As laptops, tablets and smartphones become less expensive and increasingly available, media consumption continues to move online. Subscription television and movie services such as Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon Instant have many wondering if they really need cable anymore.

But this trend toward online viewing has the cable companies striking back. Cable provider Comcast allows its users to access its extensive library of on demand programming online. Meanwhile, HBO now includes HBO.go, which lets HBO subscribers to access their favorite shows from laptops, iPads or iPhones for no additional charge. New York area cable provider Cablevision streams live tv to the computers and mobile devices of its subscribers as long as they are connected through home internet.

Cable network NBC understood that its viewers might like to watch coverage of the Olympic Games online, and so it is offering streaming of all Olympic events. The network recently reported that over half of the footage is being watched from mobile devices and tablets.

So far, the additional offerings from cable companies and networks have been enough to keep the public paying for cable television services. An article in Digital Trends stated that cable giant Comcast's revenues far outpaced those of Netflix for the first quarter, with Comcast bringing in $14.8 billion compared with Netflix's $870 million. Though the article was also careful to note that Comcast's offerings go way beyond video streaming.

Regardless of what company is providing material for online streaming, it is clear that more and more people are choosing to do their viewing online from notebooks and laptops. If you would like to join the online video trend but are looking for a more convenient computer to watch from, PortableOne has an excellent selection of devices.