Desktops vs Laptops

[DynamicSpirit]

mods note - Split from this thread -

Working from home

Moderator note: split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/bbc-news-article-rail-industry-urges-workers-not-to-spurn-the-train.222201/page-5 Exactly. So this whole notion that work from home is some great panacea is rubbish. It applies to a select group of people only. I cannot think of...

www.railforums.co.uk

One thing that surprises me reading this thread is how many people work from home using a *laptop*? Seriously? I'm surprised because I find using a laptop seems so unproductive compared to a desktop. I work from home (and did so anyway, even pre-pandemic), on a desktop that has a large comfortable keyboard, proper mouse, and two pretty large screens. I have laptops that I use if I'm away or occasionally if I want to do things like check emails in bed, but the tiny keyboards, smaller screens (both in terms of pixel size and pixel count), and touchpad mice all combine to mean I work significantly slower than my desktop rate - and it's a much less enjoyable experience. In fact, if I'm away from home, I'll normally have a laptop with me for things that I have to do, but will generally prioritise stuff like reading/learning that doesn't involve as much computer use, until I get home.

To be fair, I am a software developer, so my computer use may well be more intensive and require more apps open simultaneously than someone who simply uses a computer to assist with some other occupation, but even so, I'm surprised at the apparent ubiquity of laptops. Do other people find the laptop experience better than I do?

 

[birchesgreen]

I adjusted my work flow (e-learning development) for the single laptop screen, and bought an external mouse.

 

[87 027]

One thing that surprises me reading this thread is how many people work from home using a *laptop*?

I expect many employers will have allowed staff to buy a monitor, keyboard, mouse and proper chair as a reimburseable expense (on the understanding they remain company property and are liable to be surrendered if you leave). Certainly I had to complete a new display screen assessment shortly after lockdown to check my home setup was compliant.

 

[edwin_m]

One thing that surprises me reading this thread is how many people work from home using a *laptop*? Seriously? I'm surprised because I find using a laptop seems so unproductive compared to a desktop. I work from home (and did so anyway, even pre-pandemic), on a desktop that has a large comfortable keyboard, proper mouse, and two pretty large screens. I have laptops that I use if I'm away or occasionally if I want to do things like check emails in bed, but the tiny keyboards, smaller screens (both in terms of pixel size and pixel count), and touchpad mice all combine to mean I work significantly slower than my desktop rate - and it's a much less enjoyable experience. In fact, if I'm away from home, I'll normally have a laptop with me for things that I have to do, but will generally prioritise stuff like reading/learning that doesn't involve as much computer use, until I get home.

To be fair, I am a software developer, so my computer use may well be more intensive and require more apps open simultaneously than someone who simply uses a computer to assist with some other occupation, but even so, I'm surprised at the apparent ubiquity of laptops. Do other people find the laptop experience better than I do?

I expect many employers will have allowed staff to buy a monitor, keyboard, mouse and proper chair as a reimburseable expense (on the understanding they remain company property and are liable to be surrendered if you leave). Certainly I had to complete a new display screen assessment shortly after lockdown to check my home setup was compliant.

Mine got me a docking station, mouse and keyboard. They'll want the docking station (and the laptop) back but probably not the other things. I could have had a monitor too, but I had a spare one when my son decided he needed a bigger one to play games properly.

 

[yorksrob]

Yes, I've aquired all the trimmings to plug into the laptop, so it's no different from a desktop now.

 

[najaB]

One thing that surprises me reading this thread is how many people work from home using a *laptop*? Seriously? I'm surprised because I find using a laptop seems so unproductive compared to a desktop.

My laptop is connected to dual 24" monitors and a decent keyboard and mouse. No different to when I was in the office.

 

[gswindale]

Indeed. I'm using a laptop connected to 2 27"" displays and although I do use the laptop keyboard, I find that the additional 3rd screen it provides makes life so much easier than simply having 2 screens like I'd have if using a desktop in the office.

I do admit that I found the laptop a little under powered at times over the last 6 months, but I was working on a major project which won't happen again for another 10+ years (I hope), so that shouldn't be a worry.

Having to wfh has actually been great for getting the project completed as I was able to appear almost invisible to my immediate colleagues not involved in the project and therefore not get distracted, but it is nice to go in every so often to see them in person.

I think the hybrid working of some days in and some days out is the way forward - especially when attempting to focus on client specific reports etc rather than just doing the day to day stuff.

 

[nlogax]

My laptop is connected to dual 24" monitors and a decent keyboard and mouse. No different to when I was in the office.

Similar. Pair of ultrawide monitors, standard mouse & keyboard plus a decent webcam and a LED ring light in case it gets dark during Zoom calls.

 

[edwin_m]

I guess one consequence of Covid will be the bottom dropping out of the market for desktops, other than gaming and some specialist technical application that need the extra power. For general purpose use a laptop has probably been the preferred choice of home users for some time, but businesses will now be following suit.

 

[Geezertronic]

One thing that surprises me reading this thread is how many people work from home using a *laptop*? Seriously? I'm surprised because I find using a laptop seems so unproductive compared to a desktop. I work from home (and did so anyway, even pre-pandemic), on a desktop that has a large comfortable keyboard, proper mouse, and two pretty large screens. I have laptops that I use if I'm away or occasionally if I want to do things like check emails in bed, but the tiny keyboards, smaller screens (both in terms of pixel size and pixel count), and touchpad mice all combine to mean I work significantly slower than my desktop rate - and it's a much less enjoyable experience. In fact, if I'm away from home, I'll normally have a laptop with me for things that I have to do, but will generally prioritise stuff like reading/learning that doesn't involve as much computer use, until I get home.

To be fair, I am a software developer, so my computer use may well be more intensive and require more apps open simultaneously than someone who simply uses a computer to assist with some other occupation, but even so, I'm surprised at the apparent ubiquity of laptops. Do other people find the laptop experience better than I do?

The flexibility of a laptop is understated. When I need to go to an office (which does not have any desktops), I can just pack my laptop away without even powering it off and quickly set it up at the office desk for the day connecting it to the office WiFi (or hard-wired connection if there are VoiP phones with a hard-wired connection on the desk). At home, my laptop has a wireless external keyboard/mouse - I choose not to have an external monitor - and a hard-wired connection.

Desktops still have their place for the reason you state, but I would suggest that the vast majority of people are now issued laptops.

 

[PeterC]

I have always used an external mouse with my laptops and use an external keyboard at home.

 

[najaB]

For general purpose use a laptop has probably been the preferred choice of home users for some time, but businesses will now be following suit.

A lot of businesses have been issuing laptops as standard rather than desktops as standard for a good few years now.

 

[westv]

Laptops can be a pain though. Picking up one isn't a big deal but having to cart it any distance and they soon become a wearisome weight.

 

[nlogax]

Laptops can be a pain though. Picking up one isn't a big deal but having to cart it any distance and they soon become a wearisome weight.

..which is why many companies give their employees a choice of laptops. Current model is an average spec 13" MacBook Pro, way less effort to cart around than the previous performance-focused 15" model I previously used.

 

[westv]

..which is why many companies give their employees a choice of laptops. Current model is an average spec 13" MacBook Pro, way less effort to cart around than the previous performance-focused 15" model I previously used.

And many others don't give the choice. I would rather a desktop in the office and a laptop at home rather than just a laptop.

 

[Ianno87]

Laptops can be a pain though. Picking up one isn't a big deal but having to cart it any distance and they soon become a wearisome weight.

And many others don't give the choice. I would rather a desktop in the office and a laptop at home rather than just a laptop.

I have mine in a laptop backpack (rather than shoulder bag) which makes it a doddle to carry around.

 

[gg1]

I guess one consequence of Covid will be the bottom dropping out of the market for desktops, other than gaming and some specialist technical application that need the extra power. For general purpose use a laptop has probably been the preferred choice of home users for some time, but businesses will now be following suit.

That assumes home users are happy with a small screen (some are but other will want something bigger and better). If you want a 20" or larger screen, a desktop is a more cost effective option than a laptop + external monitor of similar specs.

 

[Geezertronic]

That assumes most home users are happy with a small screen. If you want a 20" or larger screen, a desktop is a more cost effective option than a laptop + external monitor of similar specs.

Apples and pears comparison really, and it really depends on what type of work you want to perform. Plus whilst a similar spec laptop and base unit may be a similar cost, that comparison is not taking into consideration the cost of a monitor to connect to the base unit which needs to be factored in as base units rarely come as a base unit/monitor package unless otherwise stated.

 

[edwin_m]

That assumes home users are happy with a small screen (some are but other will want something bigger and better). If you want a 20" or larger screen, a desktop is a more cost effective option than a laptop + external monitor of similar specs.

Not if you have one desktop at home and another at the office, and can't do any work on the train in between.

 

[gg1]

Apples and pears comparison really, and it really depends on what type of work you want to perform.

Only to a point, laptops and desktops essentially do the same thing, only difference is portability which is less likely to be important for a home user than for a business user.

Plus whilst a similar spec laptop and base unit may be a similar cost, that comparison is not taking into consideration the cost of a monitor to connect to the base unit which needs to be factored in as base units rarely come as a base unit/monitor package unless otherwise stated.

I was taking that into account. A laptop is broadly comparable in price to a complete desktop system (base unit + 20" monitor + keyboard + mouse) of similar specs.

Not if you have one desktop at home and another at the office, and can't do any work on the train in between.

We're talking home users though, anyone working on a laptop on their train will almost certainly be using a company laptop.

 

[birchesgreen]

Only to a point, laptops and desktops essentially do the same thing, only difference is portability which is less likely to be important for a home user than for a business user.

Home users are more likely to have a laptop than a desktop these days arn't they?

 

[nlogax]

Home users are more likely to have a laptop than a desktop these days arn't they?

Indeed. These days desktops are even more the domain of gamers or power users (nested IT labs, high end 4k & 8k video editing etc). Outside of that laptops will cover the vast majority of use cases quite happily.

 

[Ediswan]

Laptops can be a pain though. Picking up one isn't a big deal but having to cart it any distance and they soon become a wearisome weight.

Others are so convinced they need a 'high performance' laptop they will happily accept that, with bag and accessories, they will be lugging around 5 kg or more.

If a laptop is to be used as a laptop, best size can come down to age/eyesight. The older you are, the more likely you are prefer the 15.6" screen to 13.3".

There is no 'right' solution, but there are many bad ideas.

The one piece of technology I would suggest avoiding is DisplayPort MST Hubs. In theory they will drive more than one screen from a single DP outlet. In practice they do exactly that, until the day when, for no discernable reason, one or more of the screens start blanking, flashing or generally misbehaving. Just pay a bit more for a system (desktop of laptop) that has sufficient video outlets built in. VGA ports will usually deliver a good HD image.

 

[westv]

Home users are more likely to have a laptop than a desktop these days arn't they?

At home , one advantage of a laptop is that you can be on it, sat on the sofa next to your other half and still watch the tv. You can't do that with a desktop that might be upstairs.

 

[bspahh]

I have a laptop with docking stations at home and at work. I have an external keyboard

ThinkPad Compact USB Keyboard with TrackPoint

The ThinkPad Compact Keyboard with Trackpoint - award-winning and USB based. Shop online at Lenovo official web store.

www.lenovo.com

which mimics the layout and feel of the laptop, so I don't have to retrain my fingers to different keyboards.

If I did have a desktop, then I would definitely want a uninterruptable power supply, in case of a power cut.

 

[edwin_m]

We're talking home users though, anyone working on a laptop on their train will almost certainly be using a company laptop.

This thread came from "working from home", and that's where it was when I posted before it was "tidied" elsewhere. So I'd say we were talking about business computers not home ones.

 

[gg1]

This thread came from "working from home", and that's where it was when I posted before it was "tidied" elsewhere. So I'd say we were talking about business computers not home ones.

My initial post in this thread was in response to your earlier post where you specifically mentioned home users.

 

[87 027]

In a corporate context any discussion on costs of laptop vs. desktop needs to factor in the business continuity advantages of laptops which, unlike desktops, are not anchored to a single physical location and so provide significant advantages on flexibility, as COVID-19 has shown in spades.

The National Cyber Security Centre advise that allowing employees to access corporate data from personally owned PCs through cloud services remains a highly risky option. Clearly it is up to each individual organisation to determine what level of risk it is willing to accept

Bring your own device (BYOD)

Guidance for organisations on enabling staff to use their own smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktop PCs to access work information.

www.ncsc.gov.uk

You may consider allowing personal devices to access corporate data through the web browser. This is typically used to enable employees to access work email using their personal PCs and tablets.

This is a particularly risky approach, as you cannot get any confidence in the security or configuration of the device. There are no technical controls you can enforce to reliably prevent data loss or access from insecure or out-of-date devices, so this approach gives rise to the most technical risk.

 

[gswindale]

And many others don't give the choice. I would rather a desktop in the office and a laptop at home rather than just a laptop.

Let's hope your it department get things configured correctly then.

Prior to getting my laptop a few years back, it was a real pain visiting another office as although I could log on at any PC, our outsourced it provider had not set us up with roaming profiles, which meant that it was tricky accessing some web based applications amongst other issues.

I much prefer having a laptop that I can hook up to whatever wherever!

 

[JohnMcL7]

For work I have a laptop and like a few others have said I have a dock set up for it at home and office so I connect a single USB-C or thunderbolt cable and then use a standard keyboard, mouse and large monitor which at home is exactly the same one I use my personal desktop with. The single cable can now carry everything including power and display which is really handy especially given it's standardised unlike the proprietary dock connectors older laptops used. I'm an infrastructure engineer so I frequently need to connect the laptop to equipment and as I don't need high performance the laptop is ideal and a desktop would be no use.

For personal use I mainly use a desktop because I need high performance and storage plus the desktop is fully upgradeable and it's very quiet, even with components vastly more powerful than my work laptop the desktop is much quieter. I did buy a high performance laptop last year in February when I was planning on travelling more which obviously didn't happen but the noise and heat it generates is ridiculous.

I find it's pretty rare to see home users with desktops unless they're gaming and even laptops are getting less common as people turn to tablets instead for less hassle.