Portable Computers
There are various different types of portable computers that are classified according to size and function. There are three basic types of portable computers: laptops; notebooks; or subnotebooks which are also called palmtop or handheld computers or personal digital assistants (PDAs). Most modern portable computers standard connectors for desktop keyboards, pointing devices, and monitors.
The first portable computers were called luggables and were nothing more that a traditional computer in a slightly smaller case equipped with a small CRT display. The advent of the flat-panel display in the 1980s allowed the portable computer to take on the current slim design.
With the advancements in battery technology and the advent of functional, large-screen, liquid crystal displays (LCDs) in the 1980s, the first truly portable computers were produced. These portable computers are called laptops computers and feature integrated AT-compatible computer motherboards that includes I/O and video controller functions. They usually feature a folding LCD display and a builtin keyboard and pointing device. They also use an external power supply and a removable, rechargeable battery. Today's laptops have fairly large hard disk drives, a CD-ROM drive or DVD drive, and a floppy disk drive. These are the heavier portable computers that offers most of the features on a desktop computer.
Advances in integrated circuit (IC)
technology
allowed the size of computer components
to be
reduced even further resulting in the
emergence of the
notebook Computer. Notebooks are
roughly 8.75
inches deep × 11 inches wide × 2.25
inches thick. The
reduction in size results in the notebooks
having
smaller and less capable displays and
keyboards.
However, a variety of items, such as the
docking port,
designed to overcome some of the
notebook's
shortcomings have appeared on the
market. Docking
ports, also known as docking stations,
are specialized
cases into which an entire notebook
computer can be
inserted. This allows the notebook to be
connected to
desktop I/O devices such as full-sized
keyboards,
CRT monitors, and network connections.
At
minimum, a docking station provides an
alternating
current (AC) power source for the
notebook. However,
docking stations are proprietary devices
designed for
use with specific notebook models.
Subnotebook computers are also known as palmtops, handheld computers or PDAs and are even smaller than the notebook computers. These computers are 7 inches wide × 4 inches deep × 1 inch high. Due to their size, they have very limited functionality and use a pen-like stylus and handwriting interpretation software to perform operations.