The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Necessities for a desktop replacement?

    Discussion in 'Accessories' started by Rauch, Nov 11, 2012.

  1. Rauch

    Rauch Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    24
    Messages:
    120
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Hey guys,

    I'm finally at the edge of completely swapping to a more mobile lifestyle, but still want to have an organized desk setup when needed.

    So, I'm just inquiring to find what you guys find are most-needed when making the switch to a desktop replacement. Cheap? Expensive? It doesn't really matter.

    So far the biggest thing I see that I need to get ahold of is a USB Hub, possibly powered. I hate feeling cluttered with all the ports on the notebook filled up, not to mention the increased potential of breaking the ports.

    What else do you guys find essential?
     
    Rauch, Nov 11, 2012
    #1
  2. leeshjnn

    leeshjnn Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    14
    Messages:
    313
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Perhaps you need a cooling pad for your laptop? It can also be used as a USB hub too.
     
    leeshjnn, Nov 11, 2012
    #2
  3. spandexninja

    spandexninja Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    32
    Messages:
    133
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    If you use headphones, make sure that the headphone jack on the laptop that you plan to buy isn't in an awkward location.
     
    spandexninja, Nov 11, 2012
    #3
  4. baii

    baii Sone

    Reputations:
    1,420
    Messages:
    3,925
    Likes Received:
    201
    Trophy Points:
    131
    A gigantic monitor ! and a dockable machine :p
    Got a notebook stand before I got a dock/docking notebook
     
    baii, Nov 11, 2012
    #4
  5. Rauch

    Rauch Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    24
    Messages:
    120
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    This made me laugh.... Been there, BROKE that. I've got to order a new daughterboard from Sager for $20 + shipping!
     
    Rauch, Nov 11, 2012
    #5
  6. tijo

    tijo Sacred Blame

    Reputations:
    7,588
    Messages:
    10,023
    Likes Received:
    1,077
    Trophy Points:
    581
    +1 for the dockable laptop, you arrive at your desk, dock it and done.
     
    tijo, Nov 11, 2012
    #6
  7. Qing Dao

    Qing Dao Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    1,600
    Messages:
    1,771
    Likes Received:
    304
    Trophy Points:
    101
    Or you can just "dock" it by plugging in a screen, usb hub, and using a separate mouse and keyboard.

    My computer turns into a totally different machine. It gains several TB of storage, has a nice keyboard and mouse, and a nice big screen to work with. For all intents and purposes, it becomes a desktop. Just that it isn't upgradable, costs a lot, and has less performance, but the feel is 100% there.
     
    Qing Dao, Nov 12, 2012
    #7
  8. Qing Dao

    Qing Dao Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    1,600
    Messages:
    1,771
    Likes Received:
    304
    Trophy Points:
    101
    I would rather not waste money on a "docking station" and be limited in my choice of laptops for something which to me seems trivial.
     
    Qing Dao, Nov 13, 2012
    #7
  9. baii

    baii Sone

    Reputations:
    1,420
    Messages:
    3,925
    Likes Received:
    201
    Trophy Points:
    131
    It is all about saving time. Talking about dock station, for some reason, dell one is real cheap used compare to lenovo and HP ~~
     
    baii, Nov 13, 2012
    #7
  10. daver160

    daver160 Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    148
    Messages:
    766
    Likes Received:
    5
    Trophy Points:
    31
    But, from my experiences as of late, I find that HP's expansion port much easier to deal with than Lenovo/Dell docking stations. It's more desk-space flexible as well, since it functions exactly like a USB docking station.

    (Currently, I have a Dell Latitude E6420, Lenovo T420, HP Elitebook 2540p, Dell XPS 15. Dell Latitude and Lenovo dock into stations, HP plugs into Expansion QuickDock thingy. HP's QuickDock is very small, and so very easy to "get out of the way" on a small desk space.)
     
    daver160, Nov 13, 2012
    #8