So, to preface, this is not to be a discussion about most religious views -- e.g. Let's not talk about operating system or anything like that
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I've switched back and forth between a laptop and a desktop as my primary computer for home use several times over the past few years. I've had a laptop as my primary computer for work use for almost as long. While the laptops couldn't quite get the processing power or memory of a desktop, the only time that was really an issue was during gaming sessions. For anything I had to work with professionally (Visual Studio, SQL Server, MS Office, none of which can be described as easy on resources), the laptop was perfectly fine. I grant that it was perfectly fine as long as I had 2G of RAM in there, but since laptops can accomodate that relatively easily these days, I don't think that'd be a big stumbling block.
see, all my new machines have 4 Gigs of RAM where possible. I've been pretty adamant about getting RAM maxed out where I can. And ironically, most of my gaming is done now on a laptop, as it has far better specs than my desktop (64-bit Vista, 4 Gigs Ram, 2.x Ghz dual-core proc, and 9800M-GTS).
so, performance isn't an issue. It's more about portability and if I actually WANT that in the primary machine.
so, performance isn't an issue. It's more about portability and if I actually WANT that in the primary machine.
I don't really follow. Portability comes with no drawbacks, so why would that ever be a negative aspect to the situation? Note that I do not consider the possiblity of "taking the laptop somewhere public and having it stolen/destroyed by someone else" a drawback simply because if I did, I'd have to say that we should never take anything anywhere except for inexpensive clothing.
I'm not worried about the laptop being destroyed. I'm worried about the data on it. The value of the hardware is pretty much moot compared to having to rebuild 4+ years of files
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Amusing, I currently own a laptop which is specifically for gaming and multimedia.
My laptop is much better at playing winders games than my desktop has been in many years. A gaming laptop no longer is a sports car, there are budget ones that do just fine, as long as you are willing to drop some graphics settings.
Part of the confusion is that some of the things I've needed a desktop for previously (like gaming) are not what it's used for any longer.
Well, a laptop IS much easier to take to a LAN party...
And like I mentioned, external HDs and server space for backups and archives, and suddenly losing/replacing a portable isn't as traumatic as it used to be. (More expensive, yeah, but not as traumatic.)
I like your statement about longevity versus convenience.
I think that's actually it -- I don't have tons of money to spend (in fact I don't want to spend any more money if I can help it, which is why I am trying to think long and hard about this before spending more $$). But I already HAVE laptops. I just feel that I don't want the convenience of being able to take my primary machine anywhere any time I feel like it, and possibly have something happen to it.
But, conversely, a weekend of doing extreme backups and then putting trucrypt on my new gaming laptop could yield a good solution there. I really wish that trucrypt worked for macs for full disk encryption.
If I am dipping into the religious wars, I was actually thinking of going "disposable" on the new desktop, if I bought one, and getting a Mac Mini, honestly. Which wouldn't really fit your definition of why to get a desktop above. But it would save space, power, and be "cheap."
I'm really not technical, so forgive me if my terms seem elementary...dagrlApril 2 2009, 15:50:31 UTC
I've got a laptop with a docking station for work. I've got all the plugs hooked into the docking station, so there's no plugging or unplugging. The laptop monitor is tiny, which I can't stand, so I've got a monitor, and keyboard (can't stand laptop keyboards) and a mouse (can't stand laptop touchpads), again- all plugged into the docking station USB's. My monitor also has USB ports if I need more. I'm backed up on the servers at work, so I don't really worry about losing my info. I like having the laptop because all of my info is on it, so if I want to work from home while the kids are sick, I can access my stuff. And if I want to watch TV while I'm on my computer, I can. All of my computer stuff is Dell (laptop, docking station, monitor), and I don't know if that's good or bad, but I haven't had many issues.
Re: I'm really not technical, so forgive me if my terms seem elementary...dallendougApril 2 2009, 15:52:46 UTC
these are good comments. Don't worry about being non-technical. This is more a lifestyle issue than a technical one. I can solve the technical problems ;-).
None of the laptops I have that are personal are ones that have docking station capability. If I had a docking station for one of my laptops, that would probably make this decision a tad easier.
I really don't want to get in the religious war, but I am a Mac user, so my specifics will relate to products I use. Understand that I know there are PC equivalents and they would likely suit your needs just as the Apple ones would. Of course, Macs can run Windows and Linux, just as you can build a Hackintosh that boots Linux as well
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I guess one of my issues I realized when responding to edgeds above is that even though I have a network that holds most of my data (I have a NAS device that acts as a file server), I still like to have a central box that has everything handy and in one place at the same time. That box could be portable, but that in and of itself is what makes me nervous. I never really have any purposes currently to need to support "big" hardware honestly these days, other than gaming, and my current gaming laptop has that covered for the next year or so.
I currently have both mac and pc. This is more about figuring out form factor and priorities in lifestyle :-)
Exactly! My reply was merely to demonstrate that though my needs are for a powerful and diverse computer, all of it can be handled by a portable machine. I have it doubly backed up, one portable, one stationary method. Both backups are capable of rebuilding my machine in its entirety, if needed.
I have a docking station at home with my desk, but because I'm constantly using my laptop on the road (as it were), I've gotten so used to it. Half the time I forget that I have a docking station, the other half it's just more convenient to not be at my desk.
there are times where the docking station is important (particularly when i need to run dual monitor), but on the whole, i can take it or leave it.
capacity was becoming an issue, but now a new external HD helps. i don't like traveling with it, but three 16bg memory sticks do the trick there.
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so, performance isn't an issue. It's more about portability and if I actually WANT that in the primary machine.
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I don't really follow. Portability comes with no drawbacks, so why would that ever be a negative aspect to the situation? Note that I do not consider the possiblity of "taking the laptop somewhere public and having it stolen/destroyed by someone else" a drawback simply because if I did, I'd have to say that we should never take anything anywhere except for inexpensive clothing.
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My laptop is much better at playing winders games than my desktop has been in many years. A gaming laptop no longer is a sports car, there are budget ones that do just fine, as long as you are willing to drop some graphics settings.
Part of the confusion is that some of the things I've needed a desktop for previously (like gaming) are not what it's used for any longer.
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And like I mentioned, external HDs and server space for backups and archives, and suddenly losing/replacing a portable isn't as traumatic as it used to be. (More expensive, yeah, but not as traumatic.)
I guess it all boils down to your budget, then.
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I think that's actually it -- I don't have tons of money to spend (in fact I don't want to spend any more money if I can help it, which is why I am trying to think long and hard about this before spending more $$). But I already HAVE laptops. I just feel that I don't want the convenience of being able to take my primary machine anywhere any time I feel like it, and possibly have something happen to it.
But, conversely, a weekend of doing extreme backups and then putting trucrypt on my new gaming laptop could yield a good solution there. I really wish that trucrypt worked for macs for full disk encryption.
If I am dipping into the religious wars, I was actually thinking of going "disposable" on the new desktop, if I bought one, and getting a Mac Mini, honestly. Which wouldn't really fit your definition of why to get a desktop above. But it would save space, power, and be "cheap."
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I'm backed up on the servers at work, so I don't really worry about losing my info.
I like having the laptop because all of my info is on it, so if I want to work from home while the kids are sick, I can access my stuff.
And if I want to watch TV while I'm on my computer, I can.
All of my computer stuff is Dell (laptop, docking station, monitor), and I don't know if that's good or bad, but I haven't had many issues.
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None of the laptops I have that are personal are ones that have docking station capability. If I had a docking station for one of my laptops, that would probably make this decision a tad easier.
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I currently have both mac and pc. This is more about figuring out form factor and priorities in lifestyle :-)
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Does that clarify?
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there are times where the docking station is important (particularly when i need to run dual monitor), but on the whole, i can take it or leave it.
capacity was becoming an issue, but now a new external HD helps. i don't like traveling with it, but three 16bg memory sticks do the trick there.
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