablet devices are great for:
- Playing music and watching movies on the train
- Enjoying gaming through thousands of Apps
- Staying in touch with your Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites
- Surfing the web with touch screen navigation
- Staying up to date with your emails and responding away from the home or office.
- Reading electronic books
I wouldn't recommend you buy a tablet if you need a device predominantly for word processing as touch typing on a tablet isn't ideal for lengthy documents. However, there are a few tablets which come with keyboard docking accessories which will transform your tablet into a netbook-like device.
Honeycomb is an Android operating system that has been designed specially for use with tablets. The focus is on the development of the touch screen interface, interactive bubble widgets, video calling, 3D graphics and the Android Market Place - with over 250,000 apps to keep you entertained for hours. The Samsung Galaxy Tab is one model to feature this operating system and comes with a sleek design, dual-core processor as well being flash enabled to allow you to watch videos online.
Some tablets such as the ever-popular iPad 2 won't support Adobe Flash, so won't be able to play dynamic video content on some sites. The Motorola Xoom 2 will play all your web content (after a free download) and also offers a range of cool games, apps and simple navigation using the Honeycomb operating system.
Netbooks
In our increasingly busy lives, we seem to have a greater need to stay in touch and on the ball wherever we are. A netbook is one way of helping you keep your finger firmly on the pulse. Netbooks are great for:
- Taking on your travels
- Connecting to public Wi-Fi hotspots and allowing you to check your emails, social media accounts and surf the web
- Playing music and watching movies
- Storing photos and files while you're away from home
- Typing up word documents
One of the best things about a netbook is the fact that they're so light, weighing around 1.2kg. They can also come with a battery life of up to 10 hours, depending on the model. Built-in Wi-Fi will enable you to connect your netbook to the internet wherever there's open Wi-Fi access. For example, your favourite coffee shop, local library and shopping centre will normally provide coverage.
Netbooks are simple to use as they come with very basic software such as Windows Starter operating system. This makes them fine for simple, everyday tasks but won't be able to cope with more complicated applications. In addition, they don't feature a CD/DVD drive so won't play your music albums, DVD movies or be able to load software or games from CD.
The Samsung NP-NS310 netbook weighs just 1.06kg and is the perfect choice for slipping into your handbag or backpack at the start of each day. Alternatively, why not express your personality by choosing the Acer Aspire One D257 Netbook in delightful aqua.
You can of course beef up your netbook with some extras. If you need more storage space, consider an Iomega eGo portable hard drive. Most TVs will now have a PC input feature which will allow you to hook your netbook up to your TV using the Belkin VGA/SVGA Cable and enjoy the content on the big screen. Or if finding a Wi-Fi 'hotspot' is proving difficult, invest in a broadband dongle and you'll have access to the net wherever you go. All these accessories will plug into a USB port, so make sure the netbook you're looking at has enough to accommodate them!
All our netbooks and laptops come with our free John Lewis 2 year warranty for your peace of mind, with free 90 day software support to help you get started. Tablets come with a 1 year's warranty.
