I have been working just with my laptop now for over half a year, and I have come to some conclusions about the need for a desktop computer along with a laptop. My conclusions may surprise a few of you. Some of you may not be surprised at all. More on this after the break.
In the early days of my TechWarrior-ness I felt like I needed a desktop computer to go along with my laptop. Generally speaking the Desktop computers were more technologically advanced and it was easier to maintain those machines that it was to maintain the laptops. I lugged a laptop around to make sure that I had a computer and that I could get my email when I was away from my home, which happened often in those days. The laptops were not the most capable machines around, but I needed computers with me.
That situation has changed drastically. The laptops are now fully powered and some rival the better desktops out there. Their prices have fallen dramatically as their capabilities increased. It’s now a genuine pleasure to be working with my laptop. I could wish for more but I am happy with this laptop. I even use it as my desktop, plugging in a LCD screen that I have from my retired PC.
Here are some of the reasons to use a laptop versus a desktop:
- My Main computer is highly mobile and available. No longer do I have to sync my files between my computers. If I need to take my office with me, all I have to do is pack it up and I’m off.
- A laptop, by it’s very nature, has to use a lot less power. My main desktop computers used at least 450 watts of power. The laptop makes do with less that 85 watts, when plugged in and charging.
- I believe that the laptop parts are of generally a higher quality than those used in desktop formats. I have no actual stats to back that up, but it makes sense and my anecdotal evidence of my own experience seems to back me up. The parts are harder to replace than on a normal PC, and so it behooves manufacturers to use a higher quality part to keep repairs to a minimum.
- Powerful Laptops, comparable to some PCs, are actually affordable to the average user. All a person has to do is buy the laptop and they have a full computer system.
In conclusion I have to question the advisability of buying a desktop machine for the TechWarrior. We are mobile, and a laptops fill the bill for our computing needs.
Related posts:
{ 1 trackback }