Laptops and More
Laptops and more came into existence around the early 90’s. The desktop which bought computing into our rooms was not mobile. You could not deploy a desktop outdoors as it needed a wall socket for power supply and also the big cathode ray tube screen and tower were just too heavy to carry around.
This is why there was a need for a new generation of computers that were compact and mobile. A computer that could be easily carried along with you and used anywhere you wish to. Thus the laptop was invented to fulfill this need in the computer market. Alan Kay was the first person to envision a laptop in the 1970’s. The first laptops appeared in Australia in 1981 but were not commercially marketed until 1984.
Laptops and more were intended to replace desktops in all areas and it has actually gone on to replace it. A laptop can do everything that a desktop can and you could carry it in your backpack and take it along with you. A laptop has a screen, keyboard and a track pad instead of a mouse. However the form of a laptop was made its popular, a laptop can fold just like a notebook and occupy very little space. You do not have a tower like in a desktop as the motherboard, hard drive and optical drive is right under the keyboard and thus does not require extra space.
Laptops and more are truly mobile as it does not depend on the wall socket for power at all times. It has a battery pack that is charged while you are using the laptop using the power adaptor which is connected to the wall socket. But once the battery is charged you can carry it along with you anywhere you wish to go. An average 6 cell battery would give you at least 5 hours of operating time.
The new generation of laptops is smaller and lighter. They come in screen size ranging from 7 to 10 inches and are known as netbooks. The reason why they are called netbooks is because they were manufactured to target consumers who use the laptop to predominantly access the internet. Netbooks do not have an optical drive and a smaller battery which is why they are lighter and can be easily carried along.
New ultra-thin laptops are very slim. These laptops and more can actually fit into a manila envelope. Made from a single block of aluminum these laptops are also very durable.