extremely lightweight
personal computer. Notebook
computers typically weigh less than 6 pounds and are small enough to fit easily in a briefcase. Aside from size and
portability, the principal difference between a notebook computer and a personal computer is the
display screen. Notebook computers use a variety of techniques, known as
flat-panel technologies, to produce a lightweight and non-bulky display screen.
The quality of notebook display screens varies considerably. Many notebook display screens are limited to
VGA resolution. Active-matrix screens produce very sharp images, but they do not
refresh as rapidly as full-size
monitors.
In terms of computing power, modern notebook computers are nearly equivalent to personal computers. They have the same
CPUs,
memory capacity, and
disk drives. However, all this power in a small package is expensive.
Notebook computers come with
battery packs that enable you to
run them without plugging them in. However, the batteries need to be recharged every few hours.