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Let’s redesign the laptop for a work-from-home era

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Re: Let’s redesign the laptop for a work-from-home era

#171

Post by castillar76 »

I think it's time to bring back the lunchbox PC form factor. A lot of people need the ability to work from various places, but they're not constantly mobile. They don't need something they can pick up and toss in a briefcase on a moment's notice, they need something just portable enough that they can use it at the kitchen table and then pack it up for dinnertime, or take to a café and work for a few hours at a table. And most of the time, they're working from home at a desk, and then the compromises we make to create a mobile-form-factor laptop aren't buying them anything.

Instead, let's bring back the lunchbox form factor. A mini motherboard with a real desktop processor, a little bit of expansion for a larger graphics card or extra storage, and a full-size keyboard. Since we don't need the front-facing floppy disk slots of the past, we can make the monitor the full width of the front, but have it backing on a more sizable chassis that contains most of the processing power. A really nice webcam, even room for a good condenser mic and better speakers, plus plenty of expansion ports instead of the typical "whatever fits on the knife edge of the razor profile" selection.

Think iMac, but smaller and with a keyboard that just snaps or folds into the monitor like a laptop, and with a solid battery so you don't have to plug it in if you don't want to.

Re: Let’s redesign the laptop for a work-from-home era

#172

Post by noahtallen »

WalterBright wrote: post #144
draklor40 wrote: post #94

There exists a good solution. It is called a desktop. I turned my company provided laptop into an almost full desktop with external monitor, keyboard and mouse, speakers, a USB microphone, USB camera. At this point I am wondering why do I even have a wimpy ULV processor to write code 8 hrs a day. The sheer amount of time I could save by switching to even a basic 4 core 45-65w Desktop class CPU. Saving pennies on the…

For me, the desktop is primary and the laptop is a peripheral. 1. big monitor, even multiple monitors 2. full size keyboard 3. no trackpad always being accidentally touched 4. terabytes of disk space 5. wired connection for privacy, reliability, and speed 6. separate mike that costs more than 5 cents. Unplug it when not in use 7. ditto for camera 8. pipe the sound through your real stereo 9. lots and lots of memory 1…

1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, and 12 are also solved by plugging your laptop into all of these external devices. ;) And many monitors now have a USB C dock built in to make charging and peripherals much easier.

IMO, the allure of the desktop is mostly its power (4 and 10). Laptops can be used with all the same peripherals, including the large, high-res monitors, and can be portable when you want.

Re: Let’s redesign the laptop for a work-from-home era

#173

Post by m463 »

draklor40 wrote: post #94

There exists a good solution. It is called a desktop. I turned my company provided laptop into an almost full desktop with external monitor, keyboard and mouse, speakers, a USB microphone, USB camera. At this point I am wondering why do I even have a wimpy ULV processor to write code 8 hrs a day. The sheer amount of time I could save by switching to even a basic 4 core 45-65w Desktop class CPU. Saving pennies on the…

There are NO laptops that are OSHA approved.

The ergonomics of a laptop will hurt you little by little.

The screen is low, so you look down, meaning your back and shoulder muscles are used to hold your head in position instead of balancing it on your neck

Generally, a laptop keyboard is positioned at the wrong height. It usually on a table (maybe for eating) which is higher so your arms do not hang down with your elbows at a right angle. You are probably holding your arms in position with muscles.

The keyboard generally has a hard plastic or metal wrist rest which is low and probably cold. It would be much better to have your hands supported by something soft and warm and which puts your wrists and hands in the right relationship with the keys.

Now this all changes (not necessarily for the better) if you say sit on the couch or in bed. I will not cover other rooms in the house. On the other hand, you can take your laptop outside and get some vitamin D.

So yeah, desktop.

Re: Let’s redesign the laptop for a work-from-home era

#174

Post by vagrantJin »

hc-taway wrote: post #3

1) physical kill switch for camera (as in, it breaks the power or data connection to it, physically) or at least a physical cover. 2) physical kill switch for the microphone These are very much not "nerd" concerns, either. I see a lot of non-techies with stickers over their laptop cameras. [EDIT] teachers in particular spread the "put a sticker over the camera" practice, in my experience, both before and during the p…

Heres a crazy idea.

Use a web based video conferencing solution. Close the browser and close everything.

Re: Let’s redesign the laptop for a work-from-home era

#176

Post by alekq »

noahtallen wrote: post #172
WalterBright wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For me, the desktop is primary and the laptop is a peripheral. 1. big monitor, even multiple monitors 2. full size keyboard 3. no trackpad always being accidentally touched 4. terabytes of disk space 5. wired connection for privacy, reliability, and speed 6. separate mike that costs more than 5 cents. Unplug it when not in use 7. ditto for camera 8. pipe the sound through your real stereo 9. lots and lots of memory 1…

1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, and 12 are also solved by plugging your laptop into all of these external devices. ;) And many monitors now have a USB C dock built in to make charging and peripherals much easier. IMO, the allure of the desktop is mostly its power (4 and 10). Laptops can be used with all the same peripherals, including the large, high-res monitors, and can be portable when you want.

Besides power, the arguments for the desktops are also price, simple(r) upgrades and repairs.

Re: Let’s redesign the laptop for a work-from-home era

#177

Post by nwienert »

emkoemko wrote: post #140
nwienert wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a minor issue with my lower spine, not crazy but actually sit at desk 0% of the time as a result. Laptops on the couch are quite cozy and sustainable.

you have spine issues so you think using a laptop is a good idea? "sustainable" no its really bad for you long term.

You have no idea what I have yet couldn’t help moralizing on pure assumption?

Everyone’s different. Stop bowing to the church of desks.

Re: Let’s redesign the laptop for a work-from-home era

#178

Post by phendrenad2 »

draklor40 wrote: post #94

There exists a good solution. It is called a desktop. I turned my company provided laptop into an almost full desktop with external monitor, keyboard and mouse, speakers, a USB microphone, USB camera. At this point I am wondering why do I even have a wimpy ULV processor to write code 8 hrs a day. The sheer amount of time I could save by switching to even a basic 4 core 45-65w Desktop class CPU. Saving pennies on the…

PRoblem: My desktop is for my own work, nights and weekends, contributing to open-source. I'd need a second desktop for company work, and some kind of KVM switch to go between them.

But yeah, when I was working in an office, I would specifically request a desktop PC from IT for at-my-desk work. Laptop was just for taking notes in meetings.

Re: Let’s redesign the laptop for a work-from-home era

#179

Post by WalterBright »

alekq wrote: post #176
noahtallen wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, and 12 are also solved by plugging your laptop into all of these external devices. ;) And many monitors now have a USB C dock built in to make charging and peripherals much easier. IMO, the allure of the desktop is mostly its power (4 and 10). Laptops can be used with all the same peripherals, including the large, high-res monitors, and can be portable when you want.

Besides power, the arguments for the desktops are also price, simple(r) upgrades and repairs.

It also seems that once you festoon the laptop with replacements for its components - monitor, keyboard, mouse, disk drives, camera, mike, etc., what have you got? An expensive desktop that performs poorly.

> repairs

I've replaced a couple screens on laptops. It's a fair amount of work, and in the meantime your laptop is dead while you await the arrival of the new screen. I keep a spare monitor around, and when a monitor dies, I just switch to the spare, and order a new spare. The same for many components, like keyboards, etc. I can't afford my machine to be out of action for days.

When I buy a new desktop, I really just buy a new mobo, CPU, and graphics card. The rest I re-use from the old desktop. It makes such upgrades pretty cheap.

Re: Let’s redesign the laptop for a work-from-home era

#180

Post by euroderf »

clairity wrote: post #161
gumby wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A band aid makes a better cover as it doesn't leave gluey residue on what's already a crummy camera.

similarly, the gentlest grade of painter’s masking tape avoids sticky residue too. electrician’s tape isn’t bad either (the black tape is also less conspicuous).

Over the long term, masking tape hardens and cements to the surface. Very nasty to try to remove. It is not for long-term use.
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