Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

misc-stuff.terraaeon.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

621–630 of 693 posts

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#621

Post by camgunz »

WalterBright wrote: post #136
rabidrat wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love desktops, but I have to admit that it's pretty great having a built-in UPS. To get the equivalent for my desktop is an extra $200+ and a big honking box that apparently will only last for 30 minutes when the power goes out.

The power goes out for a day, sometimes days, every year in my neighborhood when the wind blows. Finally fed up, I recently had a generator installed that attaches to the natural gas line. I know that purchase was effective, because a week after it was installed there was a big storm and power went out everywhere except my neighborhood. Just having a generator successfully wards off power failure, you never have to a…

Whenever I'm waiting on someone, say to arrive at my place before we go to some event together, I start doing something else. I'll start doing dishes, playing a game. Within 60 seconds they show up. #GameTheSystem.

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#622

Post by paleogizmo »

Robotbeat wrote: post #393
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…

That's why I use a desktop-replacement laptop. Lots of USB ports (and display ports), large built-in monitor but I use a docking station for a larger one, usually bring a mouse and the keyboard is full-sized (includes numpad) and the dock also has a keyboard, has a spot for an optical drive (I just refreshed, so my new one doesn't have one installed, but that's an easy buy as there's still a slot), it has 2 hard driv…

I use a desktop replacement laptop for my work computer as well. I wouldn't want to travel with it, but it's good for a home office and occasionally bringing to the living room or into my employer's office. I wouldn't spend my money on one, but the economics make sense for a primary work machine. The thermals are good enough to run with the lid closed, which my cat likes and it keeps him off the keyboard.

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#623

Post by philliphaydon »

onli wrote: post #616
philliphaydon wrote: post #463

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

You do not need a case for that! The NVMe heats up on its own. There are a bunch of reviews going into that topic, because it just matters for high end NVMe drives. See for example https://www.computerbase.de/2020-09/samsung-980-pro-ssd-test... - though the 980 Evo did well without an additional cooler, and here it's indeed depending on the airflow. You seem to assume it's the case that heats up to 80C or more, that'…

I said if your nvme is reaching 80+ degrees then you should fix the airflow in the case. I did not say the case is 80 degrees. Any semi decent airflow is 100% capable of running an nvme without causing any performance issues.

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#624

Post by busrf »

vermaden wrote: post #541

Not to even mention these shitty island type keyboards in all laptops. From all features of pre 2012-NOW laptops the REAL KEYBOARD is what I miss the most. I really hoped that Lenovo will make something more from its 25th Anniversary Edition ThinkPad (some name id T25) but from what I know only 5000 pieces were made and finito. Or ar least that Lenovo will PERMANENTLY provice a classic/retro ThinkPad with every new g…

To be quite honest I also thought, once upon a time, that I could NEVER leave my proper 7 row X220t keyboard for the shitty new island keyboards in new thinkpads.

I now type happily on my X1 Yoga. It’s a very good keyboard, you get used to it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

There are tradeoffs we all have to make, and I chose having new processors and things like USB-C over having a really good built in keyboard. I just settled for a good keyboard, not a really good one.

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#625

Post by culopatin »

pier25 wrote: post #299
willbw wrote: post #291

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You want to 'develop' on a mobile device? Interested to hear how you would envision this being a pleasant experience. It's also a trade off between installing what software you want and security - the App store means you don't have to worry about (certain kinds) of maliciousness from software you install. I just think it's a little bit of a spicy take saying mobile devices "don't deliver" when they are most successfu…

What if you could connect an external display, keyboard, and mouse? Of course, you need an OS that supports that and provides a proper desktop-like experience.

Motorola Atrix comes to mind, or one of those. This was a thing back in 2011 or whenever that phone came out. You could dock your phone and use it as a laptop.

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#628

Post by rigrassm »

reader_mode wrote: post #514
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…

I've worked on a laptop for the past decade but I use a dedicated keyboard, mouse almost exclusively and a large 34'' monitor (2x24 previously). Advantages of using a laptop : - portability - I work as a consultant and I need to work on premises occasionally - if I had to switch between desktop/laptop it would be too cumbersome - standalone when you need it - when I travel or am on vacation I usually need to do a few…

Re: Thermals

Check out iStat, it gives you the ability to set a fan curve and that has helped quite a bit with my laptops Thermals. I found the highest rpm I could run without hearing the fans and set the two lowest points in the curve to keep it at/under that point and I almost never hear my fans anymore. Only time I really hear them now is when something is compiling and even then it's much more bearable since I keep the highest rpm limited to 80/85%.

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#629

Post by busrf »

japanuspus wrote: post #489

Surprised to not see more love for USB-C docks in this thread? Have set up three USB-C "workstations" with montior, keyboard and mouse (USB via Logitech Unify) in the house: One cable dock for any of the household laptops. There has been some toothing pain, but with USB-C reaching corporate machines, these are quickly becoming a non-issue. Have been moving the SO and kids to USB-C laptops over the last couple of year…

I totally agree, I have the same kind of setup with an X series thinkpad and love it.

Do you have any good dual monitor USB-C docks you could recommend? I’ve been wanting to expand my work station a bit.

Re: I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers

#630

Post by summerdown2 »

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…

On the other hand, 30 million Raspberry Pis have been sold and an enormous number of people are learning to code as a result of free online resources. I'm not so sure the end of general-purpose computing for the masses is all that over.

Even your example describes someone who, while he isn't fluent with it, actually owns a general purpose computer.

Post reply on HN