Laptop

[jrhjazznblues]

Spanishdict.com says that laptop can be portátil or computadora in Spain Spanish, and is ordenador in Latin American Spanish. Is this true? Are there people in Latin America who use portátil? Is computadora technically correct when referring to a laptop?

[aleCcowaN]

Laptop and tablet are said the same way, at least here.

And it's the other way around: computadora in América, from English computer, and ordernador in Spain, from French ordinateur.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Very few people say "computadora portátil", but it can be heard. For a Mexican, all PCs (and sometimes Macs too) are called "computadoras". As Alec said though, we commonly say "laptop" and "tablet".

[Glen]

Friends of mine just use the slangy term "cómpu"

[jrhjazznblues]

Does anyone say portátil?

[poli]

Computadora portátil is the formal term. It's like calling a car an automobile or a TV a television.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Poli is right. Also, nobody says "portátil" without "computadora".

@Glen: That's right. "Compu" is used to talk about both desktops and laptops.

[jrhjazznblues]

So if I wanted to say laptop in Latin America in a casual setting, but without using slang, what word would I use?

[poli]

laptop

[aleCcowaN]

compu is like tele; it may refer to the device or the media/technology.

Está trabajando en/con la compu.

A friend of mine who is the first person I learn to have a laptop here like 25 or more years ago, used to call it la computita -no pun intended, I swear-.

[Julvenzor]

En españa, hablamos de "ordenador" como genérico para "computer"; "torre" para "desktop" y "portátil" para "laptop".

Un saludo cordial.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

So there's the answer: it's in Spain where people say "portátil". :-D