Desktop replacement laptop or system

[oscarmorasu]

Hello everyone,

I am looking for a hybrid solution between the mobility of a notebook with high the high computing power of a desktop.
Right now I have a very powerful desktop at the office, which is great for software development, but I can't take any work home for obvious reasons. Also, sometimes I have to show my work to my colleagues, who are located on a different office, and my desktop represents an obstacle.
I've been thinking about getting a laptop, but I don't want to give up the power my desktop provides. Also laptops are really expensive compared to what you can get for a desktop.

I wonder if the following device exists or can be build:

-Externally it would look like a laptop. Weight or battery life is not a concern.
-Relatively easy to transport: From home to the car, from the car to the office and back. Also, from my office to another office.
-The internals should include desktop pieces: High performance chipset (Intel P35 or G33?) and CPU (Intel Dual Core 2 E6750?), 7200 rpm hard disk.
-Given the reduced space, I'm not considering overclocking.
-Any video card is fine, including integrated video. I want it for work, not gaming.
-Noise is not a major concern.
-The screen size or resolution is not a concern, since I would connect it to a bigger monitor at the office.

Any recommendation/suggestion/ideas are welcomed.

Thanks!

 

[Brainonska511]

Almost any notebook will fit your needs. Since you want mobility, I'd suggest looking at something in the 12-14" range with integrated graphics (better battery life and cooler/quieter system, even if it doesn't mean much to you). A 7200RPM hdd is easy to come by - there is at least one 200GB 7200RPM SATA 2.5" hdd currently on the market - you might have to make this an after-purchase upgrade.

As far as processors go - any mobile Core 2 Duo will suffice, maybe go for one of the higher clocked variants (>2.0GHz) and then go with 2GB+ of RAM (another thing that might need to be upgraded after purchasing).

What's your budget?

 

[oscarmorasu]

Thanks for your reply.

I would like to keep the cost as low as possible. That's why I'm willing to sacrifice some mobility. 12" laptops are kind of expensive, because of the reduced size.

I don't want to spend more than 1000 USD on the system.

Browsing on Dell, I configured this:

Vostro 1500:
Intel® Core? 2 Duo T7250 (2.0GHz/800Mhz FSB/2MB cache)
Genuine Windows® XP Professional
15.4 inch Wide Screen XGA LCD Display
3GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz, 2 DIMM
200GB 7200RPM Hard Drive
8X CD/DVD Burner w/ double-layer DVD+R write capability, w/ Roxio Creator
Intel® Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator X3100

For a total of 953 USD.

However, with that money I can buy better pieces to build a desktop. That's why I keep pondering wheter a notebook on the outside with a desktop on the inside is possible or not.
The tradeoff would be more processing power at a lower cost, while giving up mobility (heavier, hotter and noisier).

Thanks.

 

[Brainonska511]

I'd drop the RAM down to the minimum and upgrade it on your own since Dell is probably charging more than $100 for that upgrade (you can get a 2GB stick for under $60) and then upgrade the screen. WXGA on a 15.4" does not look very good, you'd be better off with at least a WXGA+ screen.

But if you build a desktop, you lose the mobility that a notebook will give you. I don't think you're giving up significant processing power by going with a laptop. Also, a desktop, you're not just moving the case, you might need to carry a monitor around, a mouse, a keyboard, no built-in speakers, etc...

 

[aigomorla]

Originally posted by: oscarmorasu

For a total of 953 USD.

However, with that money I can buy better pieces to build a desktop. That's why I keep pondering wheter a notebook on the outside with a desktop on the inside is possible or not.
The tradeoff would be more processing power at a lower cost, while giving up mobility (heavier, hotter and noisier).

Thanks.

Well you would need to factor things like display. If you dont mind carrying around a LCD screen + keyboard and mouse, then a Small form factor desktop would be a better route.

But then your going to get greedy and just end up building a full size desktop, so you need to ask yourself that question.

I was stuck in your choice a while back ago. Ended up getting a mid tower.


May i recomend a mobile chipset in desktop form? Aopen has a few good boards which take mobile core duo processors.

 

[zetsway]

Originally posted by: oscarmorasu
Hello everyone,

I am looking for a hybrid solution between the mobility of a notebook with high the high computing power of a desktop.
Right now I have a very powerful desktop at the office, which is great for software development, but I can't take any work home for obvious reasons. Also, sometimes I have to show my work to my colleagues, who are located on a different office, and my desktop represents an obstacle.
I've been thinking about getting a laptop, but I don't want to give up the power my desktop provides. Also laptops are really expensive compared to what you can get for a desktop.

I wonder if the following device exists or can be build:

-Externally it would look like a laptop. Weight or battery life is not a concern.
-Relatively easy to transport: From home to the car, from the car to the office and back. Also, from my office to another office.
-The internals should include desktop pieces: High performance chipset (Intel P35 or G33?) and CPU (Intel Dual Core 2 E6750?), 7200 rpm hard disk.
-Given the reduced space, I'm not considering overclocking.
-Any video card is fine, including integrated video. I want it for work, not gaming.
-Noise is not a major concern.
-The screen size or resolution is not a concern, since I would connect it to a bigger monitor at the office.

Any recommendation/suggestion/ideas are welcomed.

Thanks!

What you are looking for isn't going to happen. Just get a laptop. You will have to carry a mouse, keyboard, LCD, speakers, power cables, power strip, and your computer.

Just get a laptop. If you don't want to drop a grand for it then don't. Get a used laptop.
That's what I did and it works great. It's not going to happen. I was stuck in the same situation. I went with the small form factor. Which can provide you will all of your needs. But then I got tired of lugging all of that hardware around. You have to make sure the LCD doesn't break, etc. etc. etc. I solve my problems with getting a laptop. I think there are a lot of techs out there that will agree with me.

I love IBM laptops. Yes they are expensive (that's why you buy use). They don't break easily and they provide you with the power you want and they have a good resell value.

Just get a laptop and stay away from dell.