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Subnotebook, also called ultraportable, superportable, or mini notebook, was a marketing term for
laptop A laptop, laptop computer, or notebook computer is a small, portable personal computer (PC) with a screen and alphanumeric keyboard. Laptops typically have a clam shell form factor with the screen mounted on the inside of the upper li ...
computers that are smaller and lighter than a typical notebook-sized laptop.


Types and sizes

As typical laptop sizes have decreased over the course of the 2010s, and other distinguishing features have become mainstream, the distinction between regular-size and 'subnotebook' laptops has largely disappeared. To the extent that it still exists, 'subnotebook' could be defined as machines with screen smaller than 13" but with a permanently-attached keyboard intended for two-handed typing. Prior to this convergence, subnotebooks were also distinguished from
netbook Netbook was a commonly used term that identified a product class of small and inexpensive laptops which were sold from 2007 to around 2013. These machines were designed primarily as cost-effective tools for consumers to access the Inte ...
s and ultra-mobile PCs, based on both size and market position. Classic subnotebooks were smaller than full sized laptops but larger than handheld computers. They were distinguished by smaller screens and bodies and lighter weights relative to contemporaneous laptops. The savings in size and weight were often achieved partly by omitting ports, and these were typically the first machines to omit
optical disc drive In computing, an optical disc drive is a disc drive that uses laser light or electromagnetic waves within or near the visible light spectrum as part of the process of reading or writing data to or from optical discs. Some drives can only r ...
s or on some of the earliest models,
floppy disk A floppy disk or floppy diskette (casually referred to as a floppy, or a diskette) is an obsolescent type of disk storage composed of a thin and flexible disk of a magnetic storage medium in a square or nearly square plastic enclosure lined ...
drives. They were also some of the first systems which could be paired with
docking station In computing, a docking station or port replicator (hub) or dock provides a simplified way to ''plug-in'' a mobile device, such as a laptop, to common peripherals. Because a wide range of dockable devices—from mobile phones to wireless mou ...
s to compensate. One notable form-factor of subnotebook-oriented docks were "slice docks" — a more transportable version of classic docking station.


History


Before 1992

The TRS-80 Model 100 from 1983 was one of the first mass-market portable computers, and was smaller than the clam-shell machines of the same era; it used a slate form factor, with no hinge and the keyboard and screen on the same plane. Its later sibling the
Tandy 200 The TRS-80 Model 100 is a portable computer introduced in April 26th, 1983. It is one of the first notebook-style computers, featuring a keyboard and liquid crystal display, in a battery-powered package roughly the size and shape of a notepad ...
was a clam-shell design and smaller than contemporary laptops. Either could be regarded as an early subnotebook. The Compaq LTE, launched in 1989, was the first to be widely known as a "notebook computer" because its relatively small dimensions — 48 × 220 × 280 mm (1.9 × 8.5 × 11 inches) — matched those of a pair of stacked US Letter (similar to A4) size paper notebooks. In 1990 the Compaq release was followed by IBM PS/2 note and PS/55note lines (later, in October 1992 they was replaced by the first IBM ThinkPad), and by the relatively compact
Sharp Sharp or SHARP may refer to: Acronyms * SHARP (helmet ratings) (Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme), a British motorcycle helmet safety rating scheme * Self Help Addiction Recovery Program, a charitable organisation founded in 199 ...
PC-6220 model. Starting around this time, portables with noticeably smaller form factors sometimes referred as subnotebooks. The term may have been first applied to the NEC UltraLite, unveiled in 1988 — although its dimensions (1.4" × 8.3" × 11.75") were very similar to the Compaq LTE, but slightly lighter (). There were also a few notable smaller-than subnotebook PCs at this time, including the Atari Portfolio and
HP 95LX The HP 95LX Palmtop PC (F1000A, F1010A), also known as ''project Jaguar'', was Hewlett Packard's first MS-DOS-based pocket computer, or personal digital assistant, introduced in April 1991 in collaboration with Lotus Development Corporation. ...
— both very small
MS-DOS MS-DOS ( ; acronym for Microsoft Disk Operating System, also known as Microsoft DOS) is an operating system for x86-based personal computers mostly developed by Microsoft. Collectively, MS-DOS, its rebranding as IBM PC DOS, and a few o ...
machines, roughly comparable in size to later handheld PCs.


1992–1995

At the end of 1992, PCMag magazine described two models as subnotebooks: these were the Gateway Handbook the Dell 320SLi (both less that a 1.6 kg weight), and another was released in Italy: the Olivetti Quaderno. Apple and Compaq did label their machines as "subnotebooks" in this period, but the PowerBook Duo and Compaq LTE Lite otherwise qualify, and both lines were among the first to broadly popularize docking stations. Another early model was the
Hewlett-Packard The Hewlett-Packard Company, commonly shortened to Hewlett-Packard ( ) or HP, was an American multinational information technology company headquartered in Palo Alto, California. HP developed and provided a wide variety of hardware components ...
OmniBook 300, which was launched as a "superportable" in 1993; it was one of the first examples to use a flash memory disk instead of a hard drive, to reduce the weight.
Toshiba , commonly known as Toshiba and stylized as TOSHIBA, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Its diversified products and services include power, industrial and social infrastructure systems, ...
, also entered the market that year with the Portege T3400 and T3400CT, claiming that "It's the first subnotebook computer with all the functionality of a much larger computer"; the T3400CT was the first subnotebook with a color screen. in 1995, Tosbiba introduced the Libretto 20, with a 6.1″ screen; CNet reported about the Libretto 50CT that " tis the first full-fledged Windows 95 notebook in the United States weighing less than two pounds".
Compaq Compaq Computer Corporation (sometimes abbreviated to CQ prior to a 2007 rebranding) was an American information technology company founded in 1982 that developed, sold, and supported computers and related products and services. Compaq produced ...
introduced its own short lived subnotebook line in 1994 called Contura Aero, notable for using a battery which was intended to be standard rather than only useful for Compaq products. IBM released a Palm Top PC (handheld laptop with 4.7" screen) in 1995.


1996–2000

IBM had sold "thin and light" models in its ThinkPad range, such as the ThinkPad 560 ultraportable (1996) and best-selling
ThinkPad 600 The IBM ThinkPad 600 series are a series of notebook computers introduced in 1998 by IBM as the immediate predecessor to the T-series which still exists today under Lenovo ownership. Three models were produced, the 600, 600E, and 600X; the seri ...
(1998). It finally entered the subnotebook market in 1999 with the 1.3 kg
ThinkPad 240 IBM ThinkPad 240 is an ultra-portable laptop computer designed and produced by IBM from June 1999 to 2001. It is one of the few ThinkPad 200 series models made available in America and was the smallest and lightest ThinkPad model produced to d ...
, targeted at business travellers. The 240 and 240X had 10.4″ screens. Later, however, IBM replaced these with the X range, with 12.1″ screens. In 1997
Mitsubishi Electric , established on 15 January 1921, is a Japanese multinational electronics and electrical equipment manufacturing company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the core companies of Mitsubishi. The products from MELCO include elevators an ...
released ultra-compact 12.1" Mitsubishi Pedion laptop line with ultrathin magnesium case (18 × 218 × 297 mm) and chiclet keyboard. This short-living model line was sold only in Japan, and was discontinued after some hardware issues. Sony launched an ultraportable (ultrathin) less than an inch thick in Japan - the PCG-505, which reached the US in 1997 as the VAIO 505GX. This was followed by the even thinner Sony VAIO X505, which measured just 0.8 × 8.2 × 10.2 inches, and reached 0.3″ at its thinnest. However, it was very expensive and had poor battery life, and was soon withdrawn. Apple replace the aging PowerBook Duo line with relatively light-weight () but short-lived PowerBook 2400c; this was co-designed by IBM, and manufactured for Apple by IBM Japan. In 2000 Compaq released a more compact successor of
Digital HiNote The Digital HiNote was a series of laptop computers manufactured by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) from 1994 until 1998 and by Compaq from 1998 until 2002. It was generally positively reviewed by technology journalists. The series consisted ...
line - the 10.3" Armada M300, with magnesium case and 1.6 kg weight. Sony also launched the C1 range of subnotebooks, starting in Japan in 1998.


2001–2006

This period was notable for a major split between lower-power-consumption and higher power x86 processors in laptops; although Intel released the
Pentium 4 Pentium 4 is a series of single-core CPUs for desktops, laptops and entry-level servers manufactured by Intel. The processors were shipped from November 20, 2000 until August 8, 2008. The production of Netburst processors was active from 2000 ...
mobile chips, the mobile
Pentium III The Pentium III (marketed as Intel Pentium III Processor, informally PIII or P3) brand refers to Intel's 32-bit x86 desktop and mobile CPUs based on the sixth-generation P6 microarchitecture introduced on February 28, 1999. The brand's initia ...
remained available because of high power consumption on the Pentium 4 leading to high heat and short battery life. This was followed by the
Pentium M The Pentium M is a family of mobile 32-bit single-core x86 microprocessors (with the modified Intel P6 microarchitecture) introduced in March 2003 and forming a part of the Intel Carmel notebook platform under the then new Centrino brand. The ...
, which was a dedicated line of mobile processors with no desktop equivalent. This era also featured processors from
Transmeta Transmeta Corporation was an American fabless semiconductor company based in Santa Clara, California. It developed low power x86 compatible microprocessors based on a VLIW core and a software layer called Code Morphing Software. Code Morphing S ...
, intended to be extremely power efficient. One of the most notable Sony models was the Vaio PCG-C1VE or PictureBook (2001). It was one of the first machines with a digital camera built into the lid, which could be used for video conferencing or swiveled to photograph a scene. This was followed in 2005 by the Flybook convertible with a 8.9 inch touch screen. The Flybook featured a built-in phone connection for GPRS or 3G networking, and is available in a range of bright colors. This was covered in non-computer magazines including GQ, FHM, Elle and Rolling Stone. In 2006,
Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washi ...
introduced a new ultra-mobile PC format, under the code-name Origami. These were smaller versions of Tablet PC computers; One example was the Samsung Q1.


2007–present

Since 2007, the laptop computer market has seen an increased segmentation of microprocessor lines to different purposes and power levels, including the introduction of the Intel Atom, ultra-low-voltage processors which has since having become mainstream, and the use of ARM microprocessors. Another notable implementation was a migrate from CCFL screen backlit to more energy-efficiently and compact LED-backlit screens. On the other hand, over the course of the 2010s, with growing of sales for mainstream users, optical drives and legacy ports became uncommon, and some classic subnotebook features (like additional replaceable batteries, alternative input methods, docking options, Smart Cards, mobile broadband modules, additional storage) become rare. At Computex 2011
Intel Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California. It is the world's largest semiconductor chip manufacturer by revenue, and is one of the developers of the x86 ser ...
announced a new system branding called Ultrabooks; these very much match the prior description of subnotebooks - they used lower-powered processors (but not as low-end as netbooks) and with each generation of Intel processors, the lower-powered U-series processors became a larger part of mainstream sales. typically lacked optical drives and legacy ports, and were generally compact, but as marketed the two terms were rarely used together. Noticeable releases: In 2007 the ASUS Eee PC became the first of a new class of low-cost laptops commonly called
netbook Netbook was a commonly used term that identified a product class of small and inexpensive laptops which were sold from 2007 to around 2013. These machines were designed primarily as cost-effective tools for consumers to access the Inte ...
s. Netbooks are typically based upon the
Atom Every atom is composed of a nucleus and one or more electrons bound to the nucleus. The nucleus is made of one or more protons and a number of neutrons. Only the most common variety of hydrogen has no neutrons. Every solid, liquid, gas, a ...
processors, while other subnotebooks use more powerful processors such as ULV types. In 2008, Apple introduced the
MacBook Air The MacBook Air is a line of ultrabook computers developed and manufactured by Apple Inc. It consists of a full-size keyboard, a machined aluminum case, and, in the more modern versions, a thin light structure. The Air was originally position ...
, which the company claimed was the world's thinnest notebook. This model was notable for offering no built-in optical drive. In the same year Lenovo released last widely known hi-end 12" subnotebook line without touchpad, the ThinkPad X200, X200s and X200 Tablet models. In 2010 saw a number of semi-rugged low-end subnotebooks for the education market, including the Dell Latitude 2100, Lenovo ThinkPad x100e, and HP ProBook Education Edition; these notably had laptop charging trolley support. In 2011, the first Chromebooks were introduced by Google, and Intel's introduced the Ultrabook branding for premium thin-and-light laptops. Over the next several years, specific marketing of laptops as "subnotebooks" died out, and since 2017 the term is essentially dead in mainstream branding. As of 2021 plenty of smaller laptops remain on the market which could adequately be described as subnotebooks, and the term is still sometimes used informally although is no longer used by manufacturers.


See also

* List of computer size categories *
Netbook Netbook was a commonly used term that identified a product class of small and inexpensive laptops which were sold from 2007 to around 2013. These machines were designed primarily as cost-effective tools for consumers to access the Inte ...
* Palmtop * Intel Mobile Internet Device *
UMPC An ultra-mobile PC, or ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC), is a miniature version of a pen computer, a class of laptop whose specifications were launched by Microsoft and Intel in spring 2006. Sony had already made a first attempt in thi ...
, a small form-factor tablet PC platform *
Smartbook A smartbook was a class of mobile device that combined certain features of both a smartphone and netbook computer, produced between 2009 and 2010. Smartbooks were advertised with features such as always on, all-day battery life, 3G, or Wi-Fi conn ...


References

{{Computer sizes Laptops Japanese inventions