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Old 07-22-2004, 10:19 PM   #1
dg_hosey
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Laptop vs Desktop for dependability


Hiyas,

I'm looking into buying a new computer and can't decide whether to go laptop or desktop.

I am currently using a desktop 866 Intel with 524 meg of RAM. I've had this system for 3-4 years. I've had to replace the hard drive once, upgrade RAM and replace 1 monitor - not from abuse, just use.

I'm a college student so a laptop would be very handy. I use the PC mostly for reports, notes and what note (open office is great.) Between classes I also like to play some on line multi-player games - Dark Age of Camelot.....so I'm looking for a system that I can work on and do part time gaming.

My concerns about getting a laptop :

- How hard is it to fix problems, upgrading RAM if needed, replacing a bad hard drive and what if the display goes out - I know when my monitor went, I just replaced it - if a laptops goes, do I have to get a new laptop?

- Typing on a laptop keyboard and using the touch pad are difficult on the one's I've tried ; Can I plug in a real keyboard and mouse when I'm at home ?

- With a decent graphics card, will games look OK on a laptop display?

- I use Linux (Redhat 9 or Mandrake 8.2) and windows XP - I know xp will run on the laptop as it's preinstalled - is Linux difficult to install on a laptop?

- I currently use a lynksys router/hub with my DSL - it's currently connected to my PC with RG-45 and a NIC ; if I get a wireless NIC, will this connect with my current setup, or do I have to purchase a new router/hub ?

Sorry for so many questions, just wanna get the right PC that will be dependable without me putting in much cash for repairs (display/hard drive gone bad)

Thanks,
Daniel
 
Old 07-22-2004, 11:22 PM   #2
r_jensen11
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Re: Laptop vs Desktop for dependability

Quote:
Originally posted by dg_hosey
Hiyas,

I'm looking into buying a new computer and can't decide whether to go laptop or desktop.

I am currently using a desktop 866 Intel with 524 meg of RAM. I've had this system for 3-4 years. I've had to replace the hard drive once, upgrade RAM and replace 1 monitor - not from abuse, just use.

I'm a college student so a laptop would be very handy. I use the PC mostly for reports, notes and what note (open office is great.) Between classes I also like to play some on line multi-player games - Dark Age of Camelot.....so I'm looking for a system that I can work on and do part time gaming.
Um, since you're a college student, I know it's nice to have a portable computer, but do you have enough money left over after you're finished paying what you can for tuition and everything? Also, at least for the schools I've been looking at lately, they have many computer labs all over campus that are networked together, so do you need a laptop? A desktop is much cheaper when they have the same specs. But assuming you have your heart set for a laptop, here goes nothing:

Quote:
Originally posted by dg_hosey My concerns about getting a laptop :

- How hard is it to fix problems, upgrading RAM if needed, replacing a bad hard drive and what if the display goes out - I know when my monitor went, I just replaced it - if a laptops goes, do I have to get a new laptop?
Both hard drives and RAM can be purchased seperately. As to getting information off of your original hard drive and onto the newer hard drive, that can be tricky with laptops. I was able to get my brother's friend's pictures off of his laptop, but it required booting using Knoppix and sending the files via network onto another computer for temporary storage. Laptop screens.... I'd say that your best bet would be to get a good warrenty on the laptop, because without it, either it will cost a pretty penny to get the screen fixed or you'll be S.O.L.

Quote:
Originally posted by dg_hosey - Typing on a laptop keyboard and using the touch pad are difficult on the one's I've tried ; Can I plug in a real keyboard and mouse when I'm at home ?
USB mice should be no problem, and I'd imagine a USB keyboard wouldn't be a problem either. There's also always docking stations, which can help out with this. They also let you hook up an external monitor. Depending on your video card, though, you might be able to do all of this without a docking station.


Quote:
Originally posted by dg_hosey - With a decent graphics card, will games look OK on a laptop display?
Games should be okay depending on the video card you get. Some laptops today are using Desktop video cards and CPU's (They're also the ones that have 2 or more fans in them.) Keep in mind, it's much more expensive to upgrade a mobile video card, and can also be harder to find the cards.

Quote:
Originally posted by dg_hosey - I use Linux (Redhat 9 or Mandrake 8.2) and windows XP - I know xp will run on the laptop as it's preinstalled - is Linux difficult to install on a laptop?
From the threads I read around here, it's no more so than for a desktop. Take a search through the forums. The most common laptop threads I come across have to do with people getting the touchpad to work, other than that, they're general questions (mostly SW related)

Quote:
Originally posted by dg_hosey - I currently use a lynksys router/hub with my DSL - it's currently connected to my PC with RG-45 and a NIC ; if I get a wireless NIC, will this connect with my current setup, or do I have to purchase a new router/hub ?
That would be the best bet. There might be some conversion tools out there that convert wireless to ethernet, but all I see advertised is wireless to USB, and both are slow on their own.

Quote:
Originally posted by dg_hosey Sorry for so many questions, just wanna get the right PC that will be dependable without me putting in much cash for repairs (display/hard drive gone bad)
For reliability, I'd have to say that laptops are just as reliable as desktops. However, if a laptops can turn off if they're overheated, which can happen if its active too long (I seem to recall playing Diablo 2 on somebody else's laptop, and suddenly the screen blanked and the computer went into powersaving mode). Desktops won't do this unless you did something like overclock it so that it heats faster than it cools, or you put the computer next to a heat duct.

Quote:
Originally posted by dg_hosey Thanks,
Daniel
You're welcome
Rob

Last edited by r_jensen11; 07-22-2004 at 11:24 PM.
 
Old 07-23-2004, 12:02 AM   #3
archdev
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You could also consider buying a used laptop... something that is coming off of a company lease or something. I got my little brother an ibm T20 for abour 450 dollars. Had a 700 mhz p3, but all he uses it for is his homework and the occasional game or two. One thing I admired about ibms is that they are built a lot better than dell or sony. My dad has used ibm for work for the past 6 years or so. Never had any major problem and he basically lives off of them. Too bad they are pretty expensive new, but a used one I would suggest over any other used notebook brand.
 
Old 07-23-2004, 12:28 AM   #4
LavaDevil94
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I would go with a desktop computer (in fact, if you already have one, I would upgrade it instead). Laptops aren't built to last (they fall apart soon, so you buy a new one), and they're nearly impossible to fix. If you really need a laptop, try to get it for a low price. I got mine for free, but it's a 486SX. It's good for making C programs and (hopefully someday) playing Doom .
 
Old 07-23-2004, 03:37 AM   #5
J.W.
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It's a subjective call. A laptop with the same specs as a given desktop generally runs about 150% to 200% the cost of the desktop. Upgrading the hard drive or RAM is no big deal, other than the cost and the time it would take to do it. As for upgrading the video card, at least in the laptops I've seen, that's just not an option, as the video chip is built into the mobo. Almost all laptops support an external keyboard and mouse; note that you could also get a docking station or port replicator as well, which definitely would support a standard keyboard and mouse.

I would also say that one of the main risks of owning a laptop is with losing or forgetting it when you're carrying it around. Similarly, given a laptop's extreme portability, the risk of theft (unfortunately) also increases dramatically -- you might leave your laptop unattended for a brief 5 or 10 minutes when you go to the water fountain or talk to your friends, and discover when you return that your laptop has vanished.

I don't intend that any of this be construed as a negative, anti-laptop post. I own a laptop myself, and love it. My only point is that just like everything else in life, there are tradeoffs. In the end, there is no right or wrong answer - it comes down to what you think would be best for your situation. In the strictly "my 2 cents dept", I would say that the portability of a laptop is a HUGE advantage over the desktop, but the disadvantage is that laptops can very easily be lost or stolen, and they are much more expensive than a comparable desktop system. That being said, if I were back in college today, I'd choose the laptop, but watch it like a hawk and make backups of my valuable data at least every couple of days, if not daily. (I'd also suggest skipping the game sessions and use the time for studying instead - when you're on job interviews during senior year, you might find yourself regretting only pulling a B rather than an A due to all that time spent on video games)

Good luck with your decision, whichever way you choose. -- J.W.
 
  


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