A laptop is a small portable computer. It is a battery of AC powered personal computer that is smaller than a briefcase and can be easily transported and conveniently used in temporary spaces like airplanes, parks, and libraries. Generally, a laptop weighs less than 5 pounds and is 3-inches or less in thickness. They’re designed to be more portable than traditional desktop computers with many of the same abilities. Moreover, laptops are able to fold flat for easy transportation and equipped with a built-in keyboard and touchpad. The well-known manufacturers of laptops are IBM, Apple, Microsoft, Dell, HP, Lenovo, MSI, and Samsung.
Laptops are powerful enough for everyday business, home, school, gaming, programming, and blogging. However, if a user does graphical designing such as 3D rendering or movie encoding, then the best laptop must be needed. As advanced as laptops, high-end laptops still cannot compete with powerful desktops when processing power is needed.
Your type of work will dictate the laptop type you needed. Since there’re several options in the market. But it’s important to know what laptops with different specifications can do. So, you can choose the best laptop for your business.
What is a laptop?
A laptop is smaller than a desktop computer and generally less than 3-inches thick and weighs less than desktop computers. In addition, their size makes them convenient for transportation in bags, backpacks, etc. A laptop cost more than desktop computers with the same capabilities. Because they’re difficult to design and manufacture.
Furthermore, this electronic device derives its name from being able to used by resting on a person’s lap without the need for a desk or any other thing. Laptop also referred to as notebook computers. Tough a notebook computer usually describes a computer that is smaller and lighter than a laptop.
How does a laptop work?
It is similar to a personal computer and requires a power source. They can be plugged in an electric outlet or operate on their built-in battery. They can also be used at the desk by themselves, or as a desktop-style computer by connecting an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse.
Moreover, these small computers can also be hooked into docking stations- devices that allow laptops to easily connect to peripheral devices like monitor, keyboard, and speakers. And then undock for easy mobile use and transport.
Components such as motherboard, processors, hard drives, graphic cards, and interface devices are all the items that form a laptop. So, the smaller & lighter these components are, a smaller & lighter laptop can be.
Note: Generally, smaller components are not capable of performing as fast as larger components in certain scenarios.
However, the manufacturer’s of computer components continuously working to reduce the size of the components while keeping their performance as high as possible. Furthermore, the laptops are also used less power to operate which can also low their capabilities of intensive tasks.
These are the factors to be considered when buying a laptop for your business or for personal needs. Size, performance, operating system, and price tag are all aspects while purchasing a laptop. However, the durability of the laptop depends on how you’re going to use it!
Types of Laptops
There’re no specific types of laptops. Retailers generally offer categories for the customers that help them to find the best laptop for their needs. However, some of the labels that you might find at a retailer rate are:
Best by Value
Laptops for Everyday use
Best laptops for gaming
Lest laptops for Professionals
Ultra-portable or notebook laptops
Best by value laptops:
Value laptops usually available at affordable price points, with low performing hardware, and less storage. They allow people to perform basic tasks such as a few hours of internet browsing, watching movies, writing, or playing games.
Everyday Laptops:
The everyday laptop offers a slightly high performance than value laptops. They provide more storage and memory for people that use laptops more than a value. These might be best for someone who uses a laptop for work or for school but doesn’t require a significant processing power & storage for 3D applications like 3D Max or gaming.
Gaming laptops:
Gaming laptops have mid to high-end mobile graphics cards and powerful processors for high-quality gaming experience while being able to perform all other tasks expected of computers.
Professional laptops:
Professional laptops equipped with graphics cards for the studio such as graphic designing and rendering. They can also be used for analyzing large amounts of data and other intensive tasks. Moreover, they also have a powerful processor for great computing and speed.
Ultra-portable & notebook laptops:
Ultra-portable & notebook are even smaller than laptops. They sacrifice their capabilities, performance, peripheral ports, because of their size and price point.
Peripherals:
Like desktop computers, laptops also have ports and other interfaces such as USB ports, network interface cards, audio speakers, digital media drives, and memory card slots which are built-into the laptop by manufacturers. However, additional peripheral devices may be connected to the laptop through available expansion slots, USB ports, or serial ports.
Networking:
A laptop also has several ways of connecting to a network. However, a wireless or WiFi connection is the most means of connecting a laptop. In addition, laptops also have Ethernet ports that allow them to connect to a local area network (LAN) through an Ethernet cable.
A Bluetooth connection in another way for a computer to communicate with external devices and other computers. For example, a Bluetooth keyboard or mouse can be connected wirelessly to a laptop. A laptop can also connect with a smartphone via Bluetooth to access the internet over the mobile network. This is commonly referred to as tethering.
Key points:
Laptops are specially designed for portability. They’ve all the same components & capabilities that a traditional desktop has.
Laptops are less powerful and use less energy than desktop computers.
There’re different types of laptops available in the market, which are designed for different purposes like gaming, studying, business, programming, and graphic designing.
Some laptop comes with an option to upgrade specific components to meet the needs of users.
