Why A Laptop???

I wanted an mid range gaming laptop to surf the web and play games while watching tv on the couch.

 

I had a desktop and sold it to get a laptop. Its the portability that I bought it for. I am in a Prep School so I don't have much desk space, I travel back and forth between home every weekend, I am not a Day Student so I can't come home to a desktop, I can't have a TV in my room so no console gaming, and I am going to college next year so I need to move it there aswell. I completely understand your point though about people buying them and not moving them. It makes no sense at all.

 

you did!!!

 

Yeah, I read the thread title I guess... waste of time.

 

I've been struggling with this question as I'm looking to replace my VAIO 13.3" VGN laptop with either a desktop or another laptop. I had gotten the VAIO for B-school as I took it to school every day. But now that I've graduated I don't really need portability that much as I have a work laptop for business, so the lappy will pretty much be at home, bar when I take it for holidays.

From a value (price and performance) POV it doesn't make sense to spend more money on a laptop that will not perform as well as a desktop, particularly if portability is not an issue. Plus desktops are much more easily upgradeable on a modular basis, as opposed to a laptop where you pretty much have to upgrade the whole thing unless you know what you're doing. So a desktop would appear to be a lay-up from that perspective. That's what logic says. And I've owned desktops in the past - my current laptop is also my first laptop. But for some reason it's a tough decision for me.

Maybe it's because it's not that the laptop will "never leave my desk" - it will be on my desk 90% of the time, but there will be the odd 10% of the time that I will bring it around with me. That's the part that's hard to quantify or put a value on - is that worth spending $200 more? $500 more? $1000 more?

That's what makes it tough.

 

On the contrary, I think is good to read once in a while debates like this because many ideas comes into mind: from logical and necessary reasons (battery time, less cables, on the go all the time) to simply pleasure-like reasons ('everybody likes my laptop', 'I have the money to throw it, so?'). And from those ideas you can either learn more or reasure your point of view.

Personally, I totally agree with the initial post.

 

Computer room has it's own computer in it, little room in my room, and I couldn't afford a gaming PC and a laptop individually...

I did spend a bit much on this one though when I could have had marginally worse specs for a hundred or so quid less. Oh well, funded by birthday cash.

 

Completly agree with you Kpot. I'm starting to regret buying a laptop with a dedicated GPU now - I could of spent the same amount of money on a solid long lasting business computer and got a console. Stupid me!!

Coming to this topic's discussion, its hugely pointless getting a super gaming laptop. Waste of money and you can get an incredible desktop for the same amount of money.

 

People who are saying buying a laptop is stupid, buy a desktop PC, blablabla:
I got a question for those guys: wth are you doing on this forum?? lol

I know that people can buy an high-end desktop pc with the cash they spend for a laptop...
But everybody has his own reason for that !
In my case i bought a laptop for college (and for gaming ), i do have to take it with me sometimes but my G1S stands a lot on my desk at home, yes...
Actually these are the points why i bought a laptop:
- Not much room on my desk (not enough for a desktop)
- I have to take it with me sometimes
- It's just much more handy than e desktop pc: I can take it downstairs, I can take it with me on vacation, i can take it with me to friends,...
- And a lot more


So again, everybody has his own reason so don't ask: WHY A LAPTOP?

 

Well, my lappy stays on the desk about 90% of the time with the battery disconnected(so it lasts longer), and i only took it with me about 6 times. And i do quite alot of gaming on it. The thing is that, altough for the money i could get a monster desktop, i simply don't like them. they're big and ugly as far as i'm concerned. I wanted to play all new games, but detail level wasn't my first priority, so i got the packard bell in my sig and i love it. It plays any game on the market, including crysis and that's enough for me. Also, it's pretty portable. It weighs 3 kg and has around 3 hours of battery life while doing menial tasks, and that's enough for me.

So, in short, altough it doesn't have any performance advantage, I got a laptop because it looks good and it's much more pleasant to use than a behemonth desktop, no matter how powerful.

 

I thought we talking about buying super gaming beasts here.

 

Me too! I guess I should have titled this thread something different because everyone is just reading the title and coming to the last page and posting

And for the record I plan on buying a Asus G1s, but even if I add the cost of that to the cost of my desktop its still less then a loaded gaming laptop!

I just cannot comprehend this argument:

gaming desktop $1500 never going to take anywhere
gaming laptop $3500 never going to take anywhere

spend the extra $2000, because the laptop "looks" better

 

Uhm, i DO know that this topic is going about "gaming beasts" lol...
I stay with my opinion that i have mentioned above.

I use my laptop for gaming, actually i can say i use it for gaming A LOT.
Can you take your heavy desktop PC (and screen of course) with you when you have to leave some time (for gaming)? No...
Can you move it around at home (for gaming)? No...
Can you take it to friends (for gaming)? No...

I can play almost every game maxed out with my G1S, even cod4. (Crysis is another case but i can play it on medium - high settings, with good fps)

 

I take my desktop to friends houses to game all the time, not sure what your talking about

It takes me about 5 minutes to pack everything up, I have a carrying thing for it that slides around the case and has pockets for my keyboard, mouse, and cables..

Also I move it between two rooms all the time, either my computer room or my living room so I can hook it up to the tv.

 

i went for a laptop becausde i want a good gaming performer that will last me several years that i can take around to my friends/on holiday etc. and it a just over a year ill be starting university so i wanted something i could take there and work on without worrying that it would be too outdated. and how heavy is that desktop? takes me 1 minute to pack up my laptop and only have to take a couple of things instead of loads of power cables and considering i expected a 17" to be much heavier its pretty light and easy to carry

 

Lol
Ok, if your doing that, fine but i don't think that a lot of people move their desktop pc around man...
A laptop is much more easy to place it somewhere else.
Most people leave their desktop pc where it stand (I mean it's connected to a printer, to the router, ...)

 

Others would ask you why you bother getting a desktop when you have to move it around so often. Granted the hardware is much more powerful but lots of people will question the "convenience" of spending time packing and unpacking desktop components when a laptop takes just seconds to do what you've described in your post.

 

I didn't say it was easier, you just made it seem like it wasn't even possible

And Ill gladly spend 5 minutes and save $2-3k

Like I said before I plan on buying a g1s because it would make it a lot easier, but you guys are acting like hooking up a desktop is a major pain in the ass..

 

Some people don't have a choice. It's not like I could have carried a PC with me every day trough university.

Some people have money to burn and find laptops cuter/cooler

Some people want portability and gaming power but don,t have the money to buy both a laptop and a gaming pc so they buy a semi-gaming laptop (it'S what I did)

And some people are plain stupid.

 

yes but moving it around that much has to be a pain, it was all about ease of use for me, it takes me 2 minutes to move and connect my notebook to the tv. And i can take it with me rather easily, and space was an issue for me, i barely have room for a desktop and an old 15" monitor in my room, and im glad i got a notebook. I have pretty much the same amount of power id get in any desktop around £1200 ($2400) for £1400 ($2800) and thats a fair compromise i think considering i can take this wherever i would like and the it is about 1/4 the size of most desktops.

 

OMG people I never once said "buying a laptop is stupid" and obviously I dont expect anyone to carry around a desktop for classes

I don't see how you people can get so far off topic, the intent of this thread was to figure out why anyone would buy a super high end notebook and never take it anywhere.

You guys act like this is the bash laptops thread, its not, I have a laptop, I plan on buying another one..

 

I don't see my post specifically stating that shifting a desktop was impossible, I'm just stating that a large number of people find it easier and faster to move laptops across rooms than entire desktop machines. At least the option to move in the future is available even if it's never used.

Back to your original post I still maintain that some people don't have the room in their flat to hold monster desktops or like to tie themselves down to what is essentially an immobile part of their furniture with a proper desktop.

 

Easy there tiger... I wasn't blaming or judging here..... I just stated this as one of the reason people bought laptops..... as for the reason people buy gaming laptops but use them as PCs well like I said further down....some people are just plain stupid.

 

why do people buy life insurance at young ages? if nothing happens to you, it's just wasted money. it's the potential that you have the ability to be reimbursed (though quite a gamble in regards to insurance) for any mishaps, including your own death. translating this to high perfomance laptops never leaving the desktop: laptops have the ability to be mobile, regardless how they are used.

despite sitting on a desk all day long, the potential is still available. the user still knows that he or she may still move the laptop around with ease (and if you people complain about a 8-12 pound laptop being "heavy", then might i add, start exercising... 12 pounds is not heavy to carry nor sit on your lap). laptops appeal to people because of their size and mobility. there are no loose peripherals nor cables running every which way.

perhaps the power saving is appealing as well, despite the performance decrease. using a power supply thats nearly 1000W less is appealing to some people. or perhaps when the power goes out at home, you still can finish the remaining 30 minutes in your movie, or that 15 page term paper. the significant desk saving space is another factor.

i use my laptop on the go and at my desk and as a college student who moves his computer a decent amount, it's quite useful. but i predict in 5 years the two markets will be reasonably close, and i think more people will use their laptop as a desktop. (i mean, come on, the name "desktop replacement" should inform you what the computer is).

 

I am not mad or anything it just amazes me how many people have posted all pissed off and think I am just bashing laptops in general , I am most definitely not.

 

the ability the hide your dorkiness when your friends come over and we all know big things come in small packages HAHA.

 

I think that this thread shows 99% of the people posting "because I can take it with me" haven't even bothered to read the original post. They just read "Why A Laptop???" and automatically barge in and yell "BECAUSE I CAN TAKE IT WHEREVER I GO!!!!!!!!!! YOU SUCK!!!!" or something stupid like that. I stick with my original post. Buying a $3000-$4000 laptop to have it sit on your desk 100% of the time means you have far too much money than you know what to do with. Any logical person would buy a desktop for half the price, and use the remaining cash to buy GAMES for that GAMING pc. I find it weird how so many people lack common sense now adays.

 

Funny story - back in 1999 I had an office desktop (when companies still gave out desktops instead of workstations for office use). I had been waiting for my laptop which had been delayed and I had no PC at home. I had to meet a deadline so over the weekend I packed up my desktop from work, put it in a trolley with the monitor and took it to my car, brought it up three flights of steps and unpacked it for use at home. On monday I brought it back to work. Someone saw me with it in a trolley pulling it into the office and said that it was the biggest laptop he'd ever seen.

 

I never explicitly said it couldn't be done, but few people actually enjoy shifting a desktop around hardware components and all if they have the laptop alternative.

 

very true. I have my laptop hidden away in my closet with an external monitor and peripherals and enjoy being able to disconnect everything in seconds and still be able to use my laptops full functionality. Works well if I want to go to a LAN party, or to class. I remember trying to bring my desktop to a LAN with a CRT monitor. my face looked like this th entire time i was moving everything

 

I can definitely tell you it wasn't fun to do. And the monitor was a big CRT monitor, not one of those lightweight LCD things.

 

When I bought my G1s, I wanted a relatively high resolution 15.4in model, a decent amount of battery life, and the ability to play HL2 and CS:S away from home with all the eye candy on.

Lately I've been contemplating giving up my "on the road" gaming in favor of a dedicated home machine and cheap 14in Dell though.

I haven't decided yet. I bought this computer over the summer, and it still ranks pretty damn well when you consider other 15.4in models out there. I love it's screen and I have it set up just the way I want it. Depending on what kind of "Gaming" machine your buying, you also get the peace of mind that your computer will be slightly more future proof than the next guys.

 

Hell you can get a $1000 dollar desktop that is GREAT these days, and then get an EEE pc from Asus for ... $300? that would be better than a $2000 gaming laptop.

 

you wanna try having a desktop lying around with a 3 year old autistic son on the rampage.i bought my acer 5920 a couple of months ago and plays rescent games ok,this is the best my money could afford and i just had to play bioshock,one day hopefully it will be safe to have a gaming desktop lying around so i can play my games at max settings and on a large screen lcd,but at the moment this idea is just a distant dream,im not gonna say a bad word about my son as it is not his fault the way he is and i never play games when he is up anyway but the good thing is with a laptop is that i can hide it away from him,so i still get to play games just not quite how ild like to,its a great way to unwind after a busy day with my adorable son

 

haha this is getting rediculous....everyone has their reason for gettting what ever they did...why does it matter. we obviously know rediculously expensive gaming machines may be a waste of money, but there was a reason behind them getting it 95% of the time, the other is just too much money to know what to do with.

get what you want, you dont need to answer to anyone why you did.

 

ha ha ,whats funny i take it you dont have any disabled children in your family narsail,i was just trying to put over a valid point to why i chose a laptop over a desktop,your obviously very imature or ignorant to laugh at my post.nuff said

 

I think narsnail was kinda laughing at all of us (maybe at his/herself as well?), not just your post.

 

I don't think he was laughing at your post specifically. If he was, then he'd probably have quoted your post.

 

reason i spent soo much on a nice laptop, is becasue im never home, and hte only time im ever home is to sleep, i need somthing that i can carry around to work and is powerful enough becasue im going to be doing alot of music and video editing, as well as playing the current games

and i would like for it to last a few years
thats the reasoning being my purchase

what good would a kick ass desktop be if im neverhome to use it?

 

Good point, but the OPs question is, what good is a kick ass laptop if it never leaves your desk

 

I have a gaming laptop so that I dont live in the basement or den anymore. My wife doesn't care if I'm sitting next to her on my laptop playing games while she watches TV, because I can talk to her. I'd love to build a desk top that I can use from the couch, but they don't make wireless screens yet.

 

yeah i didnt read your post....so maybe find out what i was basing it on before calling me an ignorant baffoon who laughs at disabled children, cause i wouldnt.

 

I'm thinking you could do it with something like this and a tv tuner.

http://www.rflinkusa.com/products_ACS5820.html

 

Wow that's interesting! Wonder what it would look like, I'm guessing like crap since I'd be going from digital to analog. But its a nice idea.

 

Laptops do save an awful lot of room to be honest..

Even if some does have a 50lb 22" behemoth.