Gavilan later failed largely due to their computer being incompatible with other computers – Mainly because Gavilan laptop used their own operating system.

Apple Computers introduced apple IIc model in 1984, but it wasn’t all that much better than what Gavilan had produced a year earlier. It did feature an optional LCD panel which had on impact on later notebooks.

Finally in 1986 a true laptop was created by IBM called IBM PC Convertible. I say “true” because unlike a few of others, this laptop didn’t have to be setup everywhere. And unlike others it featured two modern 3.5 inch floppy drives, and space for an internal modem! Also found on Convertible was an LCD screen and basic applications user could use to create word documents, and schedule appointments.

Maybe most interesting was that IBM PC Convertible sold for $3500! Of course you would be hard pressed to find that price tag on any laptop these days – (They have gone way down).

Since late 80’s many manufacturers have come forward to produce new machines that are even faster and more powerful than their previous counterparts. These days buyer has a lot of choice, and laptops are faster than ever.

Rule 3. Build Your Own Computer

This is important for two reasons. First, you can be assured of better quality components when you pick everything out on your own. When you buy an off-the-shelf system, chances are you are getting a big name CPU and everything else is most likely generic. Do you know what motherboard, power supply, or type of RAM you are getting? This of course, is my personal opinion, I'm not saying every manufacturer builds sub standard machines, but from experience I've had greater longevity from computers I've built myself. I've also noticed that you will often get little system memory, unless you pay a great deal more for it. You will often get 256MB of RAM with these base system. Windows XP will run, but likely with problems, on 256MB of RAM. It seems to be most stable with 512MB or more. Other areas they cut costs is by using integrated graphics chips. This saves them having to put in a graphics card, but you will pay price for it when you try to play a game.

The second reason to build your own computer is that you can cut your costs by stealing parts from your old computer. You can save hundreds of dollars by reusing drives, case, monitor, keyboard and mouse. Plus, you don't have to worry about calling a technician to install RAM or a new graphics card because you'll already know how to do it.

How Much Can You Build A Computer For?

I just checked out some pricing and you can build a very nice midrange gaming computer for around $600-$700 using an AMD Athlon 64 3000+. If you can steal a DVD drive from your old computer and maybe case, you can bring cost down even more. You can build a high-end machine for under $1000. The internet is full of useful websites about how to build computers. Look around and you'll find all information you need. There are several books published about topic as well. If you follow these simple rules and do a little research you can enjoy all of best computer games even if you are on a shoestring budget.