A
subnotebook or
ultraportable is a class of laptop computers that are smaller and lighter than typical notebooks.
This category of computers can range in price from high end high capability models at $2,000 to low end low capability models at $250.These computers are often confused with the "
Ultra-Mobile PCIn personal computers, Ultra-Mobile PC is a term for a small form factor and specification for tablet PCs. Originally codenamed Project Origami, the project was launched in 2006 as a collaboration between Microsoft, Intel, Samsung, and a few others.- History :In February 2006, a viral marketing...
" category, which is the name of a platform of small form-factor tablet PCs. Unlike UMPCs, they generally are found to run full desktop operating systems such as
WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of software operating systems and graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. Microsoft first introduced an operating environment named Windows in November 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces...
or
LinuxLinux is a generic term referring to Unix-like computer operating systems based on the Linux kernel. Their development is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software collaboration; typically all the underlying source code can be used, freely modified, and redistributed,...
, rather than specialized software such as
Windows CEWindows CE is an operating system developed by Microsoft for minimalistic computers and embedded systems. Windows CE is a distinctly different operating system and kernel, rather than a trimmed-down version of desktop Windows...
,
Palm OSFor the modern smartphone operating system by Palm, see: webOSPalm OS is an embedded operating system initially developed by Palm, Inc. for personal digital assistants in 1996...
or Internet Tablet OS.
Subnotebooks are smaller than laptops but larger than
handheld computersA Handheld PC, or H/PC for short, is a term for a computer built around a form factor which is smaller than any standard laptop computer. It is sometimes referred to as a Palmtop. The first handheld device compatible with desktop IBM personal computers of the time was the Atari Portfolio of 1989...
.
A
subnotebook or
ultraportable is a class of laptop computers that are smaller and lighter than typical notebooks.
This category of computers can range in price from high end high capability models at $2,000 to low end low capability models at $250.These computers are often confused with the "
Ultra-Mobile PCIn personal computers, Ultra-Mobile PC is a term for a small form factor and specification for tablet PCs. Originally codenamed Project Origami, the project was launched in 2006 as a collaboration between Microsoft, Intel, Samsung, and a few others.- History :In February 2006, a viral marketing...
" category, which is the name of a platform of small form-factor tablet PCs. Unlike UMPCs, they generally are found to run full desktop operating systems such as
WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of software operating systems and graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. Microsoft first introduced an operating environment named Windows in November 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces...
or
LinuxLinux is a generic term referring to Unix-like computer operating systems based on the Linux kernel. Their development is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software collaboration; typically all the underlying source code can be used, freely modified, and redistributed,...
, rather than specialized software such as
Windows CEWindows CE is an operating system developed by Microsoft for minimalistic computers and embedded systems. Windows CE is a distinctly different operating system and kernel, rather than a trimmed-down version of desktop Windows...
,
Palm OSFor the modern smartphone operating system by Palm, see: webOSPalm OS is an embedded operating system initially developed by Palm, Inc. for personal digital assistants in 1996...
or Internet Tablet OS.
Subnotebooks are smaller than laptops but larger than
handheld computersA Handheld PC, or H/PC for short, is a term for a computer built around a form factor which is smaller than any standard laptop computer. It is sometimes referred to as a Palmtop. The first handheld device compatible with desktop IBM personal computers of the time was the Atari Portfolio of 1989...
. They often have smaller-sized screens, less than 14 inches, and weigh less than typical laptops, usually being less than 2 kg (4.4 lbs). The savings in size and weight are usually achieved partly by omitting
portsIn computer hardware, a 'port' serves as an interface between the computer and other computers or peripheral devices. Physically, a port is a specialized outlet on a piece of equipment to which a plug or cable connects...
or having
removable mediaIn computer storage, removable media refers to storage media which is designed to be removed from the computer without powering the computer off.Some types of removable media are designed to be read by removable readers and drives...
or optical disc drives. Many can be paired with
docking stationA Docking station and port replicator provides a simplified way of “plugging-in” a portable computer to common computer peripherals. The use of a docking station quickly enables a laptop computer to become a substitute for a desktop computer, without sacrificing the mobile computing functionality...
s to compensate.
1990
The
Compaq LTEThe Compaq LTE was a line of laptop computers made by Compaq, introduced in 1989. The first models, the Compaq LTE and the Compaq LTE 286, were among the first computers to be the size of a paper notebook, spurring the use of the term "notebook" to describe a smaller laptop...
, launched in 1989, was the first to be widely known as a "notebook computer" because its relatively small dimensions— 4.8x22x28 cm (1.9 × 8.5 × 11 inches)—were similar to an A4 paper notebook. The Compaq was followed in October 1992 by the very popular IBM ThinkPad, which was the first to include a 26.416cm (10.4 inches) screen in a notebook measuring 5.588 x 21.082 x 28.3718 cm (2.2 × 8.3 × 11.7 inches). Portables with smaller form factors thus became known as subnotebooks. The term was also applied to the
NEC UltraLiteThe NEC UltraLite was an MS-DOS-based portable computer in a "notebook" size.The product was originally developed by an NEC Japan telecommunications engineering team that was trying to make an inexpensive lightweight terminal for programming PABX systems...
, unveiled in 1988, although its dimensions (1.4 × 8.3 × 11.75 inches) were very similar to the Compaq LTE.
Smaller DOS-based PCs such as the
Poqet PCThe Poqet PC is a very small, portable IBM PC compatible computer, introduced in 1989 by Poqet Computer Corporation with a price of $2000. The computer was discontinued after Fujitsu Ltd. bought Poqet Computer Corp. It was the first subnotebook form factor IBM-PC compatible computer that ran...
and the
Atari PortfolioThe Atari Portfolio is the first PC-compatible palmtop computer, and was released by Atari Corporation in 1989. The Portfolio was licenced from Distributed Information Processing based in Guildford, Surrey, England...
— both released in 1989 — were called either "pocket PCs" or handhelds.
1991–1995
One early subnotebook was the
PowerBook 100The PowerBook 100 was a portable subnotebook personal computer manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced on October 21, 1991 at the COMDEX computer expo in Las Vegas, Nevada. Priced at US$2,300, the PowerBook 100 was the low-end model of the first three simultaneously released...
released in 1991 by Apple Inc., measuring 8.5" deep by 11" wide by 1.8" high and weighing 5.1 lbs . Then the
Gateway HandbookThe Gateway Handbook was a very small and lightweight subnotebook originally introduced by Gateway Computers in 1992. It quickly achieved critical acclaim and a cult-like following, especially in Japan....
, originally released in 1992 and updated to use a 486 processor in late 1993, was only 9.7 inches (246 mm) wide, 5.9 inches (150 mm) deep, and 1.6 inches (41 mm) high, and weighed less than three pounds (1.4 kg). Apple followed-up with
PowerBook DuoThe PowerBook Duo was a line of small subnotebooks manufactured and sold by Apple Computer from 1992 until 1997 as a more compact companion to the PowerBook line. Improving upon the PowerBook 100's portability , the Duo came in seven different models...
series in October 1992, which further reduced their subnotebook line to 8.5" deep by 10.9" wide by 1.4" high and is an example of a portable supporting few on-board features, but which could be inserted into a docking station to achieve the full functionality of a desktop – a feature soon emulated by other manufacturers.
Another early subnotebook was the
Hewlett-PackardHewlett-Packard Company , commonly referred to as HP, is a technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, United States. HP has its United States offices at the former old Compaq Campus in unincorporated Harris County, Texas, Latin America offices in Miami-Dade County, Florida,...
OmniBookHP OmniBook was a range of laptop personal computers created by Hewlett Packard.The range included:* OmniBook 300 — launched in 1993* OmniBook 425* OmniBook 430* OmniBook 500* OmniBook 510* OmniBook 530* OmniBook 600* OmniBook 800...
300, which was launched as a "superportable" in 1993. It measured 1.4 × 6.4 × 11.1 inches, and was available with an optional Flash memory disk instead of a hard drive, to reduce the weight.
Toshibais a Japanese multinational conglomerate manufacturing company, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company's main business is in infrastructure, consumer products, electronic devices and components.Toshiba-made Semiconductors are among the Worldwide Top 20 Semiconductor Sales Leaders...
, which had concentrated on portables in the 1980s, also entered the market that year with the Portege T3400, claiming that "It's the first subnotebook computer with all the functionality of a much larger computer". The version with an 8.4″ monochrome screen measured just 1.7 × 7.9 × 9.8 inches and weighed 1.8 kg.
Then Toshiba really put the subnotebook PC format on the map in 1995 with the Libretto 20. This featured a 6.1″ screen and 270 MB hard disk. CNet reported about the Libretto 50CT that "[it] is the first full-fledged Windows 95 notebook in the United States weighing less than two pounds".
CompaqCompaq Computer Corporation was an American personal computer company founded in 1982, and is now a brand name of Hewlett-Packard.The company was formed by Rod Canion, Jim Harris and Bill Murto — former Texas Instruments senior managers...
introduced its own short lived subnotebook line in 1994 called Contura Aero, which had two models: the greyscale display 4/25 and the color 4/33, notable for using a battery which was intended to be standard rather than only useful for Compaq products.
1996–2000
In 1997, Apple launched the relatively light-weight (4.4 lbs) but short-lived
PowerBook 2400cThe PowerBook 2400c is a subnotebook in Apple Computer's PowerBook range of Macintosh computers, weighing . Manufacturing was contracted to IBM. In a return to the PowerBook 100 form factor, It was introduced in May 1997 as a late replacement for the PowerBook Duo 2300c, which had been the last of...
. This was co-designed by IBM and made for Apple by IBM Japan to replace the aging
PowerBook DuoThe PowerBook Duo was a line of small subnotebooks manufactured and sold by Apple Computer from 1992 until 1997 as a more compact companion to the PowerBook line. Improving upon the PowerBook 100's portability , the Duo came in seven different models...
line. However, it measured 1.9 × 8.5 × 10.5 inches, so it was actually bigger than a Compaq LTE notebook.
IBM had sold "thin and light" models in its ThinkPad range, such as the ThinkPad 560 ultraportable (1996) and best-selling ThinkPad 600 (1998). It finally entered the subnotebook market in 1999 with the 1.3 kg ThinkPad 240, targeted at business travellers. The 240 and 240X had 10.4in screens. Later, however, IBM replaced these with the X range, with 12.1″ screens. At 8.3 × 10.6in, the ThinkPad X40 is not much smaller than A4 (8.3 by 11.7in) and better described as an ultraportable, rather than a subnotebook.
Sony launched an ultraportable less than an inch thick in Japan in 1997, the PCG-505, which reached the US in 1997 as the VAIO 505GX. This was followed by the even thinner Sony VAIO X505, which measured just 0.8 × 8.2 × 10.2 inches, and reached 0.3″ at its thinnest. However, it was very expensive and had poor battery life, and was soon withdrawn.
Sony also launched the C1 range of subnotebooks, starting in Japan in January 2000.
2001–2006
One of the most notable Sony models was the Transmeta-based Vaio PCG-C1VE or PictureBook (2001), which measured only 1×6×9.8 inches. It had a digital camera built into the lid, which could be used for video conferencing or swivelled round to photograph a scene.
This was followed in 2005 by the Transmeta-based Flybook convertible with a touch-sensitive 8.9 inch. widescreen from Taiwan's
Dialogue TechnologyDialogue Technology is a technology company, founded in 1990 and headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan. The company's flagship product is the Flybook—an ultraportable convertible tablet computer with integrated 3G....
. (Later models used Intel ULV processors.) The Flybook features a built-in phone connection for GPRS or 3G networking, and is available in a range of bright colors. This attracted the attention of non-computer magazines including GQ, FHM, Elle and Rolling Stone. Dimensions of 9.3 × 6.1in put the original Flybook A33i on a par with the Libretto, but styled to appeal more to fashion models than computer geeks.
In 2006,
MicrosoftMicrosoft Corporation is a multinational computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products for computing devices...
stimulated a new round of subnotebook development with the UMPC or
Ultra-Mobile PCIn personal computers, Ultra-Mobile PC is a term for a small form factor and specification for tablet PCs. Originally codenamed Project Origami, the project was launched in 2006 as a collaboration between Microsoft, Intel, Samsung, and a few others.- History :In February 2006, a viral marketing...
format code-named Origami. These are basically small versions of
Tablet PCIn general terms, tablet PC refers to a laptop or slate-shaped mobile computer, equipped with a touchscreen or graphics tablet/screen hybrid to operate the computer with a stylus or digital pen, or a fingertip, instead of a keyboard or mouse....
computers, which originally shipped with the Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005. An example is the
Samsung Q1Samsung Q1 is an Ultra-Mobile PC with a 7" LCD and exists in several different versions.- Samsung Q1 :Manufacturer Part #: NP-Q1-V000*Intel Celeron M ULV 353 running at 900 MHz*40GB 1.8" Hard Drive*1GB DDR2 533...
.
2007–present
In 2007, the
ASUS Eee PCThe Asus Eee PC is a subnotebook/netbook computer by Asus and a part of the Asus Eee product family. At the time of its introduction in late 2007, it was noted for its combination of a light weight, Linux operating system, solid-state drive and relatively low cost...
was the first of a new class of low-cost subnotebooks commonly called
netbookNetbooks are a rapidly evolving category of small, light and inexpensive laptop computers suited for general computing and accessing web-based applications; they are often marketed as "companion devices," that is, to augment a user's other computer access...
s. These devices are based around using the Internet. In 2008, sales of some netbooks overtook both subnotebooks and laptops during particular months.
See also
- List of computer size categories
- Comparison of subnotebooks
This page is a comparison of various subnotebooks, in various categories. See also the Comparison of netbooks, as there is significant overlap between these categories.- Subnotebooks :These are examples of recent subnotebooks, not necessarily UMPCs....
- Netbook
Netbooks are a rapidly evolving category of small, light and inexpensive laptop computers suited for general computing and accessing web-based applications; they are often marketed as "companion devices," that is, to augment a user's other computer access...
- Intel Mobile Internet Device
- UMPC, a small form-factor tablet PC
In general terms, tablet PC refers to a laptop or slate-shaped mobile computer, equipped with a touchscreen or graphics tablet/screen hybrid to operate the computer with a stylus or digital pen, or a fingertip, instead of a keyboard or mouse....
platform
- Smartbook
A smartbook is a mobile device that falls between smartphones and netbooks, delivering features typically found in smartphones in a slightly larger device with a full keyboard....