It is amazing how technology has changed in only a few short years. When portable computers first came out they were the size of a suitcase, heavy as anything, slower than molasses in winter time, and you couldn't connect a thing to them. Now they are called a laptop notebook computer and it is absolutely amazing what you can do with a laptop notebook computer today compared to just a few years ago.

Now you edit a movie, create music, burn a CD, burn a DVD, create a document and then connect to the internet out of thin air on a laptop notebook computer of today. Speaking as someone who remembers clearly the way the laptop notebook computer evolved and grew up I can tell you that it is nothing short of amazing.

Each new advance in technology is always met with fanfare created by the manufacturers of the technology in an attempt to sell their new products. In the case of the laptop notebooks each new advance was treated as though we were almost ready to walk on Mars and it was amazing to watch the laptop notebooks grow up. I remember when color screens were introduced, and then 3 ½ floppy drives were put on the laptop notebooks, and I remember the day that the CD-Rom drive was finally made available on the laptop notebooks. You would have thought that the Second Coming was happening and it was exciting and fun to watch.

Now It Is All About Price

I also remember when only corporations and very well off people could even think about owning one of these laptop notebooks because they were so prohibitively expensive when they first came out. A portable computer was easily twice as much, if not three times as much, as a desktop computer that could usually do more anyways. But now that the prices on components are coming down so are the prices on the portables and their functionality is making it really hard to justify having desktops anymore.

The computer industry is changing and when it used to be that desktops ruled and laptop notebooks were a luxury well now that has changed and desktops could become the minority soon. In this hurry up and go society it may be the portable computer that becomes the norm in a very short time and then you can not only take your work home with you but it will also make working from home in general a lot easier.

Remember when those electronic organizers first came out and we all thought they were the neatest things we had ever seen? You know, the Blackberry organizers and those PDA hand held things? Well do you also remember someone saying that if they could just figure out how to get a fully functioning computer down to that size then those PDAs would be useless? Guess what.

If you have never heard of a mini laptop, and you own one of those PDA things, then you may want to pay attention because technology is changing again and now everything we thought was completely impossible just a couple of years ago is fast becoming a tiny little reality.

For years manufacturers toiled and tussled over what to do to make the ever shrinking laptops even smaller. The sticking point was always drives. How can you make a laptop that doesn't have any drives on it and still make it useful? Won't people miss their CD or DVD drives?

Apparently not as the mini laptop is taking over the world and they are doing it without floppy drives, CD drives, or DVD drives. The mini laptop can not only be your fully functioning computer but many come standard with wifi and Blue Tooth connections that can allow you to integrate your home electronics into your mini laptop computer as long as your house is wired like that. Want to control your television while still sending email? You mini laptop comes with all the functionality you need and it doesn't stop there.

It Expands And Plugs In

A mini laptop usually comes with the standard USB ports that accept any external storage device and it also usually has an Ethernet port so it can connect to any network connection that cannot work with the wireless connection already built in to the mini laptop. It has a smaller keyboard and some offer an expanding or fold out keyboard as well that allows you to use it like a regular laptop on a desk.

You need to use it like a computer? No problem. Many models come with docking stations that include all of the ports you need for connecting CD drives, keyboards, and a regular monitor. You can use your mini laptop as your regular desktop and then put it in your pocket and take it with you.

As far as further expandability goes don't forget it has a USB port which can connect to a USB hub and connect things like printers, external storage devices like external hard drives, and other drives like CD and DVD drives. With all of that functionality in such a small package it is no wonder traveling business people are falling in love with the mini laptop and out of love with their old PDA.