Portable computers are classified as laptops, notebooks, or palmtops.
PCMCIA cards provide expandability to portable computers.
Type I PCMCIA cards are used for memory; they are 3.3 mm thick.
Type II PCMCIA cards are used for expansion devices; they are 5.0 mm thick.
Type III PCMCIA cards are used for hard drives; they are 10.5 mm thick.
Display screens for portable computers are either dual-scan or active-matrix.
Tape Carrier Packaging is used to make processors consume less energy and put out less heat.
Good power management is the key to long battery life in a portable computer.
Tutorial Summary
The following points summarize the key concepts in this tutorial:
Networks
The benefits provided by a network are connections, communications, and services.
There are two types of networks: server networks and peer-to-peer networks.
A network topology describes the physical layout of the network. There are three basic topologies: bus, star, and ring.
In order to function on a network, each computer must have a network interface card (NIC) and a network operating system (NOS).
The three types of network cabling are twisted-pair, coaxial, and fiber-optic.
Portable Computers
Early "portable" computers were heavy, and usually more worthy of the term "luggable."
Today's laptops and notebooks have most of the features of a desktop machine in a very compact package-but at a much higher cost.
A computer technician should know the four types of PCMCIA cards and their uses.
Batteries and power management are key factors to consider when maintaining portable computers.
