Personally, I really dislike laptops. I use one for work out of necessity (travel, working out in the field, etc), but never use one otherwise. It's mostly because I hate laptop keyboards and touchpads, but also because they're just not comfortable to use on your lap. If I'm going to plug in an external keyboard/mouse or sit at a desk/table, I'd rather just have a desktop (superior specs, no proprietary junk, better performance per dollar spent), but that defeats the purpose of a laptop in the first place. I do, however, like tablets. What I may set up in the future is a Windows 10 machine with a touch interface that I can remote desktop to with a tablet. I haven't used Windows 10's touch interface yet and don't know how it performs with any Android/iOS remote desktop apps, but I can imagine something well-configured being quite convenient.
A laptop can be stored into a case or put up in the closet / on the shelf when it isn't being used. A desktop computer marries you to a tower, a monitor, etc. that all require dedicated space someplace in your house. I get your overall point on "laptops don't really work well on laps," but desktop computers are space hogs and (generally) eyesores around the house. I'm very happy to have been rid of my desktop for the past decade, even if it meant a slightly higher investment cost for a laptop.
Cincinnati Reds: Farm System Champions 2022
Rojo (12-14-2015)
I used to think I couldn't transition to a laptop, until I finally did it. It felt awkward for a week or so, and I haven't looked back, but I understand for certain people it's just not a real option.
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Meh, I prefer a desktop, get more bang for your buck, lasts longer too.
I have 24 Gig memory on my tower, I wouldn't want to pay for that in a laptop myself.
I have 2 laptops and two towers, the towers I prefer 100% of the time
- - - Updated - - -
I have an office in my basement full of baseball books, it's a great place for my tower
I really only see it if you play games or code/design/do some sort of work where you need the monitors and horsepower (you do, don't you? Or am I misremembering?)
Like I said, there's real exceptions, but most people don't need it. A lot of people can get by with tablets honestly.
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
I bought my first PC in the olden days when a good one would set you back a couple grand or more. Back then, if you had one, you were probably a tinkerer/hobbyist and obsessed over the specs. I certainly did. But for at least 90% of the buying public nowadays, it's just an appliance. Hardcore gamers and the like aside, avoiding hassles is a bigger priority than incremental performance gains.
And the Mac enthusiast would say, "yeah, but then you have a PC and not a Mac."
I have PCs myself but I get the Mac thing, since I've used them a little bit. The OS is not only NOT excluded, it's the primary reason Mac buyers buy Macs.
Reading comprehension is not just an ability, it's a choice
Not a gamer, do a lot of web dev work and database stuff, but I like a spread out setup more, I loath mouse pads on laptops and I prefer to load my data on an external drive over a laptop or a cloud.
In short I prefer the old school setup... and I've owned laptops the last 20 years too
Redsfaithful (12-14-2015)
Which is strange, because they are essentially the same thing. Yeah, there are some slight differences here and there - but they work pretty much the exact same way. Boxes to open and close. Icons on the bottom to open up your programs. This isn't like comparing DOS to Windows 10/OS X.
Real reason I don't like Macs is a don't care for the OS, I like more control of my machine and traditionally Mac gave you less.
I understand why many people prefer laptops over desktops. I simply have a very strong preference for desktops. I've currently got 4 "desktops", applying that definition liberally.
1. In a closet running a file server, among other things (no monitor).
2. In a fancy-looking case in the family room. It's great for playing emulated console games (ie. Dolphin running Twilight Princess) and PC games on the big screen. I've spent a good amount of time playing Fallout 4 with a wireless Xbox 360 controller while reclining on the couch lately. It also serves as a front-end for watching movies, TV shows, Youtube videos, etc. I don't have cable, so it takes the place of a cable box.
3. In the bedroom. It's a small, silent, fanless box that runs only the movie/TV show/Youtube front end. It's not powerful enough to play any games.
4. In the office, multi-monitor. If I'm working from home or playing a game that requires a mouse/keyboard, that's where it happens.
If I'm going to sit on the couch and use a "computer", I prefer a tablet over a laptop 99 times out of 100. If I'm going to be sitting at a desk, I prefer a desktop over a laptop 100 times out of 100.
Last edited by Beltway; 12-15-2015 at 02:54 PM. Reason: typo
Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please. |