Does anyone else hate laptops?

Ozkar · Post by **Ozkar** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 6:49 am

Or am I the only one?

seraphyn · Post by **seraphyn** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 7:44 am

Love em. But hate the noise they now make in comparison to my PC.

tehfire · Post by **tehfire** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 8:29 am

They do get on my nerves. The LCD screens aren't nearly as good as desktop units, the keyboard buttons are mashed together and don't have as good a feel, for the life of me I can't get used to touchpads and the eraserheads are a pain and easily break, fans ramp up and then shut off, and they get really hot under use.

So how do we fix all of this? Hook up the LCD to an external monitor, get a USB keyboard and mouse, and use it on the top of a desk...so basically it's now a desktop, but impossible to silence or upgrade.

Oh, and it's way more expensive and less powerful.

johnniecache7 · Post by **johnniecache7** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 9:43 am

I am with you, I cannot stand laptops limited upgrade ability,noisy and fragile. I am gamer too so I will not touch laptop with ten foot pole.

qviri · Post by **qviri** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 11:26 am

I like them ^_^. Vastly preferable when one moves every four months and takes a computer home every month.

My Thinkpad keeps the fan off under normal use (browsing, IM, music), and the keyboard is awesome. The screen is not too great compared to some MVA/IPS offerings available on the desktop front, but it does the trick.

This post written from My Bed (tm).

scdr · Post by **scdr** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 4:57 pm

Don't hate laptops - but they make a lot of compromises and I generally think desktops are much better. Among the issues not mentioned so far:

Ergonomics - having the screen and keyboard so close together means that either your neck/back or your arms (or both) are in bad positions when you use a laptop. Can solve with external monitor or keyboard or both, but people shouldn't use a laptop without either external keyboard or monitor for extended periods (unless you are a very small person

.

Some tout laptops as "greener" because of lower power consumption. I doubt it - if anything, I suspect it is the reverse. Since they are more delicate and harder to repair, use more plastic components and you can't keep part of it and upgrade other parts - seems like they may be more wasteful than a desktop machine built with standard (interchangeable) parts.
(I got the keyboard I still use with my 486, have only had 1 mouse upgrade since 486 or earlier, had 2 monitors since 486 days.) Meanwhile I have done numerous component upgrades and a few whole system replacements to the computer part. (486 to P2 266 to P2 500 to Athlon 2100 ...)

john12345 · Post by **john12345** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 7:08 pm

mine always over heat and slow down

Elixer · Post by **Elixer** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 12:08 am

I have a love/hate relationship with laptops. I absolutely hate using the built in "mice", whether it's the pads or the red dot in the middle of the keyboard (though I much prefer the red dot to the pad).

The screen size doesn't bother me, and neither does the brightness so long as it's plugged in, but when you're on the road and you're trying to save battery life by having the screen turned down it's annoying. For me the difference between having the brightness up is the difference between finishing a movie on one charge or not. I also hate how inaccurate windows is at predicting my battery life, or how my battery jumps from 100% to 50% in only a few minutes.

However the fact that I can use my laptop with a GPS in my car I find amazing! I am horrible with directions, but my GPS takes me right to where I want to go.

Also the keyboard on my laptop is great! It has the best feel I've ever found on a keyboard. Some laptops are really horrible, but my thinkpad's keyboard is really good.

The comment about laptops being bad because you can't replace broken components isn't really valid. The only thing in a laptop that will give out with normal use is the hard drive, which is easily replaceable. Also the ram can easily be upgraded. The key to reliability in a laptop is the brand name. My IBM Thinkpad is over 5 years old and still running strong.

djkest · Post by **djkest** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 5:00 am

I do feel some people are ignorant as far as the differences between desktops and laptops. Laptops are super popular right now... I think I heard best buy is selling 2 laptops for every desktop system they sell. What gets me is people who buy a $1200 or $1500 laptop that still can't play games for sh.... Oh well, to each his own. Hey, at least they use less power, right?

seraphyn · Post by **seraphyn** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 5:46 am

There are capable laptops out there that manage games just fine. Mine has a Geforce 8400 in it (lower clocked due to being mobile and such) and it handles pretty much every game out there, except Crysis. But my main rig can't even take Crysis, so no surprises there.

Laptops are great if you do a lot of work in transit (i work on the way to work) and they allow me to drop by a friend with a system capable of playing a few games on LAN.

On top of that, waking up and browsing your forums / webcomics etc from the bed is just awesome.

They are obviously not a replacement of a desktop (laptops + long working on them = hello RSI) but a very nice addition to them.

djkest · Post by **djkest** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 7:31 am

seraphyn wrote:There are capable laptops out there that manage games just fine. Mine has a Geforce 8400 in it (lower clocked due to being mobile and such) and it handles pretty much every game out there, except Crysis. But my main rig can't even take Crysis, so no surprises there.

A laptop w/ 8400 gt has about maybe.. 1/4 of the speed of my gaming rig? Even the 8600GT M whatever, is at least twice as slow and a 3870. Maybe at low res, all details down, and 15fps is your definition of "runs".

seraphyn · Post by **seraphyn** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 7:35 am

Low res is a given with laptops. I play CoD4 @ 1440x900 with settings on medium on my laptop, which is fine for me, given the main use of it is for work purposes.

djkest · Post by **djkest** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 7:36 am

I'm just saying. Laptops are not really good for serious gamers....

On this same test my 3870 scored 108 fps....

(you don't need that much but that's beside the point)

andyb · Post by **andyb** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 3:37 pm

The general ergonomics piss me off - scdr got it right, the screen is too close to the keyboard to be comfortable for general use.

I hate touchpads, but I like "nipples"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pointing_stick

They are a pain in the arse when things fail, and the replacements cost 3/4 of a replacement laptop (motherboard).

The only laptop I have ever laid my eyes upon and thought "I wouldnt mind owning one of those" is the "Asus eee", I would use a mouse wherever possible - and of course a desk, not my lap and a monitor if one was available...... thus making it a very small portable computer with a horribly small keyboard. Horses for courses really.

Andy

klankymen · Post by **klankymen** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 4:30 pm

don't know why people always associate gaming with UBER graphics and visual effects. first of all, laptops only have to run the game at 1280x800, and not 1920x1200 (just example numbers, as apply in my case), so thats 2.25 times less pixels.

Also the pixels are smaller/closer together than on a desktop, so you don't need to turn antialiasing up so high.

And of course, back to the subject of people associating gaming with graphics. not every game is a insane as crysis or gothic 3.

Some of the funnest games I know run just fine on a x3100 chip.... pro evolution soccer 6, counterstrike (pre-source), hl1, emulated nintendo games, age of empires 2, starcraft, and on and on and on....

with enough frames to play (in other words, more than 60, which is the maximum the screen can display anyway)

seraphyn · Post by **seraphyn** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 4:55 pm

djkest wrote:I'm just saying. Laptops are not really good for serious gamers.

Agreed, buying a laptop for gaming only isn't smart, but i doubt there are many people that do so.

Most people i know that have a 'gaming' laptop actually bought them for work / study, but decided to invest a bit more into them so they could use it for a bit of gaming on the side as well.

As far as the mousepad / pointing stick issue, easily solved by a nice laser mouse. Usable on any and all surfaces and thus no reason not to take one.

Elixer · Post by **Elixer** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 1:42 am

Yeah, I agree with the statements about gaming laptops. I've always found that weird. Or people who buy $3000 near top of the line laptops. It's like, if you're ever going to do some serious processing/gaming why would you need to do it on a laptop?

I bought my thinkpad 1Ghz P3 laptop for a little under $300 a couple of years ago, and it does everything I need. It does webbrowsing, email, powerpoint, dvds, movie files, wireless, sound recording, and gps, all under windows XP. The only thing it doesn't do right now that I would like is High Definition movies.

bonestonne · Post by **bonestonne** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 5:59 pm

i love my Thinkpad T22, but i want to throw the hard drive out the window, its louder than everything else. been looking for a new one, but the catch is that i got it free. i don't want to put too much dough into it [refurbished battery was $25, replacement motherboard was $45]. it serves me well though, runs a 3 hour radio show with me, so i have no complaints.

Das_Saunamies · Post by **Das_Saunamies** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 4:02 pm

I like laptops. They are working prebuilts with backup power and all the peripherals included, and manufacturers provide all the drivers and support you need. Everything centralised.

They're of course no match for desktops in anything as-is, but they provide the crucial advantages of mobility and ease of use. Their construction and performance have been optimised, and they are easy to buy, install, maintenance, sell on and recycle as one unit.

They're ideal for working with text-based documents, surfing and everyday household tasks like banking and shopping. Much easier on the nerves of a random user than a self-built desktop, in my experience. I even met a woman who would rather use the touchpad than a traditional mouse - apparently she better associates the pad with the screen, and has no need for additional accuracy or speed.

I wouldn't pay more than 1000 EUR/USD for one though, the investment just doesn't pay off the way it does with desktop PCs. Hard to think of any downsides or dislikes, as I bought the machine that was perfect for me to begin with.

PS. OP make a poll!

qviri · Post by **qviri** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 5:28 pm

djkest wrote:What gets me is people who buy a $1200 or $1500 laptop that still can't play games for sh....

Maybe these people aren't buying their computers to play games on?

scdr · Post by **scdr** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 10:06 pm

Elixer wrote: The comment about laptops being bad because you can't replace broken components isn't really valid. The only thing in a laptop that will give out with normal use is the hard drive, which is easily replaceable. Also the ram can easily be upgraded.

I have had rather different experience on this.
Laptops are more delicate than desktops (lots of plastic, things like hinges that desktops don't have).
They also tend to lead rougher lives (being moved around more, unplugged, balanced on things, dropped, having cables pulled, ...)

Hinges are notorious weak points on many laptops - which often fail even after normal use.
The CMOS batteries tend to be more specialized (expensive) and harder to replace. (e.g. the button cell CMOS battery for most desktops is a few $, can get at drug store/etc. The CMOS battery for a Dell Latitude C laptop is about $20.)
Connectors (e.g. where the power supply plugs into the laptop motherboard), LCD backlights, fans and keyboards are also common failure points.

Since all of these are non-standard components, they are much more expensive to get replacements, and fixing them is a lot more bother because of tight space and difficulties gaining access.

Trip · Post by **Trip** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 12:00 am

Yea, they break far too easily...

lucinski · Post by **lucinski** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 3:56 am

I for one don't hate laptops. I enjoy them because a good bunch of them are quieter than even a silent SPCR's standards PC. I am a gamer and although a laptop should be in disadvantage here, I am looking forward to the day the first external graphics card will be realesed. This is the only thing that keeps me away from getting rid of the mighty PC.

Naturally I would also use a stand-alone monitor, keyboard, mouse and possibly even a hard-drive (preferably an SSD). Everything external ( the graphic card, the hard drive, the sound card and the laptop of course

) would be hidden somwhere in a drawer (or several of them so as to avoid overheating) inside my desk and that is all, end of story.

No noise, no nothing just brute performace => sheer bliss as far as I am concerned.