Types of Laptops
The compact design and portable features of laptops placed them in a different class of personal computers and make them quite distinct from traditional desktop PCs. However, with time, the improvements were made in their designs and features that led to the classification of laptops as follows:
Mainstream laptops
These laptops have medium sized features in terms of weight and screen size. They usually weigh less than 6 pounds and come with a screen size around 14 inches. They are cheaper than other laptops and usually come with features that can just meet the requirements of the users. However, some of the latest models in this category come with added features for affordable prices. They are quite ideal for home users and students who can accomplish the typical tasks like word processing, emailing and internet browsing without any difficulties.
Desktop-replacement laptops
This type of laptops are meant for use in a fixed location as they are heavy (more than 7 pounds) and come with larger displays with wide screen (up to 20 inches). The powerful, built-in components and the larger display enable you to perform whatever task you would like. The general drawback of desk-top replacement laptops is their low battery life as they can run on batteries for a couple of hours or less.
Although they are not suitable for mobile use, they are excellent option for your gaming or tasks related graphical applications as they usually come with powerful sound, video and graphical features.
Thin-and-light Laptops
Due to their light features and improving performance, this type of laptops has been becoming popular in recent times. They are more compact and weigh less than Mainstream laptops and are quite suitable for mobile users. For their affordable prices when compared with ultra-portables, they are often preferred by both home users and business users. On performance level, they are constantly getting upgraded and the latest thin-and-light laptop can perform tasks as well as a desktop-replacement laptop.
There is a variety of standard features available with this type of laptops - combo CD RW and DVD-RW drives, USB ports and Ethernet & wireless networking options.
Ultra-Portable Laptops
Ultra-portable laptops are for people who travel a lot as they are extremely small weighing just 4 pounds or less and their screen size usually does not exceed 12 inches. Their portability is often enhanced by their optimized power usage and long battery life. However, they are much more expensive than their counterparts. They also lack in certain features like internal data storage devices as they usually come without CD or DVD drive. Ideal for business users who are frequently travelers and only the mode of transfer of data is through Ethernet or wireless internet connectivity options. Recently, a few latest ultra-portables have come with better graphic features but they are the most expensive and affordable to a few.
Ultra Mobile PCs
These small PCs have screen size less than 7 inches and usually with no keyboard. The touch-screen allows you to operate these PCs although a few models in this category come with extremely small keyboard and a mouse. Generally meant for limited use, they are optimized to work on batteries for long hours. Again, the high-end UMPCs are generally very expensive and do not have many users.
Tablet PCs
They are in fact tiny laptops with touch-screen monitors. With the magnetized stylus and the special software, you can interact with this laptop and perform the tasks that do not require keyboard. They are handy, extremely portable and useful for wireless internet browsing.
