Geekzone: technology news, blogs, forums
Guest
Welcome Guest.
You haven't logged in yet. If you don't have an account you can register now.


MikeB4

18435 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified
Trusted

#192030 24-Feb-2016 17:32
Send private message

I am considering doing away with my desktops. I currently have a Windows based PC (Tower, Monitor etc) and a 27” iMac and replacing them with a Laptop, in particular a MacBook Pro.

 

I will still have an iPad and a Surface 3.

 

I have always had desktops as my main driver but I think that is out of habit than actual need. I do not use my computer for gaming except for simple games. My main uses are photography, word processing, spread sheeting, house hold accounts and banking, email, calendar, media and social media stuff.

 

I would like to hear from others who have given up their desktop computers and gone to using a laptop as their main driver. How was the transition and how have you found it on a day to day basis. Are there any gotchas I would have to look for especially in regards to my disabilities.

 

My storage is done by means of cloud services, NAS and various external devices.

 

How have users found the ergonomics especially using the keyboard and trackpad and looking at the laptop screen?

 

I have thought of using a dock, monitor, keyboard and mouse but that seems to defeat the purpose somewhat as I would like to cut down on clutter on my desk and get rid of the spaghetti junction of wires.

 

Those who have used or using MacBook Pros how have you found these machines as daily drivers?

 

Thank you in advance for advice etc


View this topic in a long page with up to 500 replies per page Create new topic
 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
richms
28038 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted
Lifetime subscriber

  #1498691 24-Feb-2016 17:47
Send private message

Tried it. Got some expensive small HP core i7 thing with 8 gigs and a fast m2 SSD.

 

Was dog slow compared to i5 desktop. Screen on it was horrible with image retention and seriously bad off axis viewing which became a huge problem for photo stuff. I guess apple will hopefully do better there. But the laptop CPUs are efficiant junk, not performance at all.





Richard rich.ms

 
 
 

Shop now on Mighty Ape (affiliate link).
MikeB4

18435 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified
Trusted

  #1498696 24-Feb-2016 17:56
Send private message

richms:

 

Tried it. Got some expensive small HP core i7 thing with 8 gigs and a fast m2 SSD.

 

Was dog slow compared to i5 desktop. Screen on it was horrible with image retention and seriously bad off axis viewing which became a huge problem for photo stuff. I guess apple will hopefully do better there. But the laptop CPUs are efficiant junk, not performance at all.

 

 

 

 

 Thanks for that, was the display 1080 or better? also may I ask what activities did you do on the machine?


richms
28038 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted
Lifetime subscriber

  #1498703 24-Feb-2016 18:17
Send private message

2560x1440p

 

Was going to use to edit and encode video, but was about 3x slower than a 2 gen old i5. Also just general laggyness when using it for things like browsing while spotifying and similar.





Richard rich.ms



tdgeek
29634 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted
Lifetime subscriber

  #1498724 24-Feb-2016 19:13
Send private message

My purpose built gaming rig/PC is now hardly used. FSX, and 17yo daughter. I prefer the laptop on coffee table, using a mini mouse and mouse mat. Couple of years ago switch to rMBP 15", 8GB, 512 SSD. !2 seconds to be using it from cold. Screen great, quick, backlit keyboard, nice. 

 

If I was happy at my desk Id probably stick with the i7 with 24" screen, but I prefer coffee table to be doing what I am doing right now. Apple trackpads are great, and I haven't really explored that a lot, I prefer a mouse. 

 

If you will still be at the desk, relocate the tower to the floor, on a wood pad, ideally up a few inches, to clear the desk, so you just have a keyboard,mouse and screen?

 

 


MikeB4

18435 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified
Trusted

  #1498759 24-Feb-2016 19:59
Send private message

tdgeek:

My purpose built gaming rig/PC is now hardly used. FSX, and 17yo daughter. I prefer the laptop on coffee table, using a mini mouse and mouse mat. Couple of years ago switch to rMBP 15", 8GB, 512 SSD. !2 seconds to be using it from cold. Screen great, quick, backlit keyboard, nice. 


If I was happy at my desk Id probably stick with the i7 with 24" screen, but I prefer coffee table to be doing what I am doing right now. Apple trackpads are great, and I haven't really explored that a lot, I prefer a mouse. 


If you will still be at the desk, relocate the tower to the floor, on a wood pad, ideally up a few inches, to clear the desk, so you just have a keyboard,mouse and screen?


 



Using a laptop on a coffee table does not sound very ergonomic

richms
28038 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted
Lifetime subscriber

  #1498760 24-Feb-2016 20:07
Send private message

Laptops are only slightly better than tablets for ergonomics. Both are terrible.





Richard rich.ms

Dynamic
3830 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified
Trusted
Lifetime subscriber

  #1498786 24-Feb-2016 20:41
Send private message

What's the motivation, Mike?

 

I would have trouble giving up that big beautiful iMac screen and dropping to a laptop screen as my only option.





“Don't believe anything you read on the net. Except this. Well, including this, I suppose.” Douglas Adams

 

Referral links to services I use, really like, and may be rewarded if you sign up:
PocketSmith for budgeting and personal finance management.  A great Kiwi company.




MikeB4

18435 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified
Trusted

  #1498793 24-Feb-2016 20:59
Send private message

Dynamic:

What's the motivation, Mike?


I would have trouble giving up that big beautiful iMac screen and dropping to a laptop screen as my only option.



My iMac is old circa 2012 and is due for replacement, my Windows PC is annoying. Our home office is also my wife's work office so I want to free up space for her. I am setting up a desk in the lounge for me which will be warmer in the winter. I don't want a big mess in the lounge and want to minimise wires etc. with the pc being in the lounge it needs to be quiet, granted iMacs are very quiet but are large.

roobarb
652 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

  #1498798 24-Feb-2016 21:07
Send private message

I haven't used a desktop in over ten years. I use a laptop and connect to full screen, keyboard and mouse when in office or at home. If lose the laptop all data is in cloud, backup or some repository so can be back up and running in hours if disaster occurs.


PhantomNVD
2619 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user


  #1498799 24-Feb-2016 21:10
Send private message

I rarely ever use my 2gen old i5 desktop anymore either.
HP 17" screen and 240gb SSD with external 1tb usb drive when needed for 'bulk' storage (iTunes rentals mainly)

Rarely even use the laptop except for work and media playing to appleTV...

Main Browsing "PC" is now my 6" smartphone... Mainly cos I _always_ have it and it's my camera and 'social media' device too!

timmmay
20476 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted
Lifetime subscriber

  #1498801 24-Feb-2016 21:13
Send private message

I use my desktop all the time. It has a lot of fast RAID storage, as well as a couple of SSDs and a fast processor. I have a nice keyboard, a good screen, and a comfortable mouse. Yes you can dock a laptop to this stuff, but laptops are slower for anything that requires much speed - photography, video, etc. For regular business stuff anything modern works fine, with sufficient RAM and SSD, but laptop keyboards, screens, and ergonomics aren't great.


Dynamic
3830 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified
Trusted
Lifetime subscriber

  #1498805 24-Feb-2016 21:17
Send private message

MikeB4:
Dynamic:

 

What's the motivation, Mike?

 

I would have trouble giving up that big beautiful iMac screen and dropping to a laptop screen as my only option.

 



My iMac is old circa 2012 and is due for replacement, my Windows PC is annoying. Our home office is also my wife's work office so I want to free up space for her. I am setting up a desk in the lounge for me which will be warmer in the winter. I don't want a big mess in the lounge and want to minimise wires etc. with the pc being in the lounge it needs to be quiet, granted iMacs are very quiet but are large.

 

Okie doke.  We have a 2011 iMac (i3 processor but 16Gb RAM) and I opened it up and installed an SSD (actually a locally sourced WD Black2 Dual Drive but these are now out of production).  It runs beautifully on Yosemite (yet to update to El Capitan but not for any good reason).  I wasn't being careful enough and nearly broke the internal display connector, but thats another story.  Upgrade options for you to consider are here: http://eshop.macsales.com/MyOWC/Upgrades.cfm?sort=pop&model=471&type=InternalDrives 

 

You could consider wall-mounting or desk-mounting a nice big screen for your corner of the lounge to keep the desk space free and uncluttered, and buy an Intel NUC or a Gigabyte Brix or one of the new Shuttle machines (http://global.shuttle.com/products/products) and mounting this behind the screen or under the desk (those 3M Command Strips are flaming impressive given half a chance).  Same grunt as a laptop CPU and just as quiet but with more easily swappable RAM and SSD.  Cordless keyboard/mouse can be put in a drawer to make it even tidier.  iPad or other tablet beside the couch for quick access, and a few steps across the lounge for more in-depth surfing or household finance work.

 

I've got so many gadgets available to me, but I move between the iPad for quick content consumption or the iMac for non-trivial stuff.  I pull the laptop out only when the kids are hogging the iMac for homework, because its a bit of a pain (for me) to try and do 'real work' on a small screen.  Possibly because I've been spoiled for a long time by generous screens at home and work.





“Don't believe anything you read on the net. Except this. Well, including this, I suppose.” Douglas Adams

 

Referral links to services I use, really like, and may be rewarded if you sign up:
PocketSmith for budgeting and personal finance management.  A great Kiwi company.


MikeB4

18435 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified
Trusted

  #1498823 24-Feb-2016 21:35
Send private message

Lots of food thought. Is there any MacBook Pro users that can shed some light?

macuser
2120 posts

Uber Geek


  #1498831 24-Feb-2016 21:42
Send private message

If you do move to a laptop, keep it high on a stand with a monitor! Back pain comes pretty quickly if you're looking down so often


MikeB4

18435 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified
Trusted

  #1498841 24-Feb-2016 21:52
Send private message

I should have mentioned, being medically retired I don't spend long stretches of time on the computer. I do things in bursts. I carry my iPhone with me all the time and also have my iPad available. I would probably spend 30 to 40 minutes a time at the pc and would work at it say 3 times per day so average of 2 to 3 hours per day. Some days I don't touch it at all.

 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
View this topic in a long page with up to 500 replies per page Create new topic





News and reviews »

Māori Artists Launch Design Collection with Cricut ahead of Matariki Day
Posted 15-Jun-2025 11:19


LG Launches Upgraded webOS Hub With Advanced AI
Posted 15-Jun-2025 11:13


One NZ Satellite IoT goes live for customers
Posted 15-Jun-2025 11:10


Bolt Launches in New Zealand
Posted 11-Jun-2025 00:00


Suunto Run Review
Posted 10-Jun-2025 10:44


Freeview Satellite TV Brings HD Viewing to More New Zealanders
Posted 5-Jun-2025 11:50


HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14-inch Review
Posted 3-Jun-2025 14:40


Flip Phones Are Back as HMD Reimagines an Iconic Style
Posted 30-May-2025 17:06


Hundreds of School Students Receive Laptops Through Spark Partnership With Quadrent's Green Lease
Posted 30-May-2025 16:57


AI Report Reveals Trust Is Key to Unlocking Its Potential in Aotearoa
Posted 30-May-2025 16:55


Galaxy Tab S10 FE Series Brings Intelligent Experiences to the Forefront with Premium, Versatile Design
Posted 30-May-2025 16:14


New OPPO Watch X2 Launches in New Zealand
Posted 29-May-2025 16:08


Synology Premiers a New Lineup of Advanced Data Management Solutions
Posted 29-May-2025 16:04


Dyson Launches Its Slimmest Vaccum Cleaner PencilVac
Posted 29-May-2025 15:50


OPPO Reno13 Pro 5G Review 
Posted 29-May-2025 15:33









Geekzone Live »

Try automatic live updates from Geekzone directly in your browser, without refreshing the page, with Geekzone Live now.



Are you subscribed to our RSS feed? You can download the latest headlines and summaries from our stories directly to your computer or smartphone by using a feed reader.







GoodSync is the easiest file sync and backup for Windows and Mac