A laptop is a portable personal computer (PC) with a clamshell form factor, typically having a thin LCD or LED computer screen mounted on the inside of the upper lid of the clamshell and an alphanumeric keyboard on the inside of the lower lid. The clamshell is opened up to use the computer. Laptops are folded shut for transportation, and thus are suitable for mobile use. Its name comes from 'lap', as it was designed to be used on a person's lap.
While devices such as smartphones and tablet computers have seen increasing adoption, laptops remain popular, particularly for business use. They are also used for tasks such as web browsing, emailing, playing video games, and general computing. Laptops can be powered either from an internal battery or by an external power supply from an AC adapter. Hardware specifications, such as the processor speed and amount of memory, often differ between laptop models.
Portable computers, before the laptop, were generally heavy and had to be lugged around in a suitcase. The first laptops used CRT displays, which made them bulky and heavy. The first laptop-sized portable computer was the Osborne 1, released in 1981. It used a then-new LCD screen and weighed 23.5 pounds (10.7 kg). The first commercially successful portable computer was the Compaq Portable, released in 1982. It was the first 100% IBM PC compatible computer on the market.
The Apple Macintosh Portable was released in 1989. It was the first laptop with a built-in trackball and graphical user interface (GUI), and the first to use the PowerPC processor. The NEC UltraLite, released in 1989, was the thinnest and lightest laptop at the time, weighing 5.7 pounds (2.6 kg) and measuring 1.7 inches (4.3 cm) thick.
The Sony Vaio line, introduced in 1996, was among the first to offer built-in CD-ROM and floppy drives, and the first to offer built-in Ethernet. The first Vaio laptop, the PCG-505, was released in 1997.
The PowerBook line, introduced in 1991, was the first line of laptops from Apple to offer a built-in trackpad. The first PowerBook, the PowerBook 100, was released in 1991.
The IBM ThinkPad line, introduced in 1992, was the first line of laptops from IBM to offer a trackpoint. The first ThinkPad, the 700C, was released in 1992.
The Toshiba Satellite line, introduced in 1985, was the first line of laptops from Toshiba. The first Satellite, the T1100, was released in 1985.
The Dell Latitude line, introduced in 1995, was the first line of laptops from Dell. The first Latitude, the C500, was released in 1995.
The Asus Eee PC, introduced in 2007, was the first line of laptops from Asus. The first Eee PC, the 701, was released in 2007.
The Samsung Chromebook, introduced in 2011, was the first line of laptops from Samsung. The first Chromebook, the Series 5, was released in 2011.
