How do detachable tablets/laptops work ?

Thread Starter

Externet

Joined Nov 29, 2005
2,201
Hi.
A laptop with a detachable keyboard (or screen) works fine as a tablet. But when the hard drive resides in the keyboard section left at home, it still works. How ?
 

Thread Starter

Externet

Joined Nov 29, 2005
2,201
Thanks, shtell01.
I guess then, that has to be turned-on while attached to the keyboard and then, in dormant or on-state can be detached to take it away.
And any saved material transfers automatically or by command, to the hard drive when re-attaches again, if not near enough for Wifi. The 'base' keyboard shuts off after a while sensing no display ? How wrong am I guessing ?
 

shteii01

Joined Feb 19, 2010
4,644
Thanks, shtell01.
I guess then, that has to be turned-on while attached to the keyboard and then, in dormant or on-state can be detached to take it away.
And any saved material transfers automatically or by command, to the hard drive when re-attaches again, if not near enough for Wifi. The 'base' keyboard shuts off after a while sensing no display ? How wrong am I guessing ?
I am reminded of two devices.

One.
PDA. These were hand held "computers" the size of the modern smart phone. The smart phones is what actually killed the PDAs. I have one. Toshiba E800. Here is an interesting thing. It has OS in "permanent" memory and it also keeps OS in semi permanent memory. As long as the device has power (battery or external), it uses OS in semi permanent memory, this also where it keeps modified OS, I say modified because when I install my own programs, they show up in OS and I can use them. However, when it looses power completely (dead battery and no external power), the OS (and all my programs) in semi permanent memory are lost! As soon as I give power to it, the OS is loaded from the "permanent" memory, but the OS is the origianl/default, it does not have any of the programs that I installed, it does not have any of the custom setting that I might have selected. Basically, when I power the device after it completely lost power, the device boots up with factory default OS and settings. Meaning, that there is a chip somewhere inside that holds the default OS.

Two.
Have you ever used Live CD or Live USB for a Linux OS?
When you boot this, you get option to load OS into RAM. You can then customize the OS. However, RAM does not keep its contents after it looses power and it looses power every time you turn computer off. So. As long as the computer is on, you can run OS from RAM, for as long as the computer stays on...
 
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