Google (News - Alert) recently took the smartphone world by storm with its recent launch of Nexus One. Still, there is something more to the portable computing arena than meets the eye – another battle is challenging the users and computing giants the world over. The question at the root of this battle is: which is a better solution for a common user, a smartphone or a netbook?


Both devices are useful to people seeking portability that allows them to stay connected wherever they roam. Generally, a user’s choice depends upon a number of factors including his personal preferences and budget constraints, but there are some points to be kept in mind before deciding whether a netbook or a smartphone makes more sense for the user's needs.

As far as the issue of portability is concerned, the smartphone wins over the netbook by a hefty margin. Although netbooks are the thinnest and lightest form of computer available to the customers today, still the devices are computers at the end of the day. While it means the users will be tempted to haul a power supply and perhaps some accessories, it will only add to the bulk. On the other hand, smartphones are handy enough to slip neatly into user’s pocket, making most of the people get tipped toward the smartphone in the smartphone-netbook debate.

Keeping a yet another vital factor, battery life, into account, netbooks are definitely the choice as most of the advanced netbooks today can squeeze nine hours of continuous use out of a single battery charge, which is favorable for users who use the device sporadically to go an entire week without recharging. Whereas most of the smartphone users are not lucky enough, as despite regular smartphone advertisements promising as many as 14 hours of standby time, the real-world battery life offered by the device is cut down heavily to just a few hours, if it encounters heavy data use, Wi-Fi use, mp3 playing, and other power intensive activities.

Today, keeping constantly in touch is a yet another issue concerning a geek-on-the-go. Smartphones usually offer convenient outdoor connectivity, as typically the devices are sold by cell phone carriers with both a phone and wireless data plan, making it more likely for the user to permanently stay on a certain carrier's network. It forces him to consult local studies to find out which carrier provides the broadest and best coverage for the areas needed by the user, compelling him to treat network coverage as a prime concern. The netbook users are able to get an equally hassle-free connectivity, but they need to buy a separate wireless data plan from their local cell providers, as often the wireless data plans are not sold along with the devices by default.

For web browsing, netbooks definitely offer a better user experience than the smartphones, as most of the smartphone users have to employ tricks such as panning and zooming when viewing conventional web sites. Although various of applications are being developed that reformat certain types of web sites for smartphone users, still these applications exist only to prove that the devices don’t offer an enhance web browsing experience naturally.

On the front of using typical office applications in an ultra-portable package as well, netbooks score over the smartphones. Although there are spreadsheet-like applications available for most of the smartphones, still support to most of the complex office applications and procedures is not available upon the devices. Netbooks, on the other hand, let the users fire up just about any traditional application that runs under Windows or another operating system, although the very small screens and limited power of the processors used to run today's netbooks might make the experience a bit less enjoyable.

Thinking in terms of the cost, both smartphones and netbooks weigh about the same, although total cost of ownership of a smartphone over a two-year period is usually more than a high-end desktop computer, as the users usually go for a data plan along with a cell phone plan as well. In contrast, netbooks are less expensive over the same period of time, particularly if the users don’t purchase a wireless data plan. If they buy such a plan, the cost of ownership approaches that of a smartphone.

Recently, research and consulting firm Strategy Analytics (News - Alert) declared that global Netbook shipments grew 79 percent annually. Its latest research said that Netbook vendors shipped 30.2 million units globally during 2009 and it was a very significant year for these products.