Ken Blake wrote:

On Thu, 10 Jan 2019 10:05:58 -0600, VanguardLH wrote:

J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:

In message , Bill in Co
writes:
[]
If I ever went out and bought one of these nice new svelte laptops, like
I've seen on display at some stores here, I'd probably just scrap the latter
two.

I wonder if anybody gets so used to a laptop that it ends up replacing their
desktop for almost everything they need to do (for home or limited work use,
I mean).

I bought my first laptop (W9x era), intending to use it only when
travelling or in other situations where my tower machine couldn't be
taken. (I also didn't think I'd get on with a trackpad.) It became my
main machine - I was going to say rapidly, but it might have been
gradually. I have since used laptops for all my computing needs - my
desktop machines going initially weeks then months between being turned
on, and I think it might be over a year now. (And I have got very used
to a trackpad: I have a mouse, but rarely plug it in - of late, mainly
for when the trackpad [driver] misbehaves rather than needing the
differences.)

I'd say my main initial concerns re laptops fell into three areas:
limited keyboard, all-in-one-ness, and (in practice) no slots.

I'll add five concerns to that. In no particular order:

1. Small screen. On my desktop I use two 24" monitors and wish I had a
third one.

I mentioned using a docking station but you could just connect the USB
keyboard and mouse and an external monitor to the portables to have a
larger screen; however, the resolution is likely a lot less than you can
get with a video daughtercard in a desktop. Having to repeatedly plug
and unplug USB cables into the portable increases the chance of damage
to those ports. As to multi-monitor support, not likely with a
portable.

2. Increased likelihood of being lost or stolen.

Portability requires low weight and small size. Easier to lose small
stuff. That's why I leave enabled the locate feature built into my
smartphone so I can find it (and disable it so a thief can't use it).

3. Increased danger of being dropped and broken,

Alas, few users ever dust out their desktops which they often put on the
floor. Anything with airflow needs periodic cleaning. Users will
notice the lint accumulating on their table fan but still neglect
dusting out their laptops or desktops.

4. Increased cost of being repaired.

Chromebook are very easy to repair. Unlike laptops and netbooks,
Chromebooks are made for easy disassembly. I've had to work on laptops
and Chromebooks are far easier to open and replace parts. That's why
the schools love 'em.

5. So difficult to upgrade that it's more likely the whole computer
has to be replaced.

I've never bothered to crack open a netbook. Basically you're right
the buy it and later replace the whole thing. Tablets and
smartphones are the same. When I design a desktop build, I plan on a
lifespan of 8 years. Smartphones are usually replaced after 2 years
(yep, users just gotta have the latest and greatest). I suspect tablets
and netbooks don't have much beyond a 4-year lifespan when users get the
itch to get something better.

The most likely upgrades are CPU, memory, storage, and GPU. Most users
never consider replacing the CPU in their desktops, so they end up
having to buy a whole new desktop instead of upgrading the CPU (which
may require a better motherboard, too). Memory and storage is an easy
upgrade in laptops and desktops. To me, tablets, smartphones, and
netbooks are disposable devices: you expect them to last only about a
third, or less, that of a desktop.

It's because of Bill's three concerns and my five that I never
understand why someone chooses to use a laptop at home instead of a
desktop. But as I said in another message a few minutes ago, more and
more people are doing it, and if I'm not in the minority yet, I soon
will be. I wouldn't be surprised if, within a few years, only laptops
are sold and not desktops.

When my desktop died several times (PSU, video card, HDD), I used the
laptop as a temporary PC but with a real keyboard, mouse, and monitor
attached. It was still far less that I was used to but it worked in a
pinch until I got the parts to fix the desktop. Obviously I'm not going
to disconnect all the cables to my desktop and tote it around on a
vacation, so there are scenarios where portability is needed (assuming
you really need a computer while on vacation - bringing one on a hiking
or camping trip just degrades the experience).

When travelling, a Chromebook is more than sufficient.

For me, as I just said in another message, my smart phone is
sufficient. And it's smaller and lighter than your Chromebook.

Yes, if you can tolerate single-finger tapping on a screen keyboard or
trying to emulate a mouse with your finger while having to view and even
smaller screen. I got a smartphone with a large screen (LG V20) but
that also means having to tote around a larger smartphone. Yet a
Chromebook sitting on a table at the resort room is much easier and
quicker to use and easier on the eyes than using a smartphone. The
Chromebook goes on vacation with me but it really doesn't do much
travelling at the endpoints of my trips. The Chromebook sits in the
resort room while I tote along my smartphone.

I'm sure there are folks that cannot afford both a Chromebook, laptop,
or netbook to use on their vacation (and yet they can still afford to
vacation), so a smartphone is probably sufficient. However, these same
folks will be buying cheap and slow smartphones with little memory and
tiny screens. My car came with a scissor jack and nut wrench (which I
replaced with an x-wrench to help spin on/off the lug nuts). That's
okay for rare-time use when away from home. In my garage, I use
jackstands, ramps, and a hydraulic jack - but I'm not toting all that
when I drive the car away from home.

Not to mention that it's very difficult to travel with a monitor,
keyboard, and mouse.

True for the monitor but a 15.6" screen is still pretty good when
vacationing and a hell of a lot better than the screen in any
smartphone. You can upgrade a Chromebook but almost nill for a tablet.
I still tote along a USB-Bluetooth transceiver for a mouse and a small
keyboard (but bigger than in the Chromebook, netbook, or laptop).

Tablet usability sits between a netbook or Chromebook and a smartphone.
Since I have both a large smartphone, netbook, and a Chromebook, I just
can't see wasting money on a tablet for a niche that I don't need.

There are tablets you can use as a phone. Since they have wifi, you
could use them for VOIP calls anywhere you can find a hotspot. Some
include cellular radios but by then I might as well as get a Chromebook
with 3G/4G and have a larger screen, better keyboard, and easier to
repair and upgrade.

Of course, all the points about serviceability and upgradability are
moot for the majority of users. Those are not the vast majority of
consumers. They don't visit here. They buy and later buy again to get
something better. They don't upgrade and few do repairs.