Are Laptops the Future?

[Le Big Mac]

Seemed like there's a lot of talk that laptops are the future for home computing, and that desktops will fall by the wayside. Is this likely? Certainly the laptop is right for a lot of folks, but given the $1000 or so premium for comparable equipment (not to mention carpal tunnel syndrome), it seems like desktops still have a big role to play for a lot of people (well, me for at least one). Thoughts?

 

[medea]

while they are not the immediate future, they should be the thing later on, but right now they can be expensive and some people still like being able to upgrade the powermacs which isnt really something you can do with laptops right now, but desktops are getting smaller and smaller so when its more cost efficent to produce smaller chip sets and boards etc. I'm sure laptops will be it. or just really really small desktops.....

 

[vniow]

I just bought an older clamshell iBook awhile ago and I already had a PC so I'm sorta switched.

And I luv it. I would use it way more often if I could have afforded a newer one with Airport, a bigger screen (more resolution really) and faster hardware, but it's fine for now.

I don't know if laptops will ever get more than 50% market share over desktops, but I'm sure as hell not going to give up my iBook for anything else but another laptop, no way. It's too goddamn useful.

I used to not see the point of laptops, but now that I own one, I'm not about to trade it in for a desktop anytime soon.

 

[Dignan]

Why desktops are better -> Brighter screens, Bigger screens.

Thats all I need.

 

[ChicagoMac]

I always thought that the children were our future Wait, that was Whitney Houston, not Steve Jobs.

My only concern about getting a laptop would be that most people say they don't last as long. Also, the hard drives aren't as large, less ports, etc...

I still prefer a Mac desktop (even though I sit here typing this on a windows laptop of all things! How ironic!?).

 

[FattyMembrane]

apple said that notebooks are the future because they still have room to improve their notebooks. did you notice that there were no desktop announcements of any kind? until the 970 debuts, the desktops are stuck about where they are right now.

once the 970 is out, steve will say that desktops are the new notebooks

it's a very clever move really, and an excellent way to keep increasing the user base.

 

[Le Big Mac]

Originally posted by FattyMembrane
apple said that notebooks are the future because they still have room to improve their notebooks.

That's kind of what I was figuring.

It's unfortunate that Apple seems to be abandoning desktops for now, although maybe something will happen next month.

It's one thing to do nothing much. But it's an awful thing to do nothing at all to the desktops.

 

[Bear]

Originally posted by Dignan
Why desktops are better -> Brighter screens, Bigger screens.

Thats all I need.

The PowerBooks support plugging in a second screen on them. That second screen can be the 23" HD Cinema

 

[topicolo]

Desktop sales are dropping across the personal computer sector. Everybody from HP to Dell to Apple has suffered a slowed in their destop sales.
Why?
Practically everyone who's ever going to get a desktop already has one and they're pretty much fast enough that there won't be an upgrading frenzy anytime soon. Laptops haven't saturated the market like desktops yet.
That's partly why Apple's focusing on laptops. Another reason is that Apple usually makes more money on laptops than with them stale ol' desktops (better margins).

 

[pgwalsh]

Laptops are great, but I don't see the secretary needing one. She can keep her desktop.

I prefer the desktop when at home. I'd like a larger screen than the 23" with a TV input and 7.1 surround sound so I can watch a movie with all the effects etc. Sure I can do that with a laptop, but I can't stick my already purchased pci cards in the laptop. So if that's all they're going to give us (for now) why not build an external PCI card bay or something. Make the card bay firewire 800. Allow us to put a few drives in the bay. Acutally the bay should be like a docking station with a firewire 800 connection and 802.11G for wireless connection. Throw everything you need in a PowerMac in the docking station except the processor and mother board. Ha!

Just having some fun with the whole thing.

 

[Wren]

I'd have to agree that after today's amibitous unveiling of the 17 inch Powerbook... the direction is only to move forward that direction. I currently own an iMac and a 500mhziBook. I am glad that I waited today before I bought the Powerbook. I am DEFINITELY going to buy the 17 inch Powerbook ASAP! I was going to buy the Titanium's latest upgrade last November.. but Im glad I waited. The price has gone down by a couple of hundred. The advantages of having a mobile computer far outweighs the stationary desktop. Good job APPLE!!

 

[GeneR]

I agree with FattyMembrane...

Originally posted by FattyMembrane
apple said that notebooks are the future because they still have room to improve their notebooks. did you notice that there were no desktop announcements of any kind? until the 970 debuts, the desktops are stuck about where they are right now.

once the 970 is out, steve will say that desktops are the new notebooks

it's a very clever move really, and an excellent way to keep increasing the user base.

I agree with FattyMembrane (nice name by the way! ) it's a great way to keep people's attention off of the weaker product lines (i.e. the desktops which may or may not significantly benefit from the new chips which are rumored later this year).

In the meantime, we can salivate (it's become a bit of a ritual for me) over the newest laptops that Apple produces.

 

[vniow]

Originally posted by pgwalsh
So if that's all they're going to give us (for now) why not build an external PCI card bay or something.

http://www.magma.com/pci/1slot.html

 

[MacBandit]

Desktops will always be more expandable, more upgradeable, and faster. It just has to do with size.

 

[SPG]

Until you can run a laptop with four HD's two display cards, an MPEG2 encoder card, a decoder card, over a gig of ram, SCSI connects, 4xDVD burner, zip, and a full size keyboard where you want it, I'll need to stick with my above mentioned tower setup...although that 12" ti does look real sweet for a portable...

 

[nicmac]

Many Architects like myself use PowerBooks to run Cadd programs and photoshop.
There is more than enough power and speed.
So mhz is not an issue (it's the applications that count)
We just plug them into big screens and when we have to make presentations we grab them and go.

The buzz among most of the designers I know including myself is that they are going to buy the 17" PowerBook. This will be a big seller for the creative professions.

 

[D*I*S_Frontman]

With a portable...

SPG,

You can actually do all of that right now with a laptop. If you use one of those Magma CardBus PCI jobs (see previous post for link) you can have 8 or more full size PCI slots for all your i/o needs. A couple of cards and you can have your wall of SCSI RAID arrays and HD displays. Of course you'll leave all of that on your desktop when you boogie off with your 17' AlBook to make that killer presentation. When you get back, just slide the card back in and wala! Fully functional and fully expandable production suite.

Of course, this comes with a very high pricetag, as the Magma people don't exactly GIVE their products away. You'll pay at least twice as much for a system this way. And you won't have a dualie processor set-up or be able to use more than a gig of RAM, either. But for independent graphic design guys who make occasional presentations, why not? I imagine the sheer awe factor when you slide that impossibly thin AlBook out of your leather attache and open up that huge yet wafer-thin display could add enough dazzle to your presentation to clinch the deal.

 

[mstecker]

I'm sort of sold on the laptop phenom

I've got a G4 desktop at home, with a nice 17" studio display - a "better" machine by every measure than my 600mhz iBook. Still, I find myself using my iBook much more than the desktop, even while at home. Why? Because the iBook stis on a little stand in my living room. I can use it while sitting on the couch. I can toss it to my wife, and say "hey! check this out!" on the rare occasion that I surf something that she'd actually be interested in.

After sitting at a desk at work all day, I can't bear to sit at a desk at home.

Still, if I had to use a laptop as a primary machine at work, I'd shoot myself in the spleen.

 

[Kid Red]

Originally posted by Dignan
Why desktops are better -> Brighter screens, Bigger screens.

Thats all I need.

See, you forgot strudy, stronger, more durable. When you guys have kids you'll know why laptops won't replace desktops

 

[peterjhill]

I have been using a Ti800dvi as my primary computer since their release (I bought what would have been the floor model for the campus computer store, the day they got it in).

Laptops are definitely the way to go. With the 17" Albook, there are not many things you can't do well on it.

With dual monitor support, there is no issue with screens. I run a 21" CRT as my primary display at work. I go home, use the LCD, and have all my files with me, all my apps. Everything.

Part of the key to enjoying a laptop as your primary machine are:

- External Keyboard at your desk
- At least two external mice, one for work, and one for home, don't bother taking it back and forth
- External Monitor, at work, the CRT is my main screen, and the LCD is for storing windows without minimizing them.

For the majority of users, that will be quite sufficent.

The big difference, of course, is the price. $3200 is alot for a machine. Of course the 17" LCD must be factored into the price. Once you do that, the price starts to look very nice.

With firewire2 in the top of the line model, la Cie has that new 500GB external drive. I think it is only firewire 400, but I doubt it will be long before the 800 stuff starts to come out.

Yum!

 

[primalman]

Pro users like art directors and other team leaders.....

Originally posted by nicmac
Many Architects like myself use PowerBooks to run Cadd programs and photoshop.
There is more than enough power and speed.
So mhz is not an issue (it's the applications that count)
We just plug them into big screens and when we have to make presentations we grab them and go.

The buzz among most of the designers I know including myself is that they are going to buy the 17" PowerBook. This will be a big seller for the creative professions.

nicmac hit it here I think.

For an Art Director, Architect, Design Team Leader or the like who need to have desktop power but also portability for presentations and meetings, the 17" fits the bill. They do not always need the fastest machines, but do need more than the iBook et al.

Plus, with having a single machine, the hassle of having two configurations is nil. You always have your email, all your files, your this, your that. And wherever you are, you can connect to networks in about every way one would need. Excellent!!

 

[brian0526]

Laptops are great and may very well replace desktops for professionals. In many cases, they already have. But, the 17" Powerbook is not going to replace a desktop machine for very many home users. It's about 2X the price of a good home computer. For $3,200 I could buy a pretty good desktop AND a mediocre laptop. I work from home and am on my computer all day. I do not want to spend all day typing on a laptop.

The other thing is laptops are not a durable as desktops. Even the people I've known with Apple laptops have hardware problems with them after use. Desktops are still more reliable and more cost effective for most home users and I think it will stay that way for the immediate future.

Apple's got great laptops. If I were in the market for a laptop, I'd definitely buy one. But, I'm looking for as much performance as I can get for a certain price and I want a machine that's going to last 3, 4 or 5 years. A desktop machine still fits the bill for me. I'd like to see Apple make their (consumer) desktop offerings at least as good as their high end laptop.

Brian

 

[JupiterZen]

Originally posted by edvniow


http://www.magma.com/pci/1slot.html

Wow, that was just what I was looking for. I have a Delta 1010 PCI audio card with breakout box and that was a getting in the way of my "I could get the 17''Powerbook" thoughts.

Because then I would have to buy the MOTU 828 firewire interface as well. And both the Powermac and a new audio card with 10 outputs is way over my budget

Alas, the 17" Powerbook is over by budget as well at this moment. But I find myself exploring possibilities

<edit>
Damn, just saw the price on those Magma things for that money I could just get the MOTU 828 and sell my Delta 1010.
</edit>

 

[primalman]

the 17" Powerbook, and Powerbook in general, really are not for normal home users

Originally posted by brian0526
Laptops are great and may very well replace desktops for professionals. In many cases, they already have. But, the 17" Powerbook is not going to replace a desktop machine for very many home users. It's about 2X the price of a good home computer. For $3,200 I could buy a pretty good desktop AND a mediocre laptop. I work from home and am on my computer all day. I do not want to spend all day typing on a laptop.

The Powerbook is not a consumer or home user type of machine. It is meant for pro-type [ie video/graphics/audio pros] users who need more annemities and power in a very portable package. If you have a laptop as your primary workstation and you sit at a desk all day, only a freaking fool would use the built-in keyboard all that time. Plug a damn external in with a mouse, and maybe even use a second display. Easy thing to deal with.

I'd like to see Apple make their (consumer) desktop offerings at least as good as their high end laptop.

It is, if you break it down. The 17" iMac has the same screen as the new PB, not as fast of a chip or bus but an equal or better graphics card, faster optical, better sound, etc. The new 17" PB and the 17" iMac or more like brothers than cousins. Not twins, but close brothers.

 

[Centris 650]

I use an ibook but I am currently looking at buying a powermac. While I may never NOT own a laptop I find that my wife and family need a more "stationary" computer.

Also, if laptops are the wave of the future why wasn't SJ using one during MWSF? (Just Kidding of course.)