Next Time You Replace A Computer - Laptop, Desktop, Tablet or ?

[Danny]

I'm Going To replace my Dell Desktop this month.
I'm thinking portability and getting rid of all those wires under this desk would be nice! But then again desktops have their advantages....

Also, what do you think is the best for under $1000?

 

[Nords]

I vote desktops, where I can upgrade/replace individual components without having to pay for them as though they were actually made of solid gold.

Whatever does what I want for as cheaply as possible.  I want to use the damn thing, not spend all day tinkering with it.  Usually that turns out to be the box that's survived a month on the showroom floor and is being sold at cost to clear space for the newer models.

I can also appreciate those who spend their scripts' time keeping an eye on Dell specials and pouncing when their configuration is available for cheap.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Laptop. The newer cheaper ones have parts that are good enough for the next 3-5 years unless you're a 3d FPS twitch gamer, a high end video producer or a graphical designer.

The extra cost factor between a decent desktop and laptop arent anywhere near what they used to be.

Most "add-ons" are practical with firewire/usb 2.

They're so cheap that even if you have to replace the whole thing every 3-4 years to "upgrade", its worth it. What is it amortized over 3-4 years? $75-100? Cheap.

 

[wabmester]

I have three machines that I use often.   The usage pattern is something like DTR laptop 75%, desktop 20%, ultraportable laptop 5%.   I really wouldn't want to give up any of them.

I wouldn't want to buy a desktop right now since Intel is making the biggest change in their desktop processors in years (Conroe).   These new chips are incredibly fast and they run *much* cooler than the current generation of chips.   It also puts Intel back in the drivers seat after getting beat up from AMD for many years now.

While buying one of today's desktops will probably work fine for you, the power consumption will be high, and the resale value will drop like a rock once the new processors are out.

Laptops, on the other hand, only have incremental improvements in store, so I wouldn't hesitate to buy a new laptop.

 

[Nords]

I wouldn't want to buy a desktop right now since Intel is making the biggest change in their desktop processors in years (Conroe).   These new chips are incredibly fast and they run *much* cooler than the current generation of chips.   It also puts Intel back in the drivers seat after getting beat up from AMD for many years now.

TH, did I just hear Wab say something nice about Intel?

Excuse me while I log into my brokerage account...

 

[Nords]

Waaaal be, Wab. Intel's already up 1% since you posted that.

What other consumer products are you anticipating purchasing in the next few months?

 

[wabmester]

TH, did I just hear Wab say something nice about Intel?

Excuse me while I log into my brokerage account...

The next upgrade cycle will probably be driven by Microsoft's Vista, which is a monster resource hog. The computer market is completely saturated right now, so it'll be interesting to see if the new stuff from Intel and Microsoft will be compelling enough for people to upgrade.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Yep. But the big hinge on vista appears to be the video. Apparently anything short of a quad SLI setup is not qualified to do vista

Seriously, I'm betting the cut back on the resource requirements a bit, and half the stuff thats supposed to be in vista will end up slipping...just like XP.

It IS good to see Wab finally seeing the light. Maybe he got a good look at the fangs on one of those AMD products. Or had to use that handy glass of water I always recommend to help put out the fire?

And God Bless microsoft for continuing to produce pleasantly plump products.

 

[TromboneAl]

My current vague plans for next upgrade are to get a laptop, and plug in my nice keyboard and monitor when I'm at my desk.

Also, if all I have are laptops, I'll never have to try to get the damn ribbon cables to reach from the board the component, deal with incompatibilities with mounting bays, use a hammer to get the board to go into the slot, or have trouble getting the case closed.

USB all the way.

 

[yelnad]

I just overnighted my iBook to CA today for a hard drive upgrade and a new SuperDrive (DVD burner). I would do it myself, but I still have 2 years left on the warranty and didn't want to void it. It was much cheaper to do this than to buy a new one. The laptop is probaobly a year old and I've already outgrown it. I should have it back Friday.

 

[Cool Dood]

Hm, maybe a PlayStation 3 running Linux will do... Don't they usually sell those consoles at a loss?

 

[SteveR]

I voted desktop but only because I added a laptop last year so I have the mobility now. The desktop I have is about 6 years old but I bought it on the bleeding edge at the time so it still has the horsepower and storage space for what I need for it to do. I upgraded the memory and the OS to XP Prof. so it is good to go for a while yet. A desktop can be more easily upgraded to keep it current than most laptops so Iwould go for a desktop the next time around. The laptop is plenty fast and full featured for me and unless I break it, I don't see a need to replace it for at least 5-6 years or more.

Note: I don't run the latest game software so my computing needs are pretty basis now (no teenager Doom Freaks at home anymore) so I don't need bleeding edge performance anymore. That is a big savings.

Oh, I did replace my aging HP Deskjet 722C with a Cannon PIXMA 5200R becaue of the better ink management, better photo printing and wireless capability.

 

[JB]

I voted for laptop as mine is dead and I like the portability. I'm concerned that most are poor quality and built to last around 2 years. Given the good/cheap/fast tradeoff they are cheap and fast.

 

[MJ]

I have never bought a computer include the one I am using now a Dell Lat (an additional departing gift for my layoff). The only type of PC I have used for the last 7 years has been a laptop. Hope this one which is over 3 years old will last another 2 to 3 years with an addtional memory jolt. I would prefer something more compact for my travelling companion whenit is time to "upgrade"

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

I favour laptops/notebooks for myself. I have to tote them around a lot. I look for lots of USB ports now and XP . (I prefer 98SE as I can generally repair it, but XP has more drivers these days including for the little memory sticks that I depend on.)

I just had two laptops crater on me (the first one took a lot of data with it--I had backed up some of the shortcuts, not the original documents . The first was worn out. The second I blame on the shop that reloaded Windows XP.

I was talking with one of our techs on the phone recently. He had worked for HP. (Our company has HPs--thousands of them). He suggested Toshiba or Fujitsu or ACER instead. Also recommended against Dell. I don't think he had an ax to grind. I shared some of the same opinions, and as all men know, I am as fair as the day is long. (Ft McMurray in Dec, anyone?)

One thing about laptops/notebooks, the keyboards get flakey after a while (somewhat explains some of my earlier posts). The keyboards are also not very comfortable for heavy use. We have taken to using an external keyboard on a USB port and I like a separate track ball (Logitech's Marble Mouse for me--it works left-handed or right-handed).

For home, I have been buying desktop machines. I used to put them together myself, but I can't service them anymore (too far away). Have to let the shop do it. They all know me on sight now.

 

[donheff]

I have a couple of computers running Linux (one a home Web server for fun, the other doing file and print server duty). They are both hand-me-downs from my wife's office upgrades. As she upgrades at work, I upgrade the Linux servers at home. The file server is running Ubuntu which is designed to be a Windows desktop replacement for the average Joe. With Firefox and Open Office it does most of what your average RE would need and little worry about viri to boot (so far).

My main "family" PC in the kitchen is running XP Pro - I bought it new to make sure it could handle Windows. Even so, it was only about $450, a Powerspec, Micro Center's el cheapo house brand. Since my wife and I are not gamers or musicians it works fine. Even handles Photoshop effectively. We also have a laptop for wireless use around the house. That was about $1200 new, but it has been running fine for three years so I may consider had-me-downs in this department as well in the future.

Don

 

[HFWR]

I have an adequate laptop, but really need to upgrade my Celeron 500MHz desktop... :

Want to get rid of my old TASCAM 4-track, and get a comp/software setup that I can use as a digital recoding studio. Maybe for my birthday... 8)

 

[Kwirk]

We'll want a laptop in a couple of years when the travels (hopefully) begin but I'll probably procrastinate for another year or so before buying one. They always seem to cost 2+k after I choose everything that I want. And, as Wab and others have pointed out, there are interesting changes coming. We already have 4 home-built desktops: hers, mine, Quicken's, and a new media machine. I kinda enjoy planning and building them.

More immediately, I've promised my son a new laptop if he can score 39+ on the MCAT. I may have to pay up on that next month.

 

[Michael Moore]

If I bought a laptop I'd just have to hook it up to my dual 19" CRTs, a "natural" keyboard, and my Logitech Trackman.

I don't do "mobile computing". Any laptop keyboard I've tried has been horribly cramped, and I don't like their little touch pads/joy sticks/what have you.

I also want extra hard drives, and I like my Matrox dual-head video card. If I was flush I could run two of their 3-head cards with six really big LCD monitors, and have enough desktop that I'd need a native guide to find my way around it.

cheers,
Michael

 

[Nords]

If I was flush I could run two of their 3-head cards with six really big LCD monitors, and have enough desktop that I'd need a native guide to find my way around it.

TH, did I just hear Michael claim that your monitor isn't big enough?

Is that a gauntlet hitting the floor?

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Eh, I can always dual head mine between he 110" projector and the 56" LCos set if I felt like it.

I already get neck pains from swivelling my head around the 32"er reading the crap you people write.

 

[Nords]

I already get neck pains from swivelling my head around the 32"er reading the crap you people write.

If you send it over here I'll see what I can do with it. I mean the monitor, not your head or the crap we write.

Better insure it in case it "breaks" in the mail...

 

[Michael Moore]

I used a laptop in the CAD class I took last week. I can't say that I enjoyed the experience. The smaller screen made those tiny little icons pretty hard for me to see, "delete" and other keys were in (for me) non-standard locations, and it generally was just no fun to use.

An instructor for a MicroSoft Exchange Admin class I took about 3 years ago mentioned that he ran two dual-head monitors in his home system and had the monitors set up in a 2X2 grid.

cheers,
Michael

 

[HFWR]

My Samsung DLP TV has about every kind of input imaginable, including a standard 15-pin monitor connection.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

also thinking laptop for travel. after a few years of conventional travel laptop again for boat as it is smaller & hopefully more durable.