ProZ.com Translation Forums

Quick question: Notebook or Laptop? | @Lincoln

Samuel Murray — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 08:13:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Quick question: Notebook or Laptop?
Poster: Samuel Murray
Post title: @Lincoln

Two years after this thread we finally got a tool in our toolkit for this type of query: Google Ngrams. To prevent non-computer related meanings from popping up, one can use actual ngrams (i.e. multiple word phrases). A search for e.g. laptop computer x notebook computer shows how "laptop" has always been in the lead. Other searches indicate that "notebook" may have had a bit of a heyday at around 2007 but sharply declined after that.

Quick question: Notebook or Laptop? | Both

Lincoln Hui — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 04:15:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Quick question: Notebook or Laptop?
Poster: Lincoln Hui
Post title: Both

While I was in the US it was mostly laptop. In Hong Kong I've heard both, though I feel like I've heard notebook more than laptop.

The translation for laptop/notebook in Japanese and Chinese for Mainland China and Taiwan is derived from "notebook". In Chinese for Hong Kong, however, it's either derived from "laptop", or simply "portable/handheld computer".

Quick question: Notebook or Laptop? | Notebook

Tsogt Gombosuren — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 06:56:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Quick question: Notebook or Laptop?
Poster: Tsogt Gombosuren
Post title: Notebook

It is more difficult to pronunciate "laptop" than "notebook" in Mongolian, so most Mongolians call it "notebook". But I use "laptop" when I communicate with native English speakers.

Quick question: Notebook or Laptop? | Laptop

Chiara Righele — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 13:29:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Quick question: Notebook or Laptop?
Poster: Chiara Righele
Post title: Laptop

Italian native speaker living in Italy.

I obviously use the Italian word portatile when speaking Italian, butI use laptop when speaking English.

I do have a laptop. ;-p

Chiara

Quick question: Notebook or Laptop? | Laptop

Ma. Unica Real Encinares — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 04:01:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Quick question: Notebook or Laptop?
Poster: Ma. Unica Real Encinares
Post title: Laptop

Generally, we call it laptop in the Philippines. Notebook for us is the one used for writing, made up of paper.

However, when I was living in (Tuscany) Italy, It took time before I got used to them using "notebook" or "portatile" referring to laptop.

Quick question: Notebook or Laptop? | It depends

Harry Bornemann — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 15:02:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Quick question: Notebook or Laptop?
Poster: Harry Bornemann
Post title: It depends

Some years ago they were called Laptop in Germany, today they are called Notebook in the shops. So I use Laptop for the old machines and Notebook for the new ones.

Quick question: Notebook or Laptop? | laptop

Anne Bohy — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 01:17:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Quick question: Notebook or Laptop?
Poster: Anne Bohy
Post title: laptop

At IBM, employees have Lenovo NoteBooks. However, in the U.S. at least, everyone refers to his as his "laptop".

Quick question: Notebook or Laptop? | How IT people answer this question

James McVay — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 00:52:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Quick question: Notebook or Laptop?
Poster: James McVay
Post title: How IT people answer this question

Here's a quote from an IT site that may shed some light on the subject:

"What's different about notebook computers? The term laptop computer and notebook computer are used interchangeably today. During earlier evolutionary years of the technology's development, the term 'notebook' was often applied to the lightest weight and smallest units being created, but the units and terminology are now virtually the same. However, a new category has developed of "ultra-light laptops" that pack as much performance as possible into a small package, providing users with a screen size of 12" diagonal or less." ( [url removed] )

And then there's this professional opinion on an Australian site:

"What's the difference between a laptop and a notebook?' is a question that's been posed by many and as far as we can see it has never been properly answered so once you’ve read this short article you may be still be confused but hopefully with a little better understanding why.

"Well, it's our opinion that the difference between the two varies according to the region or country you're in, nothing much else."
( [url removed] )

I'm old enough to remember when the term "notebook" was first introduced. My impression at the time was that a "notebook" was a smaller version of a laptop, but when I actually looked at a few, I found that I couldn't discern a significant difference. Judging by this informal poll and by what I see on the Internet after googling "laptop notebook difference," I have to conclude that the term "notebook" was in vogue among advertisers for a few years but never really caught on with the English-speaking user community. I imagine the term "ultra-light laptop" will suffer the same fate.

[Edited at 2008-02-17 00:53]

Quick question: Notebook or Laptop? | Laptop

Steven Capsuto — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 16:05:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Quick question: Notebook or Laptop?
Poster: Steven Capsuto
Post title: Laptop

Native speaker of English, lived in the U.S. almost my entire life.

I've always said "laptop."

I remember hearing some people say "notebook computer" for awhile (late 1980s-mid 1990s?) when some of the computer companies were using the term, but "laptop" has always been the preferred term, I think.

For a time, I even remember some people making a distinction between "laptops" (in reference to the clunky, bulky portables of that era) and "notebook computers" which were smaller (but still bulky by today's standards).

I think "laptop" won out because it was clearer and had a more consistent meaning.

Quick question: Notebook or Laptop? | "notebook" originally had a specific meaning

Jim Tucker (X) — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 10:11:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Quick question: Notebook or Laptop?
Poster: Jim Tucker (X)
Post title: "notebook" originally had a specific meaning

[quote]Jack Doughty wrote:

why did anyone ever invent a second term for the same thing? [/quote]

Someone in the industry invented the term "notebook" to denote a smaller kind of laptop - under 2 kg/5 pounds (more or less). Today there is a third term in use, "ultraportable," for even smaller machines.

But "laptop" is still a generic term that covers all of these.

Quick question: Notebook or Laptop? | Laptop

islander1974 — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 08:46:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Quick question: Notebook or Laptop?
Poster: islander1974
Post title: Laptop

Definitely laptop in Jamaica. English-speaker, born here but went to school in the UK.

Quick question: Notebook or Laptop? | Notebooks are made of paper

Viktoria Gimbe — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 07:02:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Quick question: Notebook or Laptop?
Poster: Viktoria Gimbe
Post title: Notebooks are made of paper

To me, a notebook is a good old spiral book made of paper. I can't stand it when the meaning of old words is shifted to new meanings - what are we going to call good old notebooks from now on if the word now means a portable computer?

Canada, EN + FR - and I don't like laptop either (watch your back if you really keep your computer in your lap!). I would prefer portable computer or something of the like...

Quick question: Notebook or Laptop? | Both are stupid

Heinrich Pesch — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 06:03:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Quick question: Notebook or Laptop?
Poster: Heinrich Pesch
Post title: Both are stupid

These words seems to be derived originally from "set-top", meaning cable-tv-adapters. These hardly ever are placed above the tv-set, but on a shelve below or beneath. My socalled desktop pc never was placed on the table but on the floor, so it should be called floortop. And my portable pc is never placed on my lap (can be rather hot, and I do not work on journeys), but on the desk before me.
In Finnish portable computers are called "kannettava tietokone", meaning "portable computer", shortly "kannettava". But in casual speach people tend to call them "läppäri", derived from laptop.
In German I would call a portable pc a Taschenrechner or Rucksackrechner, a hand-held would be Handrechner. But mostly Germans talk about Notebooks, I'm afraid.
Cheers
Heinrich

Quick question: Notebook or Laptop? | Romania

Bogdan Burghelea — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 05:44:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Quick question: Notebook or Laptop?
Poster: Bogdan Burghelea
Post title: Romania

Native in Romanian, living in Romania.

Laptop is established, notebook only if one wants to stress the small footprint, thickness or weight (which is, I guess, the only distinction between the two portable computers).

Quick question: Notebook or Laptop? | Idem

Anna Villegas — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 05:24:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Quick question: Notebook or Laptop?
Poster: Anna Villegas
Post title: Idem

Laptop, even in Mexico.

Quick question: Notebook or Laptop? | old fogey

Kathryn Litherland — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 03:31:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Quick question: Notebook or Laptop?
Poster: Kathryn Litherland
Post title: old fogey

I'm a native speaker of English, and I've gone through 4 laptops in my life. I'm pretty sure the term laptop predates notebook, and since it's the term I learned first, it's the only one I use. It's weird, though, because if you go to any commercial Web site, it's always notebook, not laptop.

Quick question: Notebook or Laptop? | Both

mediamatrix (X) — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 02:45:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Quick question: Notebook or Laptop?
Poster: mediamatrix (X)
Post title: Both

The last computer I bought, of any kind, was a lap-top purchased in Switzerland, at the end of the last century. It was sold in Switzerland (FR/DE/IT) as a laptop and it was purchased by me, a UK native, as a 'laptop'.

A few weeks ago I took it into a local IT repair shop. They took one look and exclaimed: "Señor, su [i]notebook[/i] es un antigüedad!"*

I confess that I latched on immediately to 'un antigüedad' (maybe, unconsciously, I thought he was referring to me :( ), but I took a few moments to realise the fellow was actually referring to my beloved laptop with its extremely versatile Swiss French keyboard.

MediaMatrix

* Sir. Your notebook is an antique!

Quick question: Notebook or Laptop? | Laptop

Jack Doughty — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 02:06:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Quick question: Notebook or Laptop?
Poster: Jack Doughty
Post title: Laptop

Native UK English, always Laptop, why did anyone ever invent a second term for the same thing?

Quick question: Notebook or Laptop? | Laptop

M. Anna Kańduła — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 02:04:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Quick question: Notebook or Laptop?
Poster: M. Anna Kańduła
Post title: Laptop

Polish native, living and working in HK.

I use laptop, as it works nicely in Polish, you read it as you write it, no problems with declination - the word works as any other Polish masculine noun. "Notebook" is clearly English word, differently written, differently read, which makes it less convenient to adapt to Polish grammary rules.

Anni

Quick question: Notebook or Laptop? | Ditto.

JaneTranslates — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 01:00:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Quick question: Notebook or Laptop?
Poster: JaneTranslates
Post title: Ditto.

[quote]Özden Arıkan wrote:

use laptop almost 100% of the time, notebook doesn't even occur to me... [/quote]

Ditto. U.S. native (Illinois) but have lived entire adult life in Puerto Rico; native speaker of English; I have a laptop but it never sits in my lap.

[Edited at 2008-02-16 01:00]

Quick question: Notebook or Laptop? | Both

Amy Duncan (X) — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 00:48:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Quick question: Notebook or Laptop?
Poster: Amy Duncan (X)
Post title: Both

When I lived in Brazil and spoke Portuguese (I'm an American native), I (and everyone else, pretty much) said "notebook" (no-chee-book in Brazilian Portuguese). Now that I'm back in the USA I say laptop.

Amy

Quick question: Notebook or Laptop? | native EN

Lia Fail (X) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 23:34:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Quick question: Notebook or Laptop?
Poster: Lia Fail (X)
Post title: native EN

.....but have lived in Spain for 20 years.

Always laptop, after all it's unamabiguous, why refer to "notebook" which could be confused with "libreta"?

Wkipedia's main entry is about laptops not notebooks.

[url removed]
This article is about the writing pad. For the mobile version of a computer, see Laptop. For other uses, see Notebook (disambiguation).
A notebook (also notepad, writing pad, drawing pad, legal pad, etc.) is a book, usually of paper, of which various uses can be made, including writing, drawing, and scrapbooking. Notebooks can be distinguished along several dimensions and sub-dimensions:

Quick question: Notebook or Laptop? | Laptop

Özden Arıkan — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:55:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Quick question: Notebook or Laptop?
Poster: Özden Arıkan
Post title: Laptop

Turkish native; live and work in Germany; use laptop almost 100% of the time, notebook doesn't even occur to me...

.... I mean, use the [i]word[/i] "laptop" almost 100% of the time - otherwise, I'm a desktop user :D

[Edited at 2008-02-16 01:06]

Quick question: Notebook or Laptop? | Laptop

Tatiana Lammers — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:51:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Quick question: Notebook or Laptop?
Poster: Tatiana Lammers
Post title: Laptop

Russian native, live and work in Hawaii, USA - use the word "laptop" more than a "notebook"

Quick question: Notebook or Laptop?

Claudia Alvis — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:24:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Quick question: Notebook or Laptop?
Poster: Claudia Alvis

I'm trying to settle a little debate I have going on. In general, colloquial speech, when referring to a portable computer, regardless of its size, no specific cases, without giving it too much thought, which term do you use the most: notebook or laptop?

Also, where are you from or where do you live? Are you a Native English speaker or not?, and Do you have a notebook/laptop?

Thanks very much.

[Edited at 2008-02-15 23:39]