When Netbooks work best

Performance and applications
While some Android tablets do offer Adobe Flash support, the actual performance of Flash content on these devices is usually barely adequate. If you love playing games such as Restaurant City or FarmVille on Facebook, a netbook will definitely serve you better. For Apple iPad users who are traveling to parts unknown, we suggest leaving your tablet behind and bringing a minilaptop instead. Some domestic airlines and hotels have Web sites loaded with Flash content, which the Apple device cannot display.

Though there are many apps iOS and Android available, Windows-based programs have a longer history and offer a significantly wider range of options. One of the key programs for business travelers or those flying into China is VPN (Virtual Private Network), which is mainly coded for desktop OSes. VPN is required by some companies to access internal databases and, for tourists, the only way to access blocked sites such as Facebook and Twitter in China.

Feature set
Only a handful of tablets sport a full-size SD card slot (the majority use the smaller microSD format instead) and even fewer are equipped with USB or display ports. On the other hand, almost all Netbooks come with a 5-in-1 memory card reader, three USB ports and VGA output. Even if your tablet has a USB port, it may not have a driver written for your device as most peripherals are designed with Windows or Mac operating systems in mind.

Virtual keyboards have come a long way in terms of usability. However, nothing beats a real physical input device when it comes to typing long emails and documents. Another advantage is that while tablets now have multitasking capabilities, you can only display one app at a time. On
netbook, however, you can display a browser, email program and IM application on the desktop at the same time.

Storage size
Tablets use flash storage, which is faster and less prone to physical damage than magnetic platters. However, the former is pretty expensive and, as such, most slates offer between 16GB to 64GB of storage. Netbooks, on the other hand, rarely come with less than 250GB of harddisk space these days. Granted Windows and most programs eat up around 10GB to 20GB on most systems, there is still well over 200GB left to store your multimedia content compared with tablets.

Netbooks cost less
Due to declining popularity, netbooks are now going for a song and you can easily score a brand-new model at S$399. In comparison, the Apple iPad (first-gen) starts at S$538. Even the inexpensive 8GB Creative Ziio 10 sports a S$429 price tag. No prizes for guessing which device is less painful to the pocket should it be lost or damaged during your holiday or work trip. Here I strongly recommend Degee Netbook on laptopspark.com with cheap price and good quality.

Anyway, Netbooks offer greater flexibility when it comes to transferring photos from digital cameras and for business travelers who need VPN and other professional programs.