Expert: Karl Zick - 3/22/2009

Question
What is the difference between a laptop and a notebook?  Is one better than the other?  Thanks

Answer
Hi Nancy,

They are exactly the same thing.  The word laptop has been around longer and was used to describe the smaller computers in the 80's that could be held in your lap - as opposed to the huge towers that had to sit on the floor.  

The word notebook was coined in the 90's when IBM developed the Thinkpad - which was about the size of a notebook.  A lot of people kept calling them laptops though because they were familiar with the word.

The newest family of small computers are Netbooks' which are the 9" and 10" mini computers.  Mine fits nicely in a book cover that I bought at Barns & Nobel.  They are as powerful as a large notebook (except they do not have built in DVD recorders) and people love them because you can take them anywhere.  Again, however, lots of people call them laptops also.