Why did I wait so long????
Feb 25 '01 (Updated Jun 18 '01)
The Bottom Line With some of the great features in my Ashton Digital laptop, I gained ground against desktops, while adding the benefits of mobility.
Months ago I went through the research and agony of doing this very thing . . . replacing my desktop with a laptop. I had purchased a nice 500mhz desktop only months before, and with being on the road quite a bit (a roving office, so to speak), I kept wondering about whether I should purchase a laptop instead. I would have kept both, but needed to use the sale of the desktop in order to justify the laptop. In fact, finding a buyer for my desktop clinched the purchase of the laptop - along with the encouragement of my wife. I'd like to share with you what I learned in the process and why I'm a very satisfied laptop owner, who also uses his laptop as a desktop computer. (For a complete review of the 800mhz Maximate 420, you can read my Epinion about it at: http://www.epinions.com/content_27726548612.)
Money, money, money
It seemed like no matter which catalog or store I looked in, laptop computers averaged about twice the cost of a comparable speed on a desktop. For instance, if a 500mhz desktop cost $500, a 500mhz laptop will run around $1,000. The faster processor you get, the more the spread in cost. I was having a hard time justifying the extra cost. Would it be worth hundreds of dollars more just so that I could check my email at 2 p.m. at the office instead of 5:30 p.m. at home? It sure didn't seem like it.
What about feature comparisons?
Performance
In general, I have heard that laptops perform more poorly than comparably equipped desktops, and I tend to agree. There's a lot more to speed than just the processor. There's cache, memory, disk access, video card and motherboard design. Just look at ZNET's benchmarks of similarly equipped desktops across the same Processor speed and memory, and you'll see that each piece of the machine is a key in determining overall speed. Whether you are interested in Internet applications, business applications, or gaming will also determine the performance of any system.
In my case, performance in business applications was my primary concern. Particularly, a report writer called Crystal Reports was going to be my biggest CPU hog. I wanted to aim well above the 500mhz range, but didn't want to get into the big dollar 1gigahertz computers (which weren't even available on a laptop at the time anyway).
Video, Disk Space and other features
Because laptops are not as upgradeable as desktops (you can't just yank out the video card and slap a bigger, better, faster one in it) most laptop manufacturers go for a middle ground with video. Laptops are not designed with gaming in mind, so their features are more suited to business users. Speaking of video, a laptop is also stuck (somewhat) with whatever LCD screen size you initially purchase. I say 'somewhat' because most laptops have the option of plugging in an external monitor which would give you expandability on your desk (but not on the road).
Disk drives tend to be smaller in laptops. Again, this is a limitation of the technology of having smaller components crammed into a tiny case. For the same reason, internal cache and memory constraints further limit the expandability of a laptop.
The bottom line: get what you want the first time.
Is getting a laptop to replace your desktop a bad idea?
NO No no. Here are some great reasons to use a laptop instead of a desktop.
1. Some great new features.
Here's what I got.
Before I got a laptop, I thought I would have to take a step backward in terms of convenience and comfort compared to working on a desktop. On the contrary. The laptop I ended up with was a Maximate 420, made by Ashton Digital. (I can't wait until Epinions opens up a category for it. I'll blow the 5 stars right out of the water.) It has an 800mhz processor, 128 MB of ram, a 10GB hard drive, USB port, and 24x CDRom. Since then, DVD roms are pretty standard on many laptops.
This is my favorite part.
But, my favorite feature by far is the Dual, Multi-monitor mode that is built into this laptop. This laptop is unique, in that I am able to view both the laptop LCD monitor (14.1 TFT) AND my external 17" monitor at the same time - while view separate windows in each monitor. I don't know of any other laptop that is able to do this. So now, my visible workspace is actually doubled. This has been a tremendous productivity tool. I can watch a download, see a web page loading, or view a document on one screen, while typing in a Word Document or Excel spreadsheet on the other monitor. I rarely have to move around windows, resize, drag, and minimize to get to where I want to work. It's great! (By the way, Windows 98 supports the dual-monitor feature, but Windows 2000 does not - at least on the Maximate 420 it doesn't).
2. Some other great features
In addition to the external monitor features, this laptop can expand further by allowing for external keyboard and mouse. So, while I'm working at home I have my optical wheel mouse plugged in, along with my Microsoft Elite USB keyboard. Now I have every comfort that my desktop had. I can easily plug in my external sub-woofer speakers for great sound, or an external microphone and headset for Internet calling. A simple USB expander allows me to plug in three USB connections instead of the single onboard USB port. So right now I have my keyboard, mouse, and scanner all hooked up at the same time. Since the keyboard also has USB extensions on it, I could also plug in my video camera or Joystick without problems. With all that, I still have an open serial port (for an external modem or serial mouse) and an available PS/2 port (for a mouse or keyboard).
3. The added benefit of portability
Now comes the part where the desktop ends and the real computing power begins. It's like the commercial for the SUV. Staying between the lines is no longer any fun. With a laptop, I can unplug all the stuff, and sit on my bed and show my wife all the cool stuff at Eddie Bauer.com. Or I can take it in the van on our annual trek to the grandparents while my son plays his favorite video game (Star Wars Pod Racer game). Or I can take notes at a business meeting right onto my laptop instead of scrawling with a pen and later trying to retype them into the computer. At work I can plug right into the company LAN with the onboard Ethernet card. As I travel, I can make notes to myself, type up quick emails and to-do lists and then send them next time I get by a phone. (Note: mobile phone connections for laptops are VERY expensive, and are not worth it to me at this point, even though I have a cell phone. But maybe one day...)
Even my family enjoys it when I have some evening work to do on the computer and I can sit in the living room with them while I type on my lap.
SUMMARY
Money, money, money
Did all this cost me an arm and a leg? Actually, only an arm. After all my shopping, I found a great deal on this Ashton Digital. I got a wonderful laptop for under $1700, and was able to sell my desktop for $500. I moved up in computing power at the same time, kept the monitor and keyboard that I already had, and now I'm computer at breakneck speed. (At least it feels like it to me).
So, if you are considering replacing your desktop with a laptop, consider the following:
1. Do you really need the flexibility?
2. Do you really have the extra money?
3. Are there benefits that outweigh the negatives?
To me the answer to all three was a resounding YES. And in the case of #3, I didn't realize how much so until after I made my purchase.
For the record, here are the facts about my Laptop:
Manufacturer: Ashton Digital (www.ashtondigital.com)
Model: Maximate 420
CPU: Intel Pentium III, 800mhz
Screen: 14.1" TFT active matrix
RAM: 128MB, PC-100 (expandable to 512MB)
Hard Drive: 10GB and 3 1/4 floppy drive
Video: AGP bus, up to 32MB ram
(shared with main memory) with Dual view mode
CDRom: 24X
Integrated 56K v.90 fax/modem
Integrated Ethernet Network Interface 10/100
Sound: Sound Blaster Pro compatible, 3D sound
PCMCIA: One type II or One Type III 32bits card bus
and ZV Port support (for external video capacity)
I/O ports: Serial, Parallel, Video, Microphone In, Audio out, USB port, Modem jack (RJ-ll), Ethernet Jack (RJ-45), Touchpad with scroll function.
Battery: 10 cell NiMH smart battery, removable, rechargeable
AC Adapter: Auto sensing 100 - 240V, 60W (max)
Software: Star Office suite (Microsoft Office compatible)
Weight: 6.5 lbs with battery, CD-rom, HDD, and FDD.
Win 98 was extra. Car Adapter is extra. Spare battery is extra.
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Feel free to email me if you have further questions about laptops vs. desktops.
Troy
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Epinions.com ID:
peachjam
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 - Top 1000 |
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Member: Troy Funte
Location: Titusville, PA
Reviews written: 84
Trusted by: 111 members
About Me:
I'm a family man, which actually keeps me off epinions more than I would like.
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