Types of NoteBooks
1. Desktop replacement
Personal computer is considered a replacement computer which offers full competency of a desktop computer while it is still portable. They are quite big in size and bulky. Due to their large size, this class of computer normally consists of components which are more powerful and a bigger display than generally found in smaller mobile computers and the battery capacity is somewhat limited (or non at all). A limited range of desktop components sometimes is used to create good performance for each dollar at the battery life expense. They are called desknotes which is a portmanteau word of the terms ‘notebook’ and ‘desktop’, however, the word is generally used with desktop replacement computers.
2. Subnotebook
Laptops normally weigh from 1.4 to 5.4 kg and a screen diagonally of 6.4 to 13.3 inches. A subnotebook is a lightweight and small portable computer with almost every feature is the same as a standard laptop computer but shrunk in size. The word is sometimes used with systems which run full versions of desktop operating systems like Linux or Window, rather than specialized software like Palm OS, Windows CE or Internet Tablet OS.
Subnotebooks are quite smaller than laptops yet bigger than UMPCs and handheld computers. The screens of subnotebooks weigh 1-2 kg and are around 26.92 cm (10.6 inches) (diagonal) in width which are quite different from full-size laptops with 15.4″ (39.12 cm) or 14.1″ (35.81 cm) screens of which weight are around 2 kg or more. If some ports are omitted and put some removable media/optical drives, it can decrease weight and size. Subnotebooks usually come with docking stations to compensate.
3. Netbooks
Netbooks are special as they are designed particularly for internet surfing and word processing. Netbooks typically weight 1.5 to 3.0 lbs, are used 10 inches screen and powered by either Celeron, Atom or Via processors thanks to their more favorable Performance Per Watt ratings and cost.
Upgradeability
Due to economic and technical reasons, an upgradeability of laptop is quite limited. As of 2006, every main laptop seller has to pursue its own construction and design because there is no industry-wide standard form factor available for laptops which leads to the difficulty in exhibiting high repair costs and upgrading laptops. Laptops have their exceptions as laptop components can hardly be exchanged between laptops from competing manufacturers or between laptops from the same manufacturer but different product-lines. Standard feature peripherals, like USB, audio, Bluetooth, video, WiFi and 1394, are typically integrated on the main PCB. Consequently, when upgraded, wireless peripherals, external ports or card slots are required. While hard drives, RAM modules, and batteries are usually user-upgradeable.
Most of laptops provide removable CPUs even though they sometimes do not support the specific models due to the laptop motherboard. The socketed CPUs are probably for convenience of the manufactures rather than the end-user, as some manufacturers use new CPUs in laptop model created last year with their desire to sell upgrades rather than new models of laptops. As for other laptops, the CPU is non-replicable as it is soldered.
Laptops generally consist of an internal MiniPCI slot, usually occupied by Bluetooth card or a Wi-Fi but when it comes to CPU, the internal MiniPCI slot is usually restricted in the range of installable cards. Since the adoption of USB is quite popular, I/O connectivity is lessened to a great degree even though the user still has to separately carry the USB peripheral.
ATI and NVidia have offered a standardized interface for the upgrades of laptop CPU such as an MXM but options are restricted compared to the desktop PCIe/AGP after-market.
In January 2007, Asus launched laptop’s CG Station external video card which is linked to the laptops using Express card interface and USB-2.
Read MoreShort Introduction to Notebook Parts
1. Processors
You can find various laptop specific processors from AMD (Athlon, Turion 64, and Sempron), Intel (Pentium M, Celeron, Intel Core and Intel Core 2) and VIA (C3 and C7-M). The chips of the former PowerPC-based Apple laptops were manufactured and developed by IBM and Motorola. Laptop processors are normally less powerful than their desktop counterparts because they have to lessen the heat dissipation and save energy.
2. Batteries
The recent models of laptops utilize lithium ion batteries use the new technology of lithium polymer which took place of the older nickel metal-hydride batteries. Usually, battery for laptops can last around 2 to 5 hours if used on light duty and can drop their power to an hour with more intensive use. Batteries bit by bit deteriorate and need to be changed within 1 to 5 years, depending on how they are charged and discharged.
3. Docking stations
Since the early 1990s, docking stations was considered one of the most used laptop accessories. They were rather large and provided 3.5 inches and 5.25 inches storage bays, a host of connectors and one to three expansion slots (normally AT style). Both docking station and laptop were through hi-speed, large proprietary connector and they were mostly used in a corporate computing environment where a common network card had been standardized by the company and was put into the docking station. The stations were big and rather costly. Due to the laptop’s high integration, the need of expansion slots and additional storage became less important, the Port Replicator then became a main accessory.
4. Navigation
A touchpad or pointing stick works as a controller of the on-the-screen cursor in operate the position. The pointing stick is a rubber dot which can be spotted between the B, G and H on the laptop keyboard. The touchpad is considered touch-sensitive and to control the position of the cursor, you can just move finger on the pad.
Notebook Durability Problems
Laptops seem to be more objective to be physically damaged rather than desktops since they are portable and tightly integrated. Laptop components like screen hinges, power cords, power jacks and batteries are usually subject to deterioration thanks to normal use. Those components are too costly to replace – with the AC Adapter costs US$75, typical laptop battery US$130. Others components are cheap – a power jack costs only US20$ but it could be more expensive when replaced because it needs extensive reassembly and disassembly of layers of internal components. Other cheap but quite fragile parts cannot be bought separate from bigger and more costly components. For instance, the backlight power cable and video display cable which passes through lid hinges to control the screen will finally break from closing and opening the lid over hundreds of times for several years. Those small cables often cannot be bought separate from the whole US$400 LCD panel.
Since the keyboard is quite a minor mishap with a desktop, beware of spilling liquid onto the keyboard as expensive components like the LCD panel and motherboard might be destroyed. Also, the LCD screen can be easily damaged when a laptop is dropped. If you get a failed LCD panel and motherboard repaired, you might have to pay even more than the price you buy the laptop.
Laptop should count on extremely compact cooling systems consisting of a heatsink and a fan. Many laptops do not include any efficiently removable parts like dust collection filter over the air intake for the compact cooling systems, which causes an increasing heat and sound in a system after used for years. Finally dust chokes the laptop cooling, resulting in the heat from minor operational load. The dust will be eventually stuck inside and cannot be got rid of by a vacuum.
Read MoreIntroduction to Notebooks
A notebook computer or laptop is a small portable computer which normally weighs from 1.4 to 5.4 kg (3 to 12 pounds), much less weigh than older laptops. Current laptops typically rely on external AC/DC adapter or a main battery. The adapter can supply power to the laptop and also can charge the battery so the laptop can be used even when there is a blackout. The main battery is not the same battery used in running real-time clock and backup BIOS configuration into the CMOS memory when there is no power available in the laptop.
Laptops consist of components which are quite similar to the desktop counterpart and do the same functions, yet are optimised and miniaturised for mobile use and productive power consumption, even though less potent for the same price. Laptops normally contain liquid crystal displays most of which rely on different memory modules for their RAM (random access memory). For example, SO-DIMM in lieu of the larger DIMMs. Besides a built-in keyboard, laptops have a pointing stick or a touchpad (aka a trackpad) for input, although an external mouse or keyboard can normally be attached.
A laptop was first created from a desire of having a mobile computer with all-in-one systems. However, this full-featured computer was too heavy to carry and did not support by battery. The computer was large and heavy mainly because of the CRT or cathode ray tube, however, this size factor was not a reason for a full-size desktop motherboard plus room for ISA expansion cards.
The real laptop (without internal batteries) which was luggable and shrunk in size was created due to the creation of the transition to LCD and plasma displays. Sophisticate and compact all-in-one portable system resulted from the improvements of battery technology and smaller gadgets like 3.5-inch floppy disk.
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