Laptop A portable personal computer that contains typical PC components, including a display, keyboard and pointing device (usually a touchpad or touchpad), and batteries. Laptops are small in size and weight; the battery life of laptops varies from 1 to 6-8 hours.

Comparison of laptops and desktops

Advantages of laptops over desktop PCs:

• Light weight and dimensions. Even laptops in the desktop replacement category can be easily moved to another location. You can take a laptop on a business trip, to the country, or on vacation. Moving a desktop computer to another room/office is often a hassle, let alone moving it to another city.
• It is not necessary to connect external devices to work. A laptop includes a built-in display, keyboard, and pointing device (usually a touchpad), but on a desktop computer, all of these devices must be connected separately.
• Possibility of autonomous operation. The presence of a battery allows the laptop to work in conditions where the electrical network is not available (on a train, plane, car, cafe, or just on the street). A desktop computer can operate autonomously for a very short time and only with an uninterruptible power supply.
• Possibility of connecting to wireless networks. Almost all laptops (with the exception of some ultra-budget models) are equipped with a built-in Wi-Fi adapter, which allows you to connect to the Internet wirelessly. Wi-Fi access points are available in many cafes, entertainment centers, airports, and hotels. There are also city Wi-Fi networks that allow you to connect to a wireless network in many areas of the city. Desktop computers usually do not contain a built-in Wi-Fi adapter (with the exception of some expensive models and most nettops), however, for desktop computers this drawback is not significant.

Disadvantages of Laptops

• High price. Perhaps the most important drawback of laptops. A fully equipped desktop computer (complete with monitor, input devices (keyboard and mouse), and speaker system) of the same price as a laptop will be more productive.
• Low maximum performance. The compact size of laptops places special demands on cooling, so the components used in laptops have strict limitations on heat generation, and therefore power. Even powerful gaming laptops and mobile workstations can't match the performance of desktop PCs designed for demanding tasks such as computer games, 3D modeling and design, rendering, engineering calculations, and the like. A few desktop laptops cannot correct the situation, since they have the same restrictions on size and heat dissipation as other laptops. Therefore, desktop computers install not the most powerful desktop processors and use mobile versions of video cards.
• Limitations of modernization. Unlike desktop computers, the ability to upgrade laptops is very limited. Laptop computers usually provide the ability to independently replace the RAM and hard drive. Upgrading the video card in most laptops is not provided, although there are models that allow you to replace the graphics adapter. If you need to replace other components, including the processor and optical drive, we recommend that you contact qualified service personnel. Mobile versions of processors and video cards are practically never found in retail sales.
• Compatibility issues with various operating systems. Laptop manufacturers rarely support a family of operating systems other than the one preinstalled on a given laptop model. In addition, laptops often use specific components, so compatibility issues with other operating systems arise much more often than for desktop computers.

Disadvantages of laptops resulting from the mobility of laptop computers

• Quality of built-in components. Unlike desktop computers, a laptop has a built-in display and input devices (keyboard and touchpad). This is an undoubted advantage of laptops, but at the same time the quality and ease of use of the built-in components are often low. Laptop keyboards typically have fewer keys than desktop keyboards (due to the combined numeric keypad), and the key sizes, especially on subnotebooks and netbooks, can be very small and uncomfortable for some users. The touchpad is less convenient than a computer mouse. The viewing angle and color gamut of laptop monitors are low, which makes them practically unsuitable for photo processing; the screen size in most models is quite small. It should be noted that the listed disadvantages of built-in elements are quite natural for mobile devices and they can be easily compensated for by connecting external components (monitor, keyboard, computer mouse), however, this increases the final cost of the laptop and somewhat reduces the mobility of the laptop.
• Increased likelihood of breakdown. The mobility of laptops gives rise to another problem, which is also sometimes included in the disadvantages of laptop computers - a greater likelihood of failure compared to a desktop PC. Laptops are more likely to be dropped. There is a possibility of breaking the laptop display when closing the lid (if a foreign object gets between the keyboard and the display). If you fill the laptop keyboard with any liquid (for example, kefir), then there is a high probability that the laptop computer will fail (while only the keyboard will fail on a desktop computer). At the same time, the probability of failure of Rugged laptops is usually much lower than that of desktop computers and is comparable to industrial computers.

Information sources

The number and variety of modern laptops is impressive. Manufacturing companies offer a range of solutions that can satisfy different needs. They differ in price, manufacturer, functionality, screen diagonal and other details. The main property of the device remains unchanged - mobility.

Let's look at the types of mobile computers on the market, their advantages and disadvantages. Let's evaluate the direction in which computer equipment manufacturers are moving: which models are becoming obsolete and are gradually leaving the market, which are being improved and which are just gaining popularity.

Inexpensive laptops

Budget models of mobile computers are produced by different manufacturers. Among them there are options with an attractive design, high-quality assembly, and not much inferior in reliability to expensive models. The low price is due to the following factors.

Manufacturers install screens on inexpensive TFT matrices in budget models. This is due to the weak characteristics of such screens: insufficient viewing angles or low maximum screen brightness values. The problem is solved by a thorough inspection when purchasing each specific laptop to identify the listed shortcomings.

Inexpensive laptop models are equipped with low-speed processors, which allow the device to be used for office needs, surfing the Internet and simple games. When choosing a mobile PC, it is important to have a clear understanding of what purposes to use it for.

Laptops are not designed to easily and painlessly upgrade internal components, so choosing the right processor performance is important.

The downside to the low performance of budget mobile PCs is reliability. The processor does not overheat, so the device’s cooling system copes with the load, and accordingly, the likelihood of damage to the mobile PC is reduced.

The amount of RAM installed in budget mobile computers does not exceed 4 GB. This is enough for the normal functioning of operating systems of the Windows family. Increasing RAM will not yield results, since the processor and video card will not have enough power to run high-performance graphics programs or modern games.

Inexpensive ones do not install discrete video cards either. Modern built-in video cards allow you to use such devices for games at minimum settings.

You shouldn't expect a large hard drive in a budget version of a mobile computer. The large capacity of the hard drive affects the complexity of the design and high operating temperature, which affects reliability.

In terms of the set of peripheral devices, inexpensive mobile PCs are no different from expensive options: they have a Wi-Fi adapter and a card reader, a microphone, etc. Perhaps there may not be a DVD-RW drive, since the use of optical discs is decreasing, which is reflected in the low price of the selected option.

Conclusion: the advantage of an inexpensive laptop, of course, is the price. Additional advantages: availability (large number of models and manufacturers presented), reliability. Disadvantages: narrow range of available tasks, discreet appearance, difficulty with further “upgrades”, average video camera.

Two in one: laptop + tablet

Devices that combine both a laptop and a tablet at the same time - transformable tablets - have appeared recently, in the wake of the popularity of mobile tablets with touch screens.

The idea of ​​attaching a keyboard to a tablet has long attracted computer manufacturers, and now, with the development of modern technologies, such a device has appeared.

Transformer tablets consist of two parts:

• Top part. It contains hardware and a screen with a diagonal of eight to fifteen inches. It also works as a tablet, autonomously.
• Bottom part. Keyboard with a number block and standard connectors for connecting additional devices.

The main feature of these transformers: a touch screen and the ability to rotate or completely remove it from a common device.

Depending on the type of transformation, these devices are divided into three types:

• Classic. The screen rotation around its axis is vertical. The keyboard serves as a stand.
• Sliders. The screen rotates around an axis. The keyboard is foldable.
• Detachable. The display is separated from the keyboard and used as a .

Versatility increases the scope of application: they are used as a standard laptop with a full keyboard or can be easily transformed into a tablet.

The device uses a specially optimized operating system that allows you to use a touch keyboard.

“Transformer tablets” are equipped with an interface orientation lock button, USB and Bluetooth connectors, and a special output that allows you to connect to a home theater to view content from the device on a big screen.

Flaws:

• fragile fastening of the transforming mechanism,
• poor performance
• functionality,
• inability to use powerful video cards.

These disadvantages are potentially fixable, and with the increasing popularity of such devices in the world, computer manufacturers will inevitably take the path of improving these characteristics.

Gaming laptops

Modern popular computer games place serious demands on hardware. Until recently, it was impossible to imagine that the most resource-intensive games could be played on laptops.

However, the progress of computer technology has reached these devices. Now, you can buy a mobile PC in the store, which is not inferior in characteristics to a desktop computer adapted for games. And there is no doubt that they will soon surpass standard PCs in terms of capabilities.

What are the differences between a gaming mobile computer and a standard one?

The main difference is a major difference in performance. Gaming models use modern and powerful processors that are not much inferior to processors for desktop PCs. The second element that makes gaming devices superior: high-performance graphics cards.

The right balance of a powerful processor and the same video card is valuable.

The sum of one maximum component and the average of the second will not give the expected effect: even an “advanced” video card will not cope with an average processor.

A significant amount of RAM is also useful - from 4 GB. The requirements for the hard drive are serious: at least 100 GB (for games you will need a lot of space) at a speed of 5400 rpm. A burner drive for optical discs is also required.

For a mobile gaming PC display, diagonal length and resolution are important. 17-inch screens are, of course, attractive, but here the question arises about the weight and size of the entire device. Laptops with 17-inch screens are not much different from a desktop PC, and the question arises about the mobility of such a device. In fact, a fifteen-inch display with a working resolution of 1440*900 is quite sufficient; after all, we are talking about mobile devices.

The main difficulty for gamers is hidden in the laptop keyboard. Due to the impossibility of giving it a full-fledged keyboard, the maximum similarity of the layout with the standard one comes to the fore. A sufficient number of USB ports for connecting additional devices, for example, is also useful.

The second difficulty is the poor acoustics built into mobile PCs. Most often, gamers prefer to use wireless headphones, so a built-in one will come in handy.

The main question when purchasing a gaming version of a device is whether mobility is worth the high price for which one could purchase a stationary gaming PC with maximum technical characteristics.

Ultrabooks

Ultrabooks, which have recently appeared on the computer market, have won a niche among lovers of technological innovations with incredible speed.

The ultrabook concept was formulated and implemented by Intel, the main processor manufacturer in the world.

Initially, the following parameters were determined for the ultrabook:

• Screen diagonal from 11 to 13.3 inches.
• Thickness up to 20 mm.
• Weight up to 1.4 kg.
• Price up to 1 thousand dollars.

The ultrabook was positioned as a link between standard multifunctional laptops and inexpensive “netbooks” with light weight, thin body and a traditional 13.3-inch diagonal. They created a new energy-efficient platform for it, a durable case with metal inserts, and provided it with good battery life.

Competing companies picked up the idea of ​​a mobile “travel” laptop and experimented with the parameters. This situation has led to the fact that many modern ultrabook models exceed the basic parameters of the first ultrabooks, but nevertheless are called the same, which creates some confusion.

Intel itself will soon begin producing the second generation of ultrabooks with improved parameters.

Most ultrabook models are equipped with a standard 13.3-inch TFT screen. Screen resolution – 1366*768 pixels. There are models with increased diagonal size and resolution. Hard drives are used both solid-state SSD and hybrid – SSD + HDD.

The vast majority of models use built-in video cards and audio systems. The use of discrete cards is planned in models of the second family. RAM: 4–8 GB, average working time without recharging: 4–5 hours (in non-game mode). Operating system – Windows 7.

Modern models have an excellent design, a traditional “wedge” shape with a thicker rear part. The devices are equipped with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless modules, 1.3 MP web cameras, and memory card input devices.

Ultrabooks have just begun to seriously conquer the market for computer devices. Attempts have already been made to crossbreed ultrabooks with tablets. Such devices are the future of the mobile computer market.

Desktop replacement – ​​replacement of a desktop PC

Ever since the advent of laptops, both manufacturers and consumers have been attracted to the idea of ​​replacing bulky desktop computers without sacrificing performance or comfort. As computer technology developed, components improved and quad-core processors became widespread, this became possible.

Manufacturers offer fast mobile PCs that are in no way inferior to standard desktop computers.

The equipment includes:

• Widescreen screens (from 17 inches and above),
• Full size keyboards
• High-capacity hard drives,
• Optical drives and storage devices,
• Full sets of connectors and ports,
• Powerful graphics accelerators.

The appearance of these devices has little to do with the concept of mobility.

The impressive dimensions and weight of 3 kg and above make it difficult to use these devices as mobile PCs as standard.

Of course, they are moved as needed, but for the most part, they are designed for stationary use.

These computers are not economical and have little battery life. There is no way to deal with them without electrical networks.

Many models of such computers are quite expensive. They are equipped with all advanced technologies: modern processors, stereo acoustic systems with sound amplifiers, and support wireless interfaces. Most often, these models are equipped with the latest video cards, with 1 GB or more GDDR3 video memory.

However, among them there are also budget options, mostly made in China, costing less than $500. The low price is a consequence of the maximum simplification of the design and the initial quality of most components.

Even the operating system installed on these machines is different - free Linux instead of standard Windows. These models are in demand in factories and offices, as they have relatively good performance characteristics at a low price.

Thus, the niche of mobile computers replacing desktop PCs is not limited only to expensive options. Among these machines there are also budget models for offices. There are also gaming ones with modern graphics accelerators. Most of the models are classic multimedia laptops for a wide range of tasks.

Apple products were and are different from most mobile devices and computers from other manufacturers.

The main difference is that the devices produced by this company run their proprietary operating system, Mac OS X. The second difference is in the elegant, universally recognizable design of the products, which compares favorably with competitors.

The company has two lines of mobile PCs in its product portfolio: the full-featured Pro series and the ultra-thin Air. The Air series laptops prompted Apple's main competitor, Intel, to develop its own series of ultrabooks. At the moment, Ultrabook manufacturers are 3 years behind the Air series, which is at the forefront of ultra-thin mobile computers.

Pro series models have screens with diagonals of 13.3, 15.4, and 17 inches.

The Air series is represented by models with a screen of 11.6 or 13.3 inches and a weight of 1 or 1.3 kg.

Air series cases are manufactured taking into account the possible environmental impact. In the production of devices, aluminum is used that can be recycled (for the housing), the LCD display is made without mercury and arsenic, and the cables do not contain PVC, which meets environmental standards.

Interestingly, in the Pro and Air series models, the company uses processors manufactured by its direct competitor.

The Air series' outstanding ergonomics and design come at a price: many sacrifices have been made to achieve an impressive appearance. First of all, this concerns connectors and interfaces, of which there is a headphone jack, a USB port and a mini DVI output for connecting an additional one.

There are no additional USB ports or optical drive. Video camera for video conferencing, has a resolution of 320*240 pixels. Another plus is the small power supply.

The hard drive of the Air series model is limited by modern standards: only 80 GB. The rotation speed is also not impressive: 4200 rpm.

RAM – 2 GB allows the operating system to fully function. The kit complements the full range of wireless interfaces. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

As for price, Apple products have always been expensive.

With comparable characteristics to models from other manufacturers, the company’s products cost at least one and a half times more due to their image.

Thus, purchasing Pro and Air series laptop models is a choice between high price, low performance and incompatibility with Windows applications and stylish design, high company image and thoughtful design solutions implemented in these mobile computers.

Laptops with a screen diagonal of 13 inches

Recently, 13-inch laptops have become popular again. They combine the high performance typical of complex models with consistently easy transportation.

In addition, the use of wide format matrices has led to an increase in mobile computer cases. And this made it possible to place a standard full-size keyboard in them, as well as an additional number of ports and connectors.

There is also room for an optical drive. Thus, while maintaining compactness, 13-inch laptops received the ergonomics and functions of models with 14- and 15-inch screens.

Computer manufacturers have also seized on this trend, so now each of them produces at least one model with a diagonal of 13 inches in their line.

These devices are popular and consist of the same set of components with similar characteristics, while prices vary quite a lot depending on the manufacturer.

• Processors: single, dual and quad-core with clock frequencies from 1.2 to 2 GHz.
• RAM: up to 8 GB.
• Hard drive: up to 1 TB.
• Screen resolution: from 1366*768 to 2560*1600 for MacBooks.
• Video card: most often built-in. There are models with a discrete card with video memory up to 2048 MB.
• Optical drive: most often absent.
• Wireless connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth.
• Interfaces: USB, HDMI (in expensive models with Full HD screen).
• Work without recharging: up to 12 hours.

Prices for laptops with a screen diagonal of 13 inches are very different and can differ by an order of magnitude.

Thus, these devices combine the advantages of mobile computers, primarily lightness and efficiency, with the power and wide range of functions characteristic of “stationary” models.

In fact, it is this type of mobile PC that best fits the image of the ideal mobile high-performance computer.

At the same time, the prospects for further improvement of laptops with this diagonal are in question. On the one hand, there is pressure from serious users who are not satisfied with the performance of these computers.

On the other hand, there is a lot of competition from ultrabooks, which have gained popularity among users who are more in need of a lightweight and convenient small laptop. Thus, the future of 13-inch mobile computers is in big doubt.

Laptops with a screen diagonal of 15 inches

These are the most common mobile PCs. Models with this screen diagonal are considered by most experts and users to be optimal for use both at home and at work. They are easy to transport, and at home they will not take up much space.

Each company that produces computers has in its assortment several models with a 15-inch screen diagonal, from the most budgetary ones to expensive multimedia centers with powerful functionality.

General characteristics of 15’ laptops:

• Processor: most often two or four cores. Frequency from 1.2 to 2.66 GHz.
• RAM: from 2 to 8 GB.
• Hard drive: 500–1000 GB.
• Optical drive: most often DVD-RW, in expensive models - HD-DVD or Blue-Ray.
• Screen resolution: usually 1366*768.
• Video card: most often built-in, up to 2048 MB of video memory.
• Availability .
• Interfaces: HDMI, USB.
• Wireless communications: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth.
• Operating system: from Linux to Mac OS X.
• Battery capacity: about 4 hours.
• Weight: 2.2–3.5 kg.

Thus, the main advantages of this type of mobile computer are: compactness and relative lightness, performance and relatively low prices (for the vast majority of models).

Everything about compactness is obvious: if the main factor when buying a device is size and weight, you should look for models with a weight of up to 2 kg.

The performance of 15-inch devices is quite high and is not inferior to the capabilities of standard desktop computers with the same characteristics. On such devices you can easily use most work applications, listen to music, watch videos, edit photos and drawings.

Main disadvantages: lack of optical drives in many models, often insufficient battery capacity, small amount of RAM, low-quality plastic case in many budget options, lack of output for, lack of card readers, stripped-down BIOS, uncomfortable touchpad, fragile mount, poor viewing angles.

Modern humanity is very dependent on technology, and the personal computer is undoubtedly part of the technological process. With the advent and development of the computer, a need arose to expand its capabilities, which gave impetus to the development of such computer qualities as portability and mobility.

Without a doubt, a computer greatly facilitates work, but a stationary PC is not suitable for using it on the road; moving it from room to room is also not the best option, not to mention the power source, which sometimes cannot be found at all. A personal computer such as a laptop has become suitable for these criteria and has its advantages. A question arises that should not be put off: what is a laptop?

So what is a laptop?

A laptop is a portable, folding personal computer that has its own battery life, i.e. temporarily independent of nutrition; a composition of integrated components and input and output devices and is rightfully considered a portable and mobile device.

The Russian-language name “laptop” was borrowed from the English language; the founding word is “Notebook” (written book). There is another name - “Laptop”, which literally means “on your knees”. Thanks to its smaller size compared to other PCs, the laptop is a serious piece of equipment for work and a device for entertainment.

This computer representative fits well into a special bag, which makes it easier to transport, and you can learn about other computers in the article: What computers are there, types and types of computers.

What types of laptops are there?

The line of these portable computers is represented by laptops that can compete with ordinary personal computers (for example, DeskNote), which have quite impressive sizes and several other technical solutions.

For those who like slightly smaller dimensions, you can choose something more standard than DeskNote, for example, Slim or Ultra Slim. These slim laptops are sure to appeal to SMBs who value convenience over the cutting-edge performance of these rollable desktops.

As for a small netbook and a convertible laptop that looks more like a tablet, this is a good choice for people for whom a computer is nothing more than an opportunity to be constantly online. They take up virtually no space compared to other laptops, and cope well with most of the responsibilities assigned to them. But the performance, functionality, shape, dimensions and weight of netbooks depend on their cost.

For those who like to stand out, there are limited batches of fashion laptops launched into mass production, the cases of which can be covered with jaguar skin.

Laptop device in general terms

Visually, the laptop is divided into two parts - the lid with the display and the rest of the body, which actually contains important computer components. The case itself can be made of plastic, light metal and other hybrid structures. The cover with an LCD display functions as a screen.

Screens can be either completely ordinary or touchscreen, especially for convertible laptops. The keyboard and touchpad are integrated into the visible part of the case. The internal component, just like the component of the system unit, has the following main components: a central processor, a motherboard, RAM modules, a video adapter and a storage device, and an alternative power source represented by a battery. Having a drive for reading optical discs is completely optional.

Also, most laptops are equipped with an integrated camera, speakers and microphone, which emphasizes the universal use of computer representatives.

Advantages and disadvantages

As mentioned earlier, the presence of a rechargeable battery in a laptop gives it an advantage over an ordinary computer in its mobility. But the smaller dimensions of the device complicate the manufacturing technology of its components and, as a result, increase the final price of the laptop itself.

Smaller size and weight, in most cases, predetermine lower performance, but at the same time it is enough to perform everyday tasks. Therefore, less productive laptops may cost more than PCs with similar parameters, but you can pay more for convenience.

But the complete package in one case does not at all prohibit the use of third-party devices by connecting them to specially designated connectors. In principle, some may consider this configuration of a laptop to be a disadvantage, because each of its components increases its overall cost.

The capabilities of the integrated Wi-Fi adapter is a good advantage when using wireless Internet. And a camera with a microphone and integrated acoustics is unlikely to hurt.

The really noticeable drawback of the laptop is the limitation in further modernization and the possibility of installing an alternative operating system that is not always present. While replacing a hard drive with more powerful SSDs and increasing RAM is not difficult, it will not always be possible to replace a video card and other components.

As for installing an alternative operating system, not every manufacturer provides support for operating systems other than the preinstalled one. However, the laptop may be equipped with specific components that may cause compatibility issues.

Use your laptop carefully

The long service life of a laptop, in principle, like any other equipment, depends on caring for it. The laptop lid with its contents is especially susceptible to damage. The cable connecting the display to the graphics adapter is not the most durable place, you don’t need to constantly play with it, and before closing the lid, be sure to make sure that there is no foreign object on the keyboard. You should not eat or drink drinks at the computer, since repairs and replacement of laptop components are more expensive than those of a regular PC.

Answering the question of what a laptop is, we can conclude that this representative of the computer family has firmly established its position thanks to mobility and portability, a high degree of convenience and irreplaceability. But the more productive the device, the higher the quality of the material produced, not to mention its size, the less accessible the laptop becomes. Therefore, you need to choose a laptop according to your needs, and caring for it can increase its service life.

ProComputer.su

What is a laptop and what are its functions?

What is a laptop for a modern person? This is the kind of thing that you simply can’t do without. It helps to complete a lot of tasks very quickly, replacing a whole host of other devices. But few people know everything that is required about such an important thing. So, let's look at what a laptop is (the definition will be given below), what are its functions, capabilities and internal structure. So, let's begin!

What is a laptop: definition

The etymology of this word is easy to establish. What a laptop is is not difficult to understand. Everything is clear if you know English. Translated into Russian, this word means “notepad”. Usually a person writes down a lot of things he needs in his organizer, draws them and uses them for his business needs. The most important thing is that you always have it with you, and at any moment you can look into it and find out something that you have already forgotten. So, the laptop has similar parameters. It is intended for the business needs of the owner. And the most important thing is its portability and independence. There is no need to constantly sit near a power source. A portable and independent personal computer is precisely the answer to the question of what a laptop is.

Laptop features

A laptop, like all devices, must perform certain tasks. In essence, this is the same personal computer, more compact and non-volatile (at least for several hours). Even all the components and internals are the same as the PC.

You can use it to process and create documents. Fortunately, the standard installed Microsoft package helps with this. The laptop also allows you to quickly access the World Wide Web. You can connect a cable to it directly or use special Wi-Fi routers. It’s very convenient: you sit in a cafe with a cup of hot coffee and work. That's what a laptop is - it's always a fast way to process data and access the Internet anywhere.

Differences between laptops and PCs

What is a laptop and how is it different from a regular computer? The first is a small copy of the second, which has slightly different features. Well, let's get straight to the differences.

You can immediately highlight the feature in which these two devices differ – size. The fact that a laptop is much smaller than a desktop computer is immediately obvious. This is one of the main advantages of one over the other. Thanks to its small size, you can work on your laptop even on the road, transport it to another city, or carry it with you all the time so that it is at hand. It is clear that it is problematic to even move a PC to another room along with its wires, monitor, various devices and the system unit itself. Therefore, in the mobility category, laptops have no equal.

Another nice plus is that there is no need to connect additional attachments. Everything is built into the laptop: the screen, the keyboard, and even the mouse (touchpad). Without all this, an ordinary desktop computer will not only be useless, but even a burden. This category also includes autonomous operation in remote locations without access to an electrical network and fast Internet connections via wireless networks. Therefore, one more plus goes to the collection of miniature computers.

Cons of laptops

But, despite all these advantages, these devices also have disadvantages. A significant disadvantage of all laptops is their low power. In this regard, they are simply not comparable to regular desktop computers. Even if the laptop is a gaming laptop (which means that it has the highest parameters), it only has the power of an average PC. But this is also a controversial issue; those who simply need to work with documents simply do not need a powerful laptop.

Replacing a specific element in a device will not be so easy. Compared to computers, where everything is simple and clear, in laptops (especially cheap models) it is sometimes impossible to replace some broken element. Therefore, you need to use such devices with extreme caution.

What is hibernation in a laptop?

Each device has its own interesting features. The average user will ask: what is hibernation in a laptop? Yes, it's an interesting word. The function itself is not very popular. Few people know about her. Added to this is the fact that not all laptops have it. That is, the function exists, but in order for it to appear in the Start menu, you need to enter a certain code through the command line. By the way, you can remove this function from the menu in exactly the same way.

Some people confuse hibernation and sleep mode. Yes, actually they are similar to each other and serve the same purpose. Only here are the differences: sleep mode involves operating the device at reduced power consumption. In this condition, the battery can last up to twelve hours. In hibernation mode, the device can retain its charge for a longer period. How does he work? It's very simple: the system creates an image of RAM and saves it on drive C (so you need to have enough space on it). Then the electricity consumption simply stops. You can even remove the plug from the socket. When you suddenly need a laptop, you can take it out of this state.

The advantage is that, unlike a regular boot, which lasts about one minute, you can work after ten seconds, and the effect will be as if the laptop had never been turned off (everything will be saved). There is no energy consumption while in hibernation mode. The function itself is not very necessary for ordinary PC users. It may only be useful for programmers or very busy people, but there are very few of them. After all, it’s not too lazy to spend just one minute downloading and another minute opening other files.

Touchpad or touchpad

What is a touchpad on a laptop? This is one of the surprises in such computers. Thanks to it, the laptop does not require an additional mouse connection. You can use the touchpad, just like on a phone. Some people find it even more convenient to use a touchpad rather than a mouse. In places where there is not much space (in a carriage, minibus, small cafe) it is easiest to use it. Now it’s clear what a touchpad is in a laptop.

Chipset

What is a bridge in a laptop? Typically, ordinary users do not even think about the existence of any bridges in their device. However, this term may be heard by those people who have contacted a service center with a breakdown. They may say that the north or south bridge has burned out: you will have to change the motherboard. Such words confuse the average user, because he does not know what a north bridge is in a laptop and why it is needed.

And really, why is it needed? First you need to find out what the chipset in a laptop is. This strange word is used to describe the north and south bridges together. Together they are responsible for the operation of the motherboard components. The northbridge has many tasks. That's why it's so important. It is not possible to replace it because it is built into the motherboard. This node is responsible for the compatibility and operation of the so-called RAM memory (RAM), processor and video adapter. It also performs other tasks. Due to the fact that a lot of tasks (and not the easiest ones) were assigned to such a chip, it overheats very much. Sometimes they even install a miniature cooler for it, but most often a simple passive radiator. Its temperature is thirty degrees higher than that of the south bridge or other component of the motherboard. Excessive overheating or overload will simply kill it, which is why the north bridge breaks down so often in a laptop.

South Bridge

The South Bridge is the smaller brother of the North Bridge. It also breaks down quite often. This is because additional cooling is not expected for this node, unlike the northern one. As a rule, the southbridge “takes the hit” and prevents the entire laptop from dying. A common cause of failure of this particular unit is overheating or a short circuit of the USB connector: it simply burns out.

fb.ru

What is a laptop

Nowadays, speed of decision-making is especially important for successful studies and career. With a laptop at hand, you can always be in the center of the action. More and more Russian users, when purchasing a laptop computer, are choosing convenience and mobility. And it’s no longer a secret that the dynamics of the laptop market noticeably exceeds the desktop computer market.

Today we will dwell in detail on the undeniable advantages of modern laptops over desktop computers. This article will be useful for those who prefer laptops over their older brothers - personal computers (PCs).

• A laptop (English notebook - notepad, notepad PC) is a portable personal computer, the body of which combines typical PC components, including a display, keyboard and pointing device (usually a touch panel or touchpad), a pocket computer, and rechargeable batteries. Laptops are small in size and weight; the battery life of laptops varies from 1 to 15 hours.

• Laptop (English laptop - lap = knees of a sitting person, top = top) is a broader term, it applies to both laptops and tablet PCs. Laptops usually include laptops made in a folding form factor. The laptop is carried folded, this allows you to protect the screen, keyboard and touchpad during transport.

Classification of laptops

There are 2 main systems for classifying laptops, which complement each other.

Classification based on display diagonal size:

• 17 inches or more - “Desktop Replacement”. The dimensions and weight of such portable computers are quite significant, which makes them inconvenient to carry. However, the relatively large size of the display provides more comfortable work, and the voluminous body allows you to install powerful components and provide them with sufficient cooling. Sometimes laptops use desktop versions of processors and system logic; such devices are called desktops.
• 14 - 16 inches - mass-produced laptops (there is no special name for this category of laptops). They have acceptable dimensions and weight while maintaining a decent level of performance.
• 11 - 13.3 inches - subnotebooks. Such laptops are small in size and weight, but the small screen size reduces the usability of working with such a device. The size of subnotebooks does not allow for the installation of powerful components due to cooling problems, so they often use mobile processors with reduced power consumption (LV or ULV models). Subnotebooks are rarely equipped with discrete graphics adapters, and some models do not have an optical drive.
• 7 - 12.1 inches (without a DVD drive) - netbooks. Netbooks are aimed at browsing the web, working with email and office programs. The small screen size, small keyboard and low performance of such devices are compensated by their moderate price and relatively long battery life. Dimensions usually do not allow installing an optical drive in a netbook, but a Wi-Fi adapter is a required component.
• Devices with a screen diagonal of less than 7 inches are allocated to a special category of “handheld computers” (Handheld PC)

Classification by screen diagonal size is very arbitrary. Screens with the same diagonal but different aspect ratios have different areas.

Classification based on the purpose of the laptop and the technical characteristics of the device:

• Budget laptops. Budget laptops are laptops with a low price and limited features. Budget processors often do not have the best energy efficiency, which negatively affects the battery life of laptops. A number of ultra-budget models do not have a Wi-Fi adapter. The screen diagonal of a budget laptop is usually 14-15", although a number of manufacturers offer models with a diagonal of 17".
• Mid-class laptops.Middle-class laptops are the most extensive and rather vague category of laptops. The screen diagonal of such a device can be any. Laptops in this category do not have outstanding performance, the video adapter is built-in or discrete of the lower series, the processor is entry-level or mid-level. The body of such laptop computers is usually made of plastic, the design is simple and does not stand out. The operating system in most cases is Windows 7 Home Premium, but Windows XP Home Edition is also found. Most laptops in the desktop replacement category can also be classified as mid-range laptops. Business laptops. Business laptops are designed for business people. In terms of their technical characteristics, business laptops are almost similar to middle-class laptops and differ from them mainly in their strict and laconic design, as well as the use of more expensive materials. Business laptops quite often belong to the category of subnotebooks (intended primarily for those who often travel on business trips), rarely - to the category of “desktop PC replacement” (for those who do not need to take the laptop out of the office).
• Multimedia laptops. Multimedia laptops are another rather vague category of laptops. Positioning a laptop PC as a “multimedia” PC depends on the manufacturer. Typically, multimedia laptops include laptops with mid-range video cards and processors, which allows you to use the laptop for almost any purpose, including most computer games. The screen diagonal size of multimedia laptops is 15.6 - 18.4 inches; multimedia laptops with a smaller diagonal are almost never found, since the small size of the display makes it difficult to perform multimedia functions. Simple multimedia laptops are practically no different from mid-range laptops. Sometimes you can find a small screen on the back of the lid that allows you to view images and video clips without opening the laptop.
• Gaming laptops. Gaming laptops are designed for computer games. The main difference between a gaming laptop is a powerful processor and a powerful graphics card. Despite the fact that mobile versions of video cards are inferior to desktop ones, they are able to provide fairly comfortable conditions for playing modern demanding games. Some manufacturers offer laptops with two graphics adapters operating in SLI/Crossfire mode (of course, in Desktop Replacement class models). Gaming laptops often have an aggressive design; such models can be classified as fashion laptops.
• Mobile workstation. Laptops of the mobile workstation class are designed for professional work in 3D modeling and CAD programs. The key difference between a mobile workstation and other laptops is the use of mobile versions of professional NVidia Quadro FX or ATI FireGL video cards. Typically, such laptops have a powerful processor installed, and the display has a high resolution (up to 1920x1200 on models with a screen diagonal size of 15.4 - 17 inches.
• Fashion laptops. Fashion laptops stand out among others with their bright and memorable design. For the manufacture of fashion laptop cases, materials such as steel, aluminum, carbon and other unusual materials are often used. There are models decorated with some kind of jewelry. A typical fashion laptop belongs to the class of subnotebooks, but fashion models are found among models of all sizes. Some models of gaming and business laptops are sometimes classified as fashion laptops. The performance of fashion laptops can be very low (compact models), or it can be very high (Dell Adamo, MacBook Pro, gaming laptops Asus Lamborgini, Acer Ferrari, etc.).
• Protected laptops. Rugged laptops (“SUVs”) are designed to work in extreme conditions. They have increased resistance to vibration, shock, heavy dust and humidity, aggressive chemical environments, and can operate at extreme temperatures. Manufacturers offer models with different protection classes. Such laptops are used in the army, emergency services (EMERCOM, firefighters, etc.), can serve as industrial computers, etc. Often, such devices are developed on special orders from government organizations (mainly the armed forces). Rugged laptops use special components that are resistant to external influences. The widespread use of rugged laptops is hampered by their high price and heavy weight.
• Laptops with touch screens (tablet laptops). Touchscreen laptops are a hybrid of a tablet PC and a laptop, which is why these computers are also called tablet laptops. From tablet PCs they got a touch screen, and from a laptop a case with a full keyboard. The positioning of such portable computers depends on the manufacturer; some classify these devices as laptops, others as tablet computers. As a rule, the display on such laptops is rotatable, which significantly expands the functionality of the device and allows it to be used both as a laptop and as a full-fledged tablet computer. The screen diagonal of tablet laptops usually does not exceed 15 inches, and the performance is average. These features are associated with the high cost and relatively high power consumption of touch panels. The advantage of such laptops over other categories of laptop computers is the ability to enter information directly on the screen, and over tablet PCs - a full-fledged keyboard that allows you to type large amounts of text without any problems. The main disadvantages are the high cost and relatively low performance of such devices. Disadvantages also include the lower reliability of the rotating hinge (compared to traditional laptops).

Technical characteristics of laptops.

Laptops run on a battery, but it is also possible to work through adapters that charge the laptop battery. Modern laptops use lithium-ion batteries. Modern laptops use two types of display coatings - matte and glossy. The image on a screen with a glossy coating is more contrasty and bright, but inconveniences often arise due to the mirror effect: the light is not scattered across the surface of the screen and the coating produces too bright glare if there is any light source behind the user. Matte coating, on the contrary, makes the image less contrast, but does not create glare.

Laptop computers can perform all the same tasks as desktop computers, although at the same price, the performance of a laptop will be significantly lower. Laptops contain components similar to those found in conventional computers and perform the same functions, but miniaturized and optimized for mobile use and energy efficiency. Laptop computers typically have an LCD display and use SO-DIMM (Small Outline DIMM) memory modules (rather than the large DIMMs found in desktop computers). In addition to the built-in keyboard, they may contain a touchpad or pointstick. External computer manipulators such as a mouse, additional keyboard or monitor can also be connected.

Production

Laptops are produced by a large number of companies. Among them are Acer, Apple, ASUS, Dell, Fujitsu, Gateway, HCL, HP, Lenovo, MSI, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, etc. They are also produced (assembled) by companies operating in the markets of individual countries (for example, in Russia there are RoverBook and IRU brands). However, far fewer companies actually produce laptops. For example, brands such as Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Dell, Gateway, Sony, Micron, Toshiba do not produce laptops themselves, but order them from third-party manufacturers.

The following companies often act as laptop manufacturers:

• Compal makes some models from IBM and Dell, as well as Hewlett-Packard.
• Clevo produces popular gaming laptops Alienware and VoodooPC.
• Falcon Northwest hi-end laptops.
• Quanta Computer is a large Taiwanese manufacturer (for Sony, Lenovo, Hewlett Packard, Apple).
• Sager - powerful laptops.
• Uniwill - ECS laptops.

Among the branded manufacturers there are also those with their own production lines, for example, Asus, Apple. After the laptop hardware is manufactured and the components are assembled by a third-party manufacturer, all that remains for the reputable supplier is to install a hard drive with pre-installed software in the laptop, supply a keyboard with the language of the desired region, and pack the laptop. Naturally, this approach to production does not mean that laptops of all well-known brands are the same in quality, since, ultimately, everything depends on the laptop design, which is most often provided by engineers of customer companies and contains different requirements for the selection and arrangement of components used materials, etc. This is why laptops from leading brand companies are usually of higher quality (and more expensive) than laptops from less famous suppliers.

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How to choose a laptop?

Laptops. How to choose a laptop.

A laptop is a portable personal computer, the body of which combines the typical components of a desktop PC system unit, as well as a display, keyboard, pointing device, communication devices and a battery.

In terms of functionality, modern laptops are not much inferior to their older brothers, desktops. At the same time, laptops have a number of advantages. They are lighter, more compact, not tied to one place, can work autonomously and connect to the Internet wirelessly. Taking into account the above advantages of laptops, today when choosing a computer, people are increasingly abandoning desktop PCs and giving preference to laptops. For experienced desktop users who have decided to purchase a laptop, choosing this device will not be difficult because, with the exception of some features, the characteristics of laptops are largely similar to those of conventional PCs. However, there are many people for whom choosing a laptop is not an easy task. This article is for them.

What types of laptops are there? What is important when choosing a laptop? What should you pay attention to first when choosing a laptop?

You will find everything you need to know about laptops in this article.

Here you will find tips on how to choose the right laptop.

When starting to choose a laptop, the first thing you will encounter is a large number of companies producing them. Accordingly, the more brands, the more models and the more variety they have. With such a variety, how can you choose the “right” laptop, the one that suits you?

Let's try to figure this out.

The first thing you need to do when choosing a laptop is to answer two questions: what do you need a laptop for (for example, for work or study, for watching movies, for games, for status) and how you are going to use it (as a home PC , as a mobile laptop computer or both as a home and mobile computer at the same time).

The answer to the first question will help you correctly determine the class of laptop, and the answer to the second question will tell you its optimal size and weight.

Classification of laptops

Depending on their purpose, laptops are divided into the following classes:

• budget laptops (for simple tasks);
• middle class laptops (for work and study);
• business laptops (for business people);
• laptops, mobile workstations (for professional work);
• multimedia laptops;
• gaming laptops (“gaming”);
• image laptops (“status”);
• rugged laptops (“SUVs”).

Budget laptops

Rice. 1. Budget laptop.

Budget laptops (Fig. 1) are laptops with a low price and limited features.

Designed mainly for simple tasks, for example, for working with office applications (Word, Excel, etc.), surfing the Internet, viewing photos and videos.

Such laptops are usually based on cheap processors with low performance and poor energy efficiency. The screen diagonal of a budget laptop is usually not large - 14-15". A number of ultra-budget models do not have a Wi-Fi adapter.

To reduce cost, they are often supplied without a pre-installed operating system.

Mid-range laptops

Rice. 2. Mid-class laptop.

Mid-class laptops (Fig. 2) are the most extensive and rather vague class of laptops. Manufacturers, as a rule, classify middle-class models as office or mainstream series, sometimes positioning them as “economy-class multimedia laptops” and even as “economy-class gaming laptops” (in this case, the laptop has a mid-level video card and an inexpensive processor) .

Mid-range laptops are often purchased and used as “desktop replacements.” The processor of such laptop computers does not have outstanding performance, but, most often, it is enough for comfortable work. The video adapter is built-in or discrete of the lower series, the hard drive and screen diagonal can be any, the body is made of plastic, the design is simple and does not stand out.

Laptops of this class usually come pre-installed with Windows 7 Home Basic.

Business laptops

Rice. 3. Business laptop.

Business laptops (Fig. 3) are almost identical in their technical characteristics to middle-class laptops. They are intended for business people and differ from them mainly in their strict and laconic design and the use of more expensive materials in the manufacture of the case. Business laptops quite often belong to the category of subnotebooks (intended primarily for those who often travel on business trips), rarely - to the category of “desktop PC replacement” (for those who do not need to take the laptop out of the office). Some models are equipped with professional video cards designed to display information on several external displays (these video adapters are certified for corporate applications). There are even business netbooks.

Business laptops typically come pre-installed with Windows 7 Enterprise.

Laptops mobile workstations

Rice. 4. Laptops are a mobile workstation.

Laptops and mobile workstations (Fig. 4) are designed for professional work on them.

Typically, such laptops have a powerful processor. Screen diagonal 16-18 inches with high resolution (up to 1920x1200).

The key difference between a mobile workstation and other laptops is the use of mobile versions of professional video cards. and the display has

Multimedia laptops

Rice. 5. Multimedia laptop.

Multimedia laptops (Fig. 5) are another rather vague class of laptops. Simple multimedia laptops are practically no different from middle-class laptops, but the positioning of a portable PC as “multimedia” depends on the manufacturer.

Typically, multimedia laptops include laptops with mid-range video cards and processors, which allows you to use the laptop for almost any purpose, including most computer games. The screen diagonal size of multimedia laptops is 15.6-20 inches; multimedia laptops with a smaller diagonal are almost never found, since the small size of the display makes it difficult to perform multimedia functions.

Quite often it is possible to view multimedia files without loading the operating system. Advanced multimedia laptops are equipped with a TV tuner and remote control.

The OS on laptops of this class is usually versions of Windows 7 containing the Windows Media Center component (Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate).

Gaming laptops

Rice. 6. Gaming laptop.

Gaming laptops (Fig. 6) are designed for particularly resource-intensive tasks, such as computer games.

The main difference between a gaming laptop is a powerful processor and a powerful graphics card. Despite the fact that mobile versions of video cards are inferior to desktop ones, they are able to provide fairly comfortable conditions even in the most demanding games. Some manufacturers offer laptops with dual graphics adapters. The most expensive models can be equipped with a full-fledged (desktop) processor and an effective cooling system.

Gaming laptops often have an aggressive design.

Fashion laptops

Rice. 7. Fashion laptop.

Fashion laptops (Fig. 7) stand out among others with a bright and memorable design - they can be decorated with artistic painting, some kind of crystals, inlay, leather and jewelry. Aluminum, carbon fiber and other unusual materials are often used to make cases for fashion laptops. A typical fashion laptop is a subnotebook with small dimensions and weight and performance, but not always; fashion models are also found among gaming and business laptops, in which case their performance can be very high, and the display diagonal is corresponding.

Painting, inlay with crystals and drag. metals, leather trim.

Rugged laptops

Rice. 8. Protected laptop.

Rugged laptops (Fig. 8) are designed to work in extreme conditions. Rugged laptops use special components that are resistant to external influences. They have increased resistance to vibration, shock, heavy dust, humidity and aggressive chemical environments, and can operate at extremely high and extremely low temperatures. The body of such devices is capable of withstanding a large static load, comparable to being hit by a car.

Such laptops are used in the army, emergency services, can serve as industrial computers, etc. For which, in fact, they received the nickname “SUVs”.

Often, such devices are developed on special orders from government organizations (mainly the armed forces).

Widespread adoption of rugged laptops is hampered by high prices and heavy weight.

Laptop size and weight

Depending on their size, laptops are divided into four groups:

• full size;
• mid-size;
• small size;
• mini laptops.

Full-size laptops are most convenient to use as a home PC. Typically, the group of full-size laptops includes: multimedia laptops and mobile workstations.

Laptops in this group are very powerful and in many respects are not inferior to bulky stationary desktops. They are well configured and work on the basis of powerful processors, their RAM is large, they are equipped with a fast video card, a large hard drive and a wide range of communication interfaces.

By purchasing a full-size laptop, you are purchasing an excellent tool for work, study, communication, relaxation and entertainment. Such a “laptop” will cope well with almost any task and, in addition, it is very comfortable to work on.

A full-size laptop can weigh up to 4 kg.

Mid-size laptops are versatile laptops. As a rule, the group of medium-format laptops includes: laptops for simple tasks, middle-class laptops, business laptops, gaming laptops, fashion laptops.

In terms of their technical characteristics, portable PCs from this group are inferior to full-size laptops (with the possible exception of gaming laptops), but, thanks to their smaller size, such laptops are more mobile. Such laptops weigh no more than 2.5 kg.

Small-sized laptops are popular among people who often have to travel on business and who spend a lot of time on the road. This group may include budget laptops, laptops for work and study, fashion laptops, and SUVs.

The specifications of small laptops can sometimes be compared to those of mid-sized laptops, but in most cases they are lower. Small laptops weigh no more than 1.5 kg.

Recently, significant competition for this group has come from ultrabooks and, to some extent, netbooks and tablets.

Mini laptops are a special small group of laptops that do not differ in performance. They are small and light, but they have a very small keyboard, which may not be suitable for everyone.

Selecting laptop hardware configuration

Once you have decided on the class and size of your future laptop, the last step remains - choosing its specific hardware configuration.

When choosing a laptop hardware configuration, you can use two approaches:

• the first is the “wallet method”, which consists of choosing the most expensive configuration for which you have enough money;
• the second is a meticulous study of the characteristics of laptops.

If you have enough money, choosing an expensive machine will provide you with a powerful, well-configured laptop.

If your funds are limited or you just want to save money, then take a different approach - study the characteristics of laptops of the class and size you have chosen, and then choose the optimal configuration for yourself.

In this case, pay attention to such laptop components as:

• display;
• keyboard and touchpad;
• motherboard;
• processor (CPU);
• video card (VGA);
• random access memory (RAM);
• data storage device (HDD, SSD);
• battery,

and also, analyze:

• laptop communication capabilities;
• availability of the input/output ports (connectors) you need;
• the presence and characteristics of other components that are important to you (for example, a sound card and laptop speakers, an optical drive, a built-in web camera and microphone, a slot for Kensington lock, etc.)

Laptops use flat panel displays. Important display characteristics are:

• screen size and area;
• screen resolution and DPI;
• panel type;
• screen surface type (glossy or matte).

Rice. 9. Screen diagonal.

The screen size is measured by the diagonal, i.e. distance from the lower left corner to the upper right (Fig. 9).

The diagonal value is usually expressed in inches.

For modern laptops, the screen diagonal size can vary from 9"-11" (group of small-sized laptops) to 17"-20" (group of full-size laptops).

Among full-size laptops purchased as a replacement for desktops, the most popular now are laptops with a screen diagonal of 17"-18".

Among small-sized ones, the best-selling ones are laptops with 10-inch screens.

The screen area depends on the format, i.e. depending on the aspect ratio of the screen.

The value of the screen area is usually expressed in cm2.

Depending on the aspect ratio, the screen can be:

a) standard – aspect ratio 4:3 (Fig. 10);

b) widescreen – aspect ratio 16:9 and 16:10 (Fig. 11).

Rice. 10. Standard screen.

Rice. 11. Laptop with a widescreen screen.

Screens with the same diagonal but different aspect ratios have different areas.

	16:9 (widescreen)	4:3 (standard)
Diagonal	Height	Sharina	Square	Height	Width	Square
inches	cm	cm	cm	cm2	cm	cm	cm2
9	22.86	11.21	19.92	223.30	13.72	18.29	250.94
10	25.4	12.45	22.14	275.64	15.24	20.32	309.68
11	27.94	13.70	24.35	309.25	16.76	22.35	374.59
12	30.48	14.94	26.57	396.96	18.29	24.38	445.91
13	33.02	16.19	28.78	465.95	19.81	26.42	523.38
14	35.56	17.43	30.99	540.16	21.34	28.45	607.12
15	38.1	18.68	33.21	620.36	22.86	30.48	696.77
16	40.64	19.92	35.42	705.57	24.38	32.51	792.59
17	43.18	21.17	37.63	796.63	25.91	34.54	894.93
18	45.72	22.41	39.85	893.04	27.43	36.58	1003.39
19	48.26	23.66	42.06	995.14	28.96	38.61	1118.15
20	50.8	24.91	44.28	1103.01	30.48	40.64	1238.71

Laptops with widescreen screens are ideal for watching movies, but a traditional screen is better for working with text (for example, MS Word).

Note. Nowadays, most manufacturers have concentrated on producing laptops with widescreen screens, so finding a laptop with a standard screen can sometimes be very difficult.

Screen resolution is the density of pixels per unit area.

Resolution is expressed either as a letter abbreviation of the standard, or as two numbers, the value of which is equal to the number of pixels in the width and height of the screen. For example, VGA or (640x480).

The most popular resolutions for laptop screens are XGA (1024x768) and WXGA (1280x800). In addition to the above resolutions, screen resolutions are widely used: XGA+ (1152x864), WXGA HD (1366x768), WXGA+ (1440x900), HD+ (1600x900), WUXGAG (1920x1080), WUXGA (1920x1200) . Sometimes there are others.

Note. When we talk about resolution as a characteristic of a laptop screen, we should understand that we are talking about the maximum screen resolution.

Models with the same diagonal size may have different screen resolutions. For example, XGA (1024x768) and XGA+ (1152x864). In this case, the rule applies: “the higher the screen resolution, the clearer the text looks and the more detailed the image.” Laptops with high resolution are good for working with graphics, watching movies, and playing games. To work with text, it is enough to buy a laptop with XGA.

DPI (dots per inch, number of dots per square inch) is another screen parameter that characterizes the pixel density per unit area.

The DPI value determines the pixel size: a higher DPI value means a smaller pixel size, respectively, the smaller the pixel size, the sharper the text and the more detailed the image.

Rice. 12. Laptop panel.

As for the types of panels used in laptops as a display surface (Fig. 12), we can briefly say the following about them:

1. There are several types of panels.
2. The type of panel is determined by the technology by which it is manufactured.
3. Within each type of panel there are its own types and subtypes.
4. It depends on what type (type and subtype) of the panel the laptop is equipped with:

• image quality (color rendition, brightness, contrast, black color rendition);
• response time (the minimum time required for a pixel to change its brightness);
• viewing angle (horizontal and vertical angle at which there is no significant drop in contrast);
• Energy consumption.

In modern laptops, the display surface most often consists of active liquid crystal panels controlled by thin-film transistors (thin-film transistor liquid-crystal display, TFTLCD).

In this article we will not consider the technical aspects of LCD panels created using TFT technology; we will only say that, in turn, they can be of different subtypes.

The most common subtypes of TFTLCD are:

• Twisted Nematic (TN). Modifications: STN, DSTN, TN+Film.
• In-Plane Switching (IPS) or Super Fine TFT (SFT). IPS modifications: S-IPS, AS-IPS, IPS-Pro, H-IPS, e-IPS, P-IPS, AH-IPS. SFT modifications: A-SFT, SA-SFT, UA-SFT.
• Vertical Alignment (VA). Modifications: MVA, PVA, Super PVA, Super MVA.
• Plane-to-Line Switching (PLS).

Each of the above subspecies has its own advantages and disadvantages.

TN is the cheapest technology. Panels created using this technology, due to their low cost, are used mainly in budget models. Its main advantages are good response time (16-25 ms) and low power consumption, but otherwise it loses. Color rendering, contrast and viewing angles are poor. Black color is poorly rendered and looks like dark gray.

Note. Among modern laptops with TN displays, you can most often find panels created using TN+Film technology. The word film in the name of the technology means an additional layer used to increase the viewing angle to 140°.

IPS and SFT are the most expensive technologies. In essence, this is one technology, but developed by different companies. Hitachi and NEC respectively. The purpose of creating this technology was to get rid of the shortcomings of TN+film.

Advantages of IPS(SFT): good brightness, high contrast and color rendition (panels created using this technology always convey the full color depth), increased viewing angle to 180°, black color looks black.

Disadvantages of IPS(SFT): long response time (up to 50 ms), pixel density lower than that of NT, high power consumption, complexity and high production costs.

Note. Currently, IPS(SFT) has been replaced by more advanced modern modifications that inherit all the advantages of IPS(SFT) technology while simultaneously reducing response time, power consumption, cost and increasing resolution, brightness, contrast, color rendition (the color of the best modifications of IPS(SFT) is no longer inferior to CRT monitors).

MVA (Multi-domain Vertical Alignment)/PVA (Patterned vertical alignment) technologies are considered a compromise between TN and IPS, both in cost and in consumer properties.

Advantages of MVA/PVA:

High brightness and contrast; - colors are displayed better than TN; - deep black color;

Viewing angles up to 180°.

Flaws:

Color rendition is distorted and details disappear in the shadows when viewed perpendicularly; - dependence of the color balance of the image on the viewing angle;

Response time is approximately 25ms.

PLS (Plane-to-Line Switching) is a technology developed by Samsung as an alternative to IPS.

PLS panels are slightly cheaper than IPS.

Also, their advantages include:

Pixel density is higher compared to IPS (and similar to MVA/PVA and TN); - high brightness and good color rendition; - large viewing angles (up to 180°); - full coverage of the sRGB range;

Low power consumption comparable to TN.

Flaws:

Lower contrast than all previously reviewed panels; - uneven illumination;

Response time (5-10 ms) is comparable to S-IPS, better than MVA/PVA and worse than TN+Film.

Note. Liquid crystals themselves do not glow. For the image on a liquid crystal display to be visible, a light source is needed. Until recently, cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL – Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp) located behind the LCD panel acted as such a source.

Since 2010, LCD displays with LED backlighting (LED - Light Emitting Diode) have become widespread. In the trade, such displays are often called LED displays. Don't confuse them with true LED and OLED displays, in which each pixel itself lights up and is a miniature LED.

The type of screen surface (glossy or matte) depends on the additional coating applied to the screen. Manufacturers often use them on their laptop displays to improve image quality and increase viewing angles.

Before buying a laptop, pay attention to the display coating. If the surface of the screen is matte, then you will be protected from glare. A glossy surface is more likely to reflect, but the image on such screens looks brighter.

Keyboard and touchpad

Rice. 13. Fully functional and “stripped down” laptop keyboard.

A laptop keyboard can be of two types: full-featured and “stripped down” (Fig. 13).

Full-size and most mid-size laptops have a full-function keyboard, which is almost no different from the usual desktop one. For small-sized laptops, manufacturers install various kinds of “stripped-down” keyboard options, i.e. those that do not have an additional numeric keypad and are distinguished by a peculiar (often not very convenient) arrangement of some of the main keys. In addition, in pursuit of compactness, manufacturers of small-sized laptops can reduce the size of the keys so much that it becomes very inconvenient to work on it blindly.

Therefore, before you buy a laptop, you should pay attention to the keyboard. Try to type some text on it and do a number of familiar actions in order, as they say, to feel it.

Instead of a mouse, laptops use a touchpad, where you move your finger to control the cursor. You can “click” either on the panel itself or on the buttons located below the panel. Working with the touchpad is inconvenient; we recommend using it only as an alternative to a regular mouse, which can easily be connected to a laptop via a USB connector (in some models it comes included in the kit). If a mouse is not supplied with your laptop, we recommend purchasing one immediately after purchasing the laptop.

Motherboard

Rice. 14. Laptop motherboard.

Laptop motherboards differ significantly from desktop motherboards (Figure 14). The main difference between laptop motherboards is that they have many built-in components, for example, a sound controller, video card, network adapter, modem, etc. This ensures compact dimensions and low power consumption of the laptop, but leads to reduced reliability and problems with heat dissipation, as well as lack of interchangeability of components integrated into the board.

When choosing a laptop, pay attention to the fact that the characteristics of the motherboard and the components integrated into it initially fully satisfy you, otherwise, if you need to upgrade this component, it will be extremely difficult or, most likely, impossible, because Most often, laptop motherboards are designed individually for a specific line or model and cannot be upgraded.

Processor (CPU)

Rice. 15. Laptop processor.

The processor is one of the main components of any computer, including a laptop. Processors used in laptops (Fig. 15) differ from those installed in desktop computers in that they are manufactured using technologies that help reduce energy consumption.

When choosing a laptop, pay attention to four points related to the processor:

• processor performance;
• power consumption and heat dissipation of the processor;
• number of processor cores;
• processor type.

The performance of a processor is determined by its architecture, clock speed and cache size.

Currently, the term "processor architecture" does not have an unambiguous interpretation. In the context of this article, when we talk about CPU architecture, we mean whether the processor is 32-bit (IA32) or 64-bit (AMD64/EM64T).

In this article, we will not conduct an in-depth analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of one or another CPU architecture. Let's just say that those who expect a significant increase in performance from 64-bit CPUs will be disappointed - their performance in the vast majority of modern applications (which are mostly designed for IA32) is almost the same as that of the good old 32-bit processors.

As for the clock frequency, we can say the following, in fact, a higher frequency is needed only for processing three-dimensional images. In all other cases, the speed of operation will be determined primarily by the balance of the entire system as a whole: processor, motherboard bus, amount of RAM, and hard drive speed. If you are planning to buy a laptop for working with office documents, then a processor with a clock frequency of 1.5 GHz will be quite enough. For more resource-intensive applications (games, graphic editors), it is advisable to buy a laptop with a processor of 2.2-2.5 GHz or more.

All modern processors have a cache memory, which is a kind of ultra-high-speed array for storing copies of blocks of information extracted from the main (RAM) memory and is, in fact, a buffer between the relatively slow RAM and the processor.

There are caches of levels 1, 2 and 3 (designated L1, L2 and L3 - from Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3). Level 1 cache has the lowest latency (access time) but is small in size. A L2 cache typically has significantly higher access latency, but it can be made much larger. Level 3 cache is the largest cache and is quite slow, but it is still much faster than RAM.

Power consumption and heat dissipation of the processor are important parameters when choosing a processor. They will determine how much electricity the processor consumes and how hot it gets. The duration of autonomous operation (from the battery) will depend on the first, and the noise level of the cooling system will depend on the second.

Both of these parameters are determined by the architecture and clock speed of the processor.

Number of processor cores. Processors used in laptops can be of three types: classic single-core, dual-core and quad-core.

Dual-core processors for laptops have already become the norm. As for quad-core processors, they are installed mainly in powerful gaming models.

However, if you are faced with the question of choosing a processor for your laptop, then, in any case, it is better to prefer a dual-core CPU (for gaming PCs, a 4-core one). Classic single-core CPUs have almost completely exhausted their usefulness. The market is steadily moving towards multi-core systems and the moment is not far off when a 2- or 4-core processor will become an urgent necessity.

As for the question about the type of processor, i.e. which processor to buy a laptop with, Intel is still the leader here. Most laptops use processors from this manufacturer. Although, there are also many successful laptop models built on AMD processors, which should not be underestimated.

Note. Recently, more and more laptops are equipped with mobile processors (usually denoted by an additional letter “M” or the word “Mobile” in the name, for example, Intel Core i3-370M, Intel Core i7-3610QM). Mobile processors have lower power consumption and heat dissipation.

Video card (VGA)

Rice. 16. Laptop video card.

A video card (graphics processor, graphics adapter, graphics card, video adapter) is a component of a laptop designed to display images on a monitor.

In fact, this is the same processor, only it processes graphics (Fig. 16).

Video cards are:

• integrated;
• hybrid;
• discrete.

Integrated video cards do not have their own chip and memory capacity. They are hard-wired into the motherboard and are part of the motherboard chip (northbridge) and use the amount of RAM for their tasks, thereby reducing the amount of RAM.

Laptops with such video adapters are not suitable for serious games and video processing, but are perfect for working with documents, the Internet, viewing video files, and images.

Hybrid video cards are video adapters that have a small amount of memory and, if necessary, have the ability to take a certain amount of memory from RAM.

Discrete video cards are a completely separate motherboard that has its own chip and memory module. Such video adapters will do an excellent job of processing any graphics, video capture, and 3D games.

But if you are a big gamer, then you should pay attention not only to the size of the built-in video memory, but also to the video chip platform. But due to the quality and performance of the video adapter, the cost of the laptop increases sharply.

In modern laptops you can find video cards with memory from 512 MB to 2 GB and of course, the more memory, the better. But not always. Greater performance of the video adapter sharply increases the cost of the laptop. Therefore, when choosing a laptop video card, we recommend proceeding from the purpose of purchasing a portable PC. If you want to choose a laptop for office work or for viewing photos and movies, then an integrated 512 MB video card will be enough for you, but if you are a big gamer or like to work with “advanced” graphics applications for graphics processing and video editing, then you need have a more powerful video card, and in this case you should pay attention to discrete video cards with a capacity of 1 Gb or more.

Note. An integrated video card with less memory uses up the laptop's battery life more economically.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

Rice. 17. Laptop RAM.

RAM is a volatile semiconductor rewritable computer storage device on which the performance of a laptop depends (Fig. 17).

RAM is an important component of any laptop and should not be skimped on. When choosing a laptop, you should pay attention to two points when analyzing RAM:

1. Memory size.
2. Memory type.

As for the amount of RAM, all temporary files and commands are stored in RAM. If it is not enough, part of the temporary information is redirected and written to the hard drive, and the speed of many tasks slows down significantly.

For simple tasks (for example, processing office documents), 1 GB of RAM is enough - they don’t use less, so any laptop is suitable for these purposes.

For more complex tasks, for example, processing images and especially videos, as well as some games, 2-3 GB of RAM or more is required. With a smaller volume, some games simply will not be installed, and the video processing process will be very slow.

It should be taken into account that 32-bit operating systems (for example, the most common Windows XP distributions) due to architectural features do not see memory more than 3Gb, while modern 64-bit operating systems can easily solve this problem.

As for the type of RAM, a modern laptop can be equipped with DDR2 and DDR3 memory. DDR3 is 2 times faster than DDR2.

Note. Some laptop models provide the ability to expand RAM by installing an additional board. For these purposes, their motherboards are equipped with an additional slot.

Data storage device (HDD, SSD)

In modern laptops you can find two types of data storage devices:

1. Hard Disk Drive.
2. Solid-State Drive.

Rice. 18. Laptop hard drive.

A hard disk (HDD) is an electronic-mechanical rewritable computer storage device with a rigid housing, inside of which there is a spindle with a metal data storage device mounted on it and a solenoid drive with a read head (Fig. 18).

Hard drives for laptops are created according to the same principle as hard drives for desktops. Features of HDDs for laptops are more compact sizes and lower power consumption.

When choosing a laptop with a hard drive, pay attention to two points:

• amount of disk space;
• spindle rotation speed.

Today you can find laptops with disk space from 120 Gb to 1 Tb or more. What kind of disk capacity to buy a laptop with depends on what you will use it for. If you are going to store only documents and photo galleries on the laptop hard drive, then 120 GB will be enough for you, but if you are going to create collections of music, games and films on it, then purchase a more capacious HDD, for example, 320 GB or more.

Note. Many laptop models have the ability to replace the hard drive, so if necessary, you can upgrade the HDD supplied as standard to a larger HDD. In addition, there is always the option of connecting an external hard drive via an E-SATA port or a USB port, however, we recommend that you initially do not skimp on hard drive capacity and purchase a laptop with a HDD capacity that is slightly larger than is needed to perform the tasks assigned to the laptop.

As for the spindle speed, here you can find hard drives with the following values: 7200 rpm, 5400 rpm, 4200 rpm.

Laptops with a HDD rotation speed of 7200 rpm are preferable if you are choosing a powerful computer and its performance is most important to you, but let’s say right away that HDDs with such a spindle rotation speed are quite rare because require increased energy consumption for their operation, which is important when operating on battery power. Therefore, in order to save energy consumption, most laptops are equipped with not very high-speed hard drives. Most often you can find laptops with a 5400 rpm hard drive. Sometimes 4200 rpm.

Rice. 19. Solid state drive.

A solid-state drive (SSD) is an electronic non-volatile semiconductor rewritable computer storage device with a rigid body without moving mechanical parts, consisting of a printed circuit board, a chipset and a controller (Fig. 19).

Non-volatile SSD drives have been installed relatively recently as a data storage device in laptops. They have a number of advantages over HDDs, but they are also not without some disadvantages.

SSD advantages:

• They are significantly faster than HDD:

• on SSD recording occurs almost instantly (data recording time on HDD can take several seconds);
• accessing data on the SSD takes 0.1 ms. (on HDD, data access time ranges from 5 to 10 ms.);
• when using an SSD, the speed of reading data from memory is not affected by fragmentation (to increase the speed of reading from the HDD, defragmentation is required).

• consume less electricity (less than 18 W);
• weigh less;
• are not afraid of shocks (falls) and vibration.

Disadvantages of SSD:

• have a finite number of rewrite cycles, i.e. after a certain number of cycles, the device may fail (a rather dubious drawback since the number of rewrite cycles is huge, and it is unlikely that they will end before you stop using your laptop);
• quite high price.

There is now a lot of discussion about the advisability of using a solid-state drive as a data storage device; perhaps those who are against the use of SSD technology at this stage of its development are right in some ways, so we will not give definite recommendations in this regard, Let’s just say one thing – SSDs are the future.

Battery

Laptop users can be divided into two categories:

• the first is for those who care about the mobility of the laptop and the amount of time that the laptop can work autonomously;
• the second is for those who use a laptop as a desktop computer, and they do not care about any other characteristics other than the power and performance of the system.

Rice. 20. Laptop battery.

If you belong to the first group of users, then, when choosing a laptop, the characteristics of the battery supplied with the laptop (Fig. 20) will be of no small importance to you.

Battery characteristics that you should pay attention to when choosing a laptop include:

• Battery Type;
• battery capacity;
• number of battery sections.

The type of battery is determined by the technology by which it is manufactured.

A few years ago, nickel-cadmium (NiCad) and nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries were common. They had many disadvantages, so over time they were replaced by more advanced lithium technologies. Today, in new laptop models you can find two types of lithium batteries - lithium-ion (Li-ion) and lithium-polymer (Li-poly) batteries. The difference between Li-poly batteries and Li-ion is the absence of a rigid case and the ability of the battery to take any shape.

Lithium batteries have a number of advantages over their predecessors: they are more capacious, age much more slowly, weigh almost 3 times less and have no “memory effect”.

Note. The “memory effect” refers to a phenomenon observed when the recommended charging mode for Ni-Cd and NiMH batteries is violated. The name is associated with the external manifestation of the effect: the battery seems to “remember” that in the previous operating cycle its energy was not fully used, and after the next recharge it releases the charge only up to the “remembered limit”.

Speaking about capacity, it should be noted that this is the most important technical characteristic of the battery; the battery life of the laptop depends on it. It is measured in milliamp-hours and in watt-hours (capacitance values ​​in milliamp-hours and watt-hours are linearly proportional).

As noted above, modern laptop batteries created using Li-ion and Li-poly technology are more capacious compared to outdated NiMH batteries, i.e. Li-ion and Li-poly batteries store more energy than similar NiMH batteries and retain that energy longer. Accordingly, a laptop with Li-ion or Li-poly batteries lasts longer. On average, from 2 hours and above. 2.5 hours of battery life is a good indicator, although it should be remembered that the battery life declared by the manufacturer rarely matches the actual operating time of laptops. The reason for this is the difference between testing conditions and real operating conditions. As a rule, when testing batteries, “ideal” conditions are created - with a minimum of running applications.

If the laptop battery life declared by the manufacturer is not enough for you, as an option, you can purchase an additional battery and keep it in your laptop bag “in reserve.” In addition, today many manufacturers produce batteries with increased capacity - it can also become an alternative to a standard battery, but in this case it should be remembered that in these batteries, increasing the capacity is usually achieved by extensively increasing the number of sections, which leads to an increase in the weight and size of the battery. Due to the increase in size, the battery often protrudes beyond the laptop.

Communication capabilities of the laptop

The communication capabilities of a laptop are of great importance for every user, therefore, today you are unlikely to find a portable PC that does not have a built-in 10/100/1000 Ethernet network card and 802.11 b/g/n wireless Wi-Fi. In addition, laptop manufacturers very often provide them with a WiMAX adapter and Bluetooth, and in some models you can even still find an infrared port and a modem of the V.90/V.92, 56k standard.

I/O ports (connectors)

Rice. 21. Laptop connectors.

I/O ports provide the ability to connect other devices to the laptop. The more ports the better. When choosing a laptop, pay attention to the fact that it has at least three USB 2.0 (or USB 3.0), HDMI, VGA (D-sub), LAN (RJ-45), E-SATA, audio/headphone output, microphone input ( Fig. 21). In addition to the above standard set, modern laptops are increasingly equipped with an additional (fourth) USB port, an IEEE 1394 port (FireWire, i-Link), a linear input (S/PDIF), and a card reader.

Other laptop components

Other components that you may want to consider when choosing a laptop include:

• sound card and laptop acoustics;
• optical drive;
• built-in web camera and built-in microphone;
• slot for Kensington lock.

The sound card in a laptop is usually built-in and has all the standard capabilities required. The built-in AC'97 codec is sufficient for playing audio files. You can often find built-in speakers on a laptop. They have little power, so if you want to get better sound, you should buy speakers for your laptop separately.

Rice. 22. Laptop optical drive.

The presence of an optical drive will not be superfluous if you choose a laptop to use as a home PC (Fig. 22). If your laptop must be primarily mobile, then it is better to abandon the built-in drive - this will save space, weight, and cost! As an alternative to the built-in drive, you can separately purchase an external drive with a USB interface and use it if necessary.

A built-in webcam and a built-in microphone have already become almost traditional gadgets for laptops. If you often communicate on Skype or participate in video webinars, having them will be very useful for you.

Rice. 23. K-Slot and cord lock.

The slot for Kensington lock (K-Slot) is a small oblong hole designed for attaching a special metallized cord. This cord wraps around some stationary object, like a bicycle cord (Fig. 23). The entire design is designed to provide an initial level of security - so that the laptop is not “stolen”. This mount can be found on many laptops; for those of them that are initially positioned by the manufacturer for the corporate market, it is practically mandatory.

Case material and laptop design

The material of the laptop case and its quality may also vary.

Budget laptop cases are made of low quality plastic. They do not hold their shape well (they bend when pressed lightly), are fragile and not heat-resistant. In order for such a case to last for a long time, it must be handled quite carefully.

The cases of more expensive models, for example, middle class ones, are also made of plastic, but of a higher quality, shockproof and heat-resistant.

The cases of expensive laptops are made of even higher quality plastic or aluminum alloy. Aluminum alloy cases are the most reliable cases, and if you have the opportunity to purchase a laptop with such a case, you should give preference to it.

As for the design of laptops, as a rule, it is not very diverse. The only exceptions to the rule are fashion laptops, the design features of which have already been mentioned above.

operating system

Among the operating systems pre-installed on laptops, the most common one is one of the Windows family of operating systems. However, Linux OS is also not uncommon. Linux can often be found as a pre-installed OS in budget laptops

For beginners, Linux is quite a complex OS. So if you are not ready to spend time learning it, then it would be more logical to choose a more familiar OS of the Windows family.

Want to see buyer tips? Click on one of these buttons.

Happy shopping!

Video for dessert. The red cat has mastered the laptop. Hana squirrel

tags: laptop, how to choose a laptop, which laptop to choose

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What kind of device is a laptop computer? Types and Types of Laptop Computers

A computer is, first of all, a computing machine. Therefore, the integration of these devices into many devices now does not surprise anyone. However, what everyone is accustomed to calling the word “computer” actually has the full name “personal computer”. And recently even the “personal laptop computer” is gaining popularity. This means "portable", which defines the mobility of the device.

Mobility as the goal of portability

A PC can be laptop or desktop. A desktop PC is a complete computer, an interconnected piece of hardware that provides power and versatility but is bulky and confined to one location. Of course, now they are trying to produce as small parts as possible, thin displays and mobile wireless mice, but all this is still inferior in convenience to laptop PCs. A laptop computer is much smaller in size and has a more capacious battery (after all, desktop computers, in turn, always work from the network and do not need long battery life). However, this affects the performance of such devices, which becomes less. However, the computing capabilities of some portable devices are also very high.

Three main categories of laptop computers

• laptop;
• laptop;
• subnotebook.

It is in this classification that they are presented on the market. However, ordinary people tend to confuse this terminology, based on the fact that they are not sufficiently versed in this area. Sometimes even professionals get confused, since the boundaries of defining certain devices into a certain group are very unclear. Frames are usually set according to the size and weight of the device, and each category has its own standards.

Laptop

The very first portable computer was a laptop. It represents a portable computing system in its most pristine, so to speak, form.

A laptop is a very small device. If we consider the term in detail, “lap” is translated as “knees,” which means the device must be placed on this part of the human body.

The concepts of “laptop” and “laptop” closely overlap with each other - for example, Google translator stubbornly perceives them as synonyms, although this is not entirely true.

Main features of laptops

The characteristics of the laptop include the following:

• the screen diagonal must be at least fourteen, but not more than seventeen inches;
• built-in video cards provide high-quality graphics;
• large, comfortable and extended keyboard;
• There is always an optical drive (in other words, a disk drive);
• The battery capacity allows you to work autonomously for three or more hours;
• easily replaceable components (in case of breakdown).

All this leads to the fact that a good laptop becomes a full-fledged replacement for a desktop PC. It's a portable computer, there's no doubt about it, but it can rival non-portable devices in terms of performance.

Laptop

Laptop - from the English words "note" ("note") and "beech" ("book"). It is a portable device with a high level of mobility. It is thinner and more minimalistic than a laptop, but due to its portability it often costs the same or even more.

Among the characteristics of the laptop:

• long battery life;
• simple graphics;
• multifunctionality;
• The screen diagonal is within twelve to fourteen inches.

This is the classic division between laptops and laptops, which is currently undergoing changes. Much more often you can find the terms “laptop” and “netbook”. To describe this classification, the distinguishing feature of a laptop is its combined components, and screen sizes vary from fourteen to seventeen inches (like laptops).

Netbooks

Netbook - "book" ("book") for using the Internet ("net"). Typically, a small laptop whose monitor diagonal does not exceed thirteen inches is a netbook. Its performance is lower, but the battery life reaches more hours. Resource-intensive programs will not work fully on a netbook, and difficulties will arise when working with large-scale tables and images. Such devices do not have built-in drives, and memory (both RAM and hard drive) is much less important than in laptops.

But netbooks are equipped with high-quality network adapters, and their mobility is very high: they weigh no more than 1 kg and fit into an ordinary woman’s handbag, because they can be very small - with a screen diagonal of 7 inches.

Are these all laptop computers?

The types described above do not reflect the entire situation in the modern market. The topic of tablet computers and smartphones, as well as PDAs that have lost their popularity, is not touched upon. Further we will talk about them.

Tablets

A portable tablet computer is commonly called simply a tablet. In appearance, the distinctive feature is the absence of a keyboard as an input device and the replacement of the main functional interface with a full-size touch screen.

Tablets lose even more performance than netbooks, but their battery life increases. It is easy to notice this proportional relationship.

Tablets usually have sufficient multimedia capabilities and Internet access - this is what the computing potential of the device is aimed at.

The concept of a tablet laptop is also known, to which a keyboard is still attached to help the touchscreen.

PDA

The pocket-sized laptop computer was much more popular before smartphones took over the market. It was a very small computing device about the size of a cell phone. PDAs are tightly tied to their OS and in the early years of release were intended to be used as organizers by business people. At this time, smartphones have the same or even greater functionality, so PDAs have lost their popularity.

Smartphones

Types of laptop computers have long included smartphones. After all, they are both PDAs and regular mobile phones. Powerful smartphones have versatility comparable to a weak netbook + provide cellular connectivity. For the most part, such devices are available with a touch screen, although there are also push-button models.

Note: speaking about the portability of computing devices, we need to mention portable computer programs, that is, those that do not require installation. They are extremely popular for use on netbooks, which lack memory and processing power for many things.

Laptops are mobile computers. They came into our lives relatively recently. Such mobile computers allow you to move long distances and get work done. Especially where there is no electrical network, a laptop will always help. Today the battery charge allows it work 8 hours without recharging.

What is a laptop

Not everyone knows where the meaning of the word laptop came from. Translated from English Notebook means notepad or notebook. Another name for such mobile computers is laptop. This name is given from the English “lap” - knees of a sitting person, “top” - top, knee pad. Laptops are notebooks, smartbooks, and netbooks.

A laptop is portable mobile device, in which the same spare parts are installed with a personal computer. Only they are reduced significantly. It has a hard drive on which the user stores his data, RAM, a processor, a video card, a monitor or screen, a keyboard, a touchpad instead of a mouse, and a charging battery.

Mobile devices are different by weight, by size, by appearance. A battery charge allows you to use the device from 5 to 8 hours.

The first laptop was invented and created in 1982, by NASA. The engineer's name was William Moggridge.

These mobile devices perform the same tasks and functions as personal computers. In terms of price, such devices are much more expensive than PCs. If a PC and laptop are the same price, then the latter will certainly lose significantly in performance. The laptop can also be used as multimedia entertainment station when connected to a home TV.

Types of laptops and their classification

Laptops are classified by screen diagonal, purpose and cost. Let's look at the types of laptops.

A small monitor of eleven or thirteen inches distinguishes such mobile devices from all others. Since it is impossible to install good and massive cooling on them, the processors in them are used with reduced power consumption, without discrete video cards. This means that they do not shine with good performance. Such devices are suitable for office work.

Ultraportables (ultrabooks)

Such devices used on the road. The processors installed on them are also low-power. Screens ranging in size from 9 to 12 inches. No discrete cards. However, they are significantly more expensive than regular ones with average performance.

Such laptops are designed for viewing web pages, mail, and working with Microsoft Office. Here the processors are of a higher class than in the types of laptops already given. By price comfortable for a budget wallet. One of the advantages is the presence of Wi-FI. From shortcomings– lack of optical drive.

Laptop for the middle class

The screen sizes of such devices can be completely different. Have average performance, have a discrete video card of the younger generation. The body is made of plastic. A modern Windows OS is installed. They fall into the “personal computer replacement” category.

Laptops for business class

Such devices are almost no different from mid-range laptops. The body is made of metal and other expensive materials. Stylish design, built-in and discrete video cards. Quadro NVS is sometimes used - graphics adapter for working in engineering programs such as CAD. Windows OS is pre-installed on them.

Multimedia

The screen size of such laptop computers ranges from 15 to 19 inches. Often there is a built-in screen on the back of the lid that allows you to watch clips and movies without opening the computer. Models in this category are sometimes equipped with a TV tuner. The processor and video card are used from mid-class laptops. On such devices it is recommended play games, which do not require cutting-edge settings.

Gaming laptops

Of course, such portable devices have not one, but two powerful video cards connected via an SLI bridge. Crossfire mode is present. Equipped with powerful processors and RAM. They have an aggressive, but beautiful design. Designed for avid gamers. They cost more than all of the above.

The rest - tablet(or with touch screen), protected(used for military purposes as “off-road vehicles”), image, are no different in size from those described above. Only some are decorated with diamonds or jewelry, others are made of armor-piercing material, they use SSD drives that are resistant to shock. In terms of cost, all of these models are expensive, but they correspond to the described class both in terms of performance and reliability. Only tablets have one drawback - this poor performance, low strength.

What is the difference from a computer

The key difference from a desktop computer is portability. The next differentiating factor is light weight and size. Using Wi-Fi without additional equipment. They have their own keyboard and touchpad that replaces the mouse. Do not require power from the mains for some time. These are the benefits of difference.

TO shortcomings It is worth considering the high cost and low performance of many budget models.

Laptop structure - what it consists of

The first thing a user sees when buying a laptop is the body. It is usually made from durable eraser with a metal cord around the perimeter to protect against accidental breakage.

Placed on the top of the laptop screen matrix, Wi Fi devices, speakers, camera. Inside lower part the keyboard, touchpad, cables and elements for operation are placed. These include:

• Motherboard, and everything listed below is already on it.
• CPU– the brain of the computer – and the cooling system. Without it, the processor and the entire laptop will simply overheat and soon fail.
• RAM. Usually 1 or 2 strips are installed, depending on the number of connectors. Together with the processor, it is responsible for the speed of the laptop.
• HDD HDD or SSD, which is connected to the motherboard via the SATA interface.
• Video card is responsible for displaying images on the screen.
• Optic DVD ROM.
• Inputs for usb, input for connecting the power cord.
• Accumulator battery.

Everything interacts with each other in strict sequence. In fact, the operating principle itself is no different from a desktop computer.

Advantages and disadvantages

One of the main advantages is portability. Laptops are in no way inferior to personal computers at the moment. But if something breaks in it, with the exception of RAM, HDD or SSD, keyboard, then most often better buy a new one laptop rather than spending money on spare parts. They are quite difficult to find, and if specialists have them, they will cost half as much as new.

Otherwise, this is a modern laptop computer. To ensure that it does not fail for a long time, it is recommended to follow some rules.

How to use it correctly to extend its service life

Never place it with its back on flat surface sofa, armchair, table. Purchased for laptop special stand for cooling with coolers inside. Then it will not overheat too much, since there will be enough air circulation for the necessary cooling.

Don't sit down do not place anything on it, do not drink tea or coffee at the laptop. When you start it for the first time, let it discharge and turn it off, connect it to the charger. Let it charge completely.

Once a year, wear it preventive work to specialists. Thermal paste on processors that connects it to the cooler dries faster than on a computer. Yes, and more dust gets into it.

If you follow these simple rules, your laptop will serve you well for a long time.

In everyday life, every modern person uses a computer, thanks to which he communicates, has fun, and works. But it is clear that carrying a large personal computer with you is not a solution to the situation, and it looks funny. Then humanity came up with the laptop. What is a laptop, what features does it have, how does it differ from its personal “relatives”? In our article we will try to answer these frequently asked questions.

Main properties of a laptop

Let's start with the fact that a laptop is a portable or portable personal computer; due to its small (compared to a home computer) size, it includes all the main properties and components that are inherent in a regular computer. So, a powerful processor, keyboard, screen (display) - all this fits into a fairly convenient device that fits in a small bag. In addition, laptops are different, meaning according to their purpose:

• netbook
• laptop
• smartbook

In terms of functionality, laptops are no different from home desktop computers. All the main components of a laptop have the same properties, but are much smaller in size. Let's look at the main design parts and advantages of any laptop over a computer:

• The laptop case is not as large as the system unit case, so we can move the laptop to any other place.
• Light weight, ergonomic design.
• Thanks to the batteries, we can work autonomously on the laptop for 4 to 10 hours without charging it.
• Pay attention to what a drive is in a laptop. This is the same optical CD/DVD-ROM as in a regular desktop computer, only without the mechanics that automatically eject the disc tray.
• Also, with a laptop, you always have the ability to connect to wireless Internet networks. Almost all modern laptops have a special Wi-Fi adapter built into them. By turning on this device and finding an Internet access point, you can always use the Internet, without any cables, routers and the like.

Remember that laptops must be carried closed so as not to damage the matrix (display) of the device. By the way, pay attention to what is a matrix in a laptop? The matrix is ​​a modern, full-fledged liquid crystal display for a laptop. Thanks to it, we get a more contrasting and bright image. The display can be made in two types of coating: glossy and matte.

Thus, if you add up all the advantages of a laptop over a regular PC, you can highlight one huge advantage of this technology - mobility.