Laptop computer is a lightweight, portable computer powered by a rechargeable battery. People use laptops to do work, watch movies, play games, and connect to the internet. Laptops differ from desktop computers, which must be plugged in at all times. Laptops can typically run on battery power for several hours before needing to be recharged.
Most laptops have a rectangular area near the keyboard called a touchpad or trackpad. The touchpad serves as a built-in computer mouse, enabling the user to control the on-screen cursor through finger movements.
Unlike desktop computers, which are not designed to be regularly transported, laptops allow people to easily work across different settings. For example, students can use their laptop to take notes in class, then bring it home to do homework. Most laptops connect to the internet wirelessly. People often take their laptops to places that offer free wireless internet connections, such as coffee shops and libraries.
Types.
Laptop design often involves trade-offs between more power, longer battery life, less weight, and lower cost. For example, powerful laptops that can handle advanced software are typically bulkier or more expensive.
Lightweight laptops are often called notebooks. Manufacturers sometimes call their lightest, most powerful notebooks ultrabooks. These laptops are popular among professionals and students. Ultrabooks are generally equipped with long battery life. Netbooks are small, inexpensive notebooks designed mainly for using the internet. Netbooks are unpopular among consumers but are commonly used in schools.
Hybrid, or 2-in-1, laptops combine features of a laptop and a tablet computer. These laptops are typically larger than most tablet computers. A common 2-in-1 design features a touch screen that can detach from the laptop keyboard to be used as a tablet computer. Another design features a hinge that can rotate to any angle, positioning the touch screen for writing or drawing.
Gaming laptops can run demanding computer programs, such as electronic games, and display graphics in high quality. Gaming laptops are useful for professionals who require powerful computers, such as artists working on computer animation.
History.
In 1981, the suitcase-sized Osborne 1 became the first commercially successful portable computer. It weighed 24 pounds (11 kilograms) and came with a carrying handle. Its tiny screen could only display 24 lines of text, with each line just 52 characters wide.
In the 1990’s, laptops began to offer trackpads and larger screens. By the early 2000’s, computer components had become drastically smaller and more powerful. As wireless internet access became widespread, laptops grew in popularity. In 2009, consumers in the United States purchased more laptops than desktops for the first time.
Laptop manufacturers competed to develop the smallest, cheapest netbooks. During the Great Recession, an economic crisis that began in 2007, netbooks rapidly became popular. Netbooks reached a peak of popularity around 2009. But many users became frustrated by the small computers’ poor performance. As smartphones and tablet computers became widely available, and standard laptops became more affordable, netbooks declined in popularity.
Hybrids, gaming laptops, and ultrabooks emerged in the early 2010’s. Throughout the decade, manufacturers focused on developing and improving these designs.
Use of laptops remains common for work and school tasks. Today, more smartphones are sold than laptops, but many more laptops are sold than desktop computers.
See also Computer; Wireless communication.
