Paper Notebooks to Laptop Notebooks
- A Scientific Renaissance

When we hear the word `notebook` the first thought that strikes our grey matter is a writing device in the form of a book usually made of paper. We generally imagine it in various forms like notepad, writing pad, or simply a scrapbook. Its use is generally determined by its size - not forgetting the general saying `the smaller, the better`. The concept (of notebooks) which started as a collection of leaves somewhere in ancient Rome has today taken the shape of a latest electronic device called the `laptop`. Laptops were named `notebooks` probably because of their small size inspite of the fact that originally they did not have any note-taking ability. Initially laptops had integrated screen and keyboard and were more like `suitcase computers` but with advancements in technology they kept getting smaller in size with enhanced features. Laptops were referred to as notebooks when they had condensed in size comparable almost to a paper notebook. Moving a step further we got something called PDA`s (Personal Digital Assistants) which were a little larger than portfolio notebooks and were named `notebook` to differentiate them from general laptops. In common man`s words these were called `Palm tops`. The quest for comfort did not end with the PDA`s. Moving a step further we got a much better and advanced version of PDA s called the `Tablet PC`s`. Tablet PC`s are laptops or rather notebooks that have a special pen and software with which we can interact with the screen directly. So it was a kind where we can actually write on with a pen - a real master piece in the world of science! Here the screen itself is used as the Input-Output device rather than the Mouse or the Keyboard. Moreover these PDA`s and Palmtops use flash memory and they do not use the same OS or hardware as used by the typical laptop and notebooks ... more>>>