Meaning of Notebook Computer
Notebook computers are portable units with integrated monitors. They are small and light enough to carry easily in a small briefcase. Their primary target markets are knowledge workers that prize mobility and home users that prefer the small size and style of the notebook computer relative to more staid desktop options. The notebook computer is a companion machine that becomes like another appendage to its owner.
Significance
Notebooks can be stunningly high performance relative to their capabilities years ago; relative to desktops, however, they have significantly lower processing power. For most users, this is not much of a problem. Unless they plan to play new, graphically intensive PC games or conduct processing-intensive art projects, most modern laptops will be more than suited to the purposes of office work and web browsing.
Function
Notebook computers have fully integrated internal components. Some have limited expandability and the ability to replace some parts without needing to send in the laptop for a technician to repair. For most users, this will not be terribly noticeable, as they would not have upgraded their computer even if they could. Power users and obsessive bargain hunters will be disappointed by these limitations in the machine. Notebooks also tend to break down faster than desktops, as their components are more likely to be subjected to shocks, and even models specifically hardened to handle most common forms of damage tend to have a lower operating lifetime.
That Special Something
Notebooks have an intangible allure that desktops lack. Except among the testosterone-fueled hardcore gamer culture in which a massive tower with flashing lights and an eye-scorching paint scheme are considered the epitome of cool, the broader culture considers a sleek laptop to be a chic accessory. Manufacturers capitalize on this, building laptops with bold designs, tiny sizes and distinct color schemes to play into the desire for notebooks as a status symbol.
History
Notebooks developed gradually alongside desktops. The early models from the 1980s were extraordinarily heavy and had very short battery lives. It wasn't until the early 1990s that laptops began to resemble the highly functional machines that they are now, with improvements in Lithium ion batteries greatly improving their portability. Historical--and current--manufacturing challenges for notebook computers have often centered around miniaturization, reducing power consumption, ensuring compatibility with programs designed for desktops and building for durability.
Effects
Notebook computers have changed the way that business operates and provided consumers with an option that they have come to prefer. Laptop sales have exceeded desktop sales on the overall market since the mid 2000s, demonstrating the clear preference of the mass market. The portability of the notebook and its fashion accessory nature outweigh the performance disadvantages for most users. In most cases, these disadvantages are not even noticed: So long as a machine can connect to the web and play video at adequate speeds, most people are satisfied with it.
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