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I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

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Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#11

Post by proc0 »

geocrasher wrote: post #5

From the article: "What worries me as much as the end of general-purpose computing for the masses is that so few seem to understand that it is ending." Correction: Has Ended. The vast majority of people using computers has shifted to phones and tablets. I have a friend who's a millenial who barely knows how to use his desktop PC (It's a Mac) but is fluent on his iPad/iPhone. Most people are not content creators, they…

I think what happened is that smart phones took over because people who were not using PCs started using smart phones, and so it seems that phones took over but I think it just tapped into a gigantic market that wasn't really touched by desktop PCs, whose users are mostly professionals, power users, gaming nerds, etc. These groups like the most powerful computing options, and still do but the there are way more non-technical people using a computing device now than before.

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#12

Post by smabie »

I much prefer desktops and don't even own a laptop at the moment, but what's with the fixation on UEFI? I'm not well versed in the technical differences between BIOS and UEFI, but I don't think it really matters? All these people like Richard Stallman and this guy make their lives harder as a method of virtue signaling. I'm convinced they get off on the masochism of making their life hard for the sake of "freedom."

Meanwhile, the rest of us just want to get work done: my Arch Linux desktop that boots with UEFI is functionally identical to one that boots with BIOS. So.. really, who cares?

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#14

Post by smabie »

avalys wrote: post #10

I don't understand what the author is concerned about. Are there PC laptops being sold today on which you are prohibited from installing Linux because of UEFI / Secure Boot?

I don't understand it either. Probably some obscure moral stance that no one besides him cares about.

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#15

Post by ed25519FUUU »

My main concern with desktops is that they’re much less power efficient than laptops, and therefore create a lot more heat in my office.

Something like a Mac cheese grater is probably more power efficient than my custom built PC, but you lose a lot of the value going with a prebuilt system.

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#16

Post by WalterBright »

I prefer a desktop because:

1. I like big, big monitors.

2. I prefer a full size keyboard.

3. I prefer a separate mouse.

4. I prefer big freaking disk drives installed.

5. I put the desktop under my desk, and with a wireless keyboard and wireless mouse, there is much less of a snarl on my desk.

6. The desktop has an optical drive I still use.

7. The desktop has lots of USB ports and they're all in use.

8. I can replace/alter parts of the machine without buying a new one.

9. Desktops are cheap.

10. I can build what I want with parts from newegg. Premade powerful computers are always "gaming machines" and I don't want a gaming machine that comes with a graphics adapter that sounds like a 747 taking off.

11. I want an all-metal case because a machine caught fire once.

Edit: 12. My desktop doesn't have a microphone or camera, so they cannot be surreptitiously turned on remotely.

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#17

Post by jay_kyburz »

geocrasher wrote: post #5

From the article: "What worries me as much as the end of general-purpose computing for the masses is that so few seem to understand that it is ending." Correction: Has Ended. The vast majority of people using computers has shifted to phones and tablets. I have a friend who's a millenial who barely knows how to use his desktop PC (It's a Mac) but is fluent on his iPad/iPhone. Most people are not content creators, they…

I don't think "the masses" were ever interested in general-purpose computing. For them it never started.

For people who actually care, I think the concerns are overblown and we'll always have access to a machine that can run open software.

And yes sure, we might not be able to pay consumer prices for them, but they are not going anywhere.

And sure, we might elect a fascist government which will simply ban the technology, or the west will go to war with China making it very difficult to manufacture anything. Unlikely.

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#18

Post by ufmace »

What seems odd about this to me is his complaint that what he wants is out there, in the form of laptops built for linux and set up exactly like he wants, but they're "overpriced". Uh what? If you're gonna be that picky about your setup, then it's time to pony up and pay for it. This stuff is never gonna get more manufacturer attention unless people buy it. If you wanna pay the lowest price, you should expect to get lowest common denominator in terms of setup.

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#20

Post by polskibus »

WalterBright wrote: post #16

I prefer a desktop because: 1. I like big, big monitors. 2. I prefer a full size keyboard. 3. I prefer a separate mouse. 4. I prefer big freaking disk drives installed. 5. I put the desktop under my desk, and with a wireless keyboard and wireless mouse, there is much less of a snarl on my desk. 6. The desktop has an optical drive I still use. 7. The desktop has lots of USB ports and they're all in use. 8. I can repla…

12. High end desktop CPUs are noticeably faster than mobile counterparts (higher freq, more cache)
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