Most laptops feature so-called "clamshell" design, that is, they have an integrated, LCD ("Liquid Crystal Display") screen, and keyboard, which fold neatly together when the unit is not in use. Portability issues mean that laptop components need to be smaller, more energy efficient, and, often, more expensive, than their desktop counterparts. This accounts, in part, for the higher price of the average laptop computer.

Laptop Features & Benefits

One of the most important components of a laptop is its LCD screen. The dimensions, and other characteristics, of a screen, determine not only how well it can be seen, and used, but also the size, and weight of a laptop, as a whole. Laptops are available with screens measuring from 10 inches, diagonally, to 17 inches, or larger, although 14 or 15 inches is often an acceptable compromise. This diagonal measurement is quite important; an increase in screen size from 15 inches to 17 inches may not sound a great deal, but actually results in a viewing area that is 30% larger. A large, high resolution screen may be useful if you want to use a laptop for detailed work, for long periods, or, for example, to watch films from DVD. TFT ("Thin Film Transistor") technology, otherwise known as "active matrix", allows a laptop screen to produce brighter, sharper images even in conditions of bright ambient light.

In terms of raw power, the CPU ("Central Processing Unit") is the most important chip in a laptop computer. You should find that even the slower processors, those with clock speeds between 1.4GHz and 1.6GHz, are more than adequate for most applications; for more processor intensive applications, faster processors, up to 3.0GHz, are available. Do bear in mind that laptop processors are a little slower, on the whole, than desktop processors. A processor designated "mobile", such as the "Mobile Intel Pentium", is likely to be designed specifically for laptop use, will run at a cooler temperature and use less power, which can have a very positive effect on battery consumption. The HP 530 Notebook PC, for example, features an Intel Celeron M 420 processor, with a clock speed of 1.6 GHz.

About Hewlett-Packard

Hewlett-Packard, known almost universally, nowadays, as HP, is one of the largest information technology companies in the world, serving over 1 billion customers in over 170 countries. HP is ranked number one, globally, for sales of laptop, and, indeed, desktop computers. The company focuses on simplifying technology, to improve the lives of its customers, and allocates over $3 billion to its research and development budget each year.

Conclusion

If you intend to carry a laptop computer with you, whilst travelling, consider not only the weight of a system unit, itself, but the weight of the additional components that you will also need. Some manufacturers, for example, endeavour to reduce the overall weight of a laptop by shipping with smaller batteries, suitable for only two or three hours of portable use. It may be necessary, therefore, to purchase an extended battery, or a replacement main battery, either of which will add weight. Similarly, quoted system weights may not include the weight a power adaptor, and/or optical drive, in which case you may need to add two, three, or more, pounds to arrive at the real, travelling weight of a system.