12.1.2 Laptop Parts

Learn the different types of ports and their functions that can be found on a laptop.

Due to the proprietary nature of laptops and notebooks, some features and ports might not appear on all laptops, as it's entirely up to the manufacturer to decide what goes on their laptop models.

External Ports

Laptop ports are mostly the same as desktop ports. You'll be able to find USB, RJ45 (Ethernet), audio jacks, and HDMI ports on both.

Keyboard & Trackpad

The trackpad serves as a built-in mouse for the laptop. It uses technology similar to a touch screen to detect finger movements and move the cursor accordingly. Most trackpads supports pinch and zoom gestures. Some trackpads have a button for left and right click, while others might use the single/double finger tap to differentiate between the two.

Some laptops have an option to disable the trackpad entirely if you prefer to use a USB-connected mouse. Sometimes people call in to say their trackpad isn't working, after they forgot that they disabled it in favor of the mouse. This is why the first thing to check when troubleshooting a trackpad is that 'Disable Trackpad' option.

Another thing to remember is the fn key on laptops. The function key controls the operation of the F keys at the top of the keyboard, the F1-12 input or the secondary input. The secondary inputs for the F keys include audio/video playback control, display and backlight controls (like brightness), toggling integrated wireless devices (Bluetooth & GPS) and even to eject CDs.

Power Button & Camera

You can find those by using those things called eyes. They do what you think they do. If you see a small hole near the camera, that just might be where the laptop's integrated microphone is.

Air Vents

Usually, the air vents of a laptop are found on the side, and they're used to exhaust hot air. Sometimes the sides are inverted and cool air intake is from the side vents while hot air exhaust is on the bottom panel. Either way, don't ever cover these up, and clean up dust accumulation with compressed air.

SD Card Reader

It does what the name implies. It can usually be found on the I/O shield where all the other ports are, or on the front of the laptop. It retrieves data stored on an SD card.

Status LEDs

You might find LED displays for the following things:

• HDD Status
• Caps Lock
• Number Lock
• Integrated NIC Status

Integrated Wireless Network Cards

Speaking of NIC's, some laptops decided to ditch RJ45/Ethernet ports entirely, relying solely on their integrated NIC for wireless connectivity. The controls for WiFi can be found in the OS, and you can toggle wireless connectivity functions if you really want to e.g. airplane mode.

Physical Lock Slot

The laptop's physical lock slot is used to physically secure the laptop to a spot. It accepts a special cable lock with one end that locks to the notebook using a key. The other end of the cable is locked to a something, usually a desk.

Optical Drives

Sometimes laptop's ditch optical drive to achieve a thinner look.

Battery

Sometimes laptop batteries have integrated batteries that can't be replaced or swapped out. Other times they require you remove the entire back panel to get access to it. Laptop repairability these days is crazy.

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