The IBM 5100, the first commercially available portable computer, appeared in September 1975, and was based on the SCAMP prototype.
This prototype was based on the IBM PALM processor. The IBM Special Computer APL Machine Portable (SCAMP) was demonstrated in 1973. A "personal, portable information manipulator" was imagined by Alan Kay at Xerox PARC in 1968, and described in his 1972 paper as the " Dynabook". The Epson HX-20, the first "laptop computer", was invented in 1980 and introduced in 1981Īs the personal computer (PC) became feasible in 1971, the idea of a portable personal computer soon followed. As portable computers evolved into modern laptops, they became widely used for a variety of purposes. Portable computers, which later developed into modern laptops, were originally considered to be a small niche market, mostly for specialized field applications, such as in the military, for accountants, or traveling sales representatives. Examples of specialized models of laptops include rugged notebooks for use in construction or military applications, as well as low production cost laptops such as those from the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) organization, which incorporate features like solar charging and semi-flexible components not found on most laptop computers. Hardware specifications, such as the processor speed and memory capacity, significantly vary between different types, models and price points.ĭesign elements, form factor and construction can also vary significantly between models depending on the intended use.
Laptops can be powered either from an internal battery or by an external power supply from an AC adapter. Most modern laptops feature integrated webcams and built-in microphones, while many also have touchscreens. Laptops combine all the input/output components and capabilities of a desktop computer, including the display screen, small speakers, a keyboard, data storage device, sometimes an optical disc drive, pointing devices (such as a touch pad or pointing stick), with an operating system, a processor and memory into a single unit. Although the terms notebook computers or notebooks originally referred to a specific size of laptop (originally smaller and lighter than mainstream laptops of the time), the terms have come to mean the same thing and notebook no longer refers to any specific size. Today, laptops are used in a variety of settings, such as at work, in education, for playing games, web browsing, for personal multimedia, and for general home computer use.Īs of 2021, in American English, the terms laptop computer and notebook computer are used interchangeably in other dialects of English, one or the other may be preferred. Its name comes from lap, as it was deemed practical to be placed on a person's lap when being used. Laptops are folded shut for transportation, and thus are suitable for mobile use. Laptops typically have a clam shell form factor with the screen mounted on the inside of the upper lid and the keyboard on the inside of the lower lid, although 2-in-1 PCs with a detachable keyboard are often marketed as laptops or as having a laptop mode. A laptop, laptop computer, or notebook computer is a small, portable personal computer (PC) with a screen and alphanumeric keyboard.
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