Quote:
Originally Posted by queentess
As ardeegee notes upthread, it's about size. Laptop: lap-sized. Notebook: notebook-sized (in the U.S., that's about 8.5" x 11"). All the other definitions stem from this size delineation. For instance, notebooks usually don't have a cd drive, but it's because the size prohibits it. The keyboards are not usually full-sized on notebooks, again because the size prohibits it.
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Even when only considering size, I've seen definitions where notebook is a subset of laptop and definitions where the two are mutually exclusive. Unfortunately, notebook was born as a marketing term so there will never be a true definition other than:
Notebook - Something you call a portable device in order to increase its sales.