
Although the terms notebook computers or notebooks originally referred to a specific size of laptop (originally smaller and lighter than mainstream laptops of the time), the terms have come to mean the same thing and notebook no longer refers to any specific size. Today, laptops are used in a variety of settings, such as at work, in education, for playing games, web browsing, for personal multimedia, and for general home computer use.Īs of 2022, in American English, the terms laptop computer and notebook computer are used interchangeably in other dialects of English, one or the other may be preferred.

They are so named because they can be practically placed on a person's lap when being used. Laptops are folded shut for transportation, and thus are suitable for mobile use.


Laptops typically have a clam shell form factor with the screen mounted on the inside of the upper lid and the keyboard on the inside of the lower lid, although 2-in-1 PCs with a detachable keyboard are often marketed as laptops or as having a "laptop mode". A Chromebook 11 laptop from 2014, by Acer Inc.Ī laptop, laptop computer, or notebook computer is a small, portable personal computer (PC) with a screen and alphanumeric keyboard.
