People carrying around computers are a common sight nowadays.

Just go to your local coffee shop that has free Wi-Fi. It’s a sure bet that you will find people using all sorts of electronic devices, whether they are laptops, netbooks, or tablets.

But if you don’t have one of these wonderful devices, which one should you choose? It is a tough choice and obviously depends on a combination of factors, but it is worth weighing these up before making a decision.

The worst thing you can do is go to a computer store and rely on the shop assistant to tell you what you need. You’ll probably end up needing an interest free balance transfer offer to take away a bit of the sting from the dent on your credit card.

Laptop

A laptop is the traditional method of mobile computing, and was once the reserve of wealthy businessmen and computer geeks. Now laptops are available to the masses, with entry level devices being affordable and powerful. Of course, there are still very expensive models out there to buy, which can be as powerful as high range desktop computers.

A decent laptop will be able to handle pretty much anything you throw at it, apart from a brick :-). What they can handle are: computer programs, games, music, photos, videos, and devices like MP3 players and memory card readers. You can also upgrade them by installing new or extra components, like more RAM or a bigger hard drive. Laptops are best suited for people that want an alternative to a desktop, and want it to be able to do everything a desktop computer can do. The disadvantage is that they are a bit heavier to carry around than netbooks and tablets, and will most probably cost more.

Netbook

Netbooks are a fairly new alternative to laptops, and offer great performance at a fraction of the price, but take a hint from the name. Netbooks have been designed principally to be used for using the internet, and will struggle to run programs that need a high spec machine. While they are fine for storing music and photos, the small screen makes watching videos a little less enjoyable.

Writing emails or typing up documents can be done with relative ease because of the full keyboard they are equipped with. However, you will not find netbooks equipped with DVD drives or an abundance of ports to connect things like hard drives, HDMI screens, memory cards, or other USB devices. But one advantage they do have is a longer battery life than most laptops. If browsing the web is what you’re going to be doing the most, and you want to have the traditional keyboard for typing, a netbook is a wise choice.

Tablet

Tablets are the latest addition to mobile computing, made famous by Apple’s iPad. For the price of an iPad you can by a pretty powerful laptop, so this brand of tablet is better left to the more affluent of readers. But if you can afford one, they are powerful devices that are becoming more diverse by the day thanks to the amount of different apps that are being developed. There are tonnes of other tablet devices out there, and almost all have a touch screen interface, different to netbooks and laptops.

Tablets are flash and utilise the latest technology, but they may not necessarily be the right type of mobile computing device for you. In regards making friends jealous they rank high, but they are limited in functionality. They generally cannot be upgraded nor have other devices attached to them, so no adding your latest music downloads to your MP3 player. The touch screen interface is cool, but it can take some getting used to and frustration can strike when trying to write a long email. The best thing about tablets in regards to portable computing is that they are much smaller and lighter than laptops. Tablets are great for accessing the internet and watching movies while traveling or at a coffee shop, but they aren’t a total substitute for a laptop or desktop computer.