Tips on using a notebook as a desktop replacement please!

Hey everyone,

I'm going back to college soon, and I'm thinking of leaving my huge computer home this time around and buying a Sony SZ-360, and also bringing my 19" LCD so that I can have a nice screen since I do do a lot of work on the computer. I don't want to constrain myself to a 13.3" screen all day at my desk. Is this a smart idea? I shouldn't be worried about speed, since my desktop (AMD 64 3500+) is a bit slower than what the SZ has to offer (Core 2 Duo T7200, 2GB memory). Here are my main questions:

1. If I keep the laptop on almost 24/7 (like I normally do with my desktop), will this pose a problem? Maybe it will overheat and crap out on me in a year or two?

2. Since the SZ screen is widescreen, will it look stupid on my 19" non-widescreen monitor? Should I give my 19" to my brother and buy a 19" widescreen?

3. Is a docking station type thing worth it? The only port of real value I see for myself (besdies an extra USB port or two) is the DVI input for my monitor. And I guess DVI is much better than VGA. Is DVI worth it?

Here's a little background on my computer usage. I hardly play any games, although since the SZ has a decent graphics card, I'll probably play games occasionally, but not too often. For the most part, I do heavy multi-tasking. I run a part time business on-line and frequently have open 7-8 IE windows, and occasionally I run Photoshop, Dreamweaver, FTP programs, etc. I also burn DVD's quite frequently.

Any advice would be helpful, thanks!
Dan

 

as long as you don't block the intake and exhaust vents, and also clean them of dust every 6 months, it won't overheat and crap out on you

no.

you can set the SZ to non widescreen. just go to control panel and display option and you can set the resolution to you 19 inch non wide screen

yes i think it would be worth it as you are using a LCD. if you have a CRT 19 inch then no

 

As posted, you aren't restricted to widescreen resolutions. You can use dual monitors, which is what I do with my laptop. I have an SXGA 17" monitor as my primary, and then I extended the Windows desktop onto my laptop's WSXGA+ display, which is set as secondary. That setup works with no issues, and so should yours.

Keep the lid open, not closed. The laptop depends on the keyboard as a way of dispersing heat. The palmrest too in some laptops. hmmmmm is right - and, you can follow our cooling guide for details on how to clean the notebook.

 

Cool, thanks for the replies. Will my resolution look messed up on my 19" LCD, though? Since the SZ resolution is 1280x800 and my desktop moniotr is 1280x1024?

Thanks.

 

you can set as dual monitor, which means the laptop lcd and lcd monitor have 2 different resolution settings.

 

Whether you use the external as a single primary or go for a multi-monitor setup the resolution for each screen is set individually and has no bearing on the resolution of the other. Whichever way it works your laptop will detect which monitors are plugged in when and use the correct resolutions for both depending on circumstances.