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laptop vs notebook

post #1 of 4
5/28/06 at 1:50am
Thread Starter 
Sorry for this dumb question- but a minor asked me this question= I told her it is the same thing. but, I also doubted and told her I would try to find out why they have different names.
WHat could I tell her. I thought they were the same so why the difference in names still. I figured that for exam: cellular phones were called cellular phones when first out. quickly, people dropped the name and everyone now says "cell" phones of simply cell.
One more thing. what does it mean to post a poll in the thread. new to posts too
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post #2 of 4
5/28/06 at 11:17am
Not necessarily a silly question, with the way things are these days it's sometimes hard to keep up with the renaming of items. As far as I know, and I'm pretty much sure, that a laptop is a notebook. I'm guessing that people decided that laptop wasn't a business-enough term for a portable computer. Notebook sounds better I suppose.

Posting a poll in a forum is when you post a question and people in the forum can choose an answer.
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post #3 of 4
5/29/06 at 8:58am
It's actually an interesting question. If you will recall, the original "portable" computers, i.e. Kaypro, Osborne, and the original Compaq, were heavy suitcase like products that were more "luggable" than portable. When the technology improved to create the smaller portables similar to what we now use the industry was happy to call them "laptops" to distinguish them from the giant portables they replaced.

A few years ago, there were some studies done that showed that the heat from a small portable computer, if actually used on a lap, could have a negative effect on male fertility - i.e. too much heat down there kills sperm. There were a few news stories about the subject, and it was recommended that young boys and men who planned on fatherhood try to keep portable computers from their laps. About that time almost all computer manufacturers started relabeling their laptops as notebooks. My presumption is it was an industry-wide lawyer recommended renaming in order to offset any future liability in case some heavy user of a "laptop" decided to sue their computer company for infertility.
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post #4 of 4
6/17/06 at 1:03pm
the brits and the americans call it laptop
the french call it "portables" (closest meaning)
the rest of the world call it notebook


cheers ...
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