Sound Byte: How to choose between a tablet, laptop or netbook?

When shopping for your next portable computer, there are many different types you'll need to choose from. A laptop, a netbook, a tablet like the Apple iPad, or maybe even an e-book reader... Which one is right for you and your needs?

In last week's "Into Tomorrow with Dave Graveline," Senior Electronics Editor Donna Tapellini outlined how to choose among different computer types. In this Sound Byte podcast, you'll hear (by clicking on this link) Donna outline what to ask yourself. Namely:

• Does size—especially screen size—matter to you?
• Do you want to be connected to the Net wirelessly all the time?
• Will you use it for work? Play? Both?

How you answer these questions—all pulled from our free Buying Guide to Computers on Consumer Reports Online—will help you make the right choice for your mobile computing needs.

Click this link to listen to our latest Sound Byte podcast. (You'll need software—such as iTunes, Quicktime, RealPlayer or an MP3 audio-capable Web browser—to play the file.) Right-click the link with your mouse, choose "save as..." to download the Sound Byte to your computer or MP3 player for later listening.) For the complete three-hour "Into Tomorrow with Dave Graveline" show featuring this segment, click here.

Until next week... Happy weekend, everyone!

—Paul Eng

About Sound Bytes
Every week, Consumer Reports experts produce a short (less than two minutes in length) audio segment which cover a wide variety of issues regarding consumer electronics and technology. These small "sound bites" can be heard on "Into Tomorrow with Dave Graveline." The Sound Byte that is featured in the Consumer Reports Electronics Blog is a segment that aired on last weekend's "Into Tomorrow" over-the-air broadcast.

About Into Tomorrow
Now in its 15th year, "Into Tomorrow with Dave Graveline" covers the Latest in Consumer Electronics & Technology available today and... into tomorrow. The show airs on over 160 AM and FM radio stations around the U.S., on SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio, radio stations in Germany, Bermuda, New Zealand, Canada and several other sources including Mobile Broadcast Network, BeOS Radio, Sprint Radio, TiVo, and many others—every weekend. "Into Tomorrow" is also heard around the world on the Armed Forces Networks in several other countries. You can also catch all "Into Tomorrow" episodes on the Web. (The most recent show is usually added about three or four days after it has been broadcast on the radio.)

—Paul Eng