Comments on: Notebook Or Desktop Computer?

By: Melissa Ison

Melissa Ison — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:21:01 +0000

I used a Pismo for years when I was in college. The PowerBook was sturdy, reliable, full featured, it was really great. At launch this notebook was about as fast as any G3 Mac desktop; the first G4s had just been introduced a few months earlier but the MHz stagnation was about to begin.

Since the Titanium, Mac laptops are incredibly sexy and impossibly thin, but they have cosmetic issues and they look frail. You can't have it both ways, I suppose. Over the years I've heard about paint issues, broken hinges, the iBook recall (faulty motherboards), cracks, discoloration, the "moo", overheating problems, exploding batteries, etc.

More and more people are ditching desktops in favour of laptops, but I did the opposite. Desktops are more powerful these days: faster CPUs and buses, faster hard drives… About every laptop LCD sucks (6-bit displays) and now I'm used to large monitors. At the moment, I don't need the mobility of a laptop, I see no reason to buy another one. The drawbacks are too great, the advantages too few, at least for me.
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By: webomatica

webomatica — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 12:03:43 +0000

I think because you mention video editing — you’d be better off getting a MacBook Pro.

By: Rezdwan Hamid

Rezdwan Hamid — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 02:22:50 +0000

Hello

I myself am considering a Mac.

I’m not sure whether I should get an iMac or the MacBook. Asking around at other forums, they suggest that I get the MacBook since one of my priorities is portability.

My other priorities include having a good graphics card since I will use a Mac mainly for photo and video editing. Question is, whether the extra bucks for a MacBook Pro is worth it.

I will continue considering the MacBook or MacBook Pro whilst doing my research.

Regards,
Rezdwan Hamid

By: engrish

engrish — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 06:02:10 +0000

Since the Titanium, Mac laptops are incredibly sexy and impossibly thin, but they have cosmetic issues and they look frail. You can’t have it both ways, I suppose. Over the years I’ve heard about paint issues, broken hinges, the iBook recall (faulty motherboards), cracks, discoloration, the “moo”, overheating problems, exploding batteries, etc.

More and more people are ditching desktops in favour of laptops, but I did the opposite. Desktops are more powerful these days: faster CPUs and buses, faster hard drives… About every laptop LCD sucks (6-bit displays) and now I’m used to large monitors. At the moment, I don’t need the mobility of a laptop, I see no reason to buy another one. The drawbacks are too great, the advantages too few, at least for me.

By: webomatica

webomatica — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 02:03:11 +0000

So it seems both louis and elaine, do you not worry about the security aspects? When I take my laptop places I feel comforted that our entire life’s financial information, photos, and music isn’t loaded on it.

Thanks for your comments!

By: Elaine Vigneault

Elaine Vigneault — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 01:03:33 +0000

I think only the last reason you listed is a good reason to prefer a desktop to a notebook. The only reason we have a desktop is for my husband’s gaming habit. We both like the flexibility the notebooks give us.

By: Louis Gray

Louis Gray — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 23:19:48 +0000

I tell myself that I will never buy a desktop again. With WiFi and mobility being a requirement, desktops are simply too beholden to a specific location to be useful. I wouldn’t be surprised if in a few years’ time, we’d be discussing laptops vs. tablets or some other device rather than laptop vs. desktop.

My primary computer is a PowerBook G4 1.25. The next upgrade will be to an Intel MacBook. Someday…

By: Urbanist

Urbanist — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 21:34:50 +0000

I personally like the two-computer option. I bought a docking station for my laptop a while back and barely ever use it, but I still use my old desktop for a lot of things.