Just out of curiosity

[Diekan]

How many of you think the desktop is going the way of the dino?

With laptops coming out with more and more power and mobility, do you think we're coming closer to a day when the big, bulky desktop goes the way of the vinyl record and 8-track tape?

I have to admit... I hardly ever use my desktop anymore. In fact I have actually started to think about selling it. 99% of what I can and need to do I can do from a laptop now.

[Tikker]

i'm the same way, and my laptop is just a p3 850

i really don't game much at all anymore, except for guitar hero, and with the Wii and PS3 coming down the pipe, I'm not sure I need a real desktop anymore at all

[Diekan]

http://www.linuxtoday.com/infrastructur ... 2626OPDTEM

That's a good article (although old) that pretty much sums up the future of the desktop. Home entertainment system.

That was written back in 2004 - so I'd say that even as a home entertainment system - it's still doomed. With the power of laptops now - and their growing capabilities - why would you want a bulky desktop cluttering up your room when you can slide a laptop under the TV, which can do the same tasks.

I was thinking that maybe the 'expansive' nature of the desktop would save it. But, hell... you can buy a large external drive for next to nothing now. Even with an extrenal DVD burner, hard drive, and whatever else you want, you're still taking up less than half the space needed for a desktop. And, you can pack the laptop up and take it where ever you go.

Yeah, I think I'm gonna sell this thing...

Anyone interested in a 3.2 gig PIV, 1 gig of atlas RAM, ASUS MB, 160 G Seagate HD, 256 meg ATI Radeon, DVD player, CD-R, 400 watt PS, in an aluminum case with a 17" flat screen?

Makes you wonder too if these huge price reductions we're seeing in the PC market aren't really because no one is buying them anymore.

[Tuggan]

i hate laptops

[Martrae]

i hate laptops

[Arlos]

When I knew I needed to get a new PC, I looked at getting a laptop that would do everything I wanted/needed: gaming, being a development platform for programming for class assignments, etc. I found that I could get one, but it would have to be such a high end model, that literally, I could get a high end desktop AND a medium-end laptop that would do 75% of what I wanted for LESS than the ultra-high end laptop. Not to mention, the wimpier laptop would be 4-5lbs lighter than the ultra-high-end one and would have significantly longer battery life.

Oh, and the desktop would be far easier to upgrade in the future.

So, given all of the above, my choice was obvious. I said to hell with the uber-laptop, and got a desktop.

-Arlos

[Gidan]

I am only a fan of laptops af far as doing things on the go. I like to be able to bring mine around with me and know I have a computer that I can do what I need to do. I just dont see a laptop ever replacing my desktop though. Everything in a laptop is hard to upgrade/replace. If my desktop has a problem and I need to replace something, 2 hours or so latter it can be replaced and back up and running, nothing close to that with a laptop.

IMO a laptop should be small and light. My 15" widescreen is even a bit large for me but it was just far better and still cheaper then the smaller version.

[Narrock]

I was thinking of getting this one. I think it has everything I need when I'm over-the-road for emailing, video conferencing, voip'ing, and gaming. It seems to have adequate power for playing WoW and BF2. Most truck stops have laptop rooms where you can plug in your laptop and save your battery, and get wireless internet service.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6834115226

[Darcler]

I havent touched my desktop in a couple weeks. Well I played WoW on it for about 20 minutes, but turned it back off.
I'm on the laptop in the living room much more often.

[Captain Insano]

until the laptop becomes reasonably accessible for future upgrades and integrates well with DVI and hi-def monitors the desktop will be around.

The most important factor these days in PC sales is also price point. If someone can get a decent gaming rig for 1k, which you can now, why would they go spend 2k on a laptop?

I eventually see the demise of the standard desktop but I believe it is a long way off.

[10sun]

I <3 my desktop.

I didn't for a while when I quit gaming, but now that I game again... well it is not replaceable. It isn't faced with horrid heat / cooling issues that most laptops suffer from. I have enough USB plugs for everything I need to do. I have a 20.1" 16:10 ratio monitor hooked up through DVI at a resolution that most laptops do not support. I can mix and match my mouse / keyboard to the point where if my hands are acting up using a trackball is a non-issue.

Additionally, I don't have to worry about theft near as much. Nor dropping it or accidentally spilling something on the keyboard or what have you.

Don't get me wrong, I like my laptop, but the case is battered, CD/DVD writer broken, keyboard doesn't work, etc etc etc.

[Drem]

I was thinking of getting this one. I think it has everything I need when I'm over-the-road for emailing, video conferencing, voip'ing, and gaming. It seems to have adequate power for playing WoW and BF2. Most truck stops have laptop rooms where you can plug in your laptop and save your battery, and get wireless internet service.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6834115226

Yuck do not buy Acer. When I bought my laptop at CC they said don't ever get a knockoff brand of laptop because they break too much and like Gidan said, they're a pain in the ass to repair. The monitor even broke on one of the display Acers while I was in the store. Sweet

Just get a normal brand. If you're going to drop 2 Gs on a laptop, get a nice Toshiba or something

[Narrock]

I was thinking of getting this one. I think it has everything I need when I'm over-the-road for emailing, video conferencing, voip'ing, and gaming. It seems to have adequate power for playing WoW and BF2. Most truck stops have laptop rooms where you can plug in your laptop and save your battery, and get wireless internet service.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6834115226

Yuck do not buy Acer. When I bought my laptop at CC they said don't ever get a knockoff brand of laptop because they break too much and like Gidan said, they're a pain in the ass to repair. The monitor even broke on one of the display Acers while I was in the store. Sweet

Just get a normal brand. If you're going to drop 2 Gs on a laptop, get a nice Toshiba or something

Kewl man, thanks. That's the kind of feedback I was looking for. I actually don't want to drop 2k. Maybe I can find one for about 1k to $1200.

[Narrock]

Uh... actually the Acer Aspire AS5672WLMi is getting very good reviews. Check this out. And it's only about $1100 delivered.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6834115246

[Juls]

i agree desktops are a pain at times. My mom, a lady that doesnt know how to use a computer at all is suggesting i get a laptop.. that explains it all for me..

[10sun]

Thats another thing that I wanted to say about desktops is ease of installation. For the most part unless you are running onboard raid, you can just pop a CD in and install without a hitch, whereas a lot of laptops require you to have installation disks manufactured exclusively for that model because of all the custom drivers and shit they have for their hardware.

Complete reformat for a desktop > laptop

[Dylan]

I can't stand how small lap tops are, and I can't use the small little dot mouses or the finger pad mouse, and the only reason I would use one is if I am on the go etc and that makes a traditional mouse an inconvienence.