Who still has a desktop computer? Do you use it?

[natedog7700]

Im currently wondering if i should ditch my desk top and just buy a monitor for my laptop. I would like to sell my current laptop as well to upgrade it to the latest and greatest.

[MKSixer]

I had to use a desk top today. It was hell.

#nevergoingback

[zx10guy]

Both.

If you're into gaming, there's no substitute for a desktop.

[kscarrol]

Have both, desktop in my office w/ 27" monitor. Occasional use for videos, photos, Zoom sessions but most time spent with laptop downstairs. Not into gaming, but like the larger monitor for streaming/video, financial/mulit-application use etc so keep both

[dreamingat30fps]

Damnit I voted laptop only, but then I remembered I have my gaming PC which is a desktop so I actually have both. I only use the desktop for gaming, otherwise I use my macbook pro basically as a desktop for everything else. We do travel a lot so I like having a laptop, however even before we were traveling I still had a macbook that was basically only used stationary because I don't like apples desktop options.

[jmg]

I use a desktop because it's faster for less money. I have a laptop for when I need to be portable. Now that I work from home, I can work on my desktop while my laptop is running zoom, evercast, email, or slack. I also like to have youtube/netflix/pornhub(jk) and stock tickers on my laptop. It's much nicer than having to swap windows etc. My work requires a lot of monitor real estate, so keeping thing separated is way more efficient.

[CTinline-six]

Laptop that has a dock with 2 monitors, keyboard, and mouse. Best of all worlds.

[Merami fan]

Both. Everything depends on your use cases, though. I need a tower for the ports/connectivity and space for extra storage drives. Other important factors include more/better choice of hardware and more robust motherboard.

[M_Six]

27" iMac 2020 and 27" Dell 4k second screen for the desktop. My laptop is a 13" MacBook Pro M1. If I'm WFH, I'm in my office using the desktop. Just easier with all the apps and windows I need to have open. And when Wifey is watching American Idol or The Voice in the LR, I hide out in my office, so again, the desktop. I also have a headless Mac Mini Server and a Dell Optiplex 7050 Mini, also headless. I access both remotely. So I can have Mac Big Sur running on one monitor and Windows 10 on the other with just one keyboard/mouse..

[jmg]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

Laptop that has a dock with 2 monitors, keyboard, and mouse. Best of all worlds.

I got my laptop to be ultra portable, hence I have a Macbook Air. I don't have enough ports for both all my monitors and storage devices for my home office, where I use an iMac 5k. I could have just gotten a big laptop, but then again, I wanted something ultra portable that I could take on a plane etc comfortably. I also used to have multiple offices around town that I would visit for short periods of time, so portability was important. Best of both worlds.

[vreihen16]

As the post-PC era looms, I think that the better question is why anyone needs a desktop *or* a notebook? Most people can get by with a smartphone or tablet.

At work, I opted for a desktop computer (iMac) because I work in IT and sit at a desk 100% of the time. A side benefit of having a desktop PC at the office is that I can't bring work home at the end of the day.

At home, my personal computer is an i9 CPU Macbook Pro. Thanks to COVID-geddon, I'm also using it for work because WFH.

Going back to work is going to be fun, mostly because I haven't run updates on my office desktop since last October.....

[RickFLM4]

Laptop (and iPad) only. No separate monitor or keyboard.

[jmg]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

As the post-PC era looms, I think that the better question is why anyone needs a desktop *or* a notebook? Most people can get by with a smartphone or tablet.

At work, I opted for a desktop computer (iMac) because I work in IT and sit at a desk 100% of the time. A side benefit of having a desktop PC at the office is that I can't bring work home at the end of the day.

At home, my personal computer is an i9 CPU Macbook Pro. Thanks to COVID-geddon, I'm also using it for work because WFH.

Going back to work is going to be fun, mostly because I haven't run updates on my office desktop since last October.....

Phones and tablets offer a similar trade-off that laptops do. Portability for cost.

A lot of us still require very powerful computers with multiple monitors, storage devices, expansion slots for specialized hardware, fast hard wired networks, and large specialized peripherals that not only require lots of power, but lots of space. Mix boards, decks, studio monitors, I/O boxes, scopes, etc... The home PC might be looming, but there are still plenty of need in the professional setting.

A tablet that can do everything a proper workstation setup is capable of is going to cost significantly more simply because they have to make it portable with a battery that will support all that processing and peripherals. Not to mention the flexibility of working with expandable components rather than one sealed device.

[Killramos]

I used to find computers interesting, I don’t anymore.

I have a dell XPS laptop that I bought to do my MBA, had a surface before that but the tiny screen was impossible for financial modelling. I use a desktop all day at work, but these days I just remote into it from home with a big screen.

I’d probably buy another MacBook if they were so hilariously overpriced for something I get no joy out of using.

Desktop/Laptop I couldn’t care less. I bought an iPad a year and a half ago and that’s been a nice change.

[Finn Germai-Yaz]

I have a gaming tower but i mostly use it for computer work. Its better to get stuff done with a two big monitors and a mechanical keyboard. Laptop is for traveling or bootmod3. I tend to use the desktop more for youtube, don't really game anymore.

[JasonDot]

A desktop and laptop are a must for myself. Of course everyone's usages are different. Currently - MacBook Pro M1 and Mac Mini M1...the M1 processors are utterly amazing, they obliterate my previous MacBook Intel I7 configurations in all aspects.

[bayarea328xit]

I use a Dell Precision T7910 workstation (Dual Xeon with 128 GB RAM) with two 27" 4K monitors running Windows 10 as my primary computer at home.

If I need to work away from home, I also have a Lenovo X1 Carbon running Windows 10.

[bosstones]

Both. Hell...I have 3 PCs. Just depends on what I'm doing.

[evil-G-nius]

I still have both but have not used the desktop in God knows how many years! I need to get rid of it but I have no way of formatting the HD...I may just pull it out and sink it in salt water for a day or so and then recycle the thing

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by jmg

I got my laptop to be ultra portable, hence I have a Macbook Air. I don't have enough ports for both all my monitors and storage devices for my home office, where I use an iMac 5k. I could have just gotten a big laptop, but then again, I wanted something ultra portable that I could take on a plane etc comfortably. I also used to have multiple offices around town that I would visit for short periods of time, so portability was important. Best of both worlds.

I work in IT and have multiple laptops, but my WFH setup is a Lenovo X1 Carbon hooked to a dock that is connected to my dual monitors and wireless keyboard/mouse. The laptop is very portable, and disconnecting from the monitors/keyboard requires unhooking one cable. I almost never disconnect it though, because my "every day carry" device is a Macbook Air.

[2000cs]

Laptop to connect to my old employer (it is theirs). I had a laptop docked in my office with a wide curved monitor at work, and another laptop to travel with, which was nice for me. Home keyboard for it is still in the box, mouse is in the travel bag, monitor is on my desk in the way.
Once I’m off contract I will give the laptop back and ditch the accessories.

For personal stuff I have an iMac (2014 I think) which I fire up about once a week for file management and more secure things. I use an iPad for most email and other stuff, including Kindle app. Thinking about ditching it when it gives up the ghost because I think it sucks me in too much, time-wise. I use an iPhone for email quickies and the usual phone stuff, so wouldn’t really miss the iPad except the screen size.

A lot of my screen time is on this site, but without a current (or planned) BMW and no politics forum, I may delete this account soon, too. Trying to simplify my life.

[Frostynorth]

Desktops are better for gaming, as some have said.