So I’m currently debating about going mobile, ditching the desktop and living off my laptop. I’ve had a laptop before, but it was in addition to my desktop at the time and so it was a bit of an addon.
I’m curious for feedback from anyone else who has made the change to go mobile? Much of a difference in productivity? Computer time? Usage of the computer?
Or am I making too much of a deal of this?
– IG
Too much of a big deal. I have used only a laptop or tablet pc for about a decade now. I don’t have a docking station or bigger screen or anything. Heck, I don’t even plug in a mouse but just work away. I travel 1 or 2 weeks per month.
BTW, I thought the OP was referring to a smart PDA. I use the i mate JAMin with Windows Mobile 5, and do a lot of business trips just taking the PDA. I get on line, including the dope, do email, take meeting notes, etc.
I’m going to the corporate HQ in about a week, and seriously thought about not even bringing my laptop. Problem is that I’m sure I’ll need a file buried away somewhere that’s not on my PDA. So I’ll bring it and probablywon’t use it once.
Really, you can get away from the desktop pretty easily unless you also do a lot of games or other stuff needing more horsepower or a bigger display.
I made the opposite change. I used to use only a laptop but I realized that -
A: It didn’t play games very well. Although it was a 3+ Ghz processor it didn’t even have a 3D graphics card. And laptops tend to have smaller screens regardless of the sheer power aspect. I’m not a big gamer anymore but I like to play the occasional Latest Thing.
B: It was on the fritz anyway.
C: I hardly ever took it around anywhere public. That was pretty much the clincher that made me go desktop-only, and so far I’m quite happy with my Dell XPS-400.
I have a new laptop computer. (I’d never had one before this one). My favorite part is that I can take it with me to any of several local libraries and use their wireless internet connection easily and cheaply. And without any restrictions on how long I can use the computer–or only those restrictions caused by not bringing the power cord, and I never need to worry about transferring files from one place to the next.
Well, except for the fact that I frequently do put stuff on my even newer thumb drive, and transfer stuff that way.
The keyboard took a little getting used to, and the pointing device a little more, but I haven’t seen any reason yet to get a keyboard or mouse just to go with the laptop.
And while the screens did seem kind of small when I was looking at them, it hasn’t proved to be a major problem(I think mine’s 15 inch-- not on the smaller end of the range, and it isn’t widescreen).
I went laptop-only at work about a year ago, and I like it so much that I’m planning to do the same at home within the next month or two. I’m not a gamer, and the portability is key for me: I’m a technical writer/editor and can take notes right in the lab, next to the developers; when I bring it home on weekends I can access the internet from my living room (my desktop lives two floors up); I can bring it to school and have connectivity in every library, and can work on a paper without checking out every book; and I can bring it on vacations to watch DVDs and/or surf the 'net.
Because of my job I do a lot of typing, so when I got the laptop at work I bought myself a cordless mouse and full-size keyboard to use when I’m at my desk; when I get the laptop for home I’ll do the same. I’m still able to be productive with the smaller keyboard and touch pad, but the “real things” make it easier for me to work for long periods of time. The screen size doesn’t bother me at all – it took me a little while to adjust to the resolution on the laptop, which is a widescreen 1280x800, but now I like it.
I also believe in docks: I have one on my desk at work, and will get one for use at home, too. If you don’t have many peripherals it probably doesn’t matter, but at both work and home I have a scanner, a local printer, etc. The dock at work is one that the laptop sits on, but the one for home looks like it gets connected via USB.
My most recent purchase of a desktop computer was 1996. (I still have it and it still does a usefu viable service, btw). Used a “WallStreet” from spring 1999 until February of this year, using a last-n-final G4-17" since that time.
Using it now. With two external screens for a total of 3, a wonderful external full-sized “Saratoga” keyboard, a mouse, etc.
It goes where I go, and so do my apps, settings, documents, and the rest of my environment.
I think you’ll find that this depends on your personal usage and personality too much for us to give you more than general advice.
Personally, I find that screen real-estate is the single greatest contributor to my productivity: more than CPU speed, more than hard drive space, even more than which operating system I’m running. I just don’t do “one thing at a time” well.
The only place where I find notebooks acceptable, therefore, is writing, and even then I’m using it as an adjunct to my desktop – the data isn’t going to stay on the notebook. And even for writing, I find that one of these (alphasmart neo) works better – its lighter, batteries last forever, and it’s indestructable.
On the other hand, notebooks considerably outsell PCs these days, so the market apparently thinks I’m nuts. There’s also the hybrid approach: a notebook + docking station, external keyboard and mouse, and monitor. I find them a hassle and that they give crappy performance, but that’s just me, too–I know a lot of folks who use this as their main configuration and love it.
I’m 100% laptop and find rather old-fashioned the idea of having a particular place in one’s home or office dedicated to using a computer. Often I use my computer literally on my lap, while I’m watching TV or on a train, and I would hate to not have that option.
However, no mousepad, nipple or trackball is anywhere near as good as a real mouse, so I still use those. Thank god for use-anywhere optical mice.
My business partner went all laptop last Christmas. He’s a programmer, so he uses it for work. He had never had a laptop before but was expecting a child and got “kicked out” of his office so he thought he’d see how it works.
He loves it. Not a gamer, does some video editing though. He loves being able to take his entire office with him when he goes to visit his folks out of state, and when he goes to client sites.
Me, I could never switch because I love fiddling with the insides of my machines. I also like the most power I can get for the littlest amount of money.
I went from desktop to laptop about a year and half ago.
Needed a new computer and the newer laptops have everything I need.
I did, however, buy a rather large laptop with a 17 inch screen and it is a tad heavy, so although I could take it with me, in reality, it has only left my desk once in all that time.
It just looks better in my den/office and takes up less space, with all of the memory and features I need.
Oh, and I did spring for an extra wireless keyboard and mouse, plus an external additional DVD burner, and the printer, so basically, I guess I have a portable desktop.