Laptops utilize power from a battery. And to charge the battery, an A/C adapter is used. Laptops usually have a battery life of around 1-6 hours depending on how they are used, the battery size, and also the specifications of the laptop itself. Notebook or notebook computer is another term for a laptop.
Laptops and desktop computers generally have the same functions. Because the constituent components inside them are the same, the only difference is in their size. In laptops, the size of the components is reduced so they are lighter, do not heat up easily, and are power-efficient.
The Initial Idea of the Laptop#
Alan Kay is an American computer scientist who had the idea to create the first laptop. He was later assisted by Adam Osborne, a software publisher who also worked in book publishing in America.
As a technological device, the laptop also started from simple things and developed into the laptops we have today, which are advanced and multifunctional. For more clarity regarding the development of laptops, it will be summarized briefly below.
1. IBM Portable PC 5100 (1975)#
The IBM Portable PC 5100 is the first microcomputer. Its function was specifically used for engineering and mathematical needs (mathematicians). The IBM 5100 has a reasonably small size because it could fit into a bag and could be carried or moved to another place easily.
2. Rockwell AIM 65 (1977)#
After the IBM Portable, it was developed into the Rockwell AIM 65 (which is the second microcomputer) but more complete than the previous one because it had a screen, keyboard, and a hard copy printer.
3. IBM Portable PC 5110 (1978)#
This type of computer is a business computer version developed from the IBM 5100 (the previous 1975 version).
4. Heathkit H89 (1979)#
The Heathkit H89 all-in-one was released by Heathkit at the end of 1979.
5. Osborne 1 (1981)#
Osborne Computer Corporation created the first portable computer version device, namely the Osborne 1, in 1981. Although it was the first version, this type of computer had many flaws and limitations and still needed further improvement and development.
Its limitations were that it could only display 51 characters/line of text, had a screen size of only 5 diagonal inches, and had a carrying box case. The Osborne 1 had 2 disk drives for floppy disks, weighed approximately 10 kg, and had an 8 CPU machine. In the 1981 era, the Osborne 1 was widely accepted, so its production volume increased.
6. Gavilans (1983)#
The Gavilans Mobile Computer was released in 1983, weighing 4 kg (which is quite heavy compared to modern laptops), used a Nickel-Cadmium battery that could last up to 9 hours, 64K RAM that could be upgraded to 128K, had a mouse/touchpad located at the top front of the keyboard, had an Intel 8088 5MHz processor, and a floppy disk drive.
The battery used made this device superior, along with its combination of design and performance in that year. Another advantage is that it was the first mobile PC device marketed under the laptop brand.
After the emergence of the Osborne 1, Bill Gates introduced his idea regarding a portable computer with an LCD screen. Someone who worked at Microsoft named Kazuhiko Nishi implemented that idea, producing the Radio Shack prototype. The weight of this device was 2 kg, the Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 100 mobile PC version featured a modem, text editor, telecommunications program, and a program designed by Microsoft.
In 1984, IBM developed the Portable PC 5155 into a device weighing 13.6 kg with a 9-inch screen.
7. Compact SLT 289 (1984-1988)#
Compact also didn’t want to lose competitiveness in laptop development. Compaq released a product called Compaq SLT 286 with VGA revolution, and equipped with a 12MHz processor, 20MB hard disk drive, 1.44 floppy disk, weighed 6.3 kg, and the keyboard could be separated from the laptop body. It was the first portable computer that could be carried on a flight.
8. Minisport (1990s)#
Laptop development in the 1990s was the period of the biggest revolution, starting with the emergence of the Minisport released by Zenith Data Systems with features of a 1.44-inch floppy disk, 640 Kb RAM, 20 MB ESDI hard drive, and a 2400 baud modem.
In the 1990s era, the Macintosh and Macintosh Portable factories made a huge breakthrough by creating a laptop weighing 8 kg, with an active-matrix version 9.8-inch screen, a screen resolution of 640×400 pixels, a strong and sturdy design, and an innovatively created trackball to complement it.
A 256-color screen was the primary choice for laptops in 1993, for example, the PowerBook 165.
9. Toughbooks (1996-2003)#
Panasonic and Intel also participated in making their own laptops by focusing on the robust mobile PC segment, namely the Toughbook (CF-25), their flagship laptop at the time. The design of this Toughbook was built with the advantage of “surviving” even if dropped from a height of 70 centimeters. Additionally, this laptop was resistant to humid air and dust.
10. Modern Laptops (2003-present)#
After many years, modern laptops have finally developed well and become sophisticated. This is due to advancements in science and technology, which are increasingly sophisticated, thereby supporting their development.
Laptops today have provided many benefits for their users; in fact, laptop usage is already the majority around the world. This is because they are easy, fast, and practical to use. The shapes of laptops today vary with attractive designs, and on average, all laptops currently on the market are light and slim.
The features offered on laptops today also attract a lot of attention, and some laptops even have touch screens and better software and hardware compared to the past. Perhaps the future will offer even more features because science in the field of technology is developing very rapidly, and many scientists continue to develop it.
