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Poll: Is the laptop vs. netbook battle shifting?

The year 2011 has seen so many tablets invading the market. It seems like the golden age of netbooks has come and gone and tablets have replaced it as the preferred portable computing device.

Still, despite the growing popularity of tablets, I think a significant percentage of the consuming public still prefer netbooks (or, due to lack of budget, are still stuck with their old netbooks).

As such, we’re seeing netbooks being sold at under Php15k (or 30-50% cheaper than what they used to be).

So is the “laptop vs. netbook” battle shifting to “netbook vs. tablet”? For people who have multiple (at least 2) computing device, what’s your usual combination?

a) Laptop & Netbook
b) Laptop & Tablet
c) Netbook & Tablet
d) Desktop & Laptop
e) Desktop & Netbook
f) Desktop & Tablet
g) All 4

Go hit the comments section and share with us your set up.

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Abe Olandres
Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.
  1. I traded my netbook last week for a Galaxy Tab. never regretted.

    im using my tab for browsing the net, email, chat, and light web maintenance while heavy work remains on my desktop.

    this is my most productive setup so far.


  2. B. Powerful Laptop for gaming and productivity plus Tablet. Kung hindi lang ako “on-the-go” maybe better and cheaper and desktop plus tablet setup.


  3. I go for all 3 depending of situations where their usage will be..


  4. I am consistently satisfied with my netbook and a Small-screen Tablet.


  5. I belong to the “due to lack of budget, are still stuck with their old netbooks” group.

    LOL! Dec 2008 pa tong Blue H1 UMPC ko eh.

    My setup is desktop + netbook.


  6. i prefer for high specs of laptop and tablet… my laptop has core i7.. for gaming and designg… while my ipad tablet for bsic wrkon nt,


  7. laptop and netbook. sometimes even my mobile phone can connect to the net as alternative for netbook if i prefer a portable one


  8. Netbook and Laptop, my machines ages well, just feed them with new apps. My Ipod touch is also one of my portable device for wifi internet. I will still buy a tablet soon but I am happy at my current gadgets at the moment.


  9. Used to be ‘G’ but my desktop died recently so now just ‘A’


  10. Desktop for real gaming, laptop for semi-mobile gaming/fun stuff/daily utility, netbook for on-the-go stuff like writing articles, pre-fixing video editing (just resequencing, no rendering), etc.

    Tablet shmablet.


  11. i believe it is not shifting, but it has already shifted. that’s why we see acer and asus dropping in their worldwide sales for netbook.

    as for the survey, i have powerful desktops and laptops for work and business, a tablet for leisure and browsing, and smartphones for mobile.


  12. Is it really shifting? All of the people I know do not own tablets and I’m a middle-class kinda guy. I plan to buy a tablet but honestly the price is still kind of “up there” that it’s not really that practical. You don’t need it. You want it.


  13. F <– haha… pag may desktop ka na… bakit ka pa magla-laptop or magne-netbook? shempers tablet nalang para sosyal at maiba naman!


  14. It’s d as of now.. but I want them all. haha


  15. well, i have a macbook hooked up to a monitor, a keyboard, mouse, and a set of speakers that transform it into a desktop while im at home. i also have an iPad with me. ill stick with B.

    when i leave home to go somewhere and ill only need internet connectivity and a few time-passers such as games and such, i use my ipad. however, when im going somewhere far and will make me leave home for more than a day or i need to do serious work, i bring my laptop.


  16. in terms of sales and production, the front may have shifted a bit from netbooks/laptops to tablets. however in our country, people would still go for a cheap 25k core-i3 or i5 laptop instead of an iPad, or a 16k netbook instead of a galaxy tab. netbooks and laptops offer more in terms of performance and that “bang for your buck”. also, lets not forget wifi and 3g enabled smartphones that are flying off the shelves.


  17. I’m going 3years with my netbook, and it took me to great lengths! convenient, easy-to-carry. Netbooks come with better specs now in cheaper and cheaper prices. tablets? so-so… I still can’t see the need for it. Laptops are still the best contender for netbook, its only downside is its weight.


  18. H.??? All 4. Desktop(2)/Laptop(4)/Netbook(1)/Tablet(1)

    The only thing that is collecting dust is the tablet. No use for us. and for browsing nothing still beats having a keyboard.


  19. i have a laptop and netbook. but i prefer desktop and laptop. more computing power!
    tablet? i’ll go for a smartphone, Samsumg Galaxy S II :-s


  20. Gaming Desktop, Work Laptop and i’ll get an ASUS Transformer soon (tablet/netbook hybrid ftw!)


    • Argh! Asus Transformer! damn that thing.. =D


  21. Right now…I only have a laptop…I am planning to have a Samsung Tab…to replace my mobile phone…as a portable communicating device. hehehehe


  22. I’m planning to have samsung galaxy tab, my current set up , desktop or laptop for long surfing, netbook if gamit ng mrs ko desktop, and a knock-off ipad from china(apad)w/ nice specs..


  23. I’m in the same boat as Noir above,
    have all 4 (desktop, netbook, laptop, tablet)

    But if I had to choose two, I would pick
    d. Desktop and Laptop

    I feel that this combo best serves my needs for functionality as well as portability. The netbook is far too small for me to do any lengthy work on it while the tablet is best served for casual web browsing only.


  24. G… Can’t help but to be updated..desktop in my room…an acer laptop for media works…sony vaio p “netbook” for my on the go…just bought an ipad 2 for my presentations/demos… It works best…and a galaxy tab… just a treat for myself and a taste of android…bunga ng pagpupuyat sa trabaho…


  25. G… Can’t help but to be updated..desktop in my room…an acer laptop for media works…sony vaio p “netbook” for my on the go…just bought an ipad 2 for my presentations/demos… It works best…and a galaxy tab… just a treat for myself and a taste of android…bunga ng pagpupuyat sa trabaho…


  26. The gap between netbooks and notebooks becomes smaller and smaller because of the advances made in technology. Ever since the advent of the dual-core Atom, Nvidia ION, and the AMD Fusion APU, that gap became smaller…netbooks are getting several times faster than previous generation netbooks. What’s more is that netbooks can now play mainstream games fluidly like World of Warcraft. Not only that, daul-core netbooks today sells at a cheap price like the ASUS EEE PC 1015PEM which is only priced at around Php. 16,000. Netbooks are getting stronger and their specs are getting some serious treatment.


  27. Desktop + Tablet (though di sya talaga tablet HTC Desire HD)


  28. I’m going F, Web dev ako kaya Tablet is Client purposes only. Desktop for gaming and work


  29. i have an ipad..kci upcoming 4th year highshool
    pa lng aq.nd pa masyadong gamitin
    ang laptop .pero pag nag college na ako
    i think i will prefer to buy a macbook..than netbook
    B.laptop & tablet


  30. Mac Pro (Desktop) – VIdeo Editing
    Macbook Pro 15″ (Laptop) – Photo Editing
    Macbook Air 11″ (Netbook?) – Web/Documents
    iPad 2 3G/Wifi (Tablet) – Photo Presentation/Games/GPS


  31. i have D. shifting?? in some ways yes. knowing pinoys kahit hirap kung anu uso grab talaga :D but for me, it boils down on what you really need. ewan ko lang ah.. for me kc y buy a tablet if it may cost u a better laptop?a 20k-25k laptop is a decent one na.way better than a tablet. i’m trying to figure out.db nkakangawit un paghandle ng tablet when using it?so people buy external keyboard para mailatag na un tablet.i find this one very funny.


  32. Depending on their use. Preferred netbook where I can bring anywhere, process my documents and do gaming. 3G included so I don’t need to worry connectivity also.


  33. I belong to a different group… for two years I used a netbook + mid priced laptop combination. The pair would cost me less than a higher end ultraportable laptop which would be powerful enough for daily use and light enough for daily carry.

    In 2010, when laptop prices went down in general… I opted for just a single laptop. A 13-inch MacBook Air (which cost half as much as it did when originally released) meets both needs for sufficient power and portability.


  34. Netbook samsung for basic excel and statistical analysis (work related). Ginagamit din siya while doing field work. An Asus i3 laptop for heavy duty computation. A macbook (2006) na ginagamit paminsan minsan. sa bahay, i hook up the netbook or laptop sa monitor and keyboard


  35. Laptop and netbook ang preference. Kasi ‘yang mga tablets na ‘yan laruan lang ‘yan, eh. Pero kung may magbigay sa akin ng tablet, ah, ‘yun na.


  36. I prefer Desktop and Laptop. I already have desktop but it stays in our photo shop because I do not have internet connection in our house. Now I am planning to buy laptop to continue my blogging even at house ^_^


  37. Just to add some more.. Are we under the illusion that majority of us can buy tablets? A large part of our society can not afford to buy those things. It makes MORE sense for the public to buy netbooks as they are getting cheaper. A little more money then you’d be able to buy a decent laptop. Students and young professionals alike NEED these. Tablets are for those who can afford them. They’re like bling for the typical netizen.


  38. Desktop for home use and Laptop for mobility.


  39. D here. I use desktop for work and laptop for entertainment. Maybe if I can save some, then I’ll buy a tablet soon. :D


  40. Desktop for gaming
    Laptop for Mobility
    Ipad for browsing (lalo na pag nasa bed )


  41. D. MacMini at the office and a Macbook which I bring anywhere, even on my recent trips to HK and Singapore.
    At the airport though, I get to see a lot of people using their tablets. Di naman ako masyadong naiinggit. Parang gusto ko lang silang tapunan ng sapatos ko.


  42. I have a desktop, 2 laptop and 1 netbook.

    Still contemplating if I am going to buy a tablet.

    So far my set-up with my existing gadgets are in order.


  43. laptop & netbook combination for me… the former’s my desktop replacement while the latter’s my “leisure” gadget.


  44. Smartphone (iPhone 4)
    and netbook (HP Mini 110) for me.
    iPhone for social networking and fun.
    And the netbook for work. :)


  45. Smartphone (iPhone 4)
    and netbook (HP Mini 110) for me.
    iPhone for social networking and fun.
    And the netbook for work! :)


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