Netbook, smartbook or tablet? What’s best for me?

Just came across a very nice article by Shinrai on eeepc.net speaking about netbooks, smartbooks and touch tablets. Kind of beat me to it, i too intended to write something about this subject these days.

I won’t get into too many details, but make a list of pros and cons for each of the three.

Netbooks

Pros:

• 9 – 12 inch display + decent keyboard and touchpad
• have the most powerful hardware of the three and some can even play HD videos and 3D games
• come with the best price/performances raport
• some have convertible touch-display, but are more expensive than the standard ones, that run for around $350
• can run Windows and most applications developed for this OS

Cons:

• are the biggest and heaviest of the three
• lack the coolness factor of the other too (if this can be considered a con)

Smartbooks

Pros:

• usually have smaller screens than netbooks (up to 10 inch)
• display + decent keyboard and touchpad, although keys are crowded on some versions
• come with proprietary OS-es based on Linux/Android/Moblin
• are actually pretty light (> 2lbs) and thin
• most of them offer 3G connectivity
• some might offer touch-screens

Cons:

• a lot less potent in terms of hardware specs than netbooks
• can’t run Windows and Windows applications

Touch Tablets

Pros:

• light and compact, thus easy to carry around
• have touch-displays, some capacitive and with support for multi-touch
• use proprietary OS and UI is built around touch-controls
• are cool and easy to use

Cons:

• most of the times are similar in terms of hardware with smartbooks, but less powerful than netbooks
• can’t run Windows and Windows applications
• are fragile and will take damage easier than the other two if dropped or mishandled
• lack a physic keyboard, although they offer a virtual on-screen one

So, all in all, if you want a basic light computer you can carry around and do most of the things you can do on a regular laptop, you’ll have to go for a standard netbook.

If you want something even smaller and lighter, that can easily get you online through 3G and allows receiving messages and e-mails even when in stand-by (like smartphones), you should got for a smartbook. They are less powerful however and might cost you more.

And last but not least, if all you do on the device is browse and use multimedia content (music, books, movies), a touch tablet might be the smart choice. It’s coolness factor is brand high. It is also very easy to use with your hands, but some tablets might get really pricey. So be careful when handling them, being so light and thin make them also very fragile.

I for one use a netbook almost daily and i wouldn’t give it away for a smartbook. In fact, i would change it for something even more powerful, one of those best netbooks available these days. . Still, i wouldn’t say no to one of these new tablets when traveling or browsing at home from the bed.

But how about you? What’s the best device for you, if it were to choose between a tablet, smartbook or netbook, what would you pick. And why?