A laptop is a portable personal computer with a clamshell design. The screen folds down over the keyboard for transport. It has a battery, so it runs without being plugged in. The first true laptop, the Osborne 1, appeared in 1981. It weighed 24 pounds and had a tiny screen. Today's laptops are thinner than a magazine and run for hours.

Laptops trade power for portability. They use low-voltage processors, integrated graphics, and compact cooling. Some are powerful enough for video editing and software development. Others are thin clients for web browsing and email. The category spans a wide range.

Types of laptops

• Ultrabook: thin, light, long battery life
• Gaming laptop: powerful GPU, heavy cooling
• 2-in-1: convertible tablet with touchscreen
• Chromebook: lightweight, browser-based
• Workstation: desktop replacement, high performance

Laptops changed work. You can write a report on a plane, join a meeting from a coffee shop, or code from a beach. The office is wherever you open the lid.