I’ve been using a laptop in lieu of a desktop for about a year now in a home office environment. I’ve also gone wireless, including my printer.
I’m very satisfied with the arrangement.
I know a lot of people using laptops as replacements for desktops but I’m not one of them for a few reasons I won’t go into, ‘cuz I’ll bore you.
Both my wife and I have only laptops. However, the laptops we have are definitely at the higher end for business laptops - one is a Dell Precision and the other is a Dell Latitude.
There's nothing we can't do as well or better for out purposes; however, video editing and cutting edge games would definitely run slower than on a middle-of-the-road new desktop. Everything else is a wash, though. I've done professional sound editing with both without a problem, for instance.
Both of our systems have ultra-high resolution screens (1920x1200 and 1600x1200 respectively) and they are matte screens, not the glossy ones that seem to be bright, but pick up all the glare wherever you sit.
You can plug in either system into virtually whatever monitor you'd like and not have a problem with the resolution matching up to the highest that device would natively have, if you don't like the 15.5 inch-type screens we have (one widescreen and one normal).
Taking the system with you wherever you are is such a plus, as all of your files are always available. Additionally, if you have a cell phone modem, or one of the newer phones with a Wi-Fi hotspot or modem capacity built-in, you can get on the internet in the car while your spouse drives, looking up good restaurants to visit or hotels, while on vacation (which worked out perfectly for our recent 11 day trip).
Games do work on these systems, but you may need to turn off some high-end effects to keep the speed reasonable. That said, a lot of games seem to be just fine and I tweak them up in graphics features on occasion.
Get a decent laptop and you won't be looking at a desktop, for at least yourself), likely ever again.
Haven’t used a desktop in years.
Yep, I have switched to a laptop. Have got a desktop running Vista, what am I going to do, try to upgrade it to 7? For how much? (Does anyone know? MS site doesn’t say.) Or build/buy a new one if that one doesn’t meet 7’s requirements? I’m worried this laptop will croak as laptops tend to do (It’s a Toshiba i5 with a 16’’ screen which seems enough), and as the Dell laptops I used at work in fact did.
I have and use both. Laptops are more convenient, but for the money, desktops have much more power or bang for the buck.
I used to be a desktop user. Switched to laptop a few years ago and never looked back. It used to be that desktops were so much more powerful than laptops that the downgrade was not worth it. The new laptops - I use one with the Intel i5 processor - and the HD screens are just spectacular, imo.
I can see needing a desktop for gaming or other processor / RAM intensive activities (desktop publishing, graphical arts etc...) but for average every day use (documents, email, internet, videos etc..) a laptop is fine.
As an added bonus, you can get a wireless router so you can post to FR from your couch (As I am doing right now! :) )
For the most part; I’m using an iPad as a desktop/laptop replacement. Does that count?
Works great for me. I have used a laptop as a desktop replacement for the past year and a half.
I use a laptop. I do not have a docking station unlike some others who have already responded. I have a heat shield which serves as a platform to place the laptop. It is very convenient, especially when I am on my bed leaning back.
Replaced my blown desktop with my secretary’s old lappy, which is a great HP with 250 gig HD (still newer than my old desktop). Have my USB turntable hooked up. 2 external HDs total 2.25 TB. Using Cool Edit 2000 to record my albums and recalcitrant WMA files from my CD’s. Sound through cheap earphones is great (I’m pretty deaf from 20 years in a millwork plant). Bought a $12 USB keyboard. Have a 22” flatscreen monitor available, but the laptop screen is plenty big for what I do. I haven’t had any trouble with this setup.
I have a desktop and a work laptop at the office.
I have 3 desktop computers...I have 2 laptops...never turn my desktop computers on...if you purchase a large enough laptop...you’ll never use your desktop again. A good laptop will set you free...of course using the wireless feature....
I probably will eventually, but right now, my desktop is still my primary computer.
I gave up a desktop almost 15 years ago and love it.
Thing is, I bought a house and AT&T is having problems installing landline and Internet for over a month now. So I am doing iPad only now for 5 weeks and counting.
Disk access is MUCH slower. Otherwise, it is tolerable with an external keyboard, mouse and large monitor.
My laptop is under this desk — connected to a ‘port replicator’ (docking station). On the desk itself is a screen and keyboard that is connected to all the stuff under it. So I have a nice screen that is eye-level and a keyboard which is the normal size, AND a mouse, rather than that other curser.
I’m not techie, but I like this set-up, as I can take the laptop off and take it with me if I wish. Altho — since I have a BlackBerry, my laptop doesn’t follow me any longer when I go away.
I bought this thing about 2 years ago, and very rarely use my others (I have 3 always-running boxes in my basement office, which I run from this one from upstairs). The price was excellent (about $425 IIRC), and it is the first laptop I have ever owned that I have done *nothing* to (usually have to add RAM, or a bigger hdd) I LOVE this box. I work out on the deck, or in the living room on the couch, or from my LazyBoy, which is 100x better than being stuck in my office chair.
Would recommend a very sturdy backup tho, as laptops are not as durable, and do die a cruel death when they go, as a normal course of things...
Excellent vanity (for a change.) Mucho thanks.
Almost 100% laptop at home.
i7 processor, lots of RAM and a 500 gig HD, and it’s nearly a year old model. Much faster than the PC I use at work. I have an HDMI cable that connects to the TV for movies so I don’t even miss the bigger monitor. I got an iPad for Christmas, it sits in the john for light reading and Sudoku, other than that the laptop does everything.