|
The first real laptop system was the IBM PC
Convertible introduced in 1986.
The PC Convertible featured:
An 8088 microprocessor
256 kilobytes of memory
Two 3.5-inch (8.9-cm) floppy drives
An LCD display
Parallel and serial printer ports
Space for an internal modem
A software suite including basic word processing,
appointment calendar, telephone/address book, and calculator
software
Weighing in at a hefty 12 lbs (5.4 kg), the PC Convertible
sold for $3,500. It was the first portable computer with the
clamshell design used in today's laptops. The success of the
PC Convertible was the catalyst for competitors like Compaq
and Toshiba to switch to the clamshell design in their
portable computers. And so began the era of the laptop
computer.
Laptops Compared to
Notebook Computersd
Laptop computers are somewhat larger than notebook computers
and will accommodate a built-in disk drive unit. That is, a
CD/DVD ROM drive is either built into the unit or the unit
has a built-in bay that will accommodate a removable CD ROM
drive. You should expect the display unit to be at least 15
inches wide, when measured diagonally. It is thought that
some OEM use the term Notebook because their Laptop computer
generate too much heat to actually use it on your lap¹.
Notebook computers generally allow you to attach, via cable, a CD
ROM drive. Since the drive is not built into the unit,
notebooks are smaller and lighter than laptops. These units
are commonly known as "Ultra Portables". Hence, a notebook
is an ultra small laptop. Another way to look at it is a
notebook is about the size (or a little larger than) of a
real [binder] notebook.
|
