Laptop how does it work

However, laptops also tend to be more expensive than comparable desktop computers. Because laptops are designed for portability, there are some important differences between them and desktop computers. A laptop has an all-in-one design , with a built-in monitor , keyboard , touchpad which replaces the mouse , and speakers. The first of these, conducted by Boersma , showed a significant improvement in posture when using a laptop support that can raise the level of the screen.

Using a separate keyboard means that the neck is bent less and the lower arms are in a more neutral position. This study made use of the Ergo-Q notebook stand with an integrated document holder. Figure 1 shows a reduction in physical discomfort when working with an Ergo-Q notebook stand. Respondents gave working with a laptop support a rating of 8. The study by Lindblad compared the use of a laptop without any ergonomic accessories to a fully accessorized laptop: one with a laptop support and an integrated document holder, a separate keyboard and a separate mouse.

The most recent research that was conducted by Harvard University, confirmed these findings. In this study, Asundi, et al. Finally, Carolyn Sommerich and her colleagues conducted a study into the effect of the size of the screen on neck and shoulder strain. The amount of strain when using a inch screen is shown to be less than when using a inch screen. Since most laptops are equipped with 13 to inch screens, the use of a separate screen of at least 19 inches is recommended for prolonged laptop use.

Effects on performance The laptop is a convenient device for quickly creating a workplace at various locations. However, because its screen and keyboard are a single unit, this results in lower productivity when typing on a laptop without accessories. The study reported by Lindblad showed a remarkably large difference in productivity during typing when measured over a 4-hour period. On average, employees work 4 hours a day with the computer so thi increase in productivity will probably apply to practical situations.

Both mouse and keyboard were used for this. Figure 2 illustrates that using a laptop with a separate mouse and keyboard results in higher productivity than when using a laptop with only the mouse or without any separate data entry equipment. The importance of the keyboard A study by Boersma found no difference in productivity but this study used an unusually small mini keyboard.

Afterward, the subjects indicated that they had made many more typing errors when using this very small keyboard so the beneficial effect of using the laptop support and separate mouse had probably been negated due to the very small keyboard.

For this reason, it is important to use a separate compact keyboard with at least 19 mm between the keys. Conclusion Without accessories, a laptop is unsuited for prolonged use. When using a laptop for more than two hours a day, separate accessories will be needed in order to comply with legislation and accepted best practices.

To use a laptop comfortably and productively, a laptop support and separate mouse and keyboard are essential. For people who are often on the move and who often take their laptop along to various workplaces, there are accessories that are small enough to put in the laptop bag.

For a permanent workplace at home or at flex workstations serving several office employees , a separate screen measuring at least 19 inches provides extra value. Placing the laptop screen at the same height as the separate screen also allows dual-screen operation. Selection matrix Employees use laptops differently and for a variety of purposes. Some will use their laptop at only one location such as at home. Others will work on their laptop in more than one place. This selection matrix helps you find the laptop support best suited for a specific employee profile or for your own personal laptop use.

The monitor , keyboard , and other peripherals connect wirelessly or with cables. Whether the case sits vertically or horizontally, it has lots of space for add-in cards, cables and air circulation. A laptop, however, is much smaller and lighter than even the most compact PC tower. Its screen is an integrated part of the unit, as is its keyboard. Instead of a spacious case with lots of room for air circulation, a laptop uses a small, flat design in which all the pieces fit together snugly.

Often, these differences make the components more expensive, which can contribute to higher laptop prices. In the following sections, we'll examine how laptops handle these differences. It essentially acts as the computer's brain. The CPU produces a lot of heat, so a desktop computer uses circulating air, a fan and a heat sink -- a system of plates, channels and radiator fins used to draw heat off of the processor -- to cool off.

Since a laptop has far less room for each of these cooling methods, its CPU usually:. Some laptops use desktop CPUs that are set to run at lower clock speeds. Although this can improve performance, these laptops typically run much hotter and have a significantly reduced battery life.

Laptops usually have small fans, heat sinks, heat spreaders or heat pipes to help dissipate the heat from the CPU. Some higher end laptop models reduce heat even further with liquid coolant kept in channels alongside the heat pipe.

Also, most laptop CPUs are near the edge of the unit. This allows the fan to move the heat directly to the outside instead of across other components.

A laptop's memory can make up for some of the reduced performance that comes from a slower processor. Some laptops have cache memory on or very near the CPU , allowing it to access data more quickly. Some also have larger busses, allowing data to move between the processor, motherboard and memory more quickly. Memory types used in laptops include:.

Some laptops have upgradeable memory and feature removable panels for easy access to the memory modules. However, laptops generally have less disk space than desktops. A laptop hard drive is also physically smaller than that of a desktop. In addition, most laptop hard drives spin more slowly than desktop hard drives, reducing both heat and power consumption.

However, space in a laptop is in much shorter supply. Many laptops use a modular design , allowing a variety of drives to fit in the same bay. These drives come in three different designations:. In some cases, these drive bays are not just limited to drives but will also accept extra batteries. A graphics processing unit GPU is a microprocessor that handles the calculations necessary for 3-D graphics rendering.

Most laptops have graphics capability built into the motherboard or have smaller graphics cards with a GPU designed specifically for laptop use. Many people don't notice a laptop's reduced graphics performance. Laptops have plenty of processing power for Web surfing and productivity applications.

However, they may struggle with the latest 3-D games. A few specialty laptops, designed for gaming enthusiasts, include more powerful GPUs and additional video memory. A laptop displays its graphics on a liquid crystal display LCD screen.

Most screens measure between 12 and 17 inches, and the size of the screen affects the overall size of the laptop. In addition, laptop screens can be:. Most laptops also have sound cards or integrated sound processing on the motherboard as well as small, built-in speakers.

However, there is generally not enough space inside a laptop for a top-of-the-line sound card or a high-quality speaker. Gaming enthusiasts and audiophiles can supplement their laptops' sound capabilities with external sound controllers, which use USB or FireWire ports to connect to the laptop.

However, unlike a desktop computer , a laptop is portable and can run on batteries alone. They have a life of roughly two hours between charges, but this life decreases with each charge based on the memory effect. Gas bubbles form in the cell plates, reducing the total amount of available cell space for recharge.

The only way around this is to discharge the battery completely before recharging it. The other drawback of NiCad is that if the battery charges too long, it can explode.

They last longer between charges than NiCad but overall have a shorter total lifespan. They suffer from the memory effect, but to a lesser extent than NiCad batteries.