Datasheet

Principles of Laptops and Portable Devices 67
Pointing and Input Devices
Pointing devices with laptops include such options as touchpads, point sticks, and track
points. Some laptops come with only one of these, whereas others include a combination;
and users can always opt for something else (such as a wireless mouse). Which you use is
more a matter of preference and comfort than anything else.
Input devices can include a stylus, or digitizer. With this tool, a “pen” allows you to write
directly on the screen, and the text written is digitized into data. When data is entered in
this way, the laptop is often referred to as a tablet PC, maintaining the analogy of a tablet
and pen.
You should also know that the Function (Fn) key on a laptop is typically combined with
the function keys and a few other special keys to enable the laptop to perform tasks not
present on a desktop. For example, pressing Fn and F8 on a Dell laptop toggles the display
in three modes: in the first, the display goes only to the monitor; in the second, it goes to
the monitor and an output device such as a projector; and in the third, it goes only to the
output device. It’s typical to have Fn keys assigned for Standby and Hibernate modes as
well as checking the battery status and toggling volume controls.
Power Management
Power management is essential with laptops. You don’t want the system going dead when
the battery gets low without properly warning you and doing everything possible to save the
data. Although laptops include batteries and peripherals, the true strength in power manage-
ment lies in the operating system.
With Windows XP, for example, you access the power options by choosing Start  Control
Panel  Power Options to open a dialog box similar to that shown in Figure 1.23.
FIGURE 1.23 Power options in Windows XP
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