Do U Use A Laptop Or Desktop?

[Guest FourAces]

I'm wondering how many of you guys use a laptop computer or a desktop computer on a regular basis?

I understand that at work most have a desktop ... I am more interested at your home.

As for me I have used a desktop almost exclusively but just bought a 17.3 inch laptop to replace it. I haven't received it yet but am now starting to wonder if giving up some screen size might disappoint me.

When it comes to processor the laptop I bought has a better processor and better graphics card than my desktop. However I guess I am having some second thoughts.

Any experience out there guys?

[caeron]

Desktop, definitely.

It is both easier to upgrade, and easier to service. With minimum training, you can swap components on a desktop. Not so a laptop. And if you have a defective part, you can often replace it without shipping the whole system off as you would need to with a laptop.

Obviously, laptops have their benefits, but for a dedicated home system, I don't see why anyone would prefer a laptop, since the one critical value they have, portability, isn't relevant.

[lookin]

I've used a laptop at home for the last five years. I have WiFi so I can use it everywhere: desk, kitchen, living room, bedroom and outdoors. It's probably a little too handy, but it would be an adjustment going back to a single location. And when I travel, it comes with.

Haven't missed the larger screen and in fact replaced my 15" laptop last year with a 13" this year. If I really needed a larger screen, I could buy one and plug in the laptop. I did get a mouse for it though, as the trackpad is a pain for long periods.

I also like that I can plug it into my TV and show videos and photos to friends on a larger screen. And it streams my music to the stereo over WiFi.

A lot depends on what you use your computer for, and your patterns may change after you've had your laptop for a while. If you find you really miss having a desktop, you can always plug everything into your laptop and pretend it's a desktop, no?

[Guest EXPAT]

I use both. My iMac desktop though is also my home server for my multimedia system throughout my house.

[Guest CharliePS]

I work at home a couple of days per week, and they are usually 8 hour days, so a desktop makes much more sense for me. I need a larger screen than is practical on a laptop, and I prefer a separate keyboard that I can move to convenient or comfortable locations without moving the screen. Since the price of laptops has been declining, I have toyed with the idea of getting one for when I travel, but the truth is that I don't travel often enough, or need the computer often enough on a trip, to make it worthwhile, and I would hardly ever have a need for it at home. It would just be an expensive toy, and I am not into wasting money on toys (not even boytoys).

[JKane]

I use a laptop, in bed mostly. Yes it's very portable, can use it anywhere, but it stays plugged in next to my bed most of the time. Watching torrents and derping around online, mostly, though sometimes I play games.

It's pretty new and fast, but I've thought about building another desktop with the latest stuff a couple of times, mostly to play games. Likely would sit idle the vast majority of the time.

[Guest EXPAT]

I will keep my iMac for my home server for everything but I think I will go to the iPad3 instead of a laptop. Actually I think it is going to be called iPadHD.

http://gizmodo.com/5889656/is-the-new-ipad-going-to-be-called-ipad-hd

[Guest FourAces]

Thanks for your info guys. I guess lookin hit the mark as to why I wanna try the laptop as a replacement for my home desktop. I'm kind of tired being forced to sit in one place while I do online work and have online fun. I think it will be nice to have the ability to move around my place as the mood strikes.

For travel, which I do not do as often anymore, I use my iPad. In fact, I have a trip coming up and the iPad will go with me. Even if the laptop arrives before I leave I won't take it as the purpose was not to get it for travel.

If I don't like the laptop I have to return it and go back to my desktop. I thought of buying a Apple laptop but I think its good to have the flexibility of both IOS and MS OSs.

[TotallyOz]

I have an Imac 27 inch, an Mac Book pro 15 and 17. I love my Imac. I take it with me when I travel with no problem!

If I needed another one to take away with me, I'd get a Mac Mini. I love it and it is fast and small. Most good hotels have great TV's to hook into and most will give you a monitor if you need one.

For planes, the Mac Book is amazing. I was just at the Apple store today and loved looking around. I can't wait for the announcement about the new Ipad on March 7.

[Guest hitoallusa]

I use both and have no preference as long as I can get my work done.

[Guest FourAces]

I have an Imac 27 inch, an Mac Book pro 15 and 17. I love my Imac. I take it with me when I travel with no problem!

OZ is that correct? When you travel you take your 27" iMac with you? if so considering all the traveling you seem to do thats a pretty large suitcase you must be packing.

I guess if you have no home base there is nowhere to leave it? Otherwise I would think you would just travel with your Mac Book Pro.

[TotallyOz]

I have bad eyesight and like a big screen. The laptops only last a certain time for me until I get tired of looking at them. Here is my bag for it.

http://www.amazon.com/Tenba-Transport-Computer-Equipment-634-725/dp/B003DKJ2TO

[Guest EXPAT]

I hate carrying stuff no matter where I'm going. So the smaller the carry on the better. I carry a 13" MacBook Pro which is big enough and I'd rather do the MacBook Air or an iPad in the future. So we'll see.

I can't for the life of me think of carrying my iMac with me when traveling. I guess I might consider it if I were going somewhere for 3 months or longer at a time, but not for short trips. Maybe that is what OZ meant?

[Guest FourAces]

Alright been using my new laptop most of the evening.

My first impressions are so far so good.

Processor memory and hard drive all seem to respond quickly. The 17.3 inch monitor is a small adjustment for me to make from my 23" monitor but it has not really been all that bad to do so.

I dislike the track pad aside from the pinch to zoom gesture. So I hooked up my wireless mouse. The keyboard is awesome ... completely full size and feels much better than my desktop keyboard.

I like that I'm not stuck to sitting at my desk to use the computer. The mobility of being able to access the Internet from my bedroom or den is a nice plus.

Though only 6.5 pounds the laptop is a bit cumbersome to take on a trip. Therefore when I do travel I will stick with my iPad.

Anyway, its been less than a day and a very good start. Lets see if I feel the same way in a few weeks.

[lookin]

OZ, not sure if you're aware that you can plug a 27" monitor, or a large TV, into your MacBook Pro. The new MacBooks can even send video and audio to a flat screen TV using an HDMI adapter and cable.

Seems like this would be a bit easier and less risky than schlepping your desktop around, although you seem to have had no problems so far. Personally, I'd be lost if I went to Rio while my computer went to Riyadh .

FourAces, glad you like your laptop so far! One thing I've noticed, for Macs anyway, is that notebook hard drives are about 25% slower than desktop hard drives. Not usually an issue except when you're short of memory and the laptop uses the hard drive for virtual memory and keeps swapping data back and forth. Then things can get a bit sluggish. The fix is to bump up the RAM, which is pretty cheap and easy to do yourself.

Of course, you were probably smart enough to buy your laptop with lots of RAM. I skimped, since Apple charges an arm and a leg for extra memory, but I maxed it out myself with third-party memory in less than a half-hour. Quite zippy now.

And congrats on getting up and running so quickly!

[JKane]

Alright been using my new laptop most of the evening.

I like that I'm not stuck to sitting at my desk to use the computer. The mobility of being able to access the Internet from my bedroom or den is a nice plus.

Now try using it outside in the daytime! Every ad that ever showed that should sued for false advertising.

Another benefit to laptops is that it has a built-in battery backup.

But remember to BACK UP YOUR DATA. The drives in laptops fail more often, the laptop is much more susceptible to damage/dropping or loss/theft. If it's Win7 the built in backup system is very good!

[JKane]

FourAces, glad you like your laptop so far! One thing I've noticed, for Macs anyway, is that notebook hard drives are about 25% slower than desktop hard drives. Not usually an issue except when you're short of memory and the laptop uses the hard drive for virtual memory and keeps swapping data back and forth. Then things can get a bit sluggish. The fix is to bump up the RAM, which is pretty cheap and easy to do yourself.

Having an SSD drive as the main disk in a laptop--it works miracles. If you don't have one already consider upgrading eventually. Runs *much* faster, uses less power, boots instantly, virtually immune to shock/vibration. Highly recommended for anybody with a year or two old computer, it will feel brand new!

But still have a backup... and don't carry it around in your laptop bag!

[AdamSmith]

If JK did not say it enough: BACK UP!!!

Last month my laptop was stolen right out of my apartment, while I was there no less. Friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend who turned out not to be. Stupid me for falling prey, but far stupider me for having fallen way behind on the backup regime. Hardware is merdeware compared with the data.

[JKane]

My favorite backup strategy is a NAS type device in a closet or something with the internet router (and some routers you can just plug a USB drive into). It's always on (so your laptop doesn't need to be), can do stuff like stream media to your TV or download torrents. Plus the drives can be RAIDed, saving you from hardware failure wiping out your data.

Synology makes some of the most full featured home ones at the moment.

Plus you might keep porn on it instead of the laptop so when you travel you don't have to worry about the TSA loosing their minds...

But as AdamSmith notes, it doesn't count for *dick* if you don't keep up with it, check on the backups regularly. Especially if you turn your laptop off all the time (or use a removable drive) you'll have to kick off the backups yourself weekly...

[AdamSmith]

Was about to hijack this thread entirely to the subject of backup tools/methods, but instead think I will now go start a new thread specifically on Cloud-Based Data Backup. See y'all there, I hope.

[lookin]

Now try using it outside in the daytime! Every ad that ever showed that should sued for false advertising.

I'm outside posting this as we speak. Although, in fairness, I'm under the redwoods in Northern California and not astride the Great Sphinx of Giza.

Having an SSD drive as the main disk in a laptop--it works miracles. If you don't have one already consider upgrading eventually. Runs *much* faster, uses less power, boots instantly, virtually immune to shock/vibration. Highly recommended for anybody with a year or two old computer, it will feel brand new!

My old laptop was so slow, with the hard drive thrashing slowly and continually, that I seriously considered a solid state hard-drive for my new laptop. Figured I'd wait until the prices came down. In the meantime, I put in 8gb of RAM for less than a hundred bucks and, huzzah!, the thrashing stopped completely, and I rarely, if ever, experience a slowdown.

Talking computers, of course. Other areas of my life have slowed down considerably, and I'm definitely open to any drive improvements you may suggest.

[Guest FourAces]

Now try using it outside in the daytime! Every ad that ever showed that should sued for false advertising.

Another benefit to laptops is that it has a built-in battery backup.

But remember to BACK UP YOUR DATA. The drives in laptops fail more often, the laptop is much more susceptible to damage/dropping or loss/theft. If it's Win7 the built in backup system is very good!

You know me JK I never go out during the day lol. I'm as close as one can get to being a vampire without the benefits

Anyway thanks for the this and yes its Win 7.

[Guest gcursor]

I kind of use both (sort of)

I use a Tablet iPad 2 a lot and I use my desktop concurrently sitting alongside of it.

[Guest FourAces]

Well I used the laptop about a week. Really like it and there are def some things it brings to the table, pun intended, that a desktop cannot. However, I'm going to be returning the laptop and keeping the new desktop.

The main reason is I find aside from using the laptop as a desktop replacement it also is duplicating many things I use my iPad for ... and I enjoy the iPad more than the laptop.

Thanks to all who shared their ideas and views.

[JKane]

Hopefully the restocking fees aren't too bad.

Did you consider an all-in-one desktop? Some have nice big screens and they're a lot more portable than the traditional desktop. 27" even!