▁discuss ing ▁them ▁with ▁the ▁head line ▁" Is ▁It ▁On ▁Yet ? ". ▁It ▁said ▁of ▁the ▁accomp any ing ▁mont age ▁of ▁nine ▁port able ▁computers , ▁" P ict ured ▁at ▁the ▁right ▁are ▁two ▁screens ▁and ▁seven ▁el ong ated ▁sm ud ges ". ▁The ▁article ▁stated ▁that ▁" L CD ▁screens ▁still ▁look ▁to ▁many ▁obser vers ▁like ▁Et ch - a - Sk etch ▁to ys , ▁or ▁gray ▁ch alk ▁on ▁a ▁dirty ▁black board ", ▁and ▁predicted ▁that ▁until ▁displays ▁improved , ▁" la pt ops ▁will ▁continue ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁n iche ▁rather ▁than ▁a ▁main stream ▁direction ". ▁As ▁technology ▁improved ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁the ▁useful ness ▁and ▁popular ity ▁of ▁la pt ops ▁increased . ▁Cor respond ingly ▁prices ▁went ▁down . ▁Several ▁develop ments ▁specific ▁to ▁la pt ops ▁were ▁quickly ▁implemented , ▁impro ving ▁us ability ▁and ▁performance . ▁Among ▁them ▁were : ▁▁ ▁Im pro ved ▁battery ▁technology . ▁The ▁heavy ▁lead - ac id ▁batter ies ▁were ▁replaced ▁with ▁l ighter ▁and ▁more ▁efficient ▁techn ologies , ▁first ▁nick el ▁cad m ium ▁or ▁Ni C d , ▁then ▁nick el ▁metal ▁hyd ride ▁( N i M H ) ▁and ▁then ▁Lith ium - ion ▁battery ▁and ▁l ith ium ▁polym er . ▁ ▁Power - s aving ▁process ors . ▁While ▁la pt ops ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁were ▁limited ▁to ▁the ▁ 8 0 2 8 6