In the quick guide the main differences between the two are outlined but this article will explain in a little more detail the purpose that both Tablets and Netbooks serve.

Essentially Netbooks are better for content creation while Tablets enhance content consumption.

You may not be surprised to learn that the average person will spend 75% of their computer time consuming content; whilst spending just 25% creating it. So, if you put it down to statistics most people would be best suited to a tablet - but what happens when one wants to compose a long email or write an essay;  would a netbook be the best choice then?

People appreciate the compact nature of netbooks but when it comes to consuming content the tablet is the optimal device. In terms of  portability the tablet is slightly superior to the netbook, mainly due to the fact that they are essentially just a touch screen, and it is this straight forward touch screen interface that has made consuming media and online content simpler and more responsive than ever before. Your online life is instantly accessible - Facebook, Twitter, blogs, ebooks, movies, games, apps - are all literally at your finger tips. The flexibility of tablets suggest they could become an integral part of everybody's digital lifestyles but it is important to mention here that the presence of tablets will never defunct the need for desktops or laptops when it comes to serious content creation or heavy content management.

According to market research and some industry professionals the demand for netbooks has already peaked and customers are now becoming preferential toward tablets and the new hybrid models such as the Lenovo Ideapad. However it is difficult to make any sweeping generalisations about future sales as the ipad and other tablets are very much the new kids on the technology block and faddy behaviours along with celebrity endorsements may wain in the future.

Yet, when it comes to users whose priority is online consumption on a light, portable, responsive device the tablet may win out. Our constantly developing digital lifestyles mean that our dependency on access to content is growing - this is where tablets come into their own enabling users to access their online lives anytime, anyplace, anywhere - My friend insists on carrying his ipad everywhere and by that I mean from the sofa to the kitchen, he even takes it to the bathroom!

Touch screen technology and the emergence of the tablet along with smartphones has changed the way we think about computers and their role in our life.

For laptop lovers who can afford to splash out on other gadgets a tablet may be a quirky supplementary device but it will never be viewed as a PC substitute. As a writer I will always prioritise a netbook or laptop over a tablet - It's all about the keyboard for me and dabbing away on a touch-pad-keyboard just doesn't cut the mustard in my opinion. Yet the tablet may prove to be a vital device for individuals who for one reason or another are not computer literate - whether that be through a medical condition or just lack of education - the tablet's simple user interface allows anyone to browse online content in the simplest and most direct way.

So, the netbook wins the war in my house but the tablet is undoubtebly going to hold its place in the market, and quite rightly too.

Perhaps the hybrid can convince me...

Here's a run down of online shops that have netbooks on sale:

Dixons

	Acer One A150AB Blue Internet browsing on the move Was £215.3, NOW £199.99 BUY NOW

	Advent 4213 Mobile broadband without the dongle Standard Delivery Free Was £312.96 Price £279.99 Optional 3 yrs coverplan £69	More info>
IN STOCK

Comet

	ACER AOA110-AW Features Intel Atom processor, 512MB RAM, 8.9 inch display screen and built-in webcam. Cheap basic netbook! WAS £179.99 NOW £169.99 - SAVE £10.00! BUY THIS NETBOOK NOW

	ACER AOA150-AB Features Intel Atom processor, 1GB RAM, 120GB storage, Linux operating system an 8.9 inch display screen plus built-in webcam. Sapphire Blue. Great netbook. WAS £239.99 NOW £215.30 - SAVE £24.69! BUY THIS NETBOOK NOW

Maplin

minibookâ„¢ - Maplin's Netbook
	Small on price and very small on size - ultra compact and just 650g! Ideal for web surfing, email, word processing and spreadsheets Perfect for travel or business with built in Wi-Fi technology...be truly mobile...
now £139.99 Save £80.00 was £219.99

Empire Direct

	TOSHIBA NB10 SALE Features Intel Atom processor, 1GB RAM, 120GB storage, Windows XP an 10" inch display screen plus built-in webcam. One of the best netbooks. WAS £299.99 NOW £284.99 - SAVE £15! BUY THIS NETBOOK NOW

	ASUS Netbook sale Features Intel Atom processor, 1GB RAM, 120GB storage, Linux operating system an 8.9 inch display screen plus built-in webcam. White. Great netbook. WAS £279.99 NOW £234.99 - SAVE £45! BUY THIS NETBOOK NOW

	Fujitsu Ui3250 Netbook This compact, fully featured 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 laptop boasts a 60Gb hard disk drive, 1Gb DDR2 RAM, 8.9" LCD screen and Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition pre-loaded. WAS £299.99 NOW £229.99 - SAVE £70! BUY THIS NETBOOK NOW

Laptops Direct

	Asus Eee PC 901 Linux - On Sale This compact, fully featured 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 laptop boasts a 20Gb SSD 1Gb DDR2 RAM, 8.9" LCD screen and Linux. Great battery life on this netbook. WAS £344.48 NOW £238.97 - SAVE £105.51! BUY THIS NETBOOK NOW

	Toshiba NB100 Netbook Sale Great netbook from Toshiba featured Intel Atom netbook processor, 1gb ram, 8.9" screen and windows xp. Great deal! WAS £269.12 NOW £259.97 - SAVE £9.15! BUY THIS NETBOOK NOW

	Lenovo S10 Netbook Sale Business netbook with Intel Atom cpu, 10.2" screen, 160 gb hard drive, 1gb ram, its a beast among men. WAS £312.18 NOW £279.97 - SAVE £32.21! BUY THIS NETBOOK NOW

Lenovo IdeaPad Netbooks

“IdeaPad netbooks are the latest in a string of recently announced Lenovo products, designed specifically for consumers worldwide and developed through our heritage of technological innovation and exceptional engineering,” said Liu Jun, senior vice president, Consumer Business Group, Lenovo. “As rapidly as the technology changes, today’s consumers are looking for mobile products that feature the best of basic computing functions in an extremely compact and affordable form, and Lenovo designed the IdeaPad netbooks for that purpose.”

The IdeaPad S9 will come with a 8.9-inch screen and the IdeaPad S10 a 10.2-inch screen. Both netbooks will come in a glossy finish, as is the case (ahem) with the Asus EEE PC 901 and the Acer Aspire One. It will come in deep blue and ruby red as well as in classic bold black. Lenovo has designed the keyboard to be 85 percent of the size of a full-function notebook PC’s keyboard - not quite as large as the MSI Wind or Advent 4211 Netbook. An energy-efficient LED backlit display helps provide longer battery life than traditional displays.

We understand that each netbook model will come with a choice of Windows XP or Linux, with the Linux model being around £50 cheaper.

Each netbook will use Intel's(R) Atomâ„¢ processor, up to 1GB of memory and either 80 GB or 160 GB hard disk drive space.

The Lenovo S10 netbook has an equivalent UK RRP of £269 but official European pricing figures are not yet available. We are told that the S9 will not be available for general sale but through nominated B2B outlets.