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Computers come in several shapes and sizes. We will be looking at the laptop computers.
A laptop computer does all the things a desktop computer can do. You can use it to surf the internet, write emails, play games, listen music or whatch a movie, and so much more. But unlike a desktop computer, a laptop is small, light and comes with a battery inside, that allows you to carry it around and use it anywhere.
Parts of a laptop computer
The laptop computer has several of the same parts as a desktop computer, but they are all combined in a single case. The main parts are:
‹ The monitor or screen | The monitor or screen, allows you to see what’s happening inside the computer, and is built into the lid of the laptop.
‹ The keyboard | Just like on a desktop computer, the keyboard is used to type numbers and letters;
‹ The touchpad | Unlike the desktop computer, a laptop does not have a mouse. Instead, it comes with a touchpad, which does the same job as a mouse;
‹ The web camera | Many laptops already have built-in cameras, and are used for video calls.
‹ The speakers | They are used to reproduce the sound that comes out of the computer.
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How to turn a laptop on and off
Just like a desktop computer, a laptop has a power button to turn it on and off. It is usually found above the keyboard on the right side, but in some laptops it can also be found on the left side, and has the power button symbol on it.
When you close the lid of the laptop, the screen switches off, or goes to “sleep”. This does not turn off the laptop, it just helps to save battery power. When you open the lid, the screen “wakes up”, and automatically switchs on again.
Using a touchpad.
The touchpad does the same job on a laptop, as a mouse on a desktop computer. It moves the cursor or mouse pointer.
‹ To move the pointer, you just have to slide your fingers across the touchpad in the direction you want to go.
‹ Some touchpads have buttons embedded. These are the same as the left and right mouse buttons;
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‹ If the touchpad doesn’t have buttons, you can just tap on the touchpad. That is the same as clicking in the mouse’s left button. You can tap twice, its like double-clicking a mouse.
‹ You can scroll a page using the touchpad, or you can move the cursor to the scroll bar on the page then press and hold down the touchpad with a finger, while moving your finger up or down in the touchpad.
How to charge a laptop computer
Laptops run on batteries, which means they don’t need to be plugged into mains. Although occasionally you need to recharge the battery. Look for the battery indicator on the top left or bottom left of the screen (looks like a battery). If it is almost empty, you should connect the laptop to the mains and recharge it.
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