A laptop computer, or simply ‘laptop‘, is a small battery powered personal computer that usually weighs around 1 to 8 kilograms.

These days, many office workers use their laptop as their primary source for computing using an external mouse, keyboard and monitor when in the office, and using the laptop‘s organic screen, pointing device and keyboard when traveling.

Laptops usually run on a single main rechargeable battery, or from an external AC/DC adapter that charges the battery while also supplying power to the computer itself.

Laptop batteries usually last from between 2 and 5 hours between recharges. New battery technology due for release this year, is set to extend their useful life by factors of 3 or 4 times.

Most laptops also have a button cell battery to run the clock and store the computer‘s bios. In most cases, the laptop also holds an image of the main operating system that can be used to restore full functionality after a virus attack or other computing disaster.

Laptops contain components that are similar to their desktop counterparts and perform the same functions, but are miniaturised and optimised for mobile use, low weight and efficient power consumption.

Typically the laptop gives less computing power per dollar because they use customised components and propriety designs to lower weight and give lower power consumption.

Laptops usually have colour liquid crystal displays, and most of them use different memory modules than standard personal desktop computers .

In addition to a built-in keyboard, they may also offer users a touchpad (also known as a trackpad) or a track-ball for input, though an external keyboard or mouse can usually be attached.

The first commercially available portable computer was the Osborne 1 in 1981, which used the CP/M operating system. The Osborne 1 weighed 10.7 kgs, had a tiny 13cm CRT display, and a single density floppy disk.

Although it was large, heavy and useless compared to today‘s laptops, it had a revolutionary impact on business. Computing and engineering professionals were able to take their computer and data with them for the first time.

Since these early days the major developments in laptops have been focused on processing power, weight reduction, price reduction, battery life, and more recently, aesthetics.

It wasn‘t until the mid to late 1990s that laptop computers became common place as prices reduced and they became less burdensome to travel with. As far aesthetics are concerned, Apple‘s range of laptop computers are examples of brilliant industrial design combined with serious computing power.

Weighing in at less than 3 pounds, the MacBook Air is less than .77 inches thick and will run for up to 5 hours on a single charge.

The future for laptops looks promising. As industrial design and battery technology improves, laptops will get faster, smaller and lighter. The laptop will become more of an industrial strength PDA than a computer. It won‘t be too long until you will be able to get full computing power in a handheld device 12 x 12 cms by 8mm thick. The Apple iPhone is half-way there.

Are you planning to buy your first PC or you would like to purchase a new one? There are hundreds of brands and models available online and on traditional PC stores which makes choosing a computer an overwhelming task. Computers are definitely an investment so be careful on choosing because you don’t want to spend your money to end up with something unreliable or those loaded with features that you wouldn’t need anyway. Below are quick tips and guides on buying a Personal computer;

1. What is your alloted budget? You could dream of having the most high end personal computer but will your fund tally with it’s price tag? Set a range for the amount that you are willing to spend, keep in mind that you will be buying an investment so don’t be too frugal but at the same time do not overspend.

2. Decide whether you need a desktop or a laptop. Will you need it for computer works that can be done at home or do you need a portable laptop which you can bring at the office, school or almost everywhere.

3. Determine the features that you want in your computer. Will you need something with basic specs or do you need a customized PC that can cater to your gaming or multimedia needs. Do you want a PC with built-in web cam or would you want to buy it separately.

4. Have a short list of PC manufacturers that you want and trust your money on. You can research online for reviews and testimonials about PC lines.

5. Choose the Operating System(OS) for your computer. Most PCs are Windows-based because of the popularity of Microsoft’s OS & most software are compatible with their OS. On the other hand their main rival is Mac, who boasts their speed and performance. It is highly recommended for multimedia creation which involves graphics or video editing. But the main disadvantage is most popular softwares do not support Mac’s OS.

6. If possible, select the software that will be included and make sure that those that will be installed are the applications that really need because often times you would pay for additional costs for installed software that you don’t even use.

7. Check out the technical support offered by the company. It will be handy to have a reliable and accessible sales support if your computer breaks down .

Before buying a PC and after reading these quick tips, you can browse online for product reviews, price comparison and more! As mentioned earlier, personal computers are investments so it won’t hurt to research a thing or two before deciding what PC to buy.

It happens to most of us, without any reason you find yourself with a slow desktop computer and from that second your Pc won’t perform as expected. You start researching for a solution on the Web wondering how to fix this unexpected problem. Follow the next article and you’ll uncover how you can easily solve this problem and even speed up your pc like never before.

Before you ask for a professional assistance and spend your valuable time on the Internet while trying to figure out what happened to your Personal computer and what it takes to bring it back to normal, there is one thing you should know, and unfortunately most PC users are not aware of that – when having a slow desktop computer in most cases it comes from your windows registry system.

Windows registry is one of most important and complex areas of your computer. This database stores the info that triggers your hardware and software. While you install, upgrade, and delete programs, windows registry becomes filled with unnecessary info which causes errors such as windows crashes, system 32 errors, and of course speed problems and freeze ups. Keep this in mind – ‘broken’ registry is the key source to most Pc error messages.

Luckily when you have a slow desktop computer you can quickly handle it by ‘cleaning’ your registry. It probably doesn’t sound that easy, and that’s true, however, there are dozens of effective registry repair software installations that can automatically repair any registry in just minutes, so you don’t have to to handle it by yourself. Warning – never try to fix the registry system on your own; it can easily create additional errors and problems!. A wide range of these applications provide free pc scan so take the opportunity and let one of these solutions easily repair your Pc.