What is Laptop?
[[File:Laptop Study (6951956617).jpg|thumb|250px|Using laptops]] A '''laptop''' is a [[computer]] which is easy to carry around. A modern laptop is self-contained, with a screen, keyboard and pointing device (like a touchpad or pointing stick), plus usually, speakers, a [[microphone]] and a [[camera]] (webcam). This is all powered by a built-in [[rechargeable battery]], however, the user can also plug the laptop in to use it while recharging the battery. Also, most other external devices such as a [[monitor]] and [[keyboard]] can be attached if required. The laptop screen folds down over the keyboard, along a [[hinge]], for carrying. Laptops have advantages over desktop computers, such as: * They can be carried almost anywhere, such as between home and office or school. *They usually have a built-in webcam, microphone and speakers, making video calls much easier. * They can be used in smaller spaces. *They can easily be locked away securely, making them harder to steal. Disadvantages of laptops include: * They're normally more expensive. * They usually have low technical specifications. * They're often slower than desktop computers with complex tasks like gaming, video editing or graphic design.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.laptoprunner.com/best-laptop-for-graphic-design/ |title=Laptop Runner |date=4 April 2015 |publisher=laptoprunner.com |accessdate=16 December 2015 |archive-date=15 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151215175422/http://www.laptoprunner.com/best-laptop-for-graphic-design/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> * They're easily stolen. * They travel frequently, so laptops are more likely to be damaged. * They're more difficult and expensive to repair. == History == [[File:Image Portal R2E CCMC.jpg|thumb|Portal R2E CCMC]] Like computers themselves, portable microcomputers were not invented at any one time by one person. They developed gradually. The ''Portal,'' from the French company R2E Micral CCMC, appeared in September 1980 at the SICOB show in Paris. Its keyboard had 58 alphan