The notebook is a fantastic accessory in modern life, used both for work and for play. It has the ability to produce and store a wide variety of high quality documents, play top quality games, download and run films, utilize the internet and also run business quality software essential for presentations and productivity in the modern business world. The device is designed to be portable, functional and meet the requirements of a busy modern life. However, the type of notebook chosen affects the usability levels. Many features are an unnecessary addition, depending upon what the notebook is used for. Though the quality of the machine may be unbeatable, it may not necessarily fully meet your requirements.

For instance, if the notebook is used by a travelling businessman then it needs to be highly portable. The device needs to be used in a variety of scenarios and places, and must perform to the utmost standard each time. Many elements can affect the portability of a notebook such as screen and product size, inbuilt systems and processor size. A 12 to 14 inch screen should be big enough for the travelling businessman, and the DVD player can be bought as an attachment for when it is required rather than being inbuilt. This will keep the weight of the device at the lower end and make it more accessible for travel.

If the notebook is used for recreational purposes only then portability is less of an issue whilst graphics performance and memory space become much more important. In this instance the size of the device, the graphics card, and inbuilt DVD player and rewriter will affect the choice. Also the screen will need to be at the larger end of the scale to enable better quality gaming and cinema experiences.

The notebook is generally sold with either scenario in mind, and the standard range is fantastic. But what if these general features do not fit your requirements? Every user is unique, and in the modern age people are used to being able to receive bespoke products and services. For instance, a business man may need excellent DVD features for presentations, yet still have portability a key concern. In this scenario, the best option is to build your own notebook.

To build your own notebook, you simply choose a supplier that will combine the elements that you need to create a bespoke notebook. This is usually an online provider as they can react better to supply and demand. Physical shops do not have such a good market for this type of service, as consumers go by sight to a large degree when physically shopping. A notebook in pieces does not look very attractive.

Building your own notebook entails knowing exactly what you want from your machine, so make sure you do your research and fully understand what the different elements are and whether they fit your purpose. However, it is not an option only for the completely computer literate. All sites that provide this service will be easy to navigate, with in depth explanations. The customer support team is also trained to be able to assist you with this type of information. They will be able to explain different components and also advise whether your choices will be beneficial to your needs. The notebook builder will put together all the required elements, to create a machine that will provide the optimum performance for you.

The price of your tailor made notebook will depend upon the components that you require, rather than an overall predetermined cost. Therefore, it will completely reflect the device that you require and be cost effective. Another advantage is that because it is completed online, it can be built from anywhere in the world and delivered direct to your door.

Notebooks have emerged as a bare essential for the business executives who carry their work along with themselves. Notebooks which are also known as laptops can facilitate the work process thereby saving substantial and valuable time. In short, it is used as tool of time management.

Owning a notebook is a dream of many, but since it is very expensive nobody buys it unless it is indispensable to them. However, some people having shoe-string budget look for a good notebook. They are the ones who need detailed and comprehensive information on notebooks and laptops before they settle for one.

Basically, buying a notebook or laptop largely depends upon the personal choice, specific requirement and social status of a person. Besides, different manufacturers are introducing notebooks of different look with a wide-range of features. However, some notebooks are launched in the market to cater to a particular segment of buyers keeping in mind of their specific needs. Accordingly, these laptops differ in flavor, class and quality.

Let`s take a look at the various types of notebooks that are available in the market today. Keeping various factors in consideration the notebooks can be broadly divided into four major categories, such as:

Budget laptops - Typically, these laptops cost around US$ 1000 to $ 1200.

Mid-range laptops - Notebooks of this category can be found with a price-tag of about US$1200 to $1600.

Ultra-portable laptops - These light-weight laptops ranges from US$1600 to $2200.

Laptops for the people with a class apart. With all the standard and advanced features in these notebooks, they cost above US$2200.

Performance test of laptops:

Notebooks can be tested on the basis of certain benchmarks such as Multimedia content creation 2003 and Business Winston 2002. These tests determine the performance ability of different notebooks with regard to regular productivity applications and multimedia content application.

Similarly, 3D Mark05 and 3D Mark06 are used as standards to measure the gaming and graphic potential of different notebooks.

Likewise, PC Mark05 is taken as a yardstick to test various components of notebooks such as hard-disk general usage, multithreading, web-page rendering, file decryption and 3D pixel shader.

Moreover, the battery back-up and wireless connectivity can be tested using Battery Mark02 and QCheck as the benchmark.

Finally, Vista Compatibility Check can be undertaken to test if the notebooks have Vista-readiness. Under this test, the performance of the laptops is assessed on the basis of Vista drivers and Vista upgradeability.

Features:

When it comes to features, the list seems endless. Some expensive notebooks have the most advanced features such as built-in webcams, fingerprint readers, TPM and so on. So far as the features go, they can be divided into five different categories, such as:

Physical - Screen size and weight of the notebook

Connectivity - Bluetooth version 1/2, infrared, MMC reader, S-Video, DVI port, FireWire. The number and type of USB ports and PCMCIA slots.

Components - Type of optical drives, whether the notebook has a DVD combo, a CD-RW or a multi-recorder DVD-RW. The hard-drive capacity and any additional component such as wireless optical mouse or an MMC adapter.

Software - Software have always been an essential part of the package. These include recovery CDs, driver CDs, OSes, etc.

Protection - All types of protection available in a notebook, be it a finger-print reader, BIOS level HDD protection, touch-pad lock, TPM, or even rescue option available at the time of boot up.

Pricing and Warranty:

All notebooks ranging from $1200 to $4500 offer warranty of 1 year and some laptops have the option of additional extendable warranty.

So, the above discussed comprehensive analysis and performance tests will definitely help those who are planning to buy a laptop.

The significance of notebooks or laptops is increasingly growing in the modern life. The modern-day business has witnessed a phenomenal turn-around at the present moment. Given the hectic schedules and jam-packed daily routines, it has become virtually impossible for almost anyone to perform their activities being rooted to one particular place or work-station. The frequent movements of numerous businessmen from place to another have made them to carry a notebook or laptop in order to perform their business activities, even during traveling.

Notebook refers to a light-weight personal computer which is small in size and conveniently portable. A notebook is usually battery or AC operated personal computer smaller than a briefcase, which can be easily used and carried along in places such as airplane flights, libraries, temporary offices, and at meetings. A notebook is famously known as `Laptop` which typically weighs less than 7 pounds (3 kg) and is about 3 inches in thickness. Some renowned brands associated with the manufacturing of notebooks are IBM, Apple, Sony, Dell, Toshiba, and Hewlett-Packard among others.

One of the most remarkable differences between a notebook and personal computer is the `Display Screen` - notebook computers use a variety of technologies known as `Flat-panel technologies` to produce a light-weight and non-bulky display screen. The display screen of many notebooks is limited to VGA resolution. However, notebook computers have one minor drawback - the notebook monitors that use `Active-matrix Screens` and produce very sharp images, do not refresh as quickly as the full-size monitors of desktop computers.

When it comes to the computing power, the contemporary notebooks are almost equivalent to the personal desktop computers. Typically, the notebooks computers come with a battery pack which enables you to run them without plugging them in. However, their batteries require recharging at a regular interval. Besides, the laptops have the same CPUs, memory capacity and, disk drives as incase of personal desktop computers. Not surprisingly, the laptop computers or notebooks, as they say it, are much more expensive than their bulky counterparts.

Notebooks or Laptops are manufactured in different designs, sizes, weights and memory capacities. The following are some of the main categories of notebook computers which are produced by some recognized companies:

Ultra-portables:

Ultra-portables are laptops with screen-size less than 12 inches and weight of less than 4 pounds (1.7 kg) These laptops do not normally have full-size keyboards. Primarily, it is the business travelers who need ultra-portables because they are small and light. Ultra-portable are very expensive, have extendable battery, power-saving CPUs and integrated graphics.

Thin & Lights:

This breed of laptops, by and large, weighs between 4 and 6 pounds (1.8 and 2.8 kg) and with a screen-size of 12 to 14 inches. Notebooks of this category are manufactured by Sony, Apple Computer and Dell among others.

Medium-sized Laptops:

Medium-sized laptops usually have a screen-size of 14 to 16 inches and a weight of around 7 to 9 pounds (3 to 4 kg). The length and width of these medium-size laptops are generally decided by their screen-size. However, these medium-sized notebooks have relatively less computing power due to their smaller dimensions and longer battery life.

Desktop Replacement Computers:

This edition of notebook computers is chiefly used in a fixed location and not easily portable due to their heavy weight and bulky size. Their screen-size typically measures from 17 to 20 inches. Moreover, desktop replacement computers have limited battery life barely exceeding 3 hours. This is because the hardware is not optimized for efficient power usage.

Notebooks have really become very popular computer hardware. Its portability and affordable prices seem to be very attractive to business executives, and everyone else, who seem to be on the move all the time. As businesses become more globalized, notebooks become a must-have tool item for everyone who wants to be successful.

Every modern notebook is Wi-Fi enabled, allowing internet access from any part of the globe. But while using your wireless notebook, you should be aware of Wi-Fi standards, hotspots, and how to effectively use this technology to make the optimum use of your notebook.

The 802.11g Wi-Fi standard is the latest standard, which your notebook follows when you are online. The Wi-Fi alphabet spaghetti consists of protocols like 802.11, 802.15, 802.16, and 802.20. However, for most notebook users 802.11 would be sufficient with added `a`, `b`, or `g`.

There are protocols like `e`, `h`, `i`, and `n` that are waiting in the wings to make their entry. Nevertheless, as of now, 802.11g is the only protocol that one needs to think when it comes to wireless connectivity. The latest Wi-Fi standard is the 802.11g and offers connection speeds up to 54 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz radio bands, which is five times more than the previous standard 802.11b. It is more stable, more secure, and backward compatible.

Almost all notebooks that are manufactured today are 802.11g Wi-Fi standard ready. This standard is also designed to replace the older Wired Equivalent Privacy or WEP by specifying the Wi-Fi Protected Access or WPA. The WPA will function as an interim solution, until the next standard, the 802.11i network security standard is implemented with a new algorithm called Temporal Key Integrity Protocol, which shall be much more secure and reliable.

However, until the new standard is implemented, the 802.11g is to be followed. There are only two disadvantages with this notebook Wi-Fi standard, that firstly, since it is a new standard, it may not perform as promised; and secondly, with fast emerging latest technologies, it may become obsolete by newer standards before you have the time to benefit from it.

Few tips for a secure Wi-Fi experience:

1 - You should raise the level of your laptop settings. Raise the security settings of software applications like Microsoft Outlook and Internet Explorer. Update them frequently to ensure latest protection from hackers and viruses. You should keep the encryption feature always on to ensure safest browsing with Wi-Fi.

2 - Along with the software, you should also consider updating to better hardware. Hackers have always found 802.11a and 802.11b very easy to hack. However, 802.11g is harder to crack and you should consider upgrading your hardware to a `g` card. An 802.11g is backward compatible with IEEE 802.11b, thus 802.11g can leverage the widespread, international adoption of IEEE 802.11b in products from laptops to PDAs. A personal firewall, such as ZoneAlarm or BlackICE can significantly add up to the security level of your notebook.

3 - Whenever you are using your notebook at a Wi-Fi hotspot, make it a point not to send data. While you are surfing, do not type your credit-card number, expiration date, passwords, bank account numbers, etc. Sensitive data are the goldmines for hackers, and they will swipe your bank account before you can finish saying, ` I have been a victim of online identity theft!`

4 - Consider not staying online while working. If the risks outweigh the benefits, then it would be better to stay offline; at least until the new 802.11i standard is not implemented. Even then, the security can be breached, albeit with difficulty. If you do not need Wi-Fi to implement your work, then stay switched off. If you need the Wi-Fi just to send and receive files, then stay connected for only that period. Rest of the time, stay offline.

Precautions to take at a public Wi-Fi hotspot:

Whenever you are in public domain, you need to take precautions, as it is free for all. The Wi-Fi hotspots are available to any and every person, and anybody can be connected. Besides online thefts, there is also the risk of offline thefts.

While in a public hotspot, do not be so absorbed with your notebook, that you fail to notice the people around you. There are persons who are in the business of stealing notebooks, from public hotspots. And they do not operate as individuals but as a gang.

Also, while you are online at a public hotspot, follow simple rules like encrypting files before transferring or emailing them; making sure you are connected to a legitimate access point; and file sharing is turned off. Basic precautions like password protecting your notebook, updating your system regularly, and using anti-virus software should be strictly followed. For further online security, consider using a personal firewall, a virtual private network (VPN), and web-based email with secure http (https).

Having a good Wi-Fi experience directly translates into a satisfying Internet experience. With the above suggestions being implemented, you are guaranteed to have a pleasant online time with your notebook.

Notebook, notebook computer, laptop, and laptop computer are different terms for a small computer, which is mobile, and weighing about 1 to 6 kg or 2.2 to 18 pounds, depending upon the model. In 1979-1980, Bill Moggridge of GRiD Systems Corp. designed one of the first laptops and named it as the GRiD Compass 1101. It featured the clamshell design where the flat display folded shut on the keyboard. In May 1983, Gavilan Computer Corp. introduced and first marketed as a laptop, known as Gavilan SC. About this same time, Sharp Corp.Ltd., announced their laptop Sharp PC-5000.

In 1989, Compaq introduced Compaq LTE, which was a laptop of a smaller size, about the size of an A4 paper notebook, and it popularly came to be known as a notebook computer or notebook. Thereafter the terms laptop and notebook began to be used interchangeably. Nevertheless, the terms, notebook and laptop are incorrect terms, as due to the heat, many laptops cannot be placed on top of the lap, and most notebooks are not the size of an A4 paper notebook. However, what manufacturers usually call as a notebook, end-users prefer to call it as a laptop; hence both the terms are used.

According to the functions and the models of notebooks, they are generally classified as: Ultraportables (screen is diagonally less than 12 inches, weight is 1.7 kg or less); thin-and lights (screen is diagonally from 12 to 14 inches, weight is from 1.8 to 2.8 kg); medium-sized laptops (screen is diagonally from 14 to 15.4 inches, weight is from 3 to 3.5 kg); and desktop replacement computers (screen is diagonally from 17 to 20 inches, weight is 4 to 6 kg).

The concept of laptop was to make a device that could use the same software of a desktop computer, but much smaller in size to enable mobility and support mobile computing (ability to use the computer while in transit). Thus, further innovations have introduced transportables (which can be moved from one place to another without supporting mobile computing); tablets (which feature touchscreens and support mobile computing); ultra mobile PCs (which are very small and compact tablet PCs); internet tablets (which support internet and mobile computing); personal digital assistants (PDAs), which are pocket-sized and support mobile computing; handheld computers, which represent expensive tablets or PDAs; and smartphone, which is a PDA or a handheld computer with cellphone integration. Over the development phases, these classifications got blurry at times, and many machines fused functionalities of other categories.

Notebooks can be used for various purposes. Commercial purposes like attending phone calls, receiving and sending emails and faxes, typing out letters and printing them, making presentations with pie and bar charts, and taking data from one place to another can be achieved by any standard notebook. However, high fliers prefer thin-and-light notebooks and for regular office work, ultraportable notebooks are preferred. Both are wireless notebooks so they can be remotely accessed. Scientific purposes are best suited with a notebook that features fast computing speed, good 2D and 3D graphics display, and a large memory, like desktop replacement notebook, and a thin-and-light notebook. Artistic purposes require animation, 2D and 3D drawings, interior & exterior designing, arranging music compositions, post-production audio-video work, etc., which can be fulfilled by desktop replacements, gaming notebooks, and mainstream notebooks.

Educational institutions normally do not prefer notebooks due to its high chance of being stolen. Additionally, they prefer that their assets do not move around within the premises in the hands of students who may be careless. However, to keep up with the times, and to be considered as techno-savvy, they do invest in notebooks. The types of notebooks best suited for educational purposes are mainstream notebooks, and desktop replacements. Students need a notebook to do projects, prepare study notes, and to play some games in their spare time. They need to take the notebook wherever they go, hence, size and weight are major considerations. The type of notebook that fulfills student needs is a thin-and-light notebook with locking facility so that they can lock it with their backpack. Most students report late submission of projects due to their notebooks being stolen.

So no matter what the purpose one might have for using a notebook, it seems that mobility will always seem to be the main reason for such a product purchase. Nowadays with so many models being offered with affordable prices, it seems that notebooks will always be a product in demand. After all it is one of the best selling computer hardware for quite some time. And that says it all.