Talk:Laptop/Archive 1

Input Devices
Considering the different practcle use of laptops, the use of a mouse (mice? I'm not sure in this context) does'nt seem to work. Now, you'll have to forgive my lack of technical terms here but I've used laptops with the 'little red toggle' on the keyboard and thought they were a little unweildy, and so with my latest laptop I decided to go for the more modern looking touchpad. This laptop is now less that a year old however, and the touch pad is showing a number of 'wear and tear' signs. Since I've decided to upgrade anyway (I've decided to do away with a desktop altogether and get a top of the range laptop) I'm not too botherd by this, but I'd like to know what other input devices there are for the mouse function, thier advantages and disadvantages etc. Since I use my laptop quite a lot I really need something durable as well as easy to use.

Before I get told to ask this in a forum, I'd like to add I'm not really asking for a direct answer here, but maybe someone with knoledge of this could work it into the artcle. Links and freindly advice are also very welcome of course. Elcaballooscuro (talk) 01:04, 6 May 2009 (UTC)


 * As you said, you should ask this in a forum, or else the reference desk. But the suggestion of working this into the article is a fine one, as talk pages are for talking about improvements to the artice. I may look into this... In the meantime, ask the question at the reference desk and you should get a timely answer (be prepared to wait, though.) Oldlaptop321 (talk) 01:46, 6 May 2009 (UTC)

Removed ad
I took out this:

A new example of these machines is the Toshiba Libretto U100, featuring a 7.2" WXGA display, and weighing in at a mere 2.1lb.

which seemed to be too explicitly an ad. There's an appropriate section for external links, but this isn't it. Boojum 20:33, 2 August 2005 (UTC)

Repairs and performance
We are not talking about user-level repairs here. Nearly all laptop faults that are not related to peripheral devices (keyboard, CD drive, for example) require mainboard replacement - in other words, cost so much that they are simply non-economic.

As for performance, there is always a big hit. Take two machines of identical spec: 2000MHz CPU, 512MB RAM, 60GB HDD, Branx SEX vieo chip (by way of example). The laptop has been tuned for low power consumption and small size, where the desktop is tuned for performance - and this always costs speed. Laptop hard drives (even expensive "high performance" ones) lag way behind desktop drives, Laptops often use slower RAM and lower-clocked mainboards, their video chips are power-optimised and almost never use dedicated video RAM. Laptop CPUs (even those that are of identical spec - a Pentium 4 2800, let's say) have relatively poor cooling and clock-throttle themselves back far more readily than a desktop CPU does. And so on. Tannin 12:01, 3 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Check out the "desktop replacement" category of laptops. They are tuned more for performance, at the expense of portability. This hits home with alot of consumers that want a computer easy to move every once in a while but not often. Peregrine88 23:00, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Change title to "Notebook computer"
I suggest changing the title of this article to its more proper form, Notebook computer(s). Laptop is currently used only for consumer-level branding and only by certain companies (Compaq). Current portable computers in book-sized form factors are known as notebook computers. Laptop is a legacy name describing bulky machines that compared in weight and features to Compaq's Portable Computers
 * Tonsofpcs 01:38, 10 May 2005 (UTC)


 * I second this LexieM 02:53, 24 April 2006 (UTC)

Laptop is ridiculous to use, if you put on your lap your blocking the vents, and shaking the hard drive. Laptop was never a correct term - when laptop was in use - they were too heavy to put on your lap - more appropriately called 'portable computer' back then. Notebook Computer *is* the correct term  User:Bwave  28 April 2006


 * No, Laptop is perfectly fine, and is not synonymous with notebook (or at least has not been for much of the history of the two terms), so I have moved the page back, adding a paragraph explaining the terminology more clearly. The term "laptop" has been used for 23 years, and "notebook" for about 17, but the latter was used initially only to describe a particularly small kind of laptop, something the history section made clear. ProhibitOnions 15:18, 29 April 2006 (UTC)


 * Well, how many desktops sit on a desk these days...? Mdwh 22:27, 10 March 2007 (UTC)

I visted all of the manufacturer's websites below - NOT ONE MAKE A LAPTOP - there's a sparcBOOK, macBOOK, and everyone else makes a NOTEBOOK. Please more users voice your opinion!! —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Bwave (talk • contribs) 05:06, 3 May 2006 (UTC)


 * Please stop shouting. — Hex    (❝  ?!  ❞)   19:40, 15 September 2006 (UTC)


 * Both terms Notebook and Laptop are wrong! Laptops should not be placed in your lap, becasue it will get hot, and the shaking is not good for the Harddsik. Notebook is also wrong, because its not the same size as a notebook, and even if its the same size as a notebook, it should be called electronic notebook, Enotebook, or something like that.


 * So the question is: Which wrong term should we use?

Jidan 13:46, 22 June 2006 (UTC)

As wrong as it is, I do think it should stay as laptop. It has been used longer and applies to a wider range of products. Notebook first started as a smaller laptop and has turned into a pop culture word. Yes companies sell notebooks now, tomorrow they will put a new name to it to "keep up". I vote to keep it laptop. Peregrine88 23:04, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Definitely should be Notebook or Notebook Computers. Show me one company that sells a laptop... —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Peregrine88 (talk • contribs) 00:11, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

In the UK, every computer manufacturer sells them as Laptops. Nobody at all says "notebook". As I understand it, the American people also say "laptop" (I asked one of my friends when she visited, and she said that only the companies sell them as "notebooks", but all the ordinary people call them "laptops".) Also, as the article states, a "notebook" is a sub-category of laptop: one which is the size of an A4 pad. The majority of these computers are larger than this. The title should remain as it as, at Laptop. EuroSong talk 14:33, 17 September 2006 (UTC)


 * As I've said before, which was miraculously deleted against request I think, NOTEBOOK IS TOO BORING AND FORMAL.

I'll add my input: I hate the word "notebook" when used for computers -- they used to always be called "laptop", but then companies began calling them "notebooks", presumably in order to make them sound "even more portable than a laptop". But hardly anyone in the real world (outside of manufacturers and retailers) calls them notebooks, everyone I know calls them laptops. I would consider "notebook" to be simply a marketing term (like when the bus company calls buses "coaches" -- even though no one in america calls them coach in everyday speech). Note also that if you say "laptop" it is obvious you are talking about a computer, with the word "notebook" you have to add "computer" or it will be ambiguous -- which is probably one reason the word "notebook" never got popular in everyday speech. One other piece of data....google gets more hits on the word "laptop" than "notebook", but on the first page of results for notebook, only 1 out of 10 hits have to do with portable computers, while 10 out of 10 hits under "laptop" are for computers. --Robbrown 23:47, 14 July 2007 (UTC)

In part, the use of the term "notebook" is to avoid litigation arising from using these on one's lap. I knew someone who worked the phones in a major computer company's support center: they were specifically trained to not use the term "laptop", particularly since at that time this company was having problems with batteries bursting into flame. But there are other issues related to using on on a lap too. But the common person still refers to then as laptops. Also, go to most web sites selling RAM; you will see that you will search for what you need with a desktop/laptop breakdown somewhere in the search Wschart 14:23, 18 July 2007 (UTC)

Another vote here to keep it Laptop - They were all called laptops until a few years ago, until someone invented the unrelated term notebook. A notebook is a small pad of paper, not a computer. Billzilla (talk) —Preceding comment was added at 00:24, 24 March 2008 (UTC)


 * My vote is for the term Laptop. As far as i know, majority of the users call them Laptops. And by using the term laptop it does not mean that you have to compulsorily put it on your lap. Where you put it is a personal choice. What you call it depends on what is the most famous term which everyone including ordinary users normally use. Dhshah (talk) 10:46, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

The term "laptop" is not proper, for it implies a usage that cannot be. In my vocabulary, there are the older "portable" computers (as opposed to "desktop" computers), and there are "notebook" computers, which open and close as would a student's three-ring binder. John Sinclair (talk) 20:18, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

No it should stay 'Laptop' as this is what they were originally called. The incorrent term of 'notebook' has crept in, in later years and should not be encouraged. Billzilla (talk) 00:36, 6 August 2008 (UTC)

Non x86 or Apple laptops
Tadpole, Signal computers, RDI, RSI-CRI, Naturetech ?????????????????????? Why do you people assume that laptops are only x86 or Apple????????????
 * There is very little info on the web about non-x86, non-PPC laptops. And theres even less on the Wikipedia
 * I have -frequently- used a colleague in work's Tadpole Viper. Its an extremely nice machine. Some day, I might rectify the article balance a little, but don't expect much... --Kiand 18:51, 5 Jun 2005 (UTC)


 * Right, this is just a scratchpad for when I get time

--Kiand 18:57, 5 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Tadpole: SPARC and formerly DEC Alpha
 * NextCom/Naturetech: SPARC
 * RDI - part of Tadpole, now.
 * RSI-CRI - sells unit that adapted rack mount MIPS and SPARC machines to laptops
 * Acorn - used to sell an ARM laptop (not PDA).
 * Also the GRiD Laptops --Mobius 04:09, July 18, 2005 (UTC)

You, who have actually held one in your hand, didn't write anything in the article about it. How can you expect those of us who have never even seen such a device to write anything about it? There's also the Cambridge Z88, and the TRS-80 Model 100 line, and the AlphaSmart Dana. But perhaps they're not quite "laptops" -- is there another name for that sort of machine? (Full size keyboard, but battery life over 24 hours -- mostly because there's no hard drive). --DavidCary 08:44, 6 Jun 2005 (UTC)


 * The Cambridge and the TRS - err, no idea. The Dana is a PDA - its running PalmOS. Was the 'how can you expect' comment directed at me? Because I never said anything about getting someone else to write the stuff.... --Kiand 10:45, 6 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * I was going to just include stuff that actually matches modern perceptions of a laptop, which all the brands listed above bar RSI-CRI are. --Kiand 10:50, 6 Jun 2005 (UTC)


 * >But perhaps they're not quite "laptops" -- is there another name for that sort of machine?
 * Yes there is - the portable computer.

Sorry. I shouldn't rant in the direction of a person actually writing useful information. My mistake. Regarding matches modern perceptions of a laptop, I am very interested in portable CPUs that don't match modern perceptions of a laptop or a Personal digital assistant. I think the Z88, the Model 100, and the Dana are very similar to each other, and fall somewhere in the crack between the modern perception of a "laptop" and a "PDA". If you think that isn't appropriate to the Laptop article, that's fine -- but please tell me which article it is appropriate for. Some people use the term portable word processor, although that neglects the fact that all these devices also have a spreadsheet and other stuff ... --DavidCary 02:27, 21 Jun 2005 (UTC)

"Misconseptions" section should go, imo
It seems to be some origional research, is hard to follow, and has no useful info. Does anyone disagree? &mdash;Snargle 10:15, 15 November 2005 (UTC)

I'm the person who first wrote the Misconceptions section. It's relevant. Go talk to Joe Sixpack about laptops and see how many stupid things they think. I've been sitting on a moving bus and had people assume I could access the Internet, the "labtop" spelling is ridiculously common, and end-users simply do not understand the concept of "do not use laptops on fabric surfaces, such as your lap, or they could overheat". Wikipedia is a repository of factual information; therefore, I believe that we, as Wikipedians, have an obligation to point out and CORRECT common misconceptions. &mdash;Caspian 15:55, 20 December 2005 (EST)

History section needs work 1991-now!
I just added some details about the $100 laptop to the history section. I noticed that this section says nothing about the development of laptops since 1991. Surely there must be something that has happened in the last 14 year that would be worth mentioning. The development of tablet pcs perhaps. Jacoplane 18:35, 18 November 2005 (UTC)

Perhaps if it's not old yet then it doesn't belong in the history section. In this high tech world though it is pretty ancient history 14 years ago. Maybe the size reduction, specialization and/or different uses? Peregrine88 23:08, 9 August 2006 (UTC)
 * My experiance is that laptops have grown not shrunk, all the old 486 and early pentium laptops i have seen (secondhand admittedly) have been much smaller than most modern laptops (excluding those specifically marketed as ultra-portable). Afaict the two driving factors of this have been larger higeher resoloution screens and CD-ROM drives. Plugwash 23:07, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

Link to commercial advertising by imediacorporation
I have removed your link to the sponsored pages advertising laptops for the second time. This does not mean the content of the page is poor, merely that it is supported by advertising. If you would like this content available on Wikipedia, then please consider expanding the article with your advice. If you disagree, please reply here rather than adding the link again. Thank you Nelson50 20:08, 20 February 2006 (UTC)

Requested move

 * Notebook Computer → Notebook computer … Rationale: Capitalisation fix … Please share your opinion at Talk:Notebook Computer. Chris Chan { t | c } 11:30, 29 April 2006 (UTC)

Survey

 * Add *Support or *Oppose followed by an optional one-sentence explanation, then sign your opinion with  ~


 * Oppose -- Hamish (Talk) 23:17, 14 September 2006 (UTC)
 * Support per WP:NAME. This shouldn't need a survey. — Hex    (❝  ?!  ❞)   19:26, 15 September 2006 (UTC)
 * Oppose Colinstu (talk) 14:05, 21 November 2007 (UTC)

Discussion

 * Add any additional comments

Apple set the standard for laptops
I don't think so.

Look at the

"In 1989, [ http://inventors.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.chuma.org/ultralite/ ]NEC UltraLite was released, considered by some to be the first "notebook style" computer. It was a laptop size computer which weighed under 5 lbs.~"

In that same website, it states that Apple introduced their PORTABLE PC (not a laptop, but a PORTABLE PC -this is a different class of computers) after NEC introduced the first laptop ever.

I'm changing it. (Wikimachine 14:15, 7 May 2006 (UTC))

School laptop program
There doesn't appear to be an article on schools implementing universal laptops such as at Oak-Land Jr. High School, so I am putting up a request for school laptop program. Simesa 08:04, 18 May 2006 (UTC)

Melting
Hi, I was wondering, whats the likelyhood of a laptop melting? (Brought to my attention by the Are You a Wikipediholic Test). Or otherwise damage itself through overheating? Its been really hot in my hometown recently, I'm a bit worried... Since it is well known that laptops have a lower cooling capacity than desktop computers, a strong disadvantage (only gets worse as laptops get faster), kinda thought this should be discussed in the article - Jack (talk) 00:25, 23 July 2006 (UTC)


 * Doubt it would ever happen, if it ever did happen there would be a major recall as manufacturers should test stuff like that -- Hamish (Talk) 22:14, 24 July 2006 (UTC)

Most manufactured laptops are tested well above any heat they will see. I think the standard is 140 degrees F. Don't quote me though. Just don't leave it in your car in the sun on a hot day, I don't think that warrents a mention though. Just common sense. Peregrine88 23:11, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

This is all wrong
A laptop is a much bigger portable (if you can call it that) computer. The pictures you see here are actually of "notebook" computers. Laptops were big computers that consumed the almost whole length of your lap. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 86.143.234.33 (talk • contribs) 18:43, 2 August 2006 (UTC)
 * I thought the reason they are called notebooks nowadays was to avoid legal problems, ie. if someone held it on their lap and the computer caught fire, someone could sue if it was called a laptop. But maybe I'm just making this up? Is any company currently marketing computers as laptops? Besides, there are currently 17" (and larger?) notebooks which will more or less consume your whole lap... --Jopo 13:48, 22 November 2006 (UTC)


 * Ten inches is not big.

AC Adapter
I'm planning on going to a trip to Malayasia and Hong Kong in February. I have a Dell Inspiron 1150. Would I need to buy a new AC adapter? My dad's friend says no, but my dad still thinks I should buy another AC adapter because the one I have now might not work in Asia; different voltages and stuff. ― Sturr ★彡 Refill/lol 20:01, 16 December 2006 (UTC)


 * Hi, this is page is for discussions about the corresponding wikipedia article. You might try at the computing reference desk. Please read the top notices there before posting. &mdash; Gennaro Prota &#8226;Talk 20:13, 16 December 2006 (UTC)


 * Oh okay. Thanks. ― Sturr ★彡 Refill/lol 03:22, 17 December 2006 (UTC)


 * This should probablly have a mention in the article if it doesn't already. Afaict the vast majority of laptops come with universal input adaptors but you should check before using yours on a foriegn supply (it should be printed on the adaptor what voltage range it can accept). Plugwash 23:05, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

where is the place that it make than laptops of world?
I'm am Isaac Thomas, I live in Brazil and have 16 years old! But, I like of the wikipedia in english that it's than complex encyclopedia fo the wolrd. I would like know, where the place that make than laptops.

my e-mai —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 200.216.186.101 (talk) 11:07, 22 January 2007 (UTC). all of this information is invalid so your wrong if you use this info.
 * Is this a joke? (Wikimachine 22:51, 22 January 2007 (UTC))

Potpal?
Why's it necessary to have 'laptop' spelled backwards as part of the article? Is it relevant, or just someone's idea of a joke? ekedolphin 11:09, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

THERE IS ANOTHE BRAND
Hitachi also made laptops. I have one beside me right now!

64.230.100.232 21:19, 7 February 2007 (UTC)

Sections with similar content (may need merging)
In section Laptop, I have cleared up language about form factors and referred more to inconsistencies between manufacturers in their laptops' internals (but this would be expected).

Sections #Compatibility issues and #Upgradeability are very similar in content. The former was written either by some schoolboy or someone who doesn't have a good command of English (or both?). Made a major cleanup in terms of language and specifics there and then when I looked at the Upgradeability section, I realised that content in both was very similar. -Mardus 16:51, 10 March 2007 (UTC)

Ad?
Looking at the Health issues section, there's a link that clearly doesn't look like it should, and links to a text site with "This article direct from CheapHomePC" at the bottom. There's also a clicksor script embedded into it. Should this be removed or cited? 216.171.202.120 02:59, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

move history
I think the history section is big enough to be its own article. Am I the only one? DanGuan 11:56, 19 March 2007 (UTC)

Maybe not. I came to the article to find early players and dates -- specifically historic issues. If you factor in all the early manufacturers and the numerous concepts they saw for portable computing, it could be a big item. As the article is now, I have no idea when the first clamshell design appeared.John Sinclair (talk) 19:37, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

Related devices: put it somewhere else?
I wrote up a section on how laptops fit into the larger category of mobile devices; but, on reflection, maybe it belongs in Mobile computing. Thoughts?

Metageek 16:27, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Major Manufacturers
This is highly misleading, most in the list do not produce their own laptops. For example, Asus and Quanta produce the MacBook and MacBook Pro. Compaqs current line is made by Compal etc etc. --72.229.114.117 02:31, 11 June 2007 (UTC)


 * I assembled Dell laptops for a while (up until feb 2008), and here's some more laptop manufactures I noticed not listed here:


 * Foxconn
 * Catcher
 * Waffer

I'm sure there were others but I forget... --Zilog Jones (talk) 16:35, 15 April 2008 (UTC)

Free Software Section
The part that refers to the 'Microsoft tax' should be removed. It sounds more like propoganda for free software than anything else.

66.114.79.9 17:59, 5 July 2007 (UTC)ro

MMC CPUs
Intel made the MMC-1 with Pentium II CPUs and the MMC-2 with Pentium III CPUs. That's it. Hardly "several generations". The fastest MMC 1 CPU I've been able to verify is a PII 400Mhz. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Bizzybody (talk • contribs) 09:55, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Example of laptops remove?
Why are we giving examples (brands/models) of the different size laptops? Looks totally not like an encyclopedia. Colinstu (talk) 14:07, 21 November 2007 (UTC)

General Question about Laptops?
Here's a question,

Imaging a IT department at a High School in Leeds wanting to buy a load of computers but decided to get Laptops considering that the area is a rough place to be in, name any bad things why an IT department shouldn't use Laptops in a computer room where it's expected to stay on all day and be in one permanent position, this question is out of interest any user could respond. SKYNET X3000 (talk) 19:09, 7 December 2007 (UTC)
 * Firstly cheap laptops tend to have poor cooling systems that are often very noisy when under heavy load. I would hate to think what the noise would get like if a whole roomfull of them were under heavy load (and some poorly written apps will max out the CPU on any machine). Secondly laptops (especially cheap laptops)are physically not very robust and likely to get damaged in such a situation. Thirdly laptops are considerablly more expensive than desktops for an equivilent machine. Fourthly laptops are ergonomically poor. Fithly laptops are relatively easy to steal.


 * Personally for a educational computer room I would think something like the rmone is the best option. They are solidly built and designed so they can be very securely fixed down and since the monitor is built in you only have one high value unit to secure. Plugwash (talk) 00:57, 6 August 2008 (UTC)

Windows '95 was not pivital to notebooks/laptops.
Rather it was Windows '98 which moved power savings into the realm of the OS, in the form of ACPI which was released in 1996. I am deleting the erroneous information about '95 and trying to fix the resulting paradoxs. Riluve (talk) 23:57, 12 December 2007 (UTC)

I do not know all about that; however, it is my impression that:


 * paradoxs
 * paradox
 * paradoxes
 * &#91;&#91; hopiakuta Please do  sign  your  signature  on your  message.  %7e%7e   Thank You. -]] 20:45, 16 December 2007 (UTC)
 * Windows 95 did not have ACPI but it did have APM which did give the OS some control over power management. Plugwash (talk) 12:49, 17 December 2007 (UTC)
 * Windows 95 did not have ACPI but it did have APM which did give the OS some control over power management. Plugwash (talk) 12:49, 17 December 2007 (UTC)

thigh notebook_%28disambiguation%29
Contrary to contemporary   myth, there had been a time when to place a notebook upon a laptop would refer to a paper stack, connected by a  metal spiral, set upon a  thigh. Is there anyone, besides me, who can recall this era? Has this history  been completely deleted from  encyclop%c3%a6dias?

An era when a computer would be?:


 * intellectual person
 * abacus
 * metal device larger than the average automobile, sometimes filling a significant  warehouse  &/or a significant  office building

When a desktop  would be a wood slab, or a metal slab, &/or similar materials, such as plastic?

Thank You,

&#91;&#91; hopiakuta Please do  sign  your  signature  on your  message. %7e%7e  Thank You. -]] 20:45, 16 December 2007 (UTC)

Wasn't that the transistion age where some notebook are named laptop and thigh notebook was suppose to be a joke, rather than myth = =?? --Ramu50 (talk) 04:09, 7 October 2008 (UTC)

Where's the Commodore SX-64?


How can you forget the world's #1 selling computer (C=64)? ;-) And surely if this qualifies (see image) then so too would the portable 64.      Theaveng (talk) 17:33, 17 January 2008 (UTC)

Gaming Laptops
I think there should be a section on gaming laptops. It should include, but not be limited to characteristics of a gaming laptop, price, usage of the term "gaming laptop," and comparison between "gaming laptop" and laptop that plays games


 * Would be a good idea, but in todays world, mores law has grown so much that keeping track of something such as the hardware or the price. Maybe explaining the difference between a gaming laptop and a standard laptop would suffice? Snugg (talk) 19:04, 8 November 2008 (UTC)


 * Isn't the existing "Desktop Replacement" section enough? MaxVT (talk) 21:57, 8 November 2008 (UTC)

Kaypro 2000
I'm thinking of adding the weight of the Kaypro 2000 (12 lb) to the list of features that underscore its similarity to modern laptops, which the article was making the case for. Anyone object?Doedicurus (talk) 08:09, 22 January 2008 (UTC)

Defrence between laaptop and notbook?
what is defrence between laaptop and notbook? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.184.78.184 (talk) 13:32, 20 February 2008 (UTC)
 * A laptop is a small computer, folding screen, can run on batteries, and so on.

A notebook is a small pad of paper that you can write in with a pen or pencil. Billzilla (talk) 04:11, 25 March 2008 (UTC)
 * In common use the two terms mean the same thing. At some point most manufacturers moved away from the term laptop, some say it was because they wanted to emphasise the fact that newer machines were thinner, others say it was because of complaints about peoples laps being burnt, i'm not sure which if either is true. Plugwash (talk) 01:19, 11 November 2008 (UTC)

Attention from an expert
The article reads like ****, to my sorry. Proper structure, information, validation and much more needed.--Kozuch (talk) 13:16, 26 April 2008 (UTC)


 * Can you expand on that? I'm beginning to rewrite this part-by-part, any advice would be helpful. MaxVT (talk) 21:28, 10 October 2008 (UTC)

Bus usage
Someone please write a paragraph or two about bus usage. There were machines which had PCI and CardBus. Some older machines had CardBus and no PCI. Was ISA present? Are there current machines which have USB and no PCI? There should be a section answering all of these questions. I am not qualified to volunteer. Regards, PeterEasthope (talk) 17:37, 18 June 2008 (UTC)


 * This is a deeply technical issue, and not as relevant as it is for desktops (laptops are usually not upgradable by an end-user and seldom have easily accessible expansion card slots). Are you referring to PC Card / PCMCIA and ExpressCard devices that can be inserted into side of the laptop? Or are you interested in the internal buses of the motherboard? And USB is a connection bus and standard for peripherals such as mice, printers and USB sticks, while PCI is the internal bus for components of the laptop. Please expand on what do you have in mind. MaxVT (talk) 21:35, 10 October 2008 (UTC)

links

 * Notebookcheck - Notebook & Laptop Reviews and News
 * Pick A Laptop - A very simple review site for those who are not familiar with computer terminology.
 * LAPTOP Magazine
 * NotebookReview.com
 * Best Laptop For Gaming
 * NotebookReview.com
 * Best Laptop For Gaming

discussion
Please feel free to discuss the decision and we can return any links that recieve concensus approval as meeting the guidelines. -- The Red Pen of Doom  18:58, 17 October 2008 (UTC)


 * The "Pick a laptop" site is actually not bad, offering explanations and advice for people looking to buy a notebook but not too knowledgeable about it - per WP:EL, it is "meaningful, relevant content" and "informative and factual". However it obviously looks for income from Google ads and Amazon links. Therefore I tend to agree with you that none of the links belong in the article. MaxVT (talk) 17:28, 18 October 2008 (UTC)

Major manufacturers
I suggest this page gets created and that info on what the best current laptops are (besed on price vs performance) get listed. I think one of the best are presently the medion 6612, Acer Aspire 5930G (512mb video!); all at 700-800€. I noted the links in reference at article. Have a link to notebookcheck.net and www.notebookreview.com for references and info.
 * Prices vary widely from region to region. Wikipedia isn't a shopping comparison site; there are plenty of sites for that purpose out there. OhNo itsJamie  Talk 14:57, 26 October 2008 (UTC)
 * Too subjective - how do you measure "performance"? Models change every few months, and price/performance best model could change every day _and_ by location. This article should just explain what laptops are. Both sites mentioned are too confusing and specific, imho, for the casual reader. MaxVT (talk) 21:55, 27 October 2008 (UTC)

Laptop power usage?
Good day, How much power do laptop normally consume in general? In other words if i were to use my laptop " No matter the make or size"  per day or month? on average how power would my laptop use; using 110 Volts service.

Please reply to CharetteLucien@Yahoo.com

Thank You, lucien —Preceding unsigned comment added by 208.101.66.156 (talk) 04:05, 7 November 2008 (UTC)


 * A short answer would be 20 to 40 watts.


 * For your particular laptop, it's easy to find out: divide the capacity of your battery (measured in WHr, or watts/hour; either printed on the battery or found out via manufacturer's website) by the time, in hours, of your typical usage until the battery runs "very low" and the laptop forces a shutdown. The average power is that number; for my (fairly typical) laptop, it's 22W (3 hours on a 65WHr battery).


 * A charger for a laptop is rated higher (60 to 90W) because it must both power the laptop and charge the battery if necessary. It draws as much power as actually necessary, and would not always consume the rated power.


 * For a comparison, a typical desktop may use anywhere between 100 and 400-600W for high-performance, custom PCs, therefore laptops are very power-economical.


 * Finally, the voltage of your service does not change the consumed power; as the voltage decreases (i.e. 110V US vs 230V Europe) the current consumed rises to compensate, while the power drawn by the laptop does not change. MaxVT (talk) 07:53, 7 November 2008 (UTC)


 * And you have probably misspelled your e-mail address :) 554 delivery error: dd This user doesn't have a yahoo.com account (charettelucien@yahoo.com) MaxVT (talk) 07:58, 7 November 2008 (UTC)

Other portable computing devices
Are not laptops - should be moved over to mobile device and portable computer.--Kozuch (talk) 13:22, 1 December 2008 (UTC)

heyy this is weird i would personaly not use this site because it can mbe etited —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.229.194.167 (talk) 22:51, 3 March 2009 (UTC)

needs cleanup
what the hell is section "Other portable computing devices" doing in article about laptops? this is an article about laptops, not about "other portable compiting devices" —Preceding unsigned comment added by 93.184.73.10 (talk) 13:10, 20 March 2009 (UTC)

Archiving
There are some very old threads on this page, should I set up automatic archiving? -- Oldlaptop321 (talk·contribs) 23:40, 29 June 2009 (UTC)

Time when only laptops will be made??
There is a dispute online on whether there will be a time in the near future when only laptops will be made?? Anyone at Wikipedia an expert on this?? Georgia guy (talk) 23:57, 19 July 2009 (UTC)

Do you mean an expert on the dispute itself? Where is this dispute? Jwoodger (talk) 04:21, 21 July 2009 (UTC)


 * @Georgia guy: This talk page is for discussion of the article itself, see Talk page. If you just want an answer to a question, try the reference desk. (If you really are trying to discuss an addition to the article or something, my apoligies.) -- Oldlaptop321 (talk · contribs) 03:15, 22 July 2009 (UTC)

History of laptops
Dates? Timeline? John Sinclair (talk) 19:13, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

how did the laptop come about? who made the first laptop?

That's a good question. Also i wonder why when you push a laptop screen with your finger it gets all liquidy looking. Teentitans!

That would be because it's a flat-screen LCD. Same thing happens with LCD monitors. Wanka 20:24, 5 January 2006 (UTC)

The LCD screen is a technological point, not an historic one.

The article says the Gavilan was the first computer to be marketed as a laptop, implying that the word was coined by them in 1983. Is there any evidence for this? I haven't found any records of "laptop" before 1984, and none from Gavilan (similar terms used by them and others were "lap models" etc). Hexmaster (talk) 17:21, 20 August 2009 (UTC)

External video card
External video cards should be mentioned. They allow a lower-cost laptop pc (with sufficiently fast CPU) to run high-end games even without a full high-end graphics card. Also the should have seperate category showing low-cost laptops with a fast cpu (eg dual or quad core 2.5ghz x2 (64bit) yet without good graphics card.

See http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/577/1015577/asus-shows-the-future-of-graphics and http://www.engadget.com/2006/07/28/ati-to-release-power-hungry-external-video-card Walaale waxaa Rabo Laptopka Eng Jamac Xuseen Guure marka waan kaa rabtaa in aan noo soo gud biso Qiimaha la siin kar sxb by Somalia boby Galkacyo-Puntland-0025290-758499 marka walaale waan kaa war sugaynaa waxii jawaab ah wabilaahi towfiiq —Preceding unsigned comment added by 196.201.206.82 (talk) 08:50, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

Picture
With reference to the heat issues discussed below, I suggest to remove or alter some of the pictures in this article. On the picture of the "Dell XPS M140 Laptop", for example, the laptop rests on a carpet -- something which can be extremely damaging to the laptop's ventilation system (similar to when you're using the laptop on a pillow or something). Although the pictures are usually small, I would welcome it if somebody with editor priviledges could at least remove the carpet using an image editor -- the carpet looks questionable on some of the pictures anyway. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 77.20.240.17 (talk) 20:33, 28 November 2009 (UTC)

Laptops/Netbooks.
Which actually came first, is there any evidence of it?

Cite reference 8, actually disproves the point it intends to prove, and makes no mention of the term Notebook. The Gavilan SC, released in 1983, was the first notebook marketed using the term "laptop".[8] Any proof which came first, notebook or laptop? The History of Laptops uses the Term NoteTakers, never Notebook also. What should be said in this, I personally don't know, but keen editors could possibly do research into it? Benmfowler (talk) 23:52, 18 November 2009 (UTC)
 * DEC used to manufacture what this page laughingly refers to as "rugged laptops" or whatever as Laptops. Back when they wre all first being manufacturered, a "Laptop" was the bricky-like thing that you see now as a rugged pc and Compaq first coined the phrase "notebook" for the small laptops that this page called "subnotebooks".

Seriously tho, where the hell did you people get all these stupid terms for Laptops/notebooks from? International manfacturing standards refer to laptops as any "desktop replacement computer" (Ridiculous name), notebooks are subnotebooks, netbooks is a marketing term for laptops with minimal capabilties beyond web browsing and emails and a "rugged laptop" is just brand name based items. I thought wikipedia was better then this. - 121.216.198.177 (talk) 05:11, 11 December 2009 (UTC)

Remove advertisement link
Someone should remove the link at the very bottom of the page just above the list of categories. In my opinion, it is a self-advertisement. I can't remove it because the page is protected.

Peace6 (talk) 14:18, 4 December 2009 (UTC)

I have added the line "Apart from windows and macintosh and listed here but canonical has provided the leading free operating system ubuntu." I guess it would be fair to list the providers of all companies that provide linux based operationg systems here. (linux is too broad) Where would be a good place to reference to the available operating systems ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.195.227.166 (talk) 16:41, 20 January 2010 (UTC)

function 2\key
the f4nct56n key is locked on and unless it is held down ? How do reset  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.100.131.114 (talk) 01:24, 20 January 2010 (UTC)

Sony advertisements
Why are the images of four out of six contemporary laptops on this page Sony? And why do they link to the Sony "series" page for each one when the "Dell XPS M140" caption does not? The article currently looks like a product page for Sony Vaio notebooks. adamdon89 (talk) 23:39, 28 February 2010 (UTC)
 * I agree.--96.42.226.25 (talk) 23:11, 5 March 2010 (UTC)

Added Fujitsu and their Lifebook range
A major laptop manufacturer from Japan which is ominously missing from the list. Added that in, together with its Lifebook range. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 219.75.88.74 (talk) 14:24, 1 March 2010 (UTC)

n-cell batteries
I now find 3-cell, 6-cell, 8-cell, etc. batteries listed in the technical specs of laptop computer batteries, but I don't know what this is measuring. I thought this article would explain or direct to the appropriate place. Is it something to do with battery life, charge capacity, physical dimension, manufacturing quality, or something else? 70.247.174.213 (talk) 16:48, 10 July 2010 (UTC)

(* although in a few cases, manufacturers will use a battery with the same external dimensions and fewer cells inside, with the remainder being empty or with plastic filler.) (** although a much thriftier machine can have a longer battery life with a smaller charge capacity than a more power-hungry one with more cells.) Nate (talk) 00:12, 7 August 2010 (UTC)
 * It's got to do with the number of physical cells in the battery. Because of that, it has to do with both  weight (and usually dimensions[*]), and with the charge capacity (and on a given machine, thus the battery life[**]). Because of variances in the type of cells used and their capacity, not all 6-cell batteries will have comparable capacity or weight (in general, they'll range around 8-10 watt-hours per cell), so this is really most useful for comparing options within a given model/line of machines - for example, comparing two Asus models of similar generation with 3 cells vs 6 cells one can make fair assumptions about the relative weight and battery life of the two, but comparing a 6-cell Asus netbook vs. a 6-cell Dell full-size laptop isn't much use.

Screen sizes and Colors
To whomever cited Apple as a 256-color screen in 1993: IBM and several others had 256-color VGA laptops before that, and all modern color screen laptops (for values of "modern" going back to the introduction of TFT and DSTN screens in 1991) can do 4096+ analog colors - the limitation of a palette of 16 or 256 on some (such as those with standard VGA and non-hicolor/truecolor supervga, and the first color Powerbooks) was a limitation of the video chipsets and video ram on machines at the time, not the display technology. VGA laptops, including the first color ones from Toshiba and IBM, would do 16-out-of-262144 (ie 6-bit by 3 channel analog) in full resolution and 256-out-of-262144 in "half resolution" (actually 320x200.)   I'm not aware of any laptops with a 16 or 64 color "digital color" screens (ie the CGA or EGA standards, although there were some color plasma-screen luggables from Compaq and I'm not sure what those used. Nate (talk) 00:12, 7 August 2010 (UTC)

Tablet laptop
I have added the section Tablet laptop, which refers to those laptops with a stylus that work as a slate when folded. There is an article called Tablet PC which apparently has a serious discussion going on since a user wants to make it only about the Microsoft Tablet PC. A lot of the information there needs to be moved to the section here (couldn't do it, the article is protected). I created the article Tablet laptop which actually redirects to this section. In the future when more information is added such redirect could become the actual article. Also, please notice that there is also the Slate and Tablet computer articles that apparently are all interrelated. That will need to be dealt with. Thanks --Camilo Sanchez (talk) 10:30, 18 September 2010 (UTC)

The name laptop
Where does the name laptop come from? Please add an answer to the main article. 213.8.90.74 (talk) 13:03, 16 December 2010 (UTC)

انا محمد عبد المنعم ابوالوفا من محافظة الاقصر من مدينة ارمنت من قرية الرزيقات من عزبة الغوال  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 41.131.228.125 (talk) 08:53, 24 January 2011 (UTC)

New image of a modern laptop
I have replaced the very poor quality image with the MSI because (frankly) I think it is better. If you have a proposed replacement, please discuss it here first - Wikipedia works on consensus. Thanks --Kristoferb (talk) 11:50, 31 January 2011 (UTC)

Prepaid mobile phone?
One of the "See also" links is for prepaid mobile phones. There are also links to the subscriber identity module (SIM) page, the smartphone page, the stereoscopy glasses page, and the mobile phone page. I don't see how these are related to laptops. Rivkid007 (talk) 02:16, 23 February 2011 (UTC)

history of laptops
Would this be an appropriate reference for the "history" section? "The 10 Most Important Laptops of All Time" by Carla Thornton http://tech.msn.com/products/articlepcw.aspx?cp-documentid=5004769 http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,132605/article.html

My opinion is that this is an opinion piece, and while interesting, not really appropriate. HacksawPC (talk) 15:29, 25 November 2011 (UTC)

Re: Where laptops came from
The first laptop that came about was by Compaq. It was called the Compaq Portable, "Compatabilty and Quality". I believe there's an entry on here for one that goes into more detail on what it was about. Compaq moved into desktop computers later on, but, Compaq was formed because they were making portable computers.

- Mike. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Izcool (talk • contribs) 03:37, 21 December 2005 (UTC)


 * I have to disagree here. The Compaq Portable was released in 1983 while the Osborne 1 released in 1981. The Grid Compass was released in 1982 almost a year before the Compaq and had the clam shell design that modern laptops employ. While the Compaq Portable should probably be mentioned in the history section it certainly should not be named as the first laptop. -- Karverstudio (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 20:09, 2 April 2013 (UTC)

Link to International Space Station?
Just a minor suggestion: When the "International Space Station" is mentioned in the section about "Extreme Environments", shouldn't it be a link to the article about the International Space Station? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.59.229.31 (talk) 21:33, 26 April 2013 (UTC)

Image pushing by user "Georgy"
Georgy has a habit of trolling articles replacing perfectly serviceable images with his own poorly executed wears. On this article he has repeatedly replaced the lead image with his own despite repeated warnings to cease and desist.

Georgy's image, clearly marked as a "desktop replacement", should remain in the Desktop Replacement section of the article.

Current lead image: MSI_Laptop_computer.jpg

Georgy's proposed replacement: Acer_Aspire_8920_Gemstone_by_Georgy.JPG

If no solution can be found to Georgy's behavior, I suggest an Edit Lock be placed on this article. Kristoferb (talk) 07:18, 26 February 2012 (UTC)

Kristofer, it is clear that you do this because you want to push your picture ( MSI_Laptop_computer.jpg ). Its extremely hypocrite to accuse me of Image pushing since you are doing the same thing. At least stop complaining, as I did not complain when you removed my picture. --Georgy90 (talk) 18:51, 8 March 2012 (UTC)

I think the laptop picture placed next to desktop replacement should be the lead image. It has a better composition than Georgy90's photo and Georgy90's photo is blurry at the bottom. Also Georgy90's photo has a router in the back which is quite distracting, while the things in the back of the other photo aren't that annoying. I don't mean to say your help is not appreciated, I just think it isn't the picture that fits best. --niomaster-gamemaker (talk) 13:54, 25 June 2012 (CET)

Agree with niomaster.--Kristoferb (talk) 12:13, 25 June 2012 (UTC)

Anonymous user (IP: 213.207.172.160) changed the images back a couple of hours after I switched them. This IP is from Cyprus and likely belongs to Georgy, also from Cyprus. If he cannot understand the consensus here, I suggest an edit lock on this article until he does understand. --Kristoferb (talk) 16:07, 25 June 2012 (UTC)

As a casual editor (corrector of typos mostly), when I saw the current image of Georgy's laptop, I was moved to take action. However, I thought to check the discussion pages first, and here we are. I found the content of the laptop's screen seemed to be pushing Georgy's content on various websites and this is clearly inappropriate on Wikipedia. - boobie, 0032 BST 12/05/2013 — Preceding unsigned comment added by 90.244.135.109 (talk) 23:32, 11 May 2013 (UTC)

The 1st VGA laptop
Compaq SLT/286 is mentioned as the first laptop utilizing VGA display in year 1983. In fact it was introduced in 1988 - see the NYT article. Thus I suppose the fact that it was the first VGA laptop have to be somehow verified as well.

UPD Probably this article was the source, however it is accurate about the year. GRiD also claims they were the first there. One more fact is tha VGA itself was introdused in 1987. schmalter 164.215.81.41 (talk) 10:07, 12 June 2013 (UTC)

Separating cloth
What is the name of the material used to make a rectangular piece of porous thin soft cloth used to separate laptop screen from keyboard to protect both from mechanical damage? Also - name other intended uses for that cloth (to wipe and clean the screen? to train and thus constantly remind users to check if there's something left on the surface of the laptop so that it doesn't damage the screen when user goes to close the laptop?). — Preceding unsigned comment added by 93.87.252.113 (talk) 12:38, 14 January 2014 (UTC)


 * I believe you are talking about Microfiber? I went a looked up stuff and found nothing closer than that. In terms of "mechanical damage" the cloth can be put under (assuming you have a large enough one) to help protect the screen. I think I'll add something really quick about it. Augbog (talk) 01:21, 25 January 2014 (UTC)

Section for cleaning?
I added a little section about cleaning under Equipment Wears but I feel this should be its own dedicated section. Things in this could include proper cleaning techniques, things to avoid using (such as bleach) and general routine maintenance of what you should do to keep a healthy laptop. Thoughts? Augbog (talk) 01:32, 25 January 2014 (UTC)

Article needs full edit
This article has become very difficult to read with much irrelevant information, and some now obsolete details included. Bearing in mind that most people will be viewing this article from a laptop, far less detail is necessary than is currently given. I'm agreed though that more info could be included on history and development etc. I'll edit a few bits now to improve what I can, but it would be really helpful if someone who is very up-to-date on the subject could do a full edit. It currently reads like a 12-year-old wrote it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.28.226.228 (talk) 17:14, 22 September 2014 (UTC)


 * Agreed, I've improved a part about laptop classes a month ago, but the total rewrite/optimization is a bit scary. The article is heavily bloated and the overall style is poor. But if here is some enthusiast, I'll help with the editing as well. TranslucentCloud (talk) 18:35, 22 September 2014 (UTC)


 * Yes, sorry, I didn't mean a full rewrite, merely that someone go through section by section and edit the content. I've done a bit just now that you can check if you like, but it takes a lot of time. I'd have thought a lot of the information in 'classification' could simply be removed as there are Main Articles for most of these. It would also be beneficial to have the 'Advantages' and 'Disadvantages' sections matching in style. the 'Major Brands' section seems largely irrelevant and includes some incorrect information, so I'd have thought a simple link to the 'list of manufacturers' article would be better. Don't want to go ahead with these without some talk first.


 * As for Classification section, I think its subsections should be reduced to the 2-3 not lengthy paragraphs, just like Laplet. No need to go into details, because there are really main articles on Wikipedia. I didn't looked at Advantages, Disadvantages and Major Brands thoroughly yet, but will do a major observation of the whole article tomorrow and contribute when I'll feel it would be beneficial. I suggest you to do your edits as well, it is not too difficult to improve them, if something will be inappropriate (I'll do this too tomorrow). The whole article is such a mess, that anyone with a common sense can improve it without a lot of discussion. TranslucentCloud (talk) 19:46, 22 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Reworked Classification and Components sections. I am done for now. TranslucentCloud (talk) 13:50, 1 October 2014 (UTC)

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"Mobile personal computer" listed at Redirects for discussion
A discussion is taking place to address the redirect Mobile personal computer. The discussion will occur at Redirects for discussion/Log/2021 October 31 until a consensus is reached, and readers of this page are welcome to contribute to the discussion. -  C HAMPION  (talk) (contributions) (logs) 21:54, 31 October 2021 (UTC)