The Laptop Was the Culmination of a Quest to Make the Computer More Portable - Essay Example

Design and Technology A laptop is a word which de s a personal computer that can be moved around easily primarily due to its structure and size. The laptop was the culmination of a quest to make the computer more portable to suit use in various settings (Helal 40). During its early days, the computer could only be used in offices, which had adequate spacing. The name laptop emanated from the users’ ability to use this gadget while it is resting on their laps unlike the other personal computers that were much heavier requiring tables or office desks. Over the years, the size and bulk of the laptop has decreased significantly, as manufactures have focussed on making it more portable. In addition, the screen that is the size of an A4 enables the user to access clear pictures. The laptop was therefore an innovative personal computer that enhanced the application of the computer in various settings. The laptop, which is one of the many forms of a personal computer, is a readily available item that people in the modern day utilize extensively. Laptops are made from various materials depending on the manufacturers’ designs. However, they are primarily made from varying proportions of a mixture of metal, rubber, glass and plastic. The screen is made from glass that is supported by a hardened form of plastic. The internal gadgetry consists of wires, electric boards, capacitors, batteries and a hard disk. Manufactures make extensive use of different types of metals. The manufactures prefers to use copper in the wires owing to its conductivity traits while they also use aluminium in the general structure owing to its strength and lightness that contributes to the portability of the. Ordinarily, the outer surface is made from plastic that is water resistant, tough and does not rust. The features and composition of each laptop varies depending on the customers’ needs, the computer brand and the capacity of each computer. For instance, laptop used by the military in the field are covered using harder materials to avoid destruction. By contrast, laptops made for the ordinary people tend to be fragile since they are used limited times. Company philosophy also contributes to the structure. Some entities in the laptops sector make laptops in very few colours. For instance, Apple only paints its laptops silver grey or black. Therefore, laptops will vary in colour, size and composition owing to the varying visions of manufactures and the customers. The laptop is a computer gadget, which requires numerous electronic items that will enable it work efficiently. For instance, a laptop will have a motherboard and capacitors. The latter facilitates the storage and conversion of electricity in the circuits. Laptop also contains a battery, which stores energy that the computer retrieves for use. This is an imperative component as it determines the amount of time a user can make use of the laptop when he/she is a way from a power source. The laptops will vary in colour depending on the customer taste. However, the shape is normally relatively the same. The laptop has numerous USB ports, which enable the user to connect various external devices such as a mouse and storage devices. The laptop also has a DVD reader that enables the user to access information stored on storage item such as DVDs and CD-ROMS. The top side will contain the brand of the entity that manufactured the laptop, for instance, Dell’s laptops have a circle and the word ‘Dell’ written in it. Once opened up, the laptop has a screen on one side and a key board on the other side (Lewis 9). The keyboard on a laptop is normally smaller than that of a desktop computer. A laptop also contains other ports that allow the user to connect to external sound devices. The laptop contains features that make it a portable form of a desktop computer. The laptop was developed mainly to serve as portable desktop. Fundamentally, a laptop should offers access to network, process data and provide storage spaces for information. The laptop was made as an alternative to the bulky desktops. The laptop’s portability also meant that users could utilize them in situations where the desktops were cumbersome. Laptops also denoted the progress that the communications sector was realizing, as it was a step in making technology readily available to the average citizens. Initially, personal computers were a privilege of large corporations and the government owing to the cost of acquisition. To spread this technology, computer based entities had to make portable forms of the desktops. The laptop could also be produced in mass, which enabled the spread of technology. Due to its portability, the computer has become a popular personal computer globally. The key strength of the laptop is its portability compared to desktop computers. Laptops face competitions from other hand held computers and mini-computers such as tablets and notebooks (Wilson 193). The latter are however limited by the size of their memory and the speeds of undertaking tasks. The laptop offers a balance between portability, capacity as it can undertake the same amount of tasks as desktop computers, and it is equally portable as the hand-held mini-computers. The above traits make it stand out in the whole range of personal computers. The power storage in the laptop makes it environmentally friendly at an age when environmental concerns have become a key issue in the use of any form of technology. In a cultural context, the laptop is one among the numerous computer devices, which are the hallmark of the present technology age. Today, many things are shaped by technology, which has become an enabler socially, culturally, politically and economically. Laptops are a symbol of human ingenuity that has enabled us to make better use of the available resources. The computer has of various facilitated recording cultural events, the sharing of different cultures and most importantly, it has become part of the human culture (Koch et al 32). The laptop has contributed immensely to the computer age that on its own is a cultural phenomenon. Laptops have influenced culture since people undertake most of their activities using the devices. Essentially, the laptop has become a part of the human beings’ life. Laptops are made in various factories in globally. Nonetheless, most of the production of these electronic gadgets has shifted to China and other Southern Asia countries. The assembly of various components such as the memory, hard disk and the key board results in the computer. The above physical items constitute the hardware that cannot work without the installation of relevant software (Martinez 59). Before the installation of software, the laptop requires an operating system that serves as interface between the two wares software and hardware. Once the above components are fully installed, the laptop becomes functional. Users undertake various tasks using their computer only requiring the installation of relevant software that contains instructions, which facilitate execution of the relevant task. The different personal computers companies have different factories globally making different laptops to suit different customer needs. Normally, the brand company designs the computer. Later, the company forwards the designs to the manufacturing division that assembles the computer as designed. The computer is tested on a number of tasks while the design are taken to the government for approval. If approved, the company commences mass production of the specific laptop (Wilson 193). Once the process of production is over, it is packaged and shipped for retailing in the various nations. The designing entity provides guarantees as to the capabilities of the laptop and later, elaborates how to access after sale services. The production of laptops is large scale, which enables the reduction of cost. The production require consideration of very intricate detail pertaining to the size of the memory, the speed and the number of processors. Companies such as Apple manufacture laptops for different purposes. For instance, basic laptops undertake minor tasks such as accessing the internet and using small-scale applications such Microsoft word. Other laptops operate larger applications requiring relatively larger random access memory and higher processing speeds. Such laptops can run graphic design software, which are relatively large. The production of various laptops with distinct features is an indication of the diverse needs among the users. Production differentiation also points at the user focussed production strategy among entities that manufacture personal computers. Artistically, artefacts are the culmination of an artist’s creativity and inspiration (Koch et al 90). In the laptop’s case, technological progress and customer needs are the key determinants of the features and the qualities of a computer. Factors such as brand, availability and cost influence the sales of the laptops globally. However, marketing will also contribute massively to the sales level since customers are always looking for a device that will give them the best experience. Brands that make the most popular brand will always manufactures the largest number of laptops. Financial aspect of the entities that make the laptop will have major influence on the manufacturing of this object. Financial success will spur allocation of more resources towards the development of better computers. A laptop is an artistic item with distinct characteristics. Human beings constantly encounter this item both at home and at work. Companies developed laptops because of their bulky nature of the desktop computers. As such, laptop have contributed significantly to the increase in the access to internet globally. In a technological age, the laptop has become significant culturally since it deeply relevant to the technological progress that the human race has realized. Works Cited Helal, Abdelsalam A. Anytime, Anywhere Computing: Mobile Computing Concepts and Technology. New York: Kluwer Academic, 2002. Print. Koch, Peter et al. Art: Definition Five (and Other Writings). Berkeley, Calif: Codex Foundation, 2008. Print. Lewis, Peter H.. "THE EXECUTIVE COMPUTER; Compaq Finally Makes a Laptop". The New York Times. 1988. Print. Martinez, Jaime. A Performatory Approach to Teaching, Learning and Technology. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers, 2011. Wilson, James. Vintage Laptop Computers: First Decade: 1980-89. Ney York, NY: Outskirts Press, 2006. Print. Read More