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AA

Major Project Study Report OnMajor Project Study Report On

TitledTitled

A STUDY OF CUSTOMERA STUDY OF CUSTOMER

PURCHASE DECISION TOWARDS LAPTOPS.PURCHASE DECISION TOWARDS LAPTOPS.

(Special Reference to Udaipur)

Submitted in partial fulfillment for theSubmitted in partial fulfillment for the

Award of degree ofAward of degree of

Master of Business AdministrationMaster of Business Administration

Submitted toSubmitted to

Rajasthan Technical University, KotaRajasthan Technical University, Kota

(www.rtu.ac.in)(www.rtu.ac.in)

Session 2008-2010Session 2008-2010

Under the Guidance of:Under the Guidance of: Submitted By:Submitted By:

Mr. Mukesh KumawatMr. Mukesh Kumawat Jitendra MehraJitendra Mehra

Project Guide & FacultyProject Guide & Faculty MBA IVMBA IVthth Sem.Sem.

Vision School of ManagementVision School of Management(Affiliated to Rajasthan Technical University & Approved by A I C T E)(Affiliated to Rajasthan Technical University & Approved by A I C T E)

Udaipur Road, Chittorgarh (Raj.)Udaipur Road, Chittorgarh (Raj.)

E-mail:E-mail: [email protected][email protected]

Website:Website: www.visionmanagement.orgwww.visionmanagement.org

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PrefacePreface

This MRP is prepared as the partial fulfillment for Two-Year degree Program of

MBA curriculum ofRajasthan Technical University, Kota. It is expected from an MBA to

possess a good communication & effective presentation skills.

Objectives of the project report, these are:-

It is uphold the dignity of individual

It is honor all commitments

It is committed to quality, Innovation and growth in every endeavor

It is responsible Corporate Citizens.

The research provides an opportunity to a student to demonstrate application of his/her

knowledge, skill and competencies required during the technical session. Research also helps

the student to devote his/her skill to analyze the problem to suggest alternative solutions, to

evaluate them and to provide feasible recommendations on the provided data. Although I

have tried my level best to prepare this report an error free report every effort has been made

to offer the most authenticate position with accuracy. This report contains a number of

additional features:

Introduces electronic industry in India, general c electronic manufacturing

process, SWOT analysis, price & profit to the firm, trend & players, domestic

players, market opportunities for investment & company profile & objectives of

the report.

On conceptual framework which related to electronic market (in the public sector,

interpretative models.

On data analysis & interpretation related to electronic products.

On observation & finding, conclusions & suggestion related to research

methodology, data analysis & interpretation which consider the topic of

A STUDY OF CUSTOMER PURCHASE DECISION

TOWARDS LAPTOPS.

A bibliography in project report is provided at the end that should serve as good

sources of reference material for learners & researchers in the area.

An annexure appears at the end of the report that provides some useful sources of

information on the Internet regarding project report. This should prove to be a welcome

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features for those persons who would like to access the net for more information on issues

covered in this project report.

DECLARATIONDECLARATION

This is to certify that Market Research Project Report on A STUDY OF

CUSTOMER PURCHASE DECISION TOWARDS LAPTOPS. (Special Reference

to Udaipur)submitted by me in Masters of Business Administration Program from Vision

School Of Management, Chittorgarh [Rajasthan Technical University, Kota] is my

original work and the project report has not formed the basis for the award of any

diploma, degree, associate ship, fellowship or similar other titles. Embodies the originalwork done by me under the able guidance and supervision of Mr. Mukesh Kumawat

(Guide & Faculty) Vision School of Management, Chittorgarh.

No part of this report has been produced from any other summer project, monograph,

report or book and all facts and figures have been confirmed by organizational guide.

------------------------------ ------------------------------Mukesh Kumawat Jitendra Mehra

Project Guide M.B.A. IV Sem.

Date--------------------- Date-------------------

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The successful completion of a Market Research Project Report

requires guidance & help from a number of people. I was fortunate

to have all the support from my teachers. I therefore take this

opportunity to express my profound sense of gratitude to the all

those who extended their whole hearted help and support to me in

completing the project study report work on

A STUDY OF CUSTOMER PURCHASE DECISIONA STUDY OF CUSTOMER PURCHASE DECISION

TOWARDS LAPTOPS.TOWARDS LAPTOPS.

(Special Reference to Udaipur)(Special Reference to Udaipur)

I also expressmy deep sense of gratitude to Mr. Mukesh Kumawat (Guide

& Faculty), who has helped us to do our project. We also thank to other faculty of

VSM & respondentsfor his valuable help in each stage of the project. Because of

his co-operation and continuous guidance successful completion of this project

study report was made possible.I am sincerely thankful to Dr. A.L. Jain (Director, Vision School of

Management) for allowing me to undertake the report and making

available all facilities for the successful completion of the report

besides guiding me to pursue the study on proper line.

I also express my deep sense of gratitude towards Miss. Nisha

Jain, Mr. Vibhor Paliwal, Mr. Rahul Jain, Mrs. Pratibha

Pagaria, Ms. Shobhika Tyagi (Faculty), P.L. Dashora

(Librarian) & all faculty members.

No Acknowledge would suffice for the support my family members, my training

colleagues, classmates & friends.

Lastly, I extend my thanks to all those whose name have not been mentioned way in

successfully carrying out the project report.

ThankingYou:

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Jitendra Mehra

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARYEXECUTIVE SUMMARY

India's premier information, enabling specifies requirements for a quality management

system where an organization needs to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide

product and services that meets customer and applicable regulatory requirements.

The menu of Industry global services broadly covers IT consulting and professional

services in the area of vertical applications, technology integration, ERP implementation

and software development. This also includes a complete portfolio of systems and

network services for development. This also includes a complete portfolio of systems and

network services for Facilities Management, Helpdesks, Systems Supports and network

and Internet Implementation.Computer Industry customers include Samsung, Government of Singapore, and AMAL

insurance Jurong Port in Singapore and Malaysians BSN commercial bank, SIA, DBS

bank, Maybank life assurance charted semiconductors.

Electronic Industry chosen platform of total technology integration lends itself to some

very significant alliances with the global leaders.

Today the industry has aligned its operations into five entities that offer seamless linkages

for the customers seeking entry into the wired world through total the. Integrationsolution ands services.

The industry focuses on the ever-growing segment in Imaging, Telecom and

Communication products solutions and services. Now it has an exclusive sale and

support.

The Industry Managed Network Service offerings for corporate include VPNs,

ASP offerings, Co Location/ hosting, CDNs, security, corporate internet telephony

solutions, technical and consumer help desks, 24/7 Network Operations Centre

monitoring and a host of value added networking services. Consumer services include

dialup PSTN/ISDN Internet access, Valufon calling cards and VoIP telephony devices.

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Table of ContentTable of Content

Certificate I

Preface II

Declaration III

Acknowledgement IV

Executive Summary V

Table of Contents VI

Chapter No. TITLE PAGE NO.

1 Industry Introduction 1-31

A Company Profile & Their Products 32-55

2 Conceptual Framework 56-74

A Review of Literature 75-87

3 Research Methodology 88-90

A Data Analysis & Interpretation 91-108

Finding & Conclusion 109

Suggestion 110

Bibliography 111

Annexure 112-114

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Chapter No.: 01Chapter No.: 01

OVERVIEW OF THE

INDIAN ELECTRONIC MARKET

ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY IN INDIA

INDUSTRY OVERVIEW

Historical Developments

The Electronics Industry in India took off around 1965 with an orientation

towards space and defence technologies. This was rigidly controlled and initiated by

the government. This was followed by developments in consumer electronics mainly

with transistor radios, Black & White TV, Calculators and other audio products.

Colour Televisions soon followed. In 1982-a significant year in the history of

television in India - the government allowed thousands of colour TV sets to be

imported into the country to coincide with the broadcast of Asian Games in New

Delhi. 1985 saw the advent of Computers and Telephone exchanges, which were

succeeded by Digital Exchanges in 1988. The period between 1984 and 1990 was the

golden period for electronics during which the industry witnessed continuous and

rapid growth.

From 1991 onwards, there was first an economic crises triggered by the Gulf

War which was followed by political and economic uncertainties within the country.

Pressure on the electronics industry remained though growth and developments have

continued with digitalisation in all sectors, and more recently the trend towards

convergence of technologies. After the software boom in mid 1990s India's focus

shifted to software. While the hardware sector was treated with indifference by

successive governments. Moreover the steep fall in custom tariffs made the hardware

sector suddenly vulnerable to international competition. In 1997 the ITA agreement

was signed at the WTO where India committed itself to total elimination of all

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customs duties on IT hardware by 2005. In the subsequent years, a number of

companies turned sick and had to be closed down. At the same time companies like

Moser Baer, Samtel Colour, Celetronix etc. have made a mark globally.

Current Scenario

In recent years the electronic industry is growing at a brisk pace. It is currently worth

US$ 32 Billion and according to industry estimates it has the potential to reach US$

150 billion by 2010. The largest segment is the consumer electronics segment. While

is largest export segment is of components. The electronic industry in India constitutes

just 0.7 per cent of the global electronic industry. Hence it is miniscule by

international comparison. However the demand in the Indian market is growing

rapidly and investments are flowing in to augment manufacturing capacity.

The output of the Electronic Hardware Industry in India is worth US$11.6 Billion at

present. India is also an exporter of a vast range of electronic components and

products for the following segments

Display technologies

Entertainment electronics

Optical Storage devices Passive components

Electromechanical components

Telecom equipment

Transmission & Signaling equipment

Semiconductor designing

Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS)

This growth has attracted global players to India and leaders like Solectron,

Flextronics, Jabil, Nokia, Elcoteq and many more have made large investments to

access the Indian market. In consumer electronics Korean companies such as LG and

Samsung have made commitments by establishing large manufacturing facilities and

now enjoy a significant share in the growing market for products such as Televisions,

CD/DVD Players, Audio equipment and other entertainment products.

The growth in telecom products demand has been breathtaking and India is adding 2

million mobile phone users every month! With telecom penetration of around 10 per

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cent, this growth is expected to continue at least over the next decade. Penetration

levels in other high growth products are equally high and growth in demand for

Computer/ IT products, auto electronics, medical, industrial, as well as consumer

electronics is equally brisk. Combined with low penetration levels and the Indian

economy growing at an impressive 7 per cent per annum, the projection of a US$150

Billion+ market is quite realistic and offers an excellent opportunity to electronics

players worldwide.

Electronic Manufacturing Services

India is well-known for its software prowess. But on the hardware front, the progress

is rather slow. However, the country has been making gains in this sector also. lready,

50 Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS)/Original Design Manufacturers

(ODMs) providers are operating in India, ranging from global players including

Flextronics and Solectron to indigenous firms including Deltron, TVS Electronics and

Sahasra. Further moves by international players are expected to add production in

India in the coming years. Indias contract-manufacturing business is expected to

nearly triple in revenue over the next five years, a development that will present both

opportunities and potential pitfalls for the worldwide electronics supply chain.Revenue generated by Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) providers and

Original Design Manufacturers (ODMs) in India will expand to $2.03 billion in 2009,

rising at a CAGR of 21 per cent from $774 million in 2004. Indian EMS/ODM

revenue grew by 20.8 per cent to reach $935 million in 2005. Obvious allure of

locating electronics production in India is the nations low labor costs. Labor costs for

conducting electronics manufacturing in India are between 30 to 40 per cent less than

in the United States or in Western Europe. Other equally important benefits from

operating in India include a fast-growing domestic market, an excellent education

system, the nations technology parks and the recent improvements in the countrys

transit and utility infrastructure.

However, the Indian contract-manufacturing industry is not expected to pose a

significant threat to Chinas position as the epicenter of electronics manufacturing in

the short term. Indias contract manufacturing activities primarily serve the nations

indigenous demand.

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OEMs primarily outsource manufacturing to cater to the Indian domestic market,

although export of Indian-assembled electronic goods does occur. In the longer term,

i.e. 2009 onward, it is predicted that India may compete with the Chinese providers in

select products as the nations share of the global electronics market increases.For

OEMs, using contract manufacturing services in India can help them penetrate the

local market. However, OEMs face specific risks associated with using contract

manufacturers in India. Fluid exchange rates combined with volatile oil and

component prices lead to unpredictable costs. Changing government policies along

with shifting government regimes also contribute to an unpredictable political

environment. Doing business in India is often disjointed, with an inefficient

bureaucratic system that causes frequent delays. However, for OEMs able to manage

these risks, the opportunity in India is significant. The semiconductor fabrication

segment has a small existing base in India with only two fabrication units, which both

are developing chips for the defense and strategic sectors. However, semiconductor

suppliers are expanding their manufacturing activities in India to serve the growing

contract-manufacturing industry in the nation. As evidence of this trend,

groundbreaking commenced on a 200 mm fabrication unit in Hyderabad operated by

Nano-

Tech Silicon India Ltd.

Electronic Contract Manufacturing Revenue

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Recent trends show that an increasing number of engineering and design activities are

also being outsorced to EMS companies and they are becoming ODMs (Original

Design manufacturers) and also provide final system integration and logistical support

E&Y have projected that India can target a share of 1 per cent in North America, 2 per

cent in Western Europe, 4 per cent of Asia and 5 per cent of Rest of the World of the

Electronics Manufacturing Services market. Thus India can target 2.2 per cent of the

world-wide electronics EMS market of US$497 Billion by 2010 which works out to a

potential of US$11 Billion.

The recent acceleration in EMS activity is mainly due to rapid growth in the electronic

Hardware market in all segments particularly rapid growth has taken place in Telecom

Infrastructure Equipment, computers, Consumer & Hand held devices.

Behind the impressive growth of the electronics industry is the robust and consistent

growth in Electronic Hardware market of approximately 25 per cent due to a stable

economy & large middle class of 350 million people. The fastest growing segments

are demand for telecom services particularly cell phones, internet subscribers &

growth in demand for it products with increasing penetration of computers, falling

prices & Government support to rapidly encourage usage of IT in all sectors. Within

next 5 years penetration of telephone users (both landline & mobile) is projected to

increase from 100 to 500 per thousand while PC's increase from 10 to 30 plus per

thousand. Some of the other factors are Highly talented workforce, especially for

design and engineering services with good

communication skills.

Rising labor costs in China.

Presence of global Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) majors in India and

their plans for increased investments in India.

More outsourcing of manufacturing by both Indian and global Original Equipment

Manufacturers

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Production Trend of Different Segments

Consumer Electronics

Consumer electronics (durables) sector continues to be the main stay of the Indian

electronic industry contributing about 32 per cent of the total electronic hardware

production. By the end of 2005-06, the market for consumer durables (including

entertainment electronics, communitarian and IT products) was Rs 180 billion (US

$4.5 billion). The market is expected to grow at 10 to 12 per cent annually and is

expected to reach Rs 60 billion (US$13.3 billion) by 2008. The urban consumer

durables market is growing at an annual rate Corporate Catalyst India A report on

Indian Electronics Industry of seven to 10 per cent, the rural durables market is

growing at 25 per cent annually. Some high-growth categories within this segment

include mobile phones, TVs and music systems.

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Computer Industry

With sound macroeconomic condition and buoyant buying sentiment in the market,

PC sales touched 6.5 million units during 2006-07. The high growth in PC sales is

attributed to increased consumption by Industry verticals such as Telecom, Banking

and Financial Services, Manufacturing, Education, Retail and BPO/IT-enabled

services as well as major e- Governance initiatives of the Central and State

Governments. Significant consumption in the small and medium enterprises and

increased PC purchase in smaller towns and cities was witnessed during the year. It is

expected that increased Government focus on pan-India deployment of broadband at

one of the lowest costs in the world will soon lead to accelerated PC consumption in

the home market. The growing domestic IT market has now given impetus to

manufacturing in India. The year witnessed not only capacity expansion by the

existing players, but also newer investments in hardware manufacturing. India is also

high on the agenda of electronics manufacturing services companies.

This is now a matured industry sector in the country at least as far as various

application segments is concerned. State-of-art and reliable SCADA, PLC/Data

Acquisition systems are being applied across various sections of the process industry.

Latest AC drive systems from smaller to very high power levels also find application

in large engineering industries like steel plants and/or metal industries. World class

UPS systems are being manufactured in the country to cater to the need of the

emerging digital economy. However, it appears there is really no manufacturing base

in the country for the whole range of the latest test and measuring instruments which

are invariably procured from outside. A good number of Indian companies in the

control and instrumentation sector are able to acquire orders for export systems

through international competitive bidding.

However, the creation of knowledge base in the country through industrial R&D in

this critical sector has not been improving as desired. There is still lack of needed

R&D activities by the industry looking at the global market. On the part of

Department of Information Technology some of the latest technology development

and applications in this area include Intelligent SCADA Systems for monitoring andcontrol of Mini Hydel plants, Advanced Traffic Control System for urban

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tranPCation, Intelligent Power Controllers for improvement of quality of electric

power, etc. These systems have been successfully developed and applied in real field

conditions.

Communication & Broadcasting Sector

The telecommunication industry has gained tremendous recognition as the key driver

for all round development and growth. With about 256 million telephone subscribers

(as on Corporate Catalyst India A report on Indian Electronics Industry February,

2007) India has emerged as one of the largest in the world and second largest in Asia.

The share of private sector in telecom industry has increased to more than 57 per cent

and the contribution of mobile telephony has gone upto 63 per cent on December,

2007. Buoyed by the better-than-expected teledensity in 2005 (11.4 per cent against

8.6 per cent in 2004) due to the mobile boom in India, Department of

Telecommunications (DoT) has revised the upwards the target of 22 per cent

teledensity by 2007. Broadband connectivity is holding tremendous potential in the

country. It is expected that the number of broadband subscribers would reach 20

million by 2010. India has emerged as the second largest market for mobile handsets.

Following the unprecedented growth in the mobile market, a number of companies are

planning to set up production base for mobile hand sets in the country for meeting

local as well as export markets. Direct to Home (DTH) broadcast service has gained

more and more popularity during 2005. DTH service is available through National

Broadcaster and private DTH service provider. Better quality digital broadcast

reception is now available almost everywhere in the country to the common people on

their TV sets through the use of small dish antenna and a Set-Top Box (STB).

Strategic Electronics

Though the government has started the process of getting private sector involved in

the production of strategic electronics equipments, the private involvement is at its

nascent stage. The estimated market for strategic electronics in India during 2005-06

was Rs.32 billion and 95 per cent of this was done by the public sector unit Bharat

Electronics Limited (BEL).

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Electronic Components

The total production of components was estimated at Rs. 88 billion during 2005-06.

The colour picture tube production is likely to be around 11 million, a decline from

11.2 million in the last year. The production of B&W picture tubes declined further

due to decreased market for B&W TVs. The components with major share in the

export are CD-R, CPTs, PCBs, DVD-R, connectors, semiconductor devices, ferrites,

resistors, etc. Significant developments took place during the year in the area of colour

picture tubes and colour glass parts. Another CPT manufacturer successfully launched

manufacture of pure flat tubes, leading to availability of flat tubes from three

indigenous sources. The CPT units continued expansion of capacities to improve

further their global competitiveness. Two more lines were commissioned during the

year, one for manufacture of large size flat colour Corporate Catalyst India A report

on Indian Electronics Industry picture tubes and the second for small size. Two more

lines are likely to come up next year. Keeping pace with the downward trend in prices

of color TVs, the prices of CPTs also fell.

Production Trend of Different Segments

Computers Communication

& Broadcast

Equipment

One of the CPT

manufacturers

successfully developed a

prototype of the 42 Plasma Display

Panel. This marked a major achievement of a milestone in the area of developing from

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green field a Technology development initiative in a Hi Tech area. The focus of

development was in optimizing the Plasma Display Cell design to achieve the desired

parameters of Contrast and Brightness, achieving high speed response times and

parallely designing the Scan and sustain driver boards to match the Panel parameters.

A fully functional video Controller was also designed and developed to match the

Logic Circuits of the PDP Panel. In the year 2006, the company plans to begin selling

commercially the PDP Panels developed completely inhouse and the focus there on

will be to create low cost products through Technological breakthroughs. The color

glass parts manufacturer implemented major expansion of its capacity to meet

increased local requirement due to substantial growth in CPT production. The unit

also started manufacture of glass parts for pure flat tubes as the demand for such tubes

increased due to one more unit launching production during the year. Both the existing

manufacturers of B/W glass parts continued the production of colour funnels in their

existing lines. They were also planning to make large investment to set up

manufacturing facilities for colour panels in near future. A number of existing units

imported capital goods under various schemes for expansion of their capacities in

PCBs, connectors, cable assemblies, colour picture tubes, compact disc, glass parts for

colour picture tubes, etc. Corporate Catalyst India A report on Indian Electronics

Industry The serviceable market for professional grade components such as PCBs,

semiconductor devices, connectors, wound components, antennas, etc., is likely to go

up due to launch of manufacture of mobile handsets in the country.

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History of Laptop Computers - History

Left - Modern Laptop Today

It is a little hard to determine what was the first portable or laptop

computer, the first portable computers did not look like the book-

sized and folding laptops that we are familiar with today, however,

they were both portable and lapable, and lead to the development of notebook style

laptops. I have outlined several potential firsts below and how each qualifies, many of

the off-site links provide good photos of the computers that will let you see the

progression in design.

The First Laptop? Maybe

Designed in 1979 by a Briton, William Moggridge, for Grid Systems Corporation, the

Grid Compass was one fifth the weight of any model equivalent in performance and

was used by NASA on the space shuttle program in the early 1980's. A 340K byte

bubble memory lap-top computer with die-cast magnesium case and folding

electroluminescent graphics display screen.

HP Mini 210 NotebookSuperior Entertianment Computing, Stunning Notbook

Designs, Visit Us!www.HP.com/IN/mini210

Gavilan Computer As The First Laptop?

Manny Fernandez had the idea for a well-designed laptop for executives who were

starting to use computer. Fernandez, who started Gavilan Computer, promoted hismachines as the first "laptop" computers in May 1983. Many historians consider the

Gavilan as the first fully functional laptop computer.

The First Laptop Computer - Osborne 1

The computer considered by most historians to be the first true portable computer was

the Osborne 1. Adam Osborne, an ex-book publisher founded Osborne Computer and

produced the Osborne 1 in 1981, a portable computer that weighed 24 pounds and cost

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$1795. The Osborne 1 came with a five-inch screen, modem port, two 5 1/4 floppy

drives, a large collection of bundled software programs, and a battery pack. The short-

lived computer company was never successful.

More History of Laptop Firsts Also released in 1981, was the Epson HX-20, a battery powered portable

computer, with a 20-character by 4 line LCD display and a built-in printer.

In January of 1982, Microsoft's Kazuhiko Nishi and Bill Gates begin

discussions on designing a portable computer, based on using a new liquid

crystal display orLCD screen. Kazuhiko Nishi later showed the prototype to

Radio Shack who agree to manufacture the computer.

In 1983, Radio Shack released the TRS-80 Model 100, a 4 lb. battery operated

portable computer with a flat and more of a laptop design.

In February 1984, IBM announced the IBM 5155 Portable Personal Computer.

Three years later in 1986, Radio Shack released the improved and smallerTRS

Model 200.

In 1988, Compaq Computer introduces its first laptop PC with VGA graphics -

the Compaq SLT/286.

In 1989, NEC UltraLite was released, considered by some to be the first

"notebook style" computer. It was a laptop size computer which weighed under

5 lbs. (second photo)

In September 1989, Apple Computer released the first Macintosh Portable that

later evolved into the Powerbook. (second photo)

In 1989, Zenith Data Systems released the Zenith MiniPC, a 6-pound laptop

computer. (more Zenith laptops)

In October 1989, Compaq Computer released its first notebook PC, the

Compaq LTE.

In March 1991, Microsoft released the Microsoft BallPoint Mouse that used

both mouse and trackball technology in a pointing device designed for laptop

computers.

In October 1991, Apple Computers released the Macintosh PowerBook 100,

140, and 170 - all notebook style laptops. (more on Powerbooks)

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In October 1992, IBM released its ThinkPad 700 laptop computer.

In 1992, Intel and Microsoft release APM or the Advanced Power Management

specification for laptop computers.

In 1993, the first PDAs or Personal Digital Assistants are released. PDAs are

pen-based hand-held computers.

Laptop

A laptop is a personal computerdesigned formobile use and small and light

enough to sit on a person's lap while in use. A laptop integrates most of the typical

components of a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a pointing device

(a touchpad, also known as a trackpad, and/or a pointing stick), speakers, and often

including a battery, into a single small and light unit. The rechargeable battery (if

present) is charged from an AC adapterand typically stores enough energy to run the

laptop for two to three hours in its initial state, depending on the configuration and

power management of the computer.

Laptops are usually notebook-shaped with thicknesses between 0.71.5 inches

(1838 mm) and dimensions ranging from 10x8 inches (27x22cm, 13" display) to

15x11 inches (39x28cm, 17" display) and up. Modern laptops weigh 3 to 12 pounds

(1.4 to 5.4 kg); older laptops were usually heavier. Most laptops are designed in the

flip form factor to protect the screen and the keyboard when closed. Modern tablet

laptops have a complex joint between the keyboard housing and the display,

permitting the display panel to swivel and then lie flat on the keyboard housing.

Laptops were originally considered to be "a small niche market" and were

thought suitable mostly for "specialized field applications" such as "the military, the

Internal Revenue Service, accountants and sales representatives". But today, there are

already more laptops than desktops in businesses, and laptops are becoming obligatory

for student use and more popular for general use. In 2008 more laptops than desktops

were sold in the US.

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History

The Epson HX-20

As the personal computer became feasible in theearly 1970s, the idea of a portable personal

computer followed. A "personal, portable

information manipulator" was imagined by Alan Kay at Xerox

PARC in 1968 and described in his 1972 paper as the "Dynabook".

The IBM SCAMP project (Special Computer APL Machine Portable), was

demonstrated in 1973. This prototype was based on the PALM processor (Put All Logic In

Microcode).The IBM 5100, the first commercially available portable computer, appeared in September

1975, and was based on the SCAMP prototype.

As 8-bit CPU machines became widely accepted, the number of portables increased rapidly.

The Osborne 1, released in 1981, used the Zilog Z80 and weighed 23.5 pounds (10.7 kg). It

had no battery, a 5 in (13 cm) CRT screen and dual 5.25 in (13.3 cm) single-density floppy

drives. In the same year the first laptop-sized portable computer, the Epson HX-20, was

announced.[5] The Epson had a LCD screen, a rechargeable battery and a calculator-size

printer in a 1.6 kg (3.5 lb) chassis. Both Tandy/RadioShack and HP also produced portable

computers of varying designs during this period.

The first laptops using the flip form factor appeared in the early 1980s. The Dulmont

Magnum was released in Australia in 1981-82, but was not marketed internationally until

1984-85. The 8150 US$GRiD Compass 1100, released in 1982, was used at NASA and by

the military among others. The Gavilan SC, released in 1983, was the first notebook

marketed using the term "laptop". From 1983 onward, several new input techniques were

developed and included in laptops, including the touchpad (Gavilan SC, 1983), thepointing

stick(IBM ThinkPad 700, 1992) and handwriting recognition (Linus Write-Top, 1987). Some

CPUs were designed specifically for low-power use including laptops (Intel i386SL, 1990),

and were supported by dynamic power management features (Intel SpeedStep and AMD

PowerNow!) in some designs. Displays reached VGA resolution by 1988 (Compaq SLT/286)

and 256-color screens by 1993 (PowerBook 165c), progressing quickly to millions of colors

and high resolutions. High-capacity hard drives and optical storage (CD-ROM followed by

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CD-R and CD-RW and eventually by DVD-ROM and the writable varieties) became

available in laptops soon after their introduction to the desktops.

Classification

The general terms "laptop" or "notebook" can be used to refer to a number of classes of small

portable computers:

By purpose and (approximately) by screen

size:

Desktop replaelectronic emphasizes

performance, is less portable, 15" and

larger screen;

Standard laptop balances

portability and features, 13-15" screen;

Subnotebook emphasizes portability,has fewer features, 12" or smallerscreen.

By features:

Budget a cheap, lower-performance

standard-sized laptop;

Tablet PC Has a touch-screen

interface, may or may not have a

keyboard;

Netbook A budget subnotebook

suited to Internet surfing and basic

office applications. Usually has a 9" or

10" screen.

Gaming laptop - A larger laptop with a

powerful graphics card for playing

graphics-intensive computer games. Rugged Engineered to operate in

tough conditions (strong vibrations,

extreme temperatures, wet and dusty

environments).

Desktop replaelectronic

Dell XPS M140 Laptop.

A desktop replaelectronic computer is a laptop that provides most of the

capabilities of a desktop computer, with a similar level of performance.

Desktop replaelectronics are usually larger and heavier than standard laptops.

They contain more powerful components and have a 15" or larger display.[11] Because of their

bulk, they are not as portable as other laptops and their operation time on batteries is typically

shorter; instead, they are meant to be used as a more compact, easier to carry alternative to a

desktop computer.

Some laptops in this class use a limited range of desktop components to provide better

performance for the same price at the expense of battery life; in a few of those models, there

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is no battery at all and the laptop can only be used when plugged in. These are sometimes

called desknotes, a portmanteau of the words "desktop" and "notebook," though the term can

also be applied to desktop replaelectronic computers in general.

In the early 2000s, desktops were more powerful, easier to upgrade, and much cheaper in

comparison with laptops. But in the last few years, the advantages have drastically changed

or shrunk since the performance of laptops has markedly increased. In the second half of

2008, laptops have finally outsold desktops for the first time ever. In the U.S., the PC

shipment declined 10 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008. In Asia, the worst PC shipment

growth went up 1.8 percent over the same quarter the previous year since PC statistics

research started.

The names "Media Center Laptops" and "Gaming Laptops" are also used to describe

specialized members of this class of notebooks.

Subnotebook

Sony VAIO P series subnotebook.

A subnotebook, also called an ultraportable by some

vendors, is a laptop designed and marketed with an

emphasis on portability (small size, low weight and longer

battery life) that retains the performance of a standard

notebook Subnotebooks are usually smaller and lighter than standard laptops, weighing

between 0.8 and 2 kg (2 to 5 pounds); the battery life can exceed 10 hours when a large

battery or an additional battery pack is installed.

To achieve the size and weight reductions, ultraportables use high resolution 13" and smaller

screens (down to 6.4"), have relatively fewports, employ expensive components designed for

minimal size and best power efficiency, and utilize advanced materials and construction

methods. Some subnotebooks achieve a further portability improvement by omitting an

optical/removable media drive; in this case they may be paired with a docking station that

contains the drive and optionally more ports or an additional battery.

The term "subnotebook" is usually reserved to laptops that run general-purpose desktop

operating systems such as Windows, Linux orMac OS X, rather than specialized software

such as Windows CE, Palm OS orInternet Tablet OS.

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Netbook

Netbooks are laptops that are light-weight, economical, energy-efficient and

especially suited for wireless communication and Internet access. Hence the name netbook

(as "the device excels in web-based computing performance") rather than notebook which

pertains to size.

With primary focus given to web browsing and e-mailing, netbooks "rely heavily on the

Internet for remote access to web-based applications"[19] and are targeted increasingly at cloud

computing users who rely on servers and require a less powerful client computer. While the

devices range in size from below 5 inchesto over 12, most are between 7 and 11 inches and

weigh between 0.9 - 1.4 kg (2-3 pounds).

Netbooks normally use light-weight operating systems such Linux and Windows XP.

Because they're very portable, Netbooks have a few disadvantages. Because the netbooks are

thin, the first such products introduced to the market had their primary internal storage in the

form of solid-state drives and not hard disks, which are essential to installing very many

programs. Hard disk drive technology and form factors have since been adapted to fit into

netbooks.

Given their size and use of more rudimentary components compared to notebooks and

subnotebooks, netbooks also generally have a smaller-capacity hard drive, slowerCPU, and a

lower-profile RAM capacity.

Recently, Google has announced to be developing an own operating system called Chrome

for this market.

The big breakthrough for netbook computers did not happen until the weight,

diagonal form-factor and price combination of < 1 kg, < 9", < U.S. $400, respectively,

became commercially available at around 2008.

Rugged laptop

A Panasonic Toughbook.

A rugged (or ruggedized) laptop is designed to reliably

operate in harsh usage conditions such as strong vibrations,

extreme temperatures, and wet or dusty environments.

Rugged laptops are usually designed from scratch, rather

than adapted from regular consumer laptop models.

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Rugged notebooks are bulkier, heavier, and much more expensive than regular laptops, and

thus are seldom seen in regular consumer use.

The design features found in rugged laptops include rubber sheeting under the keyboard keys,

sealed port and connector covers, passive cooling, superbright displays easily readable in

daylight, cases and frames made of magnesium alloys that are much stronger than plastic

found in commercial laptops, and solid-state storage devices or hard disc drives that are

shock mounted to withstand constant vibrations. Rugged laptops are commonly used by

public safety services (police, fire and medical emergency), military, utilities, field service

technicians, construction, mining and oil drilling personnel. Rugged laptops are usually sold

to organizations, rather than individuals, and are rarely marketed via retail channels.

ComponentsMiniaturization: a comparison of a desktop computer

motherboard (ATX form factor) to a motherboard from a

13" laptop (2008 unibody

Macbook)

Inner view of a Sony Vaio

laptop The basic components oflaptops are similar in function to their desktop counterparts, but

are miniaturized, adapted to mobile use, and designed for low power consumption. Because

of the additional requirements, laptop components are usually of inferior performance

compared to similarly priced desktop parts. Furthermore, the design bounds on power, size,

and cooling of laptops limit the maximum performance of laptop parts compared to that of

desktop components.

The following list summarizes the differences and distinguishing features of laptop

components in comparison to desktop personal computer parts:

Motherboard Laptop motherboards are highly make and model specific, and do not

conform to a desktop form factor. Unlike a desktop board that usually has several

slots forexpansion cards (3 to 7 are common), a board for a small, highly integrated

laptop may have no expansion slots at all, with all the functionality implemented on

the motherboard itself; the only expansion possible in this case is via an external port

such asUSB. Other boards may have one or more standard, such as ExpressCard, or

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proprietary expansion slots. Several other functions (storage controllers, networking,

sound card and external ports) are implemented on the motherboard.

Central processing unit (CPU) Laptop CPUs have advanced power-saving features

and produce less heat than desktop processors, but are not as powerful.[29]There is a

wide range ofCPUs designed for laptops available from Intel (Pentium M, Celeron

M, Intel Core and Core 2 Duo), AMD (Athlon, Turion 64, and Sempron), VIA

Technologies, Transmeta and others. On the non-x86 architectures, Motorola and

IBM produced the chips for the former PowerPC-based Apple laptops (iBook and

PowerBook). Some laptops have removable CPUs, although support by the

motherboard may be restricted to the specific models.[30] In other laptops the CPU is

soldered on the motherboard and is non-replaceable.

A SODIMM memory module.

Memory (RAM) SO-DIMM memory modules that are

usually found in laptops are about half the size of desktop DIMMs.

They may be accessible from the bottom of the laptop for ease of upgrading, or

placed in locations not intended for user replaelectronic such as between the keyboard

and the motherboard. Currently, most midrange laptops are factory equipped with 3-4

GB ofDDR2 RAM, while some higher end notebooks feature up to 8 GB of DDR3

memory. Netbooks however, are commonly equipped with only 1 GB of RAM to

keep manufacturing costs low.

Expansion cards A PC Card (formerlyPCMCIA) orExpressCard bay for expansion

cards is often present on laptops to allow adding and removing functionality, even

when the laptop is powered on. Some subsystems (such as Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or a

cellular modem) can be implemented as replaceable internal expansion cards, usually

accessible under an access cover on the bottom of the laptop. Two popular standards

for such cards are MiniPCI and its successor, the PCI Express Mini.

Power supply Laptops are typically powered by an internal rechargeable battery that

is charged using an external power supply. The power supply can charge the battery

and power the laptop simultaneously; when the battery is fully charged, the laptop

continues to run on AC power. The charger adds about 400 grams (1 lb) to the overall

"tranPC weight" of the notebook.

Battery Current laptops utilizelithium ion batteries, with more recent models using

the new lithium polymer technology. These two technologies have largely replaced

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the older nickel metal-hydridebatteries. Typical battery life for standard laptops is

two to five hours of light-duty use, but may drop to as little as one hour when doing

power-intensive tasks. A battery's performance gradually decreases with time, leading

to an eventual replaelectronic in one to three years, depending on the charging and

discharging pattern. This large-capacity main battery should not be confused with the

much smaller battery nearly all computers use to run the real-time clockand to store

the BIOS configuration in the CMOS memory when the computer is off. Lithium-ion

batteries do not have a memory effect as older batteries may have. The memory effect

happens when one does not use a battery to its fullest extent, then recharges the

battery. New innovations in laptops and batteries have seen new possible matchings

which can provide up to a full 24 hours of continued operation, assuming average

power consumption levels. An example of this is the HP EliteBook 6930p when used

with its ultra-capacity battery.

Video display controller On standard laptops the video controller is usually

integrated into the chipset. This tends to limit the use of laptops for gaming and

entertainment, two fields which have constantly escalating hardware demands.

Higher-end laptops and desktop replaelectronics in particular often come with

dedicated graphics processors on the motherboard or as an internal expansion card.

These mobile graphics processors are comparable in performance to mainstream

desktop graphic accelerator boards.

Display Most modern laptops feature 12 inches (30 cm) or larger coloractive matrix

displays based on a CCFL lamp with resolutions of 1280x800 (16:10) or 1366 x 768

(16:9) pixels and above. Many current models use screens with higher resolution than

typical for desktop PCs (for example, the 1440900 resolution of a 15"). Newer

laptops come with LED based screens offering a lesser power consumption and wider

viewing angles. Macbook Pro[34] can be found on 19" widescreen desktop monitors.

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A size comparison of 3.5" and 2.5" hard disk drives

Removable media drives A DVD/CD reader/writer drive

is typically standard. CD drives are becoming rare, while Blu-

Ray is becoming more common on notebooks. Manyultraportables and netbooks either move the removable media drive into the

docking station or exclude it altogether.

Internal storage Laptophard disks are physically smaller2.5 inches (64 mm) or

1.8 inches (46 mm) compared to desktop 3.5 inches (89 mm) drives. Some newer

laptops (usually ultraportables) employ more expensive, but faster, lighter and power-

efficient flash memory-based SSDs instead. Currently, 250 to 500 GB sizes are

common for laptop hard disks (64 to 256 GB for SSDs).

Input A pointing stick, touchpad or both are used to control the position of the

cursor on the screen, and an integrated keyboard is used for typing. An external

keyboard and/or mouse may be connected using USB or PS/2 (if present).

Ports several USB ports, an external monitor port (VGAorDVI), audio in/out, and

an Ethernet network port are found on most laptops. Less common are legacy ports

such as a PS/2 keyboard/mouse port, serial port or a parallel port. S-video or

composite video ports are more common on consumer-oriented notebooks. HDMI

may be found on some higher-end notebooks.

Docking stations

A docking station is a relatively bulky laptop accessory that contains multiple ports,

expansion slots, and bays for fixed or removable drives. A laptop connects and disconnects

easily to a docking station, typically through a single large proprietary connector. A port

replicator is a simplified docking station that only provides connections from the laptop to

input/output ports. Both docking stations and port replicators are intended to be used at a

permanent working place (a desk) to offer instant connection to multiple input/output devices

and to extend a laptop's capabilities.

Docking stations became a common laptop accessory in the early 1990s. The most common

use was in a corporate computing environment where the company had standardized on a

common network card and this same card was placed into the docking station. These stations

were very large and quite expensive. As the need for additional storage and expansion slots

became less critical because of the high integration inside the laptop, port replicators have

gained popularity, being a cheaper, often passive device that often simply mates to the

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connectors on the back of the notebook, or connects via a standardized port such as USB or

FireWire.

Standards

Some laptop components (optical drives, hard drives, memory and internal expansion cards)

are relatively standardized, and it is possible to upgrade or replace them in many laptops as

long as the new part is of the same type. Depending on the manufacturer and model, a laptop

may range from having several standard, easily customizable and upgradeable parts to a

proprietary design that cannot be reconfigured at all.

In general, components other than the four categories listed above are not intended to be

replaceable, and thus rarely follow a standard. In particular, motherboards, locations of ports,

and design and plaelectronic of internal components are usually make and model specific.Those parts are neither interchangeable with parts from other manufacturers nor upgradeable.

If broken or damaged, they must be substituted with an exact replaelectronic part. Those

users uneducated in the relevant fields are those the most affected by incompatibilities,

especially if they attempt to connect their laptops with incompatible hardware or power

adapters.

Intel, Asus, Compal, Quanta and other laptop manufacturers have created the Common

Building Blockstandard for laptop parts to address some of the inefficiencies caused by the

lack of standards.

Advantages

Laptop computers are portable and can be used in many

locations. Shown here is former Mexican president

Vicente Fox.

Portability is usually the first feature mentioned in

any comparison of laptops versus desktop PCs.

Portability means that a laptop can be used in

many placesnot only at home and at the office,

but also during commuting and flights, in coffee shops, in lecture halls and libraries,

at clients' location or at a meeting room, etc. The portability feature offers several

distinct advantages:

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Getting more work done Using a laptop in places where a desktop PC can't be

used, and at times that would otherwise be wasted. For example, an office worker

managing their e-mails during an hour-long commute by train, or a student doing

his/her homework at the university coffee shop during a break between lectures. Immediacy Carrying a laptop means having instant access to various information,

personal and work files. Immediacy allows better collaboration between coworkers or

students, as a laptop can be flipped open to present a problem or a solution anytime,

anywhere.

Up-to-date information If a person has more than one desktop PC, a problem of

synchronization arises: changes made on one computer are not automatically

propagated to the others. There are ways to resolve this problem, including physical

transfer of updated files (using a USB flash memory stick or CDRs) or using

synchronization software over the Internet. However, using a single laptop at both

locations avoids the problem entirely, as the files exist in a single location and are

always up-to-date.

Connectivity A proliferation of Wi-Fi wireless networks and cellular broadband

data services (HSDPA,EVDO and others) combined with a near-ubiquitous support

by laptops means that a laptop can have easy Internet and local network connectivity

while remaining mobile. Wi-Fi networks and laptop programs are especially

widespread at university campuses.

Other advantages of laptops include:

Size Laptops are smaller than standard PCs. This is beneficial when space is at a

premium, for example in small apartments and student dorms. When not in use, a

laptop can be closed and put away.

Ease of Access - Most laptops have doors on the underside that allow the user to

access the memory, hard drive and other components, by simply flipping the laptop to

access the doors. For desktops the user must usually access the backside of the

computer, which is harder if it's in an area with little space.

Low power consumption Laptops are several times more power-efficient than

desktops. A typical laptop uses 20-90 W, compared to 100-800 W for desktops. This

could be particularly beneficial for businesses (which run hundreds of personal

computers, multiplying the potential savings) and homes where there is a computer

running 24/7 (such as a home media server, print server, etc.)

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Quiet Laptops are often quieter than desktops, due both to the components (quieter,

slower 2.5-inch hard drives) and to less heat production leading to use of fewer and

slower cooling fans.

Battery a charged laptop can run several hours in case of a power outage and is not

affected by short power interruptions and blackouts. A desktop PC needs a UPS to

handle short interruptions, blackouts and spikes; achieving on-battery time of more

than 2030 minutes for a desktop PC requires a large and expensive UPS.[40]

All-in-One - designed to be portable, laptops have everything integrated in to the

chassis. For desktops (excluding all-in-ones) this is divided into the desktop,

keyboard, mouse, display, and optional peripherals such as speakers, and a webcam.

This leads to lots of wiring. It can also lead to massive power consumption.

Extras - in comparison to low-end desktops, even low-end laptops include features

such as integrated Wi-Fi, and Express Card slot, and a memory card reader.

Disadvantages

Compared to desktop PCs, laptops have disadvantages in the following fields:

Performance

Whilst the performance of mainstream desktops and laptops is comparable, laptops are

significantly more expensive than desktop PCs at the same or even lower performance level.

The upper limits of performance of laptops are a little bit lower, and "bleeding-edge" features

usually appear first in desktops and only then, as the underlying technology matures, are

adapted to laptops.

However, for Internet browsing and typical office applications, where the computer spends

the majority of its time waiting for the next user input, even net book-class laptops are

generally fast enough. Most higher-end laptops are sufficiently powerful for high-resolution

movie playback, 3D gaming and video editing and encoding. However, laptops are

disadvantaged when dealing with database, maths, engineering, financial software, etc.

Some manufacturers work around this performance problem by using desktop CPUs for

laptops.

Upgradeability

Upgradeability of laptops is very limited compared to desktops, which are thoroughly

standardized. In general, hard drives and memory can be upgraded easily. Optical drives and

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internal expansion cards may be upgraded if they follow an industry standard, but all other

internal components, including the CPU, motherboard and graphics, are not intended to be

upgradeable.

The reasons for limited upgradeability are both technical and economic. There is no industry-

wide standard form factor for laptops; each major laptop manufacturer pursues its own

proprietary design and construction, with the result that laptops are difficult to upgrade and

have high repair costs. With few exceptions, laptop components can rarely be swapped

between laptops of competing manufacturers, or even between laptops from the different

product-lines of the same manufacturer.

Some upgrades can be performed by adding external devices, either USB or in expansion

card format such a PC Card: sound cards, network adapters, hard and optical drives, and

numerous other peripherals are available, but these upgrades usually impair the laptop's

portability, because they add cables and boxes to the setup and often have to be disconnected

and reconnected when the laptop is moved.

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Ergonomics and health

Laptop coaster preventing heating of lap and improving laptop airflow.

Because of their small and flat keyboard and trackpad pointing devices, prolonged

use of laptops can cause repetitive strain injury.[44]

Usage of

separate, external ergonomic keyboards and pointing devices

is recommended to prevent injury when working for long

periods of time; they can be connected to a laptop easily by USB or via a

docking station. Some health standards require ergonomic keyboards at workplaces.

The integrated screen often causes users to hunch over for a better view, which can cause

neck or spinal injuries. A larger and higher-quality external screen can be connected to

almost any laptop to alleviate that and to provide additional "screen estate" for moreproductive work.

A study by State University of New Yorkresearchers found that heat generated from laptops

can raise the temperature of the scrotum when balancing the computer on one's lap,

potentially putting sperm count at risk. The study, which included roughly two dozen men

aged 21 to 35, found that the sitting position required to balance a laptop can raise scrotum

temperature by as much as 2.1 C (3.78 F). Heat from the laptop itself can raise the

temperature by another 0.7 C (1.26 F), bringing the potential total increase to 2.8 C (5.04

F). However, further research is needed to determine whether this directly affects sterility in

men.[45]

A common practical solution to this problem is to place the laptop on a table or desk. Another

solution is to obtain a cooling unit for the laptop, these units are usually USB powered and

consist of a hard thin plastic case housing 1, 2 or 3 cooling fans (with the entire assembly

designed to sit under the laptop in question) which results in the laptop remaining cool to the

touch, and greatly reduces laptop heat buildup.

Heat from using a laptop on the lap can also cause skin discoloration on the thighs. [46]

Durability

A clogged heatsink on a 2.5 year old laptop.

Due to their portability, laptops are subject to more wear an