We don't need a «third category» as you put it, that is nearly the same
size as a netbook or laptop but offers much less.
Not exact matches
An 11.6 inch laptop /
netbook is a perfect
size to use
as a secondary computer for traveling.
That blurry cam picture shows it's
size looking about the same
as normal
netbook (10 inch screen maybe) but with thin and rounded edges.
«We now have four ranges of tablets with 14 variants that come in screen
sizes ranging from 4.3 inch to 11.8 inches, where some tablets can be converted into
netbooks as they come attached with keyboards and other accessories.
For what started with a 10.1 inch
sized Transformer device that doubled up
as a
netbook / laptop when attached to a keypad, and has evolved into the AiO where the display (once detached from the docking base) behaves
as a tablet unit.
The Lapdock line of accessories were first introduced with the Motorola Atrix
as an accessory for people who want to get more out of the Android phones, by turning the Atrix into a full
size netbook and laptop.
As for working on it, I find typing to be about on par with a
netbook keyboard, so while I prefer a full
size keyboard (might splurge for a BT one at some point), typing isn't abysmal either and I find I can make good time with it.
The game - changing Asus Eee Pad Transformer combined a great standalone tablet with a keyboard dock that not only let you type properly but also doubled the device's battery life and gave you such connectivity gems
as full -
size USB ports and a regular SD card slot, essentially turning the tablet into a mini laptop that had a better screen and lasted longer on the go than any
netbook.
But it's still a substantial improvement, such
as the Palm PDA was over the Newton's
size, or current
netbooks are over a laptop with a 15 inch screen.
You get a full Chiclet - style isolated keyboard; the keys are a reasonable
size and have clear space between them but it feels more cramped than the keyboard on a Dell Mini 10 or an HP
netbook and while they have some travel the action isn't
as good
as more traditional
netbook keyboards.
A recent Angus Reid study of Canadian small and medium -
sized business owners, including real estate agents, revealed that more than 70 per cent say it's okay for employees to use business laptops or
netbooks for non-work related activities, such
as personal email and social networking.