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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

#461
post #336

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…

There are no osha-approved laptops.

Pretty similar in other countries. Here you do in fact need an external monitor, because it's required to be height adjustable. Similarly you're not allowed to work without separate keyboard and mouse. You're even required to have these things at home, if you want to work from home.

Basically you can work on a laptop, unless it's a special extremely short term situation.

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#462
post #213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's hard to find a full size bluetooth keyboard. I think I went through every keyboard on Amazon and found only one. If you use a USB wireless keyboard, well, there goes one of the two USB slots on the laptop. It's not just the monitor being big, I want lots and lots of pixels. I'm currently running 3840*2160, and have a second monitor attached set up in portrait mode (so I can display a manual page while I work on…

Connected to my 15" laptop, I have directly connected a 34", 24" and a portrait 24". Four displays total; two via DisplayPort, one via HDMI. Plus external BT mouse and keyboard. Then I have a powered Anker dock with eight external drives connected (photo and video for editing work). At home, I have a similar setup but with a 27" colour-calibrated screen in place of the 34" curved. When travelling, I use an unpowered…

Your desk must be large.

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#463
post #439

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On an NVME? You don't need heatsinks of an NVME. You have much bigger issues in your case if you think heatsinks will help on an NVME.

No, that's wrong. A heatsink on an NVMe helps to let it run its top speed longer, or forever. Has nothing to do with issues in your case, those things just get warm, and before it gets too hot the heat has to be transported away or they will throttle.

No. NVME's are rated to run at 0-70 degrees. If your case makes your NVME run at > 80+ degrees you should prob fix the airflow in your case as your prob running your CPU/GPU rather hot.

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#464
I bought an HP Elitebook, it was quite pricey, about $3500 but I figured it will be reliable at least. So far the keyboard broke, the screen broke, the motherboard broke (the USB-C connector was loose) all in less than a year. Since replacing all three those the motherboard is breaking again and the keyboard is breaking again and will likely need two more replacements before the warranty expires, at which point I will just toss it for the garbage it is.

My plan is to next time buy the cheapest laptop I can stomach and assume the thing will pretty much only last a year and then move resource intensive stuff to a desktop.

Also I'm not ever buying HP again, they make overpriced garbage.

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#465

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…

Also, my desktop PC is my "cloud" computer. I don't waste time trying to sync code, OneNote, or browser tabs between my laptop and PC. I just Remote Desktop into my PC using my laptop (on the rare occasion I try to work using a laptop) and just work on the single source of truth. Also simplifies backups. I understand that your mileage may vary based on the stability of your Internet bandwidth and power outage situation. Here in Hong Kong, the electrical and internet cabling is below the ground, and there are no power outages even in a T10 typhoon when literal tree branches can be flying around!

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#466

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm surprised we havent tried to sell desktop computers with battery packs yet

There are desktop PSUs you can purchase, that have built in UPS. And I recall there was a UPS designed to fit in the case - 5+1/4" drive bays as I recall. A quick google search would probably surface those relics of the past. At the desks in our house we run a UPS, even if a laptop is plugged in to it. The UPS protects the laptop charger, the monitors, the powered USB hub, printer, and other peripherals.

Not a laser printer though, I hope.

Just as a PSA for others: Laser printers in particular draw too much inrush current through their fuser drum heater for surge protectors/UPS devices to handle. They (the printers) should be always connected directly to the wall.

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#468

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…

Also because of 8 (I can replace/alter parts of the machine without buying a new one.) desktops are much more environmentally friendly. My laptops usually last 3-5 years (and with this I'm using them more than my peers) whereas I have a desktop thats been chugging along for 10+ years. It had a few upgrades (SSD, RAM) and currently it functions as an internet browsing machine for my grandpa.

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#469
post #254

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Most people are not content creators, they are consumers. I don’t think this is true at all, everybody that has a Twitter / Facebook / Instagram / YouTube / TikTok account is a content creator. There’s a reason the term “browsing the web” has died out, it’s not about passive consumption anymore. Writing code is just about the only thing you can’t do on an iPad. And while I think we can all agree on HN that having a…

You can totally write code on an iPad. There are plenty of JavaScript environments, not to mention Pythonista. Swift playgrounds will actually run quite large codebases with a little fiddling around. You can trivially get a robust Linux command line with Blink and a free tier Google compute instance. I agree there is no XCode.

I mean, sure, I can technically code on my PS4 too using the web-based Digital Ocean console.

I didn’t make the distinction between writing code and writing software but I guess it’s an important one.

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#470

> I know that new "open" laptops are still available, but most of them--the System76's, the Purisms, etc.--are overpriced in my opinion This quote suggest to me the author is an integral part of the problem. Companies are ALWAYS trying to increase their profitability. If they can lock down the computer, they can drop the price while _increasing_ CLTV. That’s why System76 is more expensive. They’re NOT overpriced. The…

If you try the HTTPS version of that article's URL, you get a cert failure because the presented certificate's domain is "cheapskatesguide.org". The author sounds pretty dedicated to a frugal life style!
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