was it [H]ard 4 anyone else to pick a laptop after having a desktop 4 so many years??

9

9guns

Limp Gawd
Joined
Apr 13, 2010
Messages
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:eek::eek::eek: :confused::confused::confused: :eek::eek::eek:

these all describe what i'm feeling regarding the transition from a desktop to a laptop. my wife and i have a baby on the way, needed a bigger apt, had to sell my old rig for the deposit, still don't have either a desktop / laptop to call my own, been making do w/ an iPad 2 for now...

i'm having a really tough time trying to figure out: 1) what i want from a laptop; and 2) what type of laptop i would need. i wish i could build my own!!! i hate the idea of someone else putting everything together or that i'm pretty limited as to the hardware specifications or that any laptop i buy will be absolutely bloated w/ crapware from the manufacturer!!!

uuugh...
 
Its not hard.

What's your budget? How big do you want your laptop to be?
 
Just buy the hardware you want and format that bitch when you get it.
 
Would depend on what you use it for. Price wise, you'll still need to pay at least twice to get the performance of a desktop. Considering your financial situation (baby on the way), you may be better off building another Desktop.

A few things you might want to think over.
-laptops cost twice to get the same performance of a desktop.
-no matter the model. Laptop keyboards are not as good for long hours of use. You may find your fingertips are sore because of the slim type keyboards after just an hour. The way the keys are laid out are not optimal for ease of use.
-no matter the laptop model. The foldable lcd is not optimal for comfort either.
-most home laptops never leave the table. Which makes their portability attribute rather moot.

We've had seven laptops in my house (I think, I'm actually losing count). Every one of them is paired with a usb keyboard, and even the netbooks are connected to 19" lcds. We got them because they were either subsidized, discounted, issued, or gifts. But if they had been replaced with desktops, we wouldn't tell the difference. The only ones that actually were moved around were the netbooks.
 
Oh, I suppose two of our laptops were used for moving around the room (rarely left it), they ended up getting fried when they were used on the bed (smoke was coming out of the vents). My sister is getting a new one this week I think. I just hope to god she doesn't fry laptop #3.
 
I only use laptops myself nowadays, haven't owned a solid desktop in years although I had planned to build a "Godbox" at some point later this year. If I can find a decent laptop I may put that off even further into the future.

Don't see the purpose in a huge desktop when a nice laptop can do all that the same, at least for my purposes and requirements.
 
Just put an order in on a top of the line HP Elitebook...given the fact the performance of Sandybridge + SSD, I'm having a tough time justifying the need for my 2 year old desktop workstation. Planning on turning my workstation into a network render farm to keep the cores in use and using the laptop for all the day to day work. A new desktop could be had for half as much, but the performance should be more than enough for the professional work I'm doing right now.

My biggest gripe is it's tough to get a laptop that met my video demands without having the machine turn into a 9lb desktop replacement. Hopefully the Quadro 2000m will play nice.
 
I've gone from desktop to laptop to desktop and finally back to desktop. Though this time with my laptop, I have a 27" monitor so I guess it's kind of the best of both worlds though I do miss the storage capacity of my desktop.
 
I have only used a "desktop" as my htpc and gaming for the past 5+ years. I've been using a laptop for everything else. My suggestion is one of three options: if you really need portability, you might look into a "mobile desktop," which is usually 17".

Or if cash strapped and only needing the basics go for a budget laptop/netbook connected to an external keyboard/monitor.

Or search the used forums/CL for a steal on an older laptop. I have a C2D and 4gigs of RAM, which is plenty for everything one would want to do on a laptop but not necessarily as a 100% desktop replacement.

Each of these options are dependent upon your needs and budget--they aren't interchangeable options, imho.
 
450 said:
Its not hard.

What's your budget? How big do you want your laptop to be?
Click to expand...

I'd like to keep it under $999.

Dan_D said:
Just buy the hardware you want and format that bitch when you get it.
Click to expand...

I love the style of the macbook air but I'm really not a fan of OSX. I know they are about to upgrade the hardware on Monday so the $999 price might make sense for a reverse hackintosh?

Danny Bui said:
Not hard for me: I just accepted that a laptop is not a desktop. And reformat that laptop if possible :)

As for how to choose a laptop, answering the questions from this thread might help you or at least help us help you:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/wha...ould-i-buy-form-must-read-before-posting.html
Click to expand...

so directed at the first part of your response, my perception of laptop reality just refuses to meld w/ my hardware loving, desktop building mind...

Sly said:
Would depend on what you use it for. Price wise, you'll still need to pay at least twice to get the performance of a desktop. Considering your financial situation (baby on the way), you may be better off building another Desktop.

A few things you might want to think over.
-laptops cost twice to get the same performance of a desktop.
-no matter the model. Laptop keyboards are not as good for long hours of use. You may find your fingertips are sore because of the slim type keyboards after just an hour. The way the keys are laid out are not optimal for ease of use.
-no matter the laptop model. The foldable lcd is not optimal for comfort either.
-most home laptops never leave the table. Which makes their portability attribute rather moot.

We've had seven laptops in my house (I think, I'm actually losing count). Every one of them is paired with a usb keyboard, and even the netbooks are connected to 19" lcds. We got them because they were either subsidized, discounted, issued, or gifts. But if they had been replaced with desktops, we wouldn't tell the difference. The only ones that actually were moved around were the netbooks.
Click to expand...

ahhh your thoughts are not making my decision process any easier, that's a big part of why I'm having such a hard time! when I look at a laptop spec sheet, I have such a hard time justifying the cost versus a desktop.

wonSR4 said:
I've gone from desktop to laptop to desktop and finally back to desktop. Though this time with my laptop, I have a 27" monitor so I guess it's kind of the best of both worlds though I do miss the storage capacity of my desktop.
Click to expand...

this is exactly what I'm afraid of, constantly switching back and forth b/c I won't be able to deal with a 17 - 18 inch screen. I absolutely loved my 24 inch monitor w/ a ridiculous awesome resolution :mad:

mope54 said:
I have only used a "desktop" as my htpc and gaming for the past 5+ years. I've been using a laptop for everything else. My suggestion is one of three options: if you really need portability, you might look into a "mobile desktop," which is usually 17".

Or if cash strapped and only needing the basics go for a budget laptop/netbook connected to an external keyboard/monitor.

Or search the used forums/CL for a steal on an older laptop. I have a C2D and 4gigs of RAM, which is plenty for everything one would want to do on a laptop but not necessarily as a 100% desktop replacement.

Each of these options are dependent upon your needs and budget--they aren't interchangeable options, imho.
Click to expand...

maybe I'll keep searching the [H] sales or CL and see what I can come up w/.

:eek: :confused: :mad: :eek: damn!!!

thanks everyone, together we can defeat this perplexing paradox
 
I have a desktop right now, simply for playing videogames. My Asus G73 did perfectly well, but I wasn't taking it anywhere. I wasn't a fan of the touchpad or keyboard...basically I wasn't happy with it as a laptop.

But I spend no time on this desktop other than to game. I spend all my time on either my HP EliteBook (which I also have plugged into my 24" LCD while in the docking station) when I'm doing my VMWare stuff and general browsing.


Depending on what you're wanting to do, if you're in the middle or just think you'll spend as much time at the desk as you will on the go, look into a laptop that will do a docking station. As has been said before, the power is there for all but the most demanding tasks. The portability is there too to take your work with you; the docking station just simplifies and improves the overall experience (IMO)
 
9guns said:
ahhh your thoughts are not making my decision process any easier, that's a big part of why I'm having such a hard time! when I look at a laptop spec sheet, I have such a hard time justifying the cost versus a desktop.
Click to expand...

I'm a desktop guy that got lucky enough to be surrounded by laptops, the only saving grace is that our electric bill is low compared to everyone else.

If you're looking for price/performance, you just won't find it in a laptop. My personal setup is an uber rig and a netbook. It's a good combo for a desktop guy. If you need portability/low power tasks, you can move it to the netbook, if you need power/comfort, you can switch to the desktop, if you want a little of both, the desktop peripherals are compatible with the netbook.

There are certainly laptops powerful enough to match a desktop, but you also have to consider if you're willing to sacrifice price/performance (and comfort) for the sake of portability.

Just keep in mind what i said about just how useful the 'portability' aspect of a laptop really is. If you have any friends with powerful personal laptops (Not work issued ones), try to see just how often they actually move them and if it will actually benefit you. Or if you're just after the coolness factor.
 
Well for me, it helps that I don't play games so I don't need a crazy fast laptop. I'm going to be sticking with the laptop + monitor combo as I feel that it's more practical and I'm not on my computer as much as I used to be.
 
Sly said:
I'm a desktop guy that got lucky enough to be surrounded by laptops, the only saving grace is that our electric bill is low compared to everyone else.

If you're looking for price/performance, you just won't find it in a laptop. My personal setup is an uber rig and a netbook. It's a good combo for a desktop guy. If you need portability/low power tasks, you can move it to the netbook, if you need power/comfort, you can switch to the desktop, if you want a little of both, the desktop peripherals are compatible with the netbook.

There are certainly laptops powerful enough to match a desktop, but you also have to consider if you're willing to sacrifice price/performance (and comfort) for the sake of portability.

Just keep in mind what i said about just how useful the 'portability' aspect of a laptop really is. If you have any friends with powerful personal laptops (Not work issued ones), try to see just how often they actually move them and if it will actually benefit you. Or if you're just after the coolness factor.
Click to expand...

so for me, that last part is probably the most relevant. i feel like i probably won't use it as a portable as much as i think. i have this feeling like i'll just set up a desk w/ an external monitor and it will never move b/c my iPad 2 does all the portable things i need. but if i got all out for a gaming machine, it will as you said never meant that price / performance ratio at all and i'll spend more time playing TF2 than hanging out w/ my child.

wonSR4 said:
Well for me, it helps that I don't play games so I don't need a crazy fast laptop. I'm going to be sticking with the laptop + monitor combo as I feel that it's more practical and I'm not on my computer as much as I used to be.
Click to expand...

you're lucky to only have a [H]ardware addiction and not a gaming addiction too like most of us!!! :D :D :D

i just feel like i'm having such an immense internal struggle w/ this laptop vs. desktop decision. there are so many windows based laptops, only a few OSX based laptops, and a world of customization awaiting if i venture back to desktop land...

ahhh i'm torn :confused: :confused: :confused:

ok amongst the plethora of brands for windows based laptops, what could you suggest and why? also size, what could you suggest and why?
 
ok i spent about 2 hours this weekend messing around w/ the 11.6 in. macbook air, the thing is REALLY lacking in hardware specs (which i hope will be getting upgraded soon...) but otherwise it's an absolutely gorgeous laptop. reverse hackintoch? is this easy to do? has anyone ever done this?
 
9guns said:
ok i spent about 2 hours this weekend messing around w/ the 11.6 in. macbook air, the thing is REALLY lacking in hardware specs (which i hope will be getting upgraded soon...) but otherwise it's an absolutely gorgeous laptop. reverse hackintoch? is this easy to do? has anyone ever done this?
Click to expand...

bootcamp.....



as for brand: HP Elitebook, Dell Latitudes, or Lenovo....pretty much business machine will be the recommendation
 
Yeah, you don't need to "reverse hackintosh" as Mac's have driver support through bootcamp(supported by Apple, with drivers on the disc it comes with!) to natively run Win7. Though I would suggest giving OSX a month or two of actually using before you write it off. It's actually a very nice OS in it's own right.

But if you're looking at the 11" MBA, I would suggest waiting for the refresh that is generally considered to be happening "soon". The current gen MBA's had a dilemma w/r/t proc/video card (Good proc (Core i5) with a cripple graphics card, or old proc (C2D) with a decent graphics card). Apple chose the later, but the next refresh should put a mobile Sandy Bridge i5 (i7?) into the MBA's. And that'll make'm very nice.
 
Zumino Zufeilon said:
Yeah, you don't need to "reverse hackintosh" as Mac's have driver support through bootcamp(supported by Apple, with drivers on the disc it comes with!) to natively run Win7. Though I would suggest giving OSX a month or two of actually using before you write it off. It's actually a very nice OS in it's own right.

But if you're looking at the 11" MBA, I would suggest waiting for the refresh that is generally considered to be happening "soon". The current gen MBA's had a dilemma w/r/t proc/video card (Good proc (Core i5) with a cripple graphics card, or old proc (C2D) with a decent graphics card). Apple chose the later, but the next refresh should put a mobile Sandy Bridge i5 (i7?) into the MBA's. And that'll make'm very nice.
Click to expand...

yea i'm definitely waiting for the hardware refresh but i think i'll try out OSX like you're suggesting b/c i absolutely love iOS on my iPhone 4 and iPad 2. plus the new Lion OSX will probably be included in the MBA refresh too...

but am i a trader to my PC brethren if i switch? i feel so guilty... :eek: :eek: :eek:
 
9guns said:
but am i a trader to my PC brethren if i switch? i feel so guilty... :eek: :eek: :eek:
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nope, the more intelligent "brethren" use the right tool for the job. an OS should be seamless; sane users don't even worry about what's under the hood

if it makes you feel better, throw BSD on it and no one can give you shit...not even ubuntu "geeks"
 
9guns said:
yea i'm definitely waiting for the hardware refresh but i think i'll try out OSX like you're suggesting b/c i absolutely love iOS on my iPhone 4 and iPad 2. plus the new Lion OSX will probably be included in the MBA refresh too...

but am i a trader to my PC brethren if i switch? i feel so guilty... :eek: :eek: :eek:
Click to expand...

I wouldn't worry about being a "traitor". Apple makes good hardware, and OSX is for-all-intents a Linux Distro with some rather specific hardware requirements. The "traitors" IMO are those folks who aren't willing to look past what Apple was 15-20 years ago, and still base all of their preconceived notions on Apple's from that era. Computer Nerds shouldn't give a crap about the "Coffeehouse Set" who buy's a Mac because they're "cool", but rather appreciate and respect what Apple does well, versus comparing Apples to, well, Oranges, and complaining that a Mac isn't good for orange juice.
 
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it was hard for me, but than i found great deal on one good one and told my self the hell with it and got it, did few upgrades and stuff and realized what i wanted. kept upgrading few and finally got MBP for great price and haven't looked back. though i do have few laptops with me atm, including 13in HP, 14in lenovo, 15 in HPx2 and one dell, 17 inch dell and gateway,

gonna sold all of them gateway as it will make great HTPC center for me, just haven't gotten around doing anything for it, will do after school is over.
 
It wasn't too hard for me to make the transition. My desktop had gotten less and less use as time went on and I had less time for games. My work laptop sufficed. Then I was laid off and became an independent contractor, and still had no time for games

I picked up a refurbished Dell e6410 on ebay for $800 w/ a 128gb ssd, 2gb ram, integrated gfx on a core i5m, and a 16:10 LED screen. Oh, and 3 years business warranty.
A quick trip to Newegg and $200 later, 8gb ram.
Total package $1000.
It didn't come with USB 3, but I can add Expresscards that provide 2 unpowered ports.

The Dell provides an excellent keyboard (as far as laptops go). I was doing software engineering on it for months sans usb keyboard, as I didn't have an assigned location, and could not guarantee space for an external board. The keyboard is about as good as the old IBM thinkpads, but the trackpoint leaves much to be desired. I liked them both better than the MBP and HP Elitebook 8530p I used at Ericsson. I can't stand consumer-grade laptop keyboards anymore. One SERIOUS plus for the MBP is that massive trackpad mouse. Which is unreachable if you don't use their chiclet keyboard.

I found a docking station for $5, and moved the monitors from the desktop to the docking station. Then I dropped 2x 1TB drives for CIFS storage, and use windows remote desktop to log in as needed.

So I now have the best of both worlds, a laptop configured the way I wanted it, at a price I was willing to bear, and sacrificed the gaming aspects due to the need for a tuned business machine.
I can either purchase a new desktop solely for gaming (unlikely), or pick up a console form $400 completely independent of my primary workhorse.

Check out several though, and see what you think.
-Steven
 
scbjmshpv said:
it was hard for me, but than i found great deal on one good one and told my self the hell with it and got it, did few upgrades and stuff and realized what i wanted. kept upgrading few and finally got MBP for great price and haven't looked back. though i do have few laptops with me atm, including 13in HP, 14in lenovo, 15 in HPx2 and one dell, 17 inch dell and gateway,

gonna sold all of them gateway as it will make great HTPC center for me, just haven't gotten around doing anything for it, will do after school is over.
Click to expand...

the MBP is great b/c of the backlit keyboard, i wish they had that in the MBA :mad: :mad: :mad:

S. Wong said:
It wasn't too hard for me to make the transition. My desktop had gotten less and less use as time went on and I had less time for games. My work laptop sufficed. Then I was laid off and became an independent contractor, and still had no time for games

I picked up a refurbished Dell e6410 on ebay for $800 w/ a 128gb ssd, 2gb ram, integrated gfx on a core i5m, and a 16:10 LED screen. Oh, and 3 years business warranty.
A quick trip to Newegg and $200 later, 8gb ram.
Total package $1000.
It didn't come with USB 3, but I can add Expresscards that provide 2 unpowered ports.

The Dell provides an excellent keyboard (as far as laptops go). I was doing software engineering on it for months sans usb keyboard, as I didn't have an assigned location, and could not guarantee space for an external board. The keyboard is about as good as the old IBM thinkpads, but the trackpoint leaves much to be desired. I liked them both better than the MBP and HP Elitebook 8530p I used at Ericsson. I can't stand consumer-grade laptop keyboards anymore. One SERIOUS plus for the MBP is that massive trackpad mouse. Which is unreachable if you don't use their chiclet keyboard.

I found a docking station for $5, and moved the monitors from the desktop to the docking station. Then I dropped 2x 1TB drives for CIFS storage, and use windows remote desktop to log in as needed.

So I now have the best of both worlds, a laptop configured the way I wanted it, at a price I was willing to bear, and sacrificed the gaming aspects due to the need for a tuned business machine.
I can either purchase a new desktop solely for gaming (unlikely), or pick up a console form $400 completely independent of my primary workhorse.

Check out several though, and see what you think.
-Steven
Click to expand...

i have a lenovo thinkpad t400 at work, CDC p8400 w/ 3 gb ram and integrated intel graphics... ewww. it's big and bulky and i never want to bring it home! i feel like i would eventually want a small desk again to put it on from time to time b/c sometimes i actually prefer sitting in my amazingly comfortable chair at my desk versus a couch w/ the laptop roasting my balls. using the iPad 2 is sometimes just plain awkward. i feel like a laptop is going to be like that too. does anyone use a small, rolling desk? or like a small table that slides under a couch when you pull it close? hmmm... this makes me wish i had an articulating arm stand for my iPad 2 so i could use it w/ out holding it. anyone have something like this either?
 
I'm confused, you seem to really not like the idea of paying more for slower performing hardware but you have no problems shelling out 999$ for a 1.6ghz intel core 2 duo and on top of that installing windows on it instead of mac osx?

Is portability and good style more important to you then? I'm just still not sure I understand what you want from your laptop, because based on your need for performance for the cost, i would think the macbook air is a bad choice :/
 
serpretetsky said:
I'm confused, you seem to really not like the idea of paying more for slower performing hardware but you have no problems shelling out 999$ for a 1.6ghz intel core 2 duo and on top of that installing windows on it instead of mac osx?

Is portability and good style more important to you then? I'm just still not sure I understand what you want from your laptop, because based on your need for performance for the cost, i would think the macbook air is a bad choice :/
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no, no, no - i'm definitely not going to pay $999 for the MBA given it's current hardware specs. but if and when they do a hardware refresh to a current generation cpu, and the price stays the same, maybe then i'll consider purchasing either the 11" or 13". portability, style, and iOS/OSX integration are what's driving me toward a MBA. i have an apple TV, two iPhone 4's, an iPad 2, my wife has a MBP... i really love the idea of all these gadgets working across all platforms and being fully integrated. does that make more sense?
 
Well, Asus has announced what amounts to a MBA clone for September/October of this year with a i7m, matching 'expected' spec choices nearly spec-for-spec (though battery life is unknown at this point, with OSX battery optimization, that'll probably end up a win for the MBA, but time will tell).

Depending on price the ASUS could be a MBA competitor, a MBA killer, or roadkill under the MBA's. I would expect a spec-for-spec comparison will put the ASUS version ~$50-$100 less then the MBA, but who knows!? Obviously won't have OSX, but might finally offer some actual competition for the ultraportable that's actually a portable (only real comparison to the 11" MBA at the moment is the M11X, which hits the portability hard(+2-3lbs, -2ish hours battery) for more graphics power, which isn't a good tradeoff for many people's purposes).

Bit of "tilting at windmills" at the moment, but the i5m/i7m's do seem to be offering some fantastic performance/watt options for ultraportables.
 
9guns said:
no, no, no - i'm definitely not going to pay $999 for the MBA given it's current hardware specs. but if and when they do a hardware refresh to a current generation cpu, and the price stays the same, maybe then i'll consider purchasing either the 11" or 13". portability, style, and iOS/OSX integration are what's driving me toward a MBA. i have an apple TV, two iPhone 4's, an iPad 2, my wife has a MBP... i really love the idea of all these gadgets working across all platforms and being fully integrated. does that make more sense?
Click to expand...
ok. Don't forget about the macbook pro 13" @ 1199$ which comes with a core i5 2410 i believe. It's still pretty small. I'm just not a fan of how few ports the MBA comes with.
 
Well, the next MBA revision is going to have thunderbolt, which hopefully in the not too distant future will have hubs/all sorts of nifty addon's available.

Personally, I really, really, REALLY want a docking station for the MBP. Would allow me to 'plug the laptop' into the full range of things I do now, with a single plug, instead of Ethernet, Firewire, USB, Power, and DisplayPort. But I'm lazy ;)
 
Zumino Zufeilon said:
Well, Asus has announced what amounts to a MBA clone for September/October of this year with a i7m, matching 'expected' spec choices nearly spec-for-spec (though battery life is unknown at this point, with OSX battery optimization, that'll probably end up a win for the MBA, but time will tell).

Depending on price the ASUS could be a MBA competitor, a MBA killer, or roadkill under the MBA's. I would expect a spec-for-spec comparison will put the ASUS version ~$50-$100 less then the MBA, but who knows!? Obviously won't have OSX, but might finally offer some actual competition for the ultraportable that's actually a portable (only real comparison to the 11" MBA at the moment is the M11X, which hits the portability hard(+2-3lbs, -2ish hours battery) for more graphics power, which isn't a good tradeoff for many people's purposes).

Bit of "tilting at windmills" at the moment, but the i5m/i7m's do seem to be offering some fantastic performance/watt options for ultraportables.
Click to expand...

yea I saw the asus 2011 ux series over at anandtech back in may. looks fuckin' sweet, it has the same form factor and sexiness! absolutely beautiful... plus the hardware may be hard to beat if it's price is right.

serpretetsky said:
ok. Don't forget about the macbook pro 13" @ 1199$ which comes with a core i5 2410 i believe. It's still pretty small. I'm just not a fan of how few ports the MBA comes with.
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my wife has one, I really heart the illuminated keyboard and it's sleek, thin, black bezel. it's another gorgeous machine but it's too big

(that's what she said)

...sorry for the outburst everyone, ahem... yea I feel that after responding to everyone and hearing everyone's point of view, it's the small form factor that gets me! her allure and seduction have me hooked plus a hint of mystery surrounding OSX b/c I've never spent any real time learning how it works.

Zumino Zufeilon said:
Well, the next MBA revision is going to have thunderbolt, which hopefully in the not too distant future will have hubs/all sorts of nifty addon's available.

Personally, I really, really, REALLY want a docking station for the MBP. Would allow me to 'plug the laptop' into the full range of things I do now, with a single plug, instead of Ethernet, Firewire, USB, Power, and DisplayPort. But I'm lazy ;)
Click to expand...

I'm excited for a hardware change to the MBA. I read a story back in may on TUAW about tests being done for it running iOS. they would put the same CPU & GPU as what's in the iPad 2. it's interesting to say the least but I want a MBA w/

FYAH POWA!!!
 
I had a desktop for many years, then I bought my first laptop in October 2008, and while it was a great experience (I needed the portability at the time), now that things have settled down, it behooves me more to have a desktop simply because changing parts in and out is more convenient and easier to troubleshoot.

Laptops are much better made than they were before, that's for sure, but i'll put it this way.

Laptops are great for mobility when you know you'll be in different places a lot and need to be able to take a computer with you more often than not.

Desktops are great for immersion in games when that's what you're after. Bigger screens, more raw power, and the ability to upgrade with ease.

Laptops simply can't overcome those advantages, and a laptop comparable to what the best PC has in it costs thousands of dollars, while you can pretty much build a top of the line PC for just over or under a grand.

That type of performance on a laptop will easily cost twice that, if not more.
 
Fail said:
I had a desktop for many years, then I bought my first laptop in October 2008, and while it was a great experience (I needed the portability at the time), now that things have settled down, it behooves me more to have a desktop simply because changing parts in and out is more convenient and easier to troubleshoot.

Laptops are much better made than they were before, that's for sure, but i'll put it this way.

Laptops are great for mobility when you know you'll be in different places a lot and need to be able to take a computer with you more often than not.

Desktops are great for immersion in games when that's what you're after. Bigger screens, more raw power, and the ability to upgrade with ease.

Laptops simply can't overcome those advantages, and a laptop comparable to what the best PC has in it costs thousands of dollars, while you can pretty much build a top of the line PC for just over or under a grand.

That type of performance on a laptop will easily cost twice that, if not more.
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oh man, you're swaying me back and forth. how can i argue w/ anything he just wrote. i love gaming so much but i have a child on the way and i want to be able to focus on him / her. i'm totally addicted to Team Fortress 2, i would sit down on a friday after work and sometimes play until the sun would come up. that's dedication and ridiculousness all rolled into one. i miss it so much but i have to shift my priorities a little and that means i can't be spending $$$ on my damn hardware addiction either. the duality of a desktop: 1) you can easily switch out parts; and 2) the ease w/ which you can switch out parts and improve your system makes it tough to resist new gear.

i think this laptop experience will be just that, an experience. it won't satiate my thirst for FPS blood or 2560 x 1600 resolution, but it will make do for the time being while i raise my child. plus everyone knows by looking at CL, the FS forums on [H], and ebay that apple products retain their value quite well. so maybe i shouldn't put so much emphasis on "trading in my desktop for a laptop" and look at it like a "rental period" after which i'll decided if i want to stay w/ a laptop (and OSX) versus a desktop (Windows 7).
 
ha, i just figured out how to use "[H] Mobile". looks like shit on my iPhone 4 safari browser but works well w/ opera!

why didn't I get that cool little, "sent from your [H] mobile device" signature at the bottom of the post?
 
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ok so I read yesterday on appleinsider that it's looking like apple is definitely upgrading the MBA's to sandy bridge... HERE WE GO!!!
 
9guns said:
I'd like to keep it under $999.
Click to expand...

Heck for a grand I bought an HP DM1z and built a desktop. (I did have a monitor) Laptop is for travelling/mobile needs and desktop for everything else. I could have shaved some money on desktop build, probably enough to buy a 20inch monitor. i3 instead of i5 2500k, etc.

Instead of thinking all in one try doing both. :)
 
Basically, I need my laptop PC to act as the "Mobile Command Station", that does just about everything my desktop can do, at least half a well. Thus I need power, but I also want portability, durability, and high quality materials, so I had a very difficult time finding something to suit my needs. There are plenty of Clevo rebrands and the like that have a lot of raw power, but they're heavy, made of cheapy materials, and don't have the little "extras". There are a lot of light, nice looking options but they're critically underpowered.

Basically, when I was buying (and still to some extent today) there are only a handful of offerings that meet these requirements and when you want "Powerful, Thin, Aesthetically Pleasing" you have to give up something - "Money". I mulled over the Sony Z, going as far as customizing a Japanese model to get all the feature sets, but I didn't want to deal with Sony's graphics driver hell, especially on Linux. I pondered a MacBook Pro, but didn't want to support Apple and prior to the last refresh the hardware was inferior to the one I DID select - The HP Envy14.

The Envy14 is one of the only "HPs not built like a HP", managed by a completely different team along with the ProBook line. I was lucky to buy at the apex of the model, where both a Quad Core i7 840 was available, and the awesome Radiance 1600x900 display, which I am to understand is one of the three best laptop displays in the world in terms of color quality, brightness etc... it had the power, it was thin and made of a metal chassis, it also had the "little things" like a backlit keyboard available. The only things I miss are USB3.0 ports and mayhap an ExpressCard slot. Between the i7 840QM and nicely overclockable 5650 (I figure I can get to real world 5770 performance if I push it a bit. Pretty much any game around I can play on high settings providing I don't turn the AA/AF above 4x), I have quite a bit of power available in a small package.

It was hard to find a laptop to meet my current needs and it will be hard next time when this begins to go out of date, but I feel I must have a pretty unique niche. If I ever had the money to provide venture capital/angel investment, I'd love to start/fund a company that would make ultra-high end laptops made with Linux in mind. As much as I wanted to buy from something like System76, I couldn't justify buying an 8lb Clevo plastic block without so much as a backlit keyboard.
 
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