Small Notebook Computers
The modern world is practically based on and composed of a lot of technological inventions. Technology remains basic and we seem to be lost without it. One of the inventions many of us cannot do without is the PC. The latest developments in the field of computers have brought us the notebook computers. When talking about laptops, which are also referred to as small notebook computers, we actually mean small PCs for flexible use.
We can virtually retrieve all the basic components in laptops from desktops. Thus, laptops have a display screen, a built in keyboard, a pointing device replacing the mouse and a battery power source. The advantage of laptops is that they make one single unit that comprises all the other items, allowing for easy maneuvers and lots of mobility. The batteries are the main distinction and individual feature specific to laptops, but the recharging mode is carried out through an AC/DC adapter that allows extensive functionality.
The thin shape of the devices definitely led to their being called notebook computers. Laptops are usually 0.7 – 1.5 inches thick and their dimensions range from 10×8 inches (13 inch display) to 15×11 inches (17 inch display) or up. Furthermore, they are not heavy, weighing between 3 and 12 pounds. Last but not least, the flipping feature allows for a good protection of the screen and makes portability possible.
Personal computers became feasible at the beginning of the 1970s and not long after those years the idea of portable PCs – laptops, appeared. The person who imagined the transformation was Alan Kay of Xerox PARC. In 1972 he put his idea on paper under the name of Dynabook. The first laptops were available on the market only in 1981. The Osborne 1 and then, in the same year, the Epson HX-20 were the first portable computers available for public use. Since then laptops have gained a lot in terms of proficiency.
Unfortunately, there are downsides to the use of laptops too. First we need to see the good parts to be able to investigate the flaws. The main and most important good bit about laptops is evidently their portability. Moreover, laptops allow work continuation in case of accidental power outages. The cheapest laptop computer is also more economical and does not produce as much heat as desktop computers do. Compatibility and standardization are the main flaws of laptops today. In spite of some accepted world standards for the making of the elements for the peripherals and add-in PC cards in desktop computers, the internal components are a lot more difficult to standardize according to a unique international code.