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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

#21

Post by avalys »

I have been reading this same article for the past thirty years. Yet, I can still install and run whatever operating system and software I want on my laptop _and_ desktop, and I don't see any sign that that freedom will go away anytime soon.

It is true that the billion-dollar media companies have decided a subscription model is more lucrative than a one-time-purchase model for the mass-market content they produce (movies, TV shows, music, etc.).

But also unlike the author, I don't think my ability to consume mass-market media on my own terms is a moral imperative or has much bearing on my overall freedom. If Warner Brothers doesn't want to sell me a copy of Transformers 43 that I can play with VLC, I don't see that as much of a threat to anything I care about.

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#22

Post by 0df8dkdf »

smabie wrote: post #12

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." M…

https://www.howtogeek.com/56958/HTG-EXPLAINS-HOW-UEFI-WILL-R...

Seems like UEFI make sense, as it is agreed upon by all large vendors like Intel, Apple, MS.

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#23

Post by ebcode »

>>Now, nine or more years out of date in computer technology, I am still using laptops with mostly USB 2.0 ports and internal SATA SSD's.

I'm also using old laptops (T500s) so that I can replace Intel's firmware with libreboot and also install alternative wireless cards.

The USB 2.0 thing is a problem, and reading this article made me think that there might be a way around that, and sure enough, you can get a PCMCIA card with USB 3.0 ports[1].

I know this isn't a long term solution, but it might be an immediate solution to the time spent making backups.

[1]https://www.newegg.com/p/17Z-00GU-00075?Description=PCMCIA%2...

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#24

Post by agloeregrets »

polskibus wrote: post #20
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)

Is that actually true anymore?

I mean, hardware wise they are not much faster, but cooling is a different story.

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#25

Post by aksss »

smabie wrote: post #12

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." M…

UEFI has more capabilities than BIOS, and is the go-forward standard. You may see functional parity on your workstation simply because you aren’t using any of the UEFI features. UEFI can do what BIOS did, but BIOS can’t do what UEFI does (e.g. TPM chip, secure boot, and many other cool things).

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#27

Post by LMYahooTFY »

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…

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

I would love elaboration on what happened.

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#28

Post by copperx »

agloeregrets wrote: post #24
polskibus wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Is that actually true anymore? I mean, hardware wise they are not much faster, but cooling is a different story.

Yes, they are. It was surprising to me how much faster a desktop was.

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#29

Post by slayerjain »

agloeregrets wrote: post #24
polskibus wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Is that actually true anymore? I mean, hardware wise they are not much faster, but cooling is a different story.

Yes. The same class desktop counter part (GPU/CPU) are generally faster than their laptop counter parts while remaining cheaper and more versatile

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#30

Post by monoideism »

Instead of blasting UEFI, take a minute to learn about tools like `efibootmgr`, and how to install your own keys, so that you control your own machine. UEFI is a bit overengineered, but it's OK.

- Most computers' UEFI firmware, desktop or laptop, allows you to install your own keys.

- And every computer I've ever heard of with UEFI will allow you to disable secure boot.

- Linux runs just fine on UEFI.

I'm worried about a lot of the trends in laptops and smartphones, but I'm not yet worried about UEFI.

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