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Predecessors of the laptop include the Osborne 1 and the Macintosh Portable, each of which weighed 16-30 pounds (7 to 14 kg) (due in part to being powered by hefty lead acid batteries) but nonetheless offered novel mobile computing platforms. Laptops are generally popular among students, travellers, and telecommuters.
Laptops are capable of many of the same tasks that desktop computers perform, although they are typically less powerful. Laptops contain components that are similar to those in their desktop counterparts and perform the same functions but are miniaturized and optimized for mobile use and efficient power consumption. Laptops usually have LCD displays and smaller SODIMM (Small Outline DIMM) chips for their RAM. In addition to a built-in keyboard, they may utilize a touchpad (also known as a trackpad) or a pointing stickThe pointing stick (trademarked by IBM as the TrackPoint is a pointing device for laptops invented by research scientist Ted Selker and equips IBM's line of ThinkPad laptops. The pointing stick has a replaceable red-tip which is often referred to as the c for input, though an external mouseA mouse is a handheld pointing device for computers, involving a small object fitted with one or more buttons and shaped to sit naturally under the hand. The underside of the mouse houses a device that detects the mouse's motion relative to the flat surfa or keyboard can usually be attached.
Most modern laptops use an active matrix display, with screen sizes 14 inch (350 mm) or larger, and have PCMCIAThe PCMCIA is the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association an industry trade association that creates standards for notebook computer peripheral devices. The best known such devices are known as PC Cards (formerly PCMCIA cards . A later rev expansion bays for expansion cards. Internal hard diskA hard disk (or hard disc or hard drive ) is a computer storage device. Mechanics A hard disk uses rigid rotating platters. It stores and retrieves digital data from a planar magnetic surface. Information is written to the disk by transmitting an electroms are smaller—2.5 inch (64 mm) compared to the standard desktop 3.5 inch (90 mm) drive—and have lower performance. Display adapters and sound cards are integrated. Modern laptops can often handle sophisticated games but tend to be limited by their fixed screen resolution and display adapter type. Docking stations may be used for expanding connectors and quickly connecting many components to the laptop.
Current models use LiIon batteries, which have largely replaced the older NiMH technology. Typical battery life for most laptops is two to five hours with light-duty use, but may drop to as little as one hour with intensive use. Batteries gradually degrade over time and eventually need to be replaced, commonly after two to five years.