JokerABC

well i need a new computer but was thinking about getting a laptop instead of my usual desktop.....since laptops are much more powerful and i can even get a Geforce 4 card with it and much more.

do u all prefer laptops or desktops? i just thought it would easier for college

astro

my laptop gets really really hot after prolonged usage, so I dunno about leaving it on 24/7 like I do with my desktop..but other than that I see no drawbacks other than the smaller keyboard...

tw1112

By what means do you consider a laptop more powerful than a desktop? Do you mean by pros and cons? Or straight out benchmarks?

astro

I think he means they are more powerful than they ever used to be, and now they equal desktops in terms of processing power....

tw1112

Oh okay....gotcha makes sense now.


On that note, I use my Dell Inspiron 8000 as a regular pc..haven't had a problem yet...had it for over a year now.

I also have a desktop, but I use the laptop more.

Thing you have to wonder is if you will need the portability of a laptop. If something craps out on your laptop, it's gonna cost a lot more to fix. If you monitor goes out, you basically just lost your whole laptop...cuz it's gonna cost around 1000 to fix.

DreamU

Get the laptop. I converted to one a couple of years ago and never turned my deskside on again. Go wireless - gives you freedom to roam from room to room. My latest is a Dell Inspiron 8000 - played Baldur's Gate II and the graphics were great.

zeroday

My IBM thinkpad T22 is great as a desktop replacement (although I have 3 desktop PC's too)...alot of brand new laptops have good 3d acceleration built in though (mine is software 3d and blows for games). If you're into games you should consider that. Also look for a built in wireless NIC. A docking station is a must also if you plan on using it like a regular desktop.

mdaniel

The biggest problem with using a laptop as your primary (or only) machine is the repairs. No such thing as running down to the store and swapping out a bad video card, power supply, or screen. With the cheap ones, be prepared to say good bye to it for a month and a half while they ship it off for repairs. And a lot of models make it impossible to remove the hard disk without major dissassemly (probably voiding the warranty) so you're sending your data off too. Get a good brand like Dell or IBM and pay for the appropriate level of service. ie. next day on-site repair.

kuuligan

i have a really powerful desktop

but i gonna get myself a labtop this summer for mobility issue and to take on campus.

my question is dell worth the price?? for the performance i want, it would cost the inspiron about $1.7K and 1.8K for the lattitude.
but for sony or toshiba, it would prolly cost me around 1.5k

what y'all think?

malu

i think dell is definitely worth it, i had a problem with my screen, wasnt major, came out the next day and replaced the screen, tech was also cool so that made the experience good, if you get a laptop, make sure you get onsite service, even better if you can get next day...

tw1112

Yeah I agree...Dell is definitely worth the extra cost. Toshiba's are really nice too though. I personally feel that if you are going to get a laptop and are going to use it as a primary computer...then go with a dell. If you know how, with the inspiron, you can take out everything...hard drive, keyboard, video card....etc.