Notebook -vs- Laptop?

dtxbrian is right with his answer - they are the same thing, the name just changed from Laptop to Notebook after a laptop manufacturer (I think Toshiba) got sued after someone got their lap burnt pretty badly after using one on their lap. After that all reference to being able to use one on your lap was also removed from all product literature - it’s basically a Liability thing.

There’s no difference between a notebook and a laptop. They’re all notebooks, officially anymore.

Too many people were getting burned by putting laptops directly on their laps, because, well… they were named laptops.

People will argue that notebooks are smaller than laptops… of course, this is true, but that’s because computers have gotten smaller over the years.