All laptop computers have similar components.
Laptop computers are not really very different from a desktop system, except that all of the components for a laptop are designed to be smaller and use less energy to operate. The primary concern for laptops is the amount of power required to operate it, because the components are battery-powered and efficiency is vital to smooth operation.
Keyboard
Laptop keyboards tend to be compact.
Most laptop keyboards do not include the numeric keypad in a conventional format. Because they are compact, some functions of the keyboard may require combination keystrokes where more than one key is pressed at the same time. The number of keys vary depending on the type and brand of laptop being used.
Display
The display is dependent on the size of laptop frame.
Most laptops use a liquid crystal display, or LCD, monitor that is directly connected to the motherboard and laptop chassis. Older models may be as much as 1 inch thick, but newer ones have been reduced to only a fraction of that. Screen resolution ranges from 640 by 480 pixels upwards to 1440 by 900 pixels, determined by the physical dimensions of the screen and the processing power of the CPU itself.
Motherboard
The motherboard is what makes everything work.
The motherboard contains the central processing unit (CPU) and connectors for the monitor, hard drives and any peripherals, including the keyboard and touch pad. The sound card is built into the motherboard along with Universal Serial Bus (USB) and other networking jacks or the readers for plug-in cards. The motherboard allows all of the other components to work together.
Memory
The computer's RAM is increased by plugging in a chip.
The random-access memory (RAM) in a laptop is where the computer does its "thinking." As a rule of thumb, having more RAM means your computer will operate faster, with minimum and maximum requirements related to the CPU and the operating system being used.
Hard Drive
Hard drives for laptops have a small footprint.
The hard disk drives used in laptops are slimmer version of the ones used in desktop systems. Until recently, the size of the hard disk was related to when the laptop was built, in direct proportion to advances in hard drive technology. New systems use smaller hard drives to reduce power consumption, relying on the use of external USB devices and network storage for the majority of saved data.
Mouse or Touch Pad
Touch pads are the most common tracking device in laptops.
Very few laptops have a mouse or trackball, but most have ports where a mouse can be plugged in. Laptops use a touch pad design where the user's finger drags the mouse about on the screen, and then presses the left or right buttons. Newer laptops may feature a touch screen as well as a touch pad, allowing the user to directly drag or tap on the display.
Optical Drives
Ultra-slim optical drives fit inside the laptop case.
A compact disc (CD) or digital video disc (DVD) player is common. Disk-burning drives are more useful, but not always included.
Network Components
Many external devices can be connected to a laptop.
The networking components are built into the motherboard and may include an RJ45 network connector as well as two or more USB ports. Some laptops include D-shaped serial and parallel connectors for connecting to modems or printers, but USB is slowly replacing those types.
Battery
Batteries are now powerful enough to watch multiple movies on a laptop.
Laptop batteries are designed to fit a particular brand or model of computer. They are designed to fit snugly into the case and connect directly to the power terminals of the computer. As battery technology advances, laptops become lighter and produce less heat, as well as operating for longer periods and performing faster.
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