Portable computers consist mostly laptop computers and notebook computers. They also include smaller portable devices, but my focus here is laptops and notebooks.

First, lets note some differences.

Although the terms laptop and notebook are often used interchangeably I will use them to separate portable computers into two major groups.

Customizable Systemax laptop with 15 inch wide screen display

Laptop computers are designed to almost replace the desktop computer, but with something that can be moved around from place to place. At the top end they offer features that rival the most expensive desktop computers, along with larger screens and more powerful graphics cards. They also have the extras built-in like DVD burners. Potentially much more powerful, but less portable. Go to the Laptop Computer Guide.

Notebook computers are smaller, and definitely more portable. They are much lighter and easier to move around. They are not as powerful as desktop computers and that kind of power becomes very expensive. The screens are smaller and are not suitable for playing games. Quite a few of the extras, like floppy drives and DVD drives are external and need to be plugged in separately, and quite often have to be bought separately. Much more portable and less powerful, but certainly enough for most applications. Go to the Notebook Computer Guide.