Netbooks enjoyed staggering success for most of the year 2009 and also almost the whole of 2010 but their craze among customers finally appears to be reducing, especially after the launch of ultra-light and ultra-portable tablet computers. Though the sales of netbooks have definitely declined, they are not going to die anytime soon. Only their growth rate, which was around 43% year-on-year, seems to have taken a huge blow, with forecasts predicting it to decline to less than 15% in the coming years.
Right after the iPad was launched, most of the leading electronics manufacturers, on witnessing Apple's outstanding success, also decided to explore the relatively untapped market for tablets and cash in on the ascending popularity of these compact computing devices. Now many more Android tablet PCs are soon going to be launched into the market, and the forecasts by major analyst firms reveals that netbooks are going to be outsold by tablet PCs by as soon as 2012!
Though if it really happens or not is yet to be known as we head into 2012, for now, let's compare these two computing devices and then decide which one offers better value for money. The first and foremost aspect in this comparison is the size (along with the weight). Though netbooks were looked at as compact portable computing devices that you could carry along with you anywhere, now their supposed light weight, which was their USP until now, no more gives them the advantage, because tablets which are much lighter than netbooks, have been launched and are thriving in the market. One more point favouring tablets is that they intentionally lack a physical keyboard which is the main reason for their ultra-lighte weight & sleek dimensions. One the other hand, netbooks still feature the same old traditional keyboard, which makes them significantly heavier than tablet PCs. And if you argue that you don't like working on an on-screen keyboard, you can always connect a USB keyboard to your tablet if you like!
Another factor that plays a major role in the comparison between netbooks and tablet PCs is the amount of connectivity options. This is one aspect where netbooks seem to far ahead of tablets, since most netbooks feature a wide array of connectivity options, including Bluetooth, Wireless Internet Wi-Fi, Webcam, 2-3 USB 2.0 ports, Audio port, VGA port, Multi-in-one card reader and occasionally a HDMI port as well. On the other hand, tablets only feature some of these, mainly Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Webcam and a few USB ports at most.
If you'd like to read tablet reviews, head over to my blog tabletreviewstoday.com
