Why would you want a desktop replacement laptop

Well, this is quite unrelated to the forum (somewhat)
but then again, would just like your opinion as desktop replacement laptop users

Do you know.... besides GAMES,
why else would you want a desktop replacement laptop?

im actually doing a thesis on technology atm
and i wanted to use desktop replacement laptop as an example.

However, i want to know why else would you want a powerful laptop?
perhaps certain applications such as PRO/E requires a high graphic module
but other then that, any suggestions?

 

larger screen size
larger heat sink for power gpu needs more chassis
thats all i can think of ATM

 

I do a lot of digital painting and 3d modeling. I come from a traditional painting background doing portraitures and landscapes. And now I work as a digital artist, It is quite sad that I have to stuck at one place to paint or sculpt.

The reason I'm getting a "desktop replacement" instead of just "portable" is because most digital paintings (textures) are huge. And most models I make must be huge as well. And once those are made, I must test it out on an engine with lighting to see if it looks good.

 

I'll add that getting a larger-sized notebook is cheaper than a smaller one (generally).

The biggest non-gaming reason, at least for me, would be the larger screen size.

 

large screen is a good reason

i dont want to write in my report saying that....
oh, im looking into the topic of desktop replacement laptop atm
and the main reason why society needs them is because..... games?

my lecturer is sooo gonna fail me XD

 

huh?
only for some i think
most 17' laptops i thought are more expensive compared to those 12' and 15' or 15.4' ones~

 

they can be more expensive than 15 inchers and stuff, because those are mainstream. 13in and under are more expensive because you're paying for the portability, so you have to pay a lot more for a lot less power. 17in notebooks give you more room for power.

I use my notebook mostly for photoshop, corel painter, adobe illustrator, along with basic tasks and a small amount of gaming. Mostly counter strike source recently. I suck at it, by the way.

Of course an obvious reason to get a desktop replacement is the need to satiate your power hunger. Some people just want the best, as was partly my case pretty much when I bought my laptop. You can have portability without sacrificing power when switching from desktop to notebooks. My laptop is still more powerful than most desktops, and i can carry my computer around.

 

Well first of all. I can say that 17'' laptop is not bad at all in portability. I like his weight. 8lbs is not heavy, if you know that you have powerfull gpu in, and that you can transport it from any place to any place.

I feel some power in me, when I have powerfull laptop, that I can play games everywhere I go, and at anytime lol. Maybe It's just me but,... I love it

I kinda like it more than my PC. I can just pick up my laptop and go to my friend which is 30 meters away(9 yards or whatever ) and I can barelly do anything

17'' practically means:

-power
-godness
-goodness

 

Well I personally use my laptop for Fun and Work. I actually take pictures.. plug them into the laptop, and a few min later something somewhat sweet, smooth, professional comes out. With a desktop replacement I have the power of a whole Desktop in the portability of slightly oversize laptop but with a purpose. It's big because of the Screen size, but also because I have almost a Full size keyboard. Pictures and photography just jump off the screen.

Also think about the way a laptop looks in a room.. Close the lid and you still have a computer Chugging away. With a desktop you still have at Least 4 cords hanging out of the back of the system; a Big LCD screen Static in the room; with a mid-tower or micro PC at best. With my laptop.. at the most I have two cables.. and one doesn't even count really because your actually using the mighty mouse. So in reality you just need the one; the power cord. And there it sits, folded away when I'm not using it but doesn't drag down the look of my already cluttered apt. And I can take it any where on a whim.. Unfold, find a plug, Power away.

 

I have two laptops: my trusty HP TC1100 ultraportable tablet PC, and my new Clevo M570U. Each serves a distinctly different purpose.

Having traveled with an ultraportable for the last five years, it is my opinion that the desktop replacement form factor is NOT portable. Really, these harken back to the "luggable" computers of yore. Although the M570U is only 9 pounds, it requires a very large, heavy power supply and about four pounds of batteries if one were to attempt to keep it powered during a transcontinental flight. By comparison, my tablet weighs less than three pounds, and travels at five pounds, power supply and two extra batteries included.

The desktop replacement is simply that - a semiportable computer designed to primarily replace a desktop, offering similar performance. For me (and, I would surmise, most users of these large free-roaming beasts), the limited portability represents the freedom to easily pack up the office and move to another location, provided that mains outlets are provided at both points. Desktops, even the small form factor variety, are simply not easily ported around. Too many wires and peripherals, and of course the monitor.

When I'm on the road, I now take both computers. The ultraportable allows me to work on the plane, easily share designs with clients, and take notes during meetings. The desktop replacement allows me to be productive when I return to the hotel/apartment, a luxury that the underpowered ultraportables did not allow.

I selected the M570U because I work with video and multimedia, and am an avid gamer. If I wasn't a gamer, I would have settled for less GPU muscle, but my work absolutely requires that I use a large, high-resolution screen. For me, the 17" WUXGA screen was the sweet spot. (20" notebooks puzzle me.)

 

thanks for all the suggestions guys ^_^
you rock.

please let me know if there are anymore comments you could share for this topic ^_^

 

this just popped into my head right now
i dont know if it will be orth it for you but yet again
cant say i tried

a desktop replacement laptop packs the power of a desktop computer in a sall portable yet powerful manner
which guarantees the the power of a desktop or atleast close to it where ever you go hen ever you need it
its main purpose is of gaming and other multimedia related taskes such as photo editing,etc

 

In light of a desktop replacement like the soon-to-be NP9260 I'd have to toss in Bragging Rights, I glanced through this thread and think it was missed

 

actually, is this 100% true?
i mean, i know a few people that says that eventhough desktop replacement laptop is 'named that way', desktop is supposed to be more 'stable' and powerful. Then again, what do you guys think? (Dont just support desktop replacement laptop cause you're ALL desktop replacement laptop users -_-)

 

I'm not sure what you mean by more "stable" then a notebook, but it's all the same hardware if anything, notebooks tend to have "better" hardware since it's normally a generation or so behind a desktop and more bugs are worked out. There also aren't as many knockoff brands producing them like their are desktop motherboard brands, so the few that do stick around tend to do a good job.

As far as desktop power... what can a desktop do that a notebook can't? 2.4ghz dual core AMD or Intel processor... 2-4gb of ram... 10/100/1000 NIC, A/B/G/Pre-N/N wireless... RAID 0/1/5 (on select models), upto 160gb 7200 rpm drives with 8mb cache. In fact, notebooks are getting solid state drives before desktops.. so that might be a perk! HD quality audio with support for any number of speakers the same as a desktop (through onboard or external). Hmm.. what else? Video cards.. 7950GTX is only 1 card slower then the top of the line.. and notebooks have SLI now too...debatable boost, but still competitive The new 9260 might be able to run Quad Core's, even if not you know it's only around the corner, and consider alot of people still don't have core 2 duo's this is sorta moot.

Strap all that to cord free battery powered goodness and you have the modern desktop replacement notebook. The downside is that they are not quite as upgradeable yet, but many of the parts actually are. They are getting better at making the system's user serviceable too. Many new system's can be overclocked too.

I could probably continue.. but I think that answers your question.

 

lolx thanks pyro,
i shall use that in my thesis ^_^

 

If you get an A you should give + REP to everyone that replied =P

 

seconded
i too replied remember?

 

Hard disk offerings for desk tops max out at higher rotational speeds and higher capacity. Also, it's almost always easier to swap out desktop components (video card, mother board, etc.) than a notebook, if the notebook even allows components to be swapped. For the most part, though, the average user wouldn't see much difference between what notebooks and desk tops bring to the table (or lap!)

One point I didn't really see mentioned (maybe it was & I didn't look very hard) for preferring notebooks to desk tops is space. In my previous apartment, I simply did not have room for a desk top model. To be accurate, I didn't have room for a desk to set the computer on. So it was more about necessity than convenience for me.

 

I have yet to date seen a home user that "bought" a computer (read that as not built custom, or modified) a machine that has a 10K raptor, or a 15K SCSI drive.. I was trying to compare the larger percentile of market, not a niche. You are correct though. (I did mention RAID though, because a 7200 rpm raid 0 is fairly cheap, and available by many resellers for both desktop and notebook gaming systems)

Capacity is a moot point.. This thread seemed to be performance based, and in reality the platter density on a 7200 rpm drive that holds 300GB is closer to the performance of a 5400 rpm drive at 160GB. The "real" performance I believe right now is 80gb platter's in a dual platter design. that would mean 160GB 7200rpm (RAID 0 with 160GB 7200 dual platter would toast a single raptor drive and not cost much more, plus you would gain from way more space (320gb) then a single raptor could provide.)

As for replacement of parts. Whether desktop or notebook, it's normally just a few screw's and panels / brackets for either style computer. As I stated, it's getting easier. There are some HP's and Dell's and whatnot out there (desktop chassis) that are much harder to work with then many notebooks I've serviced. I've also never cut myself on a notebook.

 

The user demographic you categorize as "niche" is probably the largest segment of people that frequent this forum

Comparing a single disk configuration on a desktop with a notebook striped RAID configuration is apples to oranges. My point was that you can, in fact, buy "better " hard disks (i.e. faster, bigger) for desk tops than you can for notebooks.

I think capacity is often a key factor for people now, given the propensity for recording high-def TV programming, music and such. The largest notebook hard drive you can buy is like 160GB, while the biggest desk top hard disks can hold nearly a terabyte. Luckily for us notebook users, the external hard drive makes life a little easier.

I think you missed my point about customization headroom. I agree that some desk tops are physically harder to navigate than notebooks. I'm saying that it's easier to get a fully customizable desk top than notebook. The notebook white box phenomenon is still pretty young. How many notebooks do you know of that are meant to allow end users to change the system board?

 

well remebered another point ((this is ggetting quite frequent ))
a larger chassis gives you more room for components such as dual hard drives
dual cd drives,larger GPU heat sinks more better passive cooling for powerful components that would surely over heat if they were crammed into a tight space
larger screen givs more viewing pleasure and lesser eyestrain and helps add a full sized keyboard or atleast something close to it along with a seperate number pad in some models
it also enables the inclusion of few ""extras"" such as bilt in subwoofer under the notebook etc.

 

Would have to ask the original poster if his report is on the "niche" group, or desktop replacement notebooks in general, I was trying to focus on a more realistic paper and not just this one forum's replies =P.

Largest HD I've seen for a notebook is 200GB, and many "desktop replacements" can hold 2-3 internally. That very NEAR desktop. Please remember that while a desktop chassis may support three drives, often the included power supply doesn't cut more then 1. (Many people do it anyways, and in a year or so wonder why the power supply dies, but this is my 10-12 years of PC repair talking =P) Also keep in mind that those larger drives kill performance because the platters density can't keep up and there are usually 3 platters in them making them slower.. This kinda creeps back into "real world" versus the niche group of us crazy folk here on NBR

As for external drives.. go and read newegg.com "reviews" and I think you will find more home desktop users buying them because the average joe doesn't want to open their computer even if it is easy. That, and the "extra perks" used to market those drives like "one click backup" is very appealing, because many user's don't know you can do this with cheap or free software.

I admire your stance though, just keep in mind that this is all my view of the world, which is what the original poster wanted from all of us

 

One reason that maybe unique to Australia is that you can salary sacrifice a laptop through work which can reduce the cost of a laptop by up to 50% depending on your income. You can’t do this on a desktop so in effect a laptop is cheaper than a desktop.

 

Haven't heard my reason mentioned yet, so I came out of lurker mode and registered to answer...

Mine's a true desktop replacement...m570u w/ 7950GTX. I got it because of cost: It was a lot cheaper than the alternatives . I'm also loaded up with a projector for the road, a matrox triplehead2go & three 17" monitors for the office; and it was still cheaper. Let me explain:
I use this for work, home, and on the road (client presentations and some work at their facility). So this single laptop replaced 3 machines I would of needed otherwise. Now I could of gotten a cheap workstation for the office, a cheap laptop for the road, and continued to use a desktop gaming rig at home. But it's the software where the money comes into play.

For my expensive software, I use XP Pro, Autocad Desktop, and Adobe Creative suite. Several in my profession also use something like 3dStudio Max (luckily, I don't need an expensive rendering software). That's about four grand worth of software. Due to anti-piracy measures, can only be loaded on a single machine at a time. Multiply that $4000 x 3 machines and you can see a serious financial investment. Also keep in mind that these programs have a yearly subscription fee..another couple grand every year to keep up to date.

A single machine saved me a ton of cash. Hardware is much cheaper than software.... Better hardware extends the service life of the notebook (it won't go obsolite as quick) Storage isn't an issue because the large data files are on the office server. And I also game with this notebook competitively in tourney's and leagues...

 

Some are but the Dell and Sony smaller screens are more expensive than some of their larger screens.

 

the genral rule is that the smaller the laptop gets the higher the price
as smaller components usually cost more

 

It goes the other way too, however.

You'll [often] pay less for a 15.4" laptop because it doesn't have the same kind of upgrades as a 17". You can't get any of the highest-end graphics cards into a 15.4" laptop that you can spend $100-200 upgrading in the 17" (for the person going for the best gaming laptop possible).

Screen resolution is another -- most 15.4" screen upgrades top out at 1,440 x 900 pixels, whereas depending on the base res. of the model, you can spend $150 upgrading screen resolution.

But as a general rule for the everyday person, that's more often the case than the above.

 

My notebook has 1680x1050 on it's 15.4" and I think it's great for everything but gaming, since there isn't a game I'd play to date that I can run with good FPS at that resolution. Lowering the resolution to make the games playable will often make stuff hard to read etc...

 

There are a number of Dell models that have 1900x1200 in 15.4" screens also. Not sure about new ones, but a friend of mine has one from a year or two ago.

 

laptop with similar specs you may notice the discrepency usually when comparing ultra portables to desktop replacements though it is also present in mainstream models the price is easily noticeble when comparing thee other two at the two extremes

 

Power, Performance, Portability, smaller footprint. I use it for graphics, web development, and business. I work at home. When the mood strikes I work at my desk, in front of the television, or outside. I can take it to my office and not hassle with file transfers. I don't have a myriad of cables, etc. to unplug whenever I relocate my work area. I do not forsee buying a desktop again.