dropping the desktop completely and going laptop

[T2urtle]

how many of you guys have done it?


I've been thinking about it for a while. Main reason is for space. I have a large computer desk, mainly use it as an all around table in the room. Eat, write paper, all homework and etc, table is like 6 feet x 3feet or so.

I was thinking of dropping that table and either replace it with a much smaller desk or no desk at all. This would free up a lot of space in the room.

First and foremost i'm not sure if i can live off just a laptop alone. I've had a couple, had old dell inspiron 17, it was suppose to be a complete desktop replacement but i found myself using the older/slower desktop i had and only using the laptop as a gaming thing, never took it out due to horrible battery life of 2 hours. I have dell mini 9 that i liked but this time i had a much faster desktop and i used that. Battery life is great but i hated to keyboard on it, felt it couldn't type a paper on it fast enough.

Here i am again trying to go the laptop route, most likely give the desk to my brother and the desktop as well. Obviously in the past i used/made excuses as to why i dont want to use the laptop. THis time i want to seriously switch over, i've seen my GF do it with a MBP. She has so much space in her place now minus the large desk. I want to do the same, not a mac guy or i would of pulled the trigger on that. I guess i need a laptop that fit me.

I'm a part-time student/ full time web-surfer and movie watcher. Lately i've been streaming off my desktop to the PS3's media server to the TV. But i would love to skip the web stuff and go HDMI from laptop to TV.

Current setup is a E2200, 4gb, win 7 32bit, 1TB, 8600GT, dell 23inch moniter.

So pretty much most i5 systems should smash this in terms of speed and usage. Just need a find a nice setup. that i cant make exuses for. So far i've considered m11 alienware but i thought screen size is way to small for me to enjoy and the lack of dvd drive. I have an external because of my mini but still. I really like this Envy 14 but the dropped the screen resolution of 16x9.

But back to the main topic, how much just completely dropped the desktop and use a laptop for everything now? is it just easier, faster, better? Or is the desktop still in the picture?

 

[RyanGreener]

I use to think laptops were the way to go, and they generally are for everything but gaming. They're far too slow and expensive compared to desktop counterparts for that...unless you play old games.

 

[T2urtle]

i dont game anymore at all. i listed the current specs of my desktop that i use mainly and well that can do everything i need from it. given sometimes i have to wait a minute or two for things to load in photoshop, i really dont mind at all.

i dont need anything high demand now because ive just stopped gaming on PC and gone the cheaper route, ps3

yea you get much more bang for you buck in desktops. desktop parts are easily replaceable and etc. a laptop's life is about 3-5 years pending how much you spend upfront and a desktop's life can be FOREVER.

right now i want space and convenience. i dont mind the extra cost, i can pick up a most laptops that i want for $1000 or less. been eyeing the dell 14's as well

 

[jihe]

I had to go without a desktop and I really miss it. Any laptop screen is going to be a major step down, and the only laptop with a decent keyboard is a thinkpad. If you don't have to be mobile then why not build a small box and hide it under your bed or something?

 

[T2urtle]

well i dont exactly have to be mobile but at times i do. i upload most of my files for school in the cloud, so i can get to it on other people's laptops and etc. But would be a lot nicer/easier to just have it in the cloud and my own notebook. I thought of the idea of something like that applemini or something like a SFF and use wireless stuff and my TV.

The main problem im facing is their isn't a laptop that is one size fit all for me. obviously a desktop you just need a place to put it and you can customize w/e u want. These laptops however is more of a compromise type of thing, give you battery life for screen, give up processor power for this and that.

i can see why the MPB is so popular now, it seems to be a nice mix of everything but with a slightly higher price tag. the envy 14 dropped the 16x9 screen, was one i really wanted. I might just stick to the desktop and use this horrible keypad mini9

 

[jihe]

well i dont exactly have to be mobile but at times i do. i upload most of my files for school in the cloud, so i can get to it on other people's laptops and etc. But would be a lot nicer/easier to just have it in the cloud and my own notebook. I thought of the idea of something like that applemini or something like a SFF and use wireless stuff and my TV.

The main problem im facing is their isn't a laptop that is one size fit all for me. obviously a desktop you just need a place to put it and you can customize w/e u want. These laptops however is more of a compromise type of thing, give you battery life for screen, give up processor power for this and that.

i can see why the MPB is so popular now, it seems to be a nice mix of everything but with a slightly higher price tag. the envy 14 dropped the 16x9 screen, was one i really wanted. I might just stick to the desktop and use this horrible keypad mini9

If I were you I would just get a good screen and a wireless keyboard/mouse.

 

[corkyg]

Consider a SFF desktop. I have 2 laptops and 2 desktops - I don't consider them interchangeable. Laptops are for travel or portability. They are not designed for 24/7 ON. They are not cost effective for daily use in a fixed location.

 

[erikistired]

i went laptop only for a few years, until i got back into pc gaming. as said before, unless you go really high end they just don't hold up when doing that. you also give up battery life rapidly for gaming performance.

laptops aren't only for travel these days, they are quite capable of being used to replace a desktop computer. mine hibernates when i close the lid, so it's effectively off. it takes a few moments to boot up again, but nowhere near shutting it off.

as far as screen size, you can always keep your monitor and use it with the laptop if you find the need. same goes with keyboard/mouse.

 

[CurseTheSky]

I can't do it. I love my laptop and I spent a considerable amount of money to get a good one, but the bottom line is that it'll be outdated in a couple of years anyway. It's difficult to upgrade the processor, it's impossible to upgrade the graphics card, I'm limited to 8GB of memory tops, I can't expand the storage to multiple terrabytes if needed, I can't add in my own USB 3.0 or SATA 6GB/s ports, I can't (easily) changed the case if it gets scratched or dented, I'm stuck with the same screen size / resolution / etc., I can't upgrade the speakers, etc. The list goes on.

My laptop is my mobile workhorse, but at the end of the day when I come home and want to get more work done or use a computer for my own leisure, I sit at my desktop. Hopefully with wireless technologies improving the way they are, we'll see the ability to have an all-wireless SFF desktop in the near future which will combine some of the portability of a laptop with the upgrade-ability and convenience of a desktop.

 

[fuzzymath10]

As a student I needed a laptop to move back and forth (carry to campus, carry home on a plane, etc) but now that I'm graduated, I use my desktop almost 100% of the time. My netbook is now a "server" and my main laptop plays media on my TV.

You can minimize the amount of space it uses by using a wireless keyboard and mouse (which you can easily put somewhere else when you need the desk for paper and pencil work), and by getting a small tower that goes under your desk. My system below is in an NSK1480 case which is about 10cm wide.

 

[Zap]

Are you going to use it mobile often? If it usually sits in the same place all the time, then do a SFF. Also, no matter how "good" notebook keyboards are, I still prefer normal keyboards, plus I find myself more productive with bigger screens (small screen with higher resolution just hurts my eyes). So, if you don't move it and end up plugging in external monitor, keyboard and mouse, may as well do a SFF system.

 

[ed21x]

i use a thin and light laptop with an external hub to a keyboard and mouse + external monitor display. to me, this is the best of both worlds, as the laptop i have (3820tg) is more than capable of gaming while still retaining the ability to be carried around. Can never go back to a huge desktop now.

 

[Emulex]

t2urtle - most new i5/i7 system's won't smash in terms of speed. most are not configed properly. DDR2 is uber cheap.

I guarantee you a Quad core Q9400/8gb/same video card/good ssd will have near zero speed effect for MOST users except hardcore games and most of pshop is reliant on video card ram now.

The numbers show cinebench and encoding xvid - cool i agree it will smoke it - but cruising the web etc - a fast SSD in your current box and enough ram to do the job - will quite honestly be the pivoting factor.

The fastest I7 with a hard drive imo is slower than an old pentium dual core with a fast SSD. because everything hinges on disk i/o. watch perfmon and watch disk queue - anything that hits an average of 1.0 - well that's too slow (disk i/o) and your cpu is spinning its wheels.

 

[MrX8503]

I've just recently got rid of my desktop. Since I don't game, I've gone laptop all the way. What I do is use my Dell 24" monitor as an external display and use its USB hub to connect a keyboard.

I dock my macbook pro with the lid shut, then I use a desktop keyboard/mouse wirelessly.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

My dad got an Asus G73, connected it to an external monitor, mouse and keyboard. He doesnt ever move it and basically uses it as a desktop. Its more powerful than most desktops thats for sure.

I love my Envy and all and I've been using it a lot as its like my new toy but nothing replaces my baby that I built piece by piece. I built my system last year October and it still handles everything I throw at it with the pace that games are advancing nowadays. My last desktop, lasted me 5 years (AMD x2 and 7800GTX), and Im gonna put money down that my i7 will go longer than that.

 

[CurseTheSky]

My dad got an Asus G73, connected it to an external monitor, mouse and keyboard. He doesnt ever move it and basically uses it as a desktop. Its more powerful than most desktops thats for sure.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. i7-720QM and HD 5870, right? Should be roughly equivalent to an underclocked desktop i7-860 and something like a desktop HD 5830. So, while it's certainly more powerful than your average Joe's home desktop, it won't put a modern gaming desktop to shame all that easily. Not to mention, in a year or two, you could take a modern game desktop and upgrade the graphics card to get a few more years out of it, but the same can't be said about the G73.

It's a nice computer never-the-less, but I'd rather have a desktop for gaming. 🙂

 

[frumply]

Sounds to me like you've already tried this before (w/ the 17in laptop) and found the desktop to be more comfortable to use. For what you do on the PC a laptop's probably the more logical choice, but aside from junking/handing down the PC I wouldn't get rid of the desk or anything. Unless you make conscious efforts elsewhere you're probably going to feel more cluttered w/o the desk where you can do all your work, etc.

 

[erikistired]

I wouldn't be so sure about that. i7-720QM and HD 5870, right? Should be roughly equivalent to an underclocked desktop i7-860 and something like a desktop HD 5830. So, while it's certainly more powerful than your average Joe's home desktop, it won't put a modern gaming desktop to shame all that easily. Not to mention, in a year or two, you could take a modern game desktop and upgrade the graphics card to get a few more years out of it, but the same can't be said about the G73.

It's a nice computer never-the-less, but I'd rather have a desktop for gaming. 🙂

that's why he said most desktops. 😉

 

[AznAnarchy99]

I wouldn't be so sure about that. i7-720QM and HD 5870, right? Should be roughly equivalent to an underclocked desktop i7-860 and something like a desktop HD 5830. So, while it's certainly more powerful than your average Joe's home desktop, it won't put a modern gaming desktop to shame all that easily. Not to mention, in a year or two, you could take a modern game desktop and upgrade the graphics card to get a few more years out of it, but the same can't be said about the G73.

It's a nice computer never-the-less, but I'd rather have a desktop for gaming. 🙂

More powerful in terms for my dad LoL whos just using it for online browsing and stuff.

 

[T2urtle]

Sounds to me like you've already tried this before (w/ the 17in laptop) and found the desktop to be more comfortable to use. For what you do on the PC a laptop's probably the more logical choice, but aside from junking/handing down the PC I wouldn't get rid of the desk or anything. Unless you make conscious efforts elsewhere you're probably going to feel more cluttered w/o the desk where you can do all your work, etc.

i did try this a couple years ago, the place i was at then had a VERY large bedroom. space did not matter then plus i was bored and built a desktop for fun. turned out i used it a lot more because that 17in laptop was a desktop to me. it was +10lbs and like 2 hour MAX battery if i babied the battery. I was pissed at that part so i opted to use the desktop more.

Yea i do all my work on this large desk. I might get a smaller desk, because i really dont use all the space. If i consciously kept this desk clean i would only need about 45% of it minus the LCD/keyboard/mouse and speakers.

I like the thought of keeping the LCD, mouse, keyboard and using it as a desktop at times.

I dont game nor plan to anymore this E2200 processor pair with 4gb gets the job done 99% of time. I was looking at these inspirons 14's and studio 15's running I3 370 with 4gb should be the same as what i have now. cost me $600-700

 

[PingSpike]

What we really need is a better way to sync the OS/entire drive between a desktop and a laptop. I'd never actively choose to work on a laptop, but my desktop is hardly portable. It'd almost be better to have a removable hard disk that could boot on both PCs and just plop it in a cheap notebook whenever you were on the go.