What is the difference (or is there) between a laptop and a notebook computer?
They are used pretty much interchangably. But there are really 2 type of laptops that have evolved.
The 1st type is the desktop replacement - this type is (as the name implies) ment to be a suitable replacement for a desktop that takes up a lot less space and can be portable. It usually has large screens, fast processors (sometimes desktop processors instead of power saving mobile ones), CD/DVD drives as well as floppy drives. Also it normally doesn’t have the best battery life.
Then there are the ultra-lites, usually has better battery and battery life, power saving mobile CPU’s, smaller screens, smaller overall size, sometimes only includes a cd/dvd or floppy or interchangable slots or no removable drive at all (removable drives are sometime external).
Some are hybrids of the 2, the CD drive, extra ports and floppy are on a base unit. The laptop can be carried with the base or that base can be removed to transform it into a ultra lite model.
But I never heard laptop vs notebook being used for this distinction.
AFAIK, a notebook computer is a laptop computer that’s as small as a normal paper notebook. I think “legal” is the normal paper size it’s compared to in the US, while here in Norway at least, maybe the rest of Europe, I don’t know, it’s “A4”.
Letter: 8.5 x 11" = 216 x 280 mm
A4: 210 x 297 mm
Legal: 8.5 x 14" (you work it out)
This reminds me of an argument I had with a Dell engineer once…
The old Dell Latitude laptops would often get so hot that they would literally burn you if you tried to use them on your lap. When I asked an engineer why they didn’t fix this by putting in an extra fan or something he said that if you look carefully, you’ll notice that nowhere is the Latitude referred to as a “laptop”; it’s a “portable computer,” or “notebook.” Thus, he argued, you shouldn’t be using it in your lap in the first place.
Laptops are generally more expensive and more difficult to upgrade.
I’ve noticed that the word “laptop” seems to be more popular among home/nongeek users, while “notebook” seems to be more popular among geek/business/pro users. Not that it means anything.