Why I Love My Laptop

Hello everyone - my name is Keith Johnson, and I am a Senior Technical Writer from sunny Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. I have been working in the field of Information Technology and Content writing for twenty years now. The first five years of my computing career I worked as a Software Trainer for Microsoft Programs in Curitiba, Brazil - helping students to learn MS Office, Fox Pro, Visual Basic, DOS and Windows. Back in those days, computers used were desktop computers and servers were usually 486 models and students had 386 models. So, regardless of the network setup - Novell (DOS based) or Windows for Workgroups, everything was based on a local network setup. There were many cables needed and many, many CDs to install and backup software. Essentially, computers back then were clumsy and heavy.

Once I got back from Brazil to the US in 1996, things started to change. Desktops had a better design and then Pentium computers came into play. The Pentium chip allowed for super fast processing of commands and requests to the CPU of machines. This allowed for faster compile time for programming and rendering of graphics while using graphics programs. Finally, around 2000, the computing world saw yet another great evolution in its path: the laptop computer. In 2000 and 2001 - I worked for a company called Star Media out of Miami, Florida and I had to travel to Brazil to train other employees on the company's Wireless Internet Server. Star Media gave me a laptop and from the foreign offices, airport, and hotel I could connect, via VPN, to the home office server and access e-mails and files. Immediately I saw the relevance and greatness of the laptop computer - and this was all the way back in 2000 and 2001. Amazing indeed.

Between 2001 and 2012, I have served several different companies as a Technical Writer & Software Trainer. On all jobs, I have had the great opportunity of having a laptop computer. The laptop computer allows me to travel and bring all my files and connectivity with me, wherever I go. The laptop requires virtually no wires or cables, except that for power. Today, you can even connect your laptop to a printer with a USB utility drive and connect to the web, again, from a USB based utility drive. Laptop computers are smaller than desktop computers and do not sport dual-screens. However, there are many models of laptop computers that will allow you to see what you are working on with great clarity and readability. Laptop computers usually come with a battery, so if power goes out or you are in a location with no power, as long as you have charged your battery, you should be able to work for several hours without any issues.

Today, the latest market evolution and advancement is that of the mobile device - mobile phones, tablet computers, and other e-readers. These are all great, but you lack some of the traditional resources that laptop computers possess - namely the traditional keyboard which allows for fast typing and also the F buttons which allow for shortcut commands on many software programs like Microsoft Word and Microsoft Windows. 

My favorite laptop computer is the Hewlett Packard brand. These are great laptops - and the hardward provided along with the installed software is top-notch and I have not had a problem with my HP laptop since I bought it back in 2004 - yes, 2004. It has served me perfectly for 8 years without a single problem. Other laptop models I personally endorse are the LeNovo ThinkPad (formerly IBM) and also those by Dell Computers. What about Apple? Because I have been in the corporate computing arena for so many years, I need to have MS-Windows to run the various programs I use. So, yes, Apple laptops are nice, but I have been able to maximize my experience with laptops that run MS-Windows - namely HP, Dell, and LeNovo. My recommendation - determine the software you need to use before you choose the brand. That is always the best approach. Just remember - laptops rock - they really do!

Happy Computing and Have a great 2012.

Best Regards,

Keith Johnson, M.S. Education
Senior Technical Writer and Author

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