For students, this can mean the difference between lugging their laptop around all day, when maybe they only have one or two classes. Or when they grab lunch, maybe they want to drop the heavy laptop off at the dorm room for when they come back to download the day`s notes. Sitting at a desk gets old after sitting behind one for several hours a day; even if there is a nice home/dorm office desk setup aside from being in classrooms. Maybe the student wants to prop up in bed and type some quick ideas or update the week`s schedule - enter the netbook.

Following are the small details that make the netbook so appealing for quick tasks, updates or even as a general notebook for random thoughts or shopping lists.

The netbook tends to have a 7-10 inch screen. However some manufacturers have produced a couple of models with 11-12 inch screens, which might be categorized by most as a laptop. Usually they are built to weigh a mere 2-3 pounds. This attribute alone is a big selling point for the times someone needs a computer, yet there will be no access to a desktop where one is going, therefore the point of carrying a USB stick would be moot. Now the USB can be brought along to the next destination, with the netbook not weighing much more.

Linux and Windows XP are the standard operating systems for netbooks. Some have Vista installed, but the netbook`s smaller memory capacity usually does not support Vista well. Most memory on the devices is 512 MB to 1 GB (giga byte). They do have a capacity for as much as 2 GB. Most netbooks come with many standard specs that a laptop does - webcam, microphone, USB 2.0, a port for headphones and another microphone and etc.

The netbook is designed to be very easy on battery life, unlike most laptops. Hence another example of the appeal of the netbook`s portability; however, this also translates to smaller processing systems, making it ideal for small daily tasks for students, business people, writers, or the busy mom typing out the grocery list. The laptop at home will be utilized later for the more heavily processing tasks.

Many netbooks can be attained for US $300-500. Some do go as high as $700-800. For those who can justify the cost of the netbook as a compatible backup and new family addition to their laptop, it is a viable option. There are also many people who would benefit from saving or just weighing the pros to make a notebook the latest addition to their technology brood - students, writers, high schoolers who need extra, more convenient study time, doctors and nurses who need extra time to type up and organize notes, etc.

Welcome to another technological breakthrough, just when it seemed there could never be any more additions: enter the world of the netbook, a fabulous adjunct to the notebook, and their grandfather, the good old desktop.