Types of Laptops

Types of Laptops
Laptops come in a variety of sizes designed to fit the various needs of users. Some of these basic styles include netbooks, tablet PCs, "thin and light" laptops, desktop replacements, and gaming laptops. They are each described in the table below.


Type of Laptop
Description
Tablet PC

A tablet PC is a laptop that has a touchscreen interface. This kind of laptop may or may not have a keyboard.

Netbook

Netbooks have only been around for a few years, but they quickly became popular due to their portability. One problem with a netbook is that it can be difficult to use for extended periods of time. The small size of the keyboard can cause the user's hands to cramp up. Some of the netbooks have screens as small as 7 inches. However, larger models have been released at 11 or 12 inches that actually blur the line between a netbook and ultraportable. Most netbooks have a 10 inch screen and weigh under three pounds. Netbooks usually have a long battery life because they are portable, have small screens, and designed to be used on the go.

Ultraportable

These laptops are very thin and lightweight. The screen is typically 11, 12, or 13 inches in size. This type of laptop is usually a little bigger and heavier than a netbook, but it also has greater computing power. A buyer may have to shell out extra to get this kind of laptop with an optical drive.

"Thin and Light"

This is the next step up in weight after an ultraportable laptop. On average, a "thin and light" weighs in at five pounds. It is just a little smaller than the average laptop.

Midsize (Normal)

A midsize laptop is generally large enough and has enough computing power to act as a user's main computer. The screen on a midsize laptop is usually between 14 and 16 inches in size. Generally, these laptops have a battery life of three to six hours.

Desktop Size

These large laptops can be thought of as desktop replacements. They have a large screen, at least 16 inches, and some screens can be bigger than 18 inches. A few laptops actually have screens 20 inches in size. These laptops have a very short battery life though due to the screen size. Thus they are means to spend most of their time tethered to an electrical outlet.

Gaming

Gamers often have special needs when it comes to choosing a laptop. These laptops should have enormous CPU and GPU power. Gamers also prefer a larger screen, so they can enjoy an immersive gaming experience.


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Features to Consider in a Laptop
Laptops are available with a wide range of features. Some of them are absolutely necessary and others are just nice extras to have. Some essential features are of course the processor, battery, memory, hard drive, and screen. Most laptops also come with some form of optical drive, although some of the smaller types of laptops have eliminated them due to size and weight constraints. The buyer should know what he or she will be using their laptop for, because this will determine what extra features they may need.

CPU
A laptop CPU, or processor, is usually not as powerful as one found in a desktop. Some companies have put desktop processors in their laptops though for better performance. Most processors are not as powerful though, which also means that they do not get as hot as desktop processors. Like other components, processors are getting more advanced all the time, and dual core processors are now the standard. A dual core processor is great for multitasking. The buyer should also know that higher grade processors demand more battery power.

Battery
The laptop user will have to figure out how much battery life he or she actually needs. Other features of the laptop will affect how quickly the battery will drain. At the very least, the laptop should have a single lithium ion battery (Li-ion battery or LIB). On the laptop it will usually state how long the battery lasts with continuous use. However, this estimate is likely not accurate for continuous use, especially when using the internet, watching videos, or playing a graphics-intensive game.

Memory
The amount of memory needed in a laptop will depend on what the computer will be used for. Too little memory, and the laptop will be unable to meet the user's computing needs. The bare minimum needed depends on what operating system it will be running. Two GBs of memory is sufficient for most users' needs. Four GBs is available, but some experts say it is too expensive to be worthwhile.

Optical Drive
Most if not all desktop computers have an optical drive of some kind, bust most small netbooks and laptops have done away with them. Optical drives are CD and DVD burners and readers. A low end DVD ROM drive reads DVDs, and the user may also wants one that reads and writes CDs. A buyer can expect to pay a bit more if he or she wants a Blu-Ray player. If a buyer wants to buy a laptop with an optical drive, they should stick to midsize laptops. However, external optical drives are available for use with smaller laptops.

Hard Drive
There are a number of factors to consider when noting the hard drive specifics of a laptop, including type, capacity, and speed. An alternative to a normal hard drive is to extend capacity using a flash drive or several flash drives.

Type
The two types of hard drives are HDD and SSD drives. A HDD is the traditional form of hard drive. It is designed to save all the user's files and programs. A SSD drive is also known as a "solid state drive." This type of hard drive has no moving parts, making it less likely to break. It also generate little or no heat. In addition to being more expensive, SSD drives are usually smaller than HDD drives.

Capacity
Hard drives come in a range of sizes from 80 GB to 200 GB. Some laptops also come with removable hard drives, which makes upgrading the hard drive very easy.

Speed
The hard drive RPM speed is another factor to consider. Running at 4500 RPM helps keep the heat and sound caused by the hard drive down to a minimum. High performance hard drives can go up to 7200 RPM. Of course this also means that they will run a lot hotter.

Screen
Laptops screens are LCD and come in a variety of sizes, ranging anywhere from 7 inches to 20 inches. Most laptops are between 10 and 17 inches though. A larger laptop screen will drain a battery much quicker than a laptop with a smaller screen.

External Ports
Many laptops come with a variety of external ports, such as USB ports, firewire ports, and video ports. The number and variety of ports that are needed depends on what applications the laptop will be running.

USB: Many laptops have a least two USB ports. These allow the user to connect many other devices, including flash drives, an external keyboard, and a mouse.
Firewire: A firewire port allows the user to capture video from a camcorder. This type of port is not as common as a USB port.
Video: Some types of ports allow the laptop to be connected to projectors and other monitors. Some of these include VGA, HDMI, and DVI ports.