Desktop PC Power in a Notebook!

Today's modern laptops are really giving the more conventional PC a run for its money. Laptops have been getting faster, smaller and can still perform at levels that rival most out of the box PCs. In recent years laptops sales have dominated the computer market over personal PC sales.

The main reason for the success of the laptop for personal use is portability and reliability. Now consumers can purchase a portable computer that has all of the bells and whistle of the PC that they can take with them everywhere. With the widespread availability of wireless networks around the globe, a person doesn't have to travel very far in order to connect to the internet. With a WiFi coffee shop on just about every street corner, it is easy to see why the popularity of laptops has grown exponentially in the recent years.

No matter where a person travels, he or she can find a place to sit down and do some work and yes, play. Gaming has also become a popular use of the modern laptop. Most manufactures produce several different models that are specifically designed for gaming and video use. With a plethora of ports that give the user the ability to plug into just about anything, there's not much you can't do. Some of the models come with a high resolution, 18.4" widescreen HD display and add in a 512MB graphics card. Toss in an excellent speaker system, complete with a built in subwoofer and you're all set.

Processing speed, storage and memory for laptops has been coming along quite nicely. Weighing in at only five pounds, some of the higher end laptops models have processing speeds of up to 3GHz, hard drives with up to 640GB of space at 7200RPM. Then add in 4GB of memory and you are well on your way to having an incredible machine for its size.

On the other end of the note book is lots of power in a little package. Some laptops that weigh only a measly two pounds can offer excellent performance as well. These tiny laptops with displays as small as 8.9" still pack some punch with 1.6 GHz processors, 512MB of memory and 60GB hard drives. Sure, you don't get all of the external ports and software that a larger laptop might have but these little guys can be useful for students and children whose only real need should be to homework on but hey, everybody needs to get on the internet.

The biggest drawback to all of this portable fun is the batteries. Replacement batteries can cost up to $100. Not that bad of a price, except for the fact you'll be buying them every year or so. Because of the compact design of the laptops, they tend to get a little hot. Heat is bad for Lithium-Ion batteries; it makes them degrade at a much faster rate. And the better and faster a laptop is the more heat it will produce.