We are giving you a list of the best laptop alternatives for working on the go:

1. Samsung Galaxy Note- Commonly known as a phablet, the Samsung Galaxy Note remains a class apart in terms of features and performance. Now, if you are looking to do some serious typing, this might not be the ideal laptop alternative for you. However, if you simply want to read something or a watch a movie or browse the internet, the Galaxy Note can be a perfect little replacement for a heavy, bulky laptop. It comes with a 5.3 inch HD screen, a Stylus pen and is powered by Android 2.3 Gingerbread. The large screen coupled with the pen feature ensures that you navigate things smoothly.

2. Apple iPad 3- We could have chosen any other tablet but we are going for the finesse offered by the iOS. Quite clearly, in terms of a laptop alternative, the iPad has more functional value as compared to a smartphone. It comes with a larger screen, a more powerful operating system and a wider range of features. Again, a lot depends on what you are looking to achieve with your laptop alternative. Having said that, the Apple iPad 3 will not disappoint you as long as your expectations are not extremely hard core.

3. Acer Aspire S5- The crucial difference between an ultrabook and a laptop is the weight. An ultrabook is significantly lighter than a laptop even as it offers similar performance. The Acer Aspire S5 is even lighter and thinner than the MacBook Air which is often considered the pioneer of this category. This promising ultrabook is power packed with Intel Core i7 1.9 GHz processor and 4GB memory. The only problem is the slightly high price.

4. Toshiba NB550D- Finally, if you are looking for something even smaller than an ultrabook, a netbook might be ideal for you. The reduced size comes at a price though as the configurations are not comparable to an ultrabook. The Toshiba NB550D comes with a 1 GHz processor and 250 GB hard drive. Normally, netbooks don’t boast of quality video or audio output even as they have a pretty impressive battery life. However, this Toshiba netbook has managed to go past these shortcomings. For a netbook, it delivers quite incredibly.

So, we are giving you a list of the some of the most essential gadgets for college students:

1. Netbook- Netbooks are a miniature version of laptops, they are smaller in size and the range of functions is limited compared to a laptop. In spite of that, a netbook scores over a laptop in several ways. Firstly, a netbook is considerably lighter and smaller in size than a laptop. For a college student, portability is one of the most crucial features in a laptop as he or she has to carry around his or her laptop just about everywhere. This becomes rather unpleasant if you have a bulky laptop. On the other hand, you won’t encounter that problem with a netbook. At the same time, the functions offered by a good netbook are more than sufficient for a college student’s needs.

When it comes to netbooks, the Asus Eee PC 1015PN comes highly recommended. This 10-inch netbook comes with a 1GB RAM, Dual Core Atom CPU, Nvidia Ion Graphics for HD video and gaming and a comfortable touchpad. Asus has also launched the Eee PC 1005PR which comes with an impressive 250 GB RAM. If you are looking for something more affordable, you can also check out the Acer Aspire One Happy 2.

2. Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones- College experience is incomplete without some good music, either at parties or on your iPod. A pair of noise cancelling headphones can enhance the experience of listening to music. Such headphones become a necessity in college where students are surrounded by noise everywhere. After all, there is never a dull moment in college. So, if you want to find some peace in the middle of all the chaos, buy yourself a pair of noise cancelling headphones.

If you are willing to spend a few extra dollars, then nothing can compete with the Bose Quiet Comfort 15. These headphones offer the best noise cancelling feature, the sound is great and they are unbelievably comfortable. Alternatively, Monster Beats by Dr. Dre Studio also live up to high quality standards.

3. E-Book Readers- As a lot of curriculum books are now available as e-Books, it makes sense to invest in a good e-Book reader. The advantages are obvious- one single gadget can carry a thousand e-Books, saving a lot of space in your dorm room. It also makes books more accessible for college students. A particular book might not be available in your library, but you can always find a soft copy version. The Amazon Kindle Fire offers the best reading experience among such tablets. Amazon employs the E-Ink technology which completely transforms the experience of reading an e-Book, making it surprisingly similar to reading a real book.

These are only some of the gadgets that we believe every college student must have in the present day and age. Besides these, a portable gaming console like the Nintendo 3DS can provide that much-needed breather between classes. Add to this a good pair of iPod Dock speakers like the Altec Lansing Octiv Duo M202 and of course, an iPod, and you should be fully equipped for college.

What Is a Nettop?

Before we get into what they’re good for, let’s spend a moment getting to know what a Nettop is. In short, a Nettop is little more than a Netbook minus the display, keyboard, and battery. Both Netbooks and Nettops share the same lightweight, power-efficient components, like Intel’s Atom and AMD’s Vision processors.

So what good is a Nettop if a Netbook already has all of the same components and can actually work without being plugged into the wall? Well, it primarily comes down to peripherals. Nettops almost always have more features, such as additional USB ports for use with external hard drives, printers, and other peripherals. Some even have new USB 3.0 ports for extremely high speed data transfer. Most current Nettops also feature HDMI, eSata, VGA, and Serial ports, and while Netbooks sometimes offer some of these features, none offer more than one or two of them.

Basically, a Nettop is a Netbook that functions as a desktop.

So Why Not Get a Desktop?

When Netbooks compete with other laptops, they have the advantage of being much cheaper. At one point, the Asus Eee 900 was available for just $169 while you’d struggle to find a full sized laptop for under $400. Nettops don’t have this benefit.

Most entry-level Nettops start around $300. This may seem fairly affordable, but a $300 desktop computer will likely outperform any similarly priced Nettop. So why bother getting a Nettop at all?

First of all, Nettops are small, and even though they aren’t meant to be portable, size still matters. The smallest Nettops aren’t any larger than your average Wi-Fi router, and even the larger Nettops don’t get any bigger than a Blu-Ray or DVD player. This makes them easy to tuck away out of site. Just try balancing a desktop on a bookshelf or mounting it to the wall – it doesn’t work all that well.

Another huge benefit of a Nettop is power efficiency. Because they share many of the same components as a Netbook, they need very little power to operate. Most Netbooks will use only 1 or 2 Watts when idling, and rarely more than 50 Watts at maximum. In comparison, it isn’t unusual for a desktop to use over 50 Watts at idle alone. For a situation in which the device will be on 24/7, a Nettop could save you hundreds of dollars per year.

Best Uses for a Nettop

Even though Nettops aren’t always the most affordable choice in terms of cost to performance, their size and power profile make them ideal for certain uses.

The super compact size works well for anyone who is looking for the basic computing needs of a desktop but doesn’t want the added clutter of a full-sized computer. Some Nettops, like the Asus EeeBox EB1012, actually come with a mounting plate that allows you to mount it to the back of a standard LCD monitor, taking up no more space than the monitor on your desk.

Because of their power efficiency, Nettops also make excellent media boxes. Using the HDMI port to connect a Nettop to your HDTV gives you a very flexible media experience, essentially making it an HTPC (Home Theatre PC). YouTube, Netflix, and Hulu can all be watched directly on your TV, and with Windows Media Center, you can even stream HD video from any other computer on your home network. Nettops like the Lenovo IdeaCentre Q150 even include a wireless remote. Be careful, though. Not all Nettops are capable of HD playback. Stick with Nettops that feature Nvidia ION or AMD Vision technology.

Price

Most Netbooks go for around $300, but sometimes upwards of $600 depending on features. It’s true that some Tablets are available around that same $300 price point, but these Tablets are generally plagued with quality issues, are grossly underpowered, and lack key features. Worthwhile Tablets, like the iPad and upcoming Motorola XOOM, cost upwards of $500. Close race, except some Netbooks are even available for free from some cell providers (with contract and data plan). Netbooks take this round.

Score: Netbooks 1; Tablets 0

Performance

Netbooks are almost by definition pretty low on the performance totem pole. Some (the more expensive ones) do sport dual-core processors and dedicated graphics units, but the most popular of Tablets still manage to best them slightly. The Tegra 2 platform (popular in today’s Tablets) already significantly trounces the Intel Atom and AMD Athlon Neo processors in Netbooks, and Tegra 3 is expected in Tablets sometime during the second half of this year. This one is a clear point for Tablets.

Score: Netbooks 0; Tablets 1

Productivity

Netbooks have a keyboard; Tabets don’t. End of story. Even though Netbooks have an awkwardly small keyboard, it’s still a keyboard, making any task that involves typing easier and faster, and because Netbooks run your usual operating system, you can do things like printing, copying/pasting, and running the same applications you use at home or work. Score one more for Netbooks.

Score: Netbooks 2; Tablets 1

Multimedia

Let’s face it, Tablets are made for multimedia; they’re nothing but a great big screen. Netbooks may offer similar screen sizes, but the experience just isn’t the same. Their underpowered hardware also causes them to struggle with things like HD video and flash-based streaming, like Netflix. Both Tablets and Netbooks can be configured with cellular data connections, but Tablets just do it more seamlessly. This ties it up again.

Score: Netbooks 2; Tablets 2

Size

Netbooks have very little variance in size, usually with 10 to 12 inch screens. Tablet screens don’t tend to get much bigger than 10 inches, but when portability is involved, this is a good thing. Tablets like Samsung’s Galaxy Tab have a 7-inch screen and can fit easily into a roomy pocket. Throw in the fact that Netbooks are up to an inch thicker, and Tablets pull ahead.

Score: Netbooks 2; Tablets 3

Battery Life

Tablets have more battery efficient hardware than Netbooks by far, but Netbooks have a bit of leeway in terms of battery size. In the end, both will get you a full day’s use out of a single charge, but Netbooks have one small advantage: removable batteries. If your Netbook battery dies, you can pop in a spare with essentially no down time; a Tablet is dead until you find an outlet. It’s a close category, but Netbooks take it.

Final Score: Netbooks 3; Tablets 3

It’s a Tie!

So which is better? It really comes down to what you need it for. If you’re looking for basic web browsing and productivity on a budget, grab a Netbook. If your focus is more on entertainment, a Tablet may be the way to go.