I agree psionic, if you are ploughing through a lot of stuff you need a good desk, desk top machine and big monitor(s). I'm using an i7/32gb, SSD's and spinnies coupled with two 27" Iiyama Blackhawk monitors and its proving to be fantastic to work with plus home network and cloud.
I've been lazy to a degree, the thousands of family photos I have really need sorting, naming/dating and indexing...no way I could do this on a tablet or even my Surface Pro 4...need space and comfort for this task.
PS, buy the most comfortable chair you can for your desk
Yes, but I don't have it on a desk. Permanently plugged into my telly, wireless keyboard on my lap, wireless mouse on the arm of the armchair.
It has ok but not spectacular specs for gaming and I do fair bit of that on it, using it a bit like a console in that regard. Struggle a bit with fast-paced keyboard & mouse games but anything else is fine and I have controllers too.
I see it as part of an all-round living room entertainment system. Had this sort of setup for about 3 years now and I'm happy with it.
Yes, but I don't have it on a desk. Permanently plugged into my telly, wireless keyboard on my lap, wireless mouse on the arm of the armchair.
It has ok but not spectacular specs for gaming and I do fair bit of that on it, using it a bit like a console in that regard. Struggle a bit with fast-paced keyboard & mouse games but anything else is fine and I have controllers too.
I see it as part of an all-round living room entertainment system. Had this sort of setup for about 3 years now and I'm happy with it.
As a family doing PC upgrades pretty much on an annual basis, all our base units are now plugged in to TVs in our bedrooms, wireless keyboard and mouse and you have a true 'smart' TV.
Just about everything I use a PC for is keyboard-based and I tend to forget that many people use them for gaming. In that case, as long as it has sufficient power, the machine format is irrelevant. I don't even have Minesweeper or Solitaire on mine so I wouldn't know.
Just about everything I use a PC for is keyboard-based and I tend to forget that many people use them for gaming. In that case, as long as it has sufficient power, the machine format is irrelevant. I don't even have Minesweeper or Solitaire on mine so I wouldn't know.
A desktop more or less means a computer that is static and is not portable. As you said it can be in any format, even all in ones, not that I am a fan of all in ones, but I can see why some people like them as they can be placed more or less anywhere and no dreaded cables, ok, only one cable, unless you got wired mouse and keyboard.
i know a few families with all in ones, from cheap and cheerful windows based machines, in fact one is Android based to a top of the range or it was in it's day IMac.
Other people I know have small ITX type machines and they are happy with them, while others have got tower systems like myself.
There are also some that have gone to tablets, but a lot of those are now saying they want a desktop again.
A desktop more or less means a computer that is static and is not portable. As you said it can be in any format, even all in ones, not that I am a fan of all in ones, but I can see why some people like them as they can be placed more or less anywhere and no dreaded cables, ok, only one cable, unless you got wired mouse and keyboard.
B...bbb... but wires and cables are half the fun of it! I wouldn't be without them, everything and I do mean everything is wired to my PC! Just counted them, 17 wired connections including mains power and router, and that's just the main PC. Another 8 on my backup PC, and yet more on three other devices sat on the same two desks.
And that doesn't even touch my (connected to the PC) audio hifi, satellite and broadband TV system, which adds another 16 or so. Laptops and tablets? They are no more than puny wireless pretenders.
My desktop PC died about a year ago after just over 5 years and I was using an old laptop for a while as well as my IPad Mini 4. I got a new HP laptop just under 7 months ago to replace my old 6 year old laptop that still sort of works.
I would say I use my laptop 50% of the time and IPad Mini 4 45% of time. The other 5% is my IPhone 5s.
Also if I need to print something out and that's not offen I need to use my laptop.
I use my desktop nearly all the time, I just use a tablet or phone as a back up for online shopping and banking or if out waiting somewhere and bored, and in the case of the tablet to read magazines and comics on, but nothing would totally replace a desktop for me, not even a laptop as they're nowhere near as powerful for certain tasks.
I use my desktop nearly all the time, I just use a tablet or phone as a back up for online shopping and banking or if out waiting somewhere and bored, and in the case of the tablet to read magazines and comics on, but nothing would totally replace a desktop for me, not even a laptop as they're nowhere near as powerful for certain tasks.
The HP Pavilion laptop I got nearly 7 months ago is classed as a basic desktop PC replacement. Cost me just under £450 at the time.
Its got a 17.1 inch screen. AMD A6 processor. I know AMD A8 and A9 is now out.
Its also Quad-core. 8GB RAM and 2TB hard drive also has 3 USB ports two of which are USB 3 and has 1 HDMI port, Ethernet port that I sometimes use with it and Bluetooth as well as built in wireless, An DVD/CD RW. Also comes with B&O play sound.
Only thing its lacking is a SD card reader but that don't bother me as I not used my digital camera in nearly 2 years. If I want to take photos I use my phone and sometimes my IPad Mini 4.
Laptops have improved over the years and some are now classed as a desktop replacement but I agree some laptops still cant replace a high end desktop PC.
I did think at one point of getting an all in one desktop PC than changed my mind.
The HP Pavilion laptop I got nearly 7 months ago is classed as a basic desktop PC replacement. Cost me just under £450 at the time.
Its got a 17.1 inch screen. AMD A6 processor. I know AMD A8 and A9 is now out.
Its also Quad-core. 8GB RAM and 2TB hard drive also has 3 USB ports two of which are USB 3 and has 1 HDMI port, Ethernet port that I sometimes use with it and Bluetooth as well as built in wireless, An DVD/CD RW. Also comes with B&O play sound.
Only thing its lacking is a SD card reader but that don't bother me as I not used my digital camera in nearly 2 years. If I want to take photos I use my phone and sometimes my IPad Mini 4.
Laptops have improved over the years and some are now classed as a desktop replacement but I agree some laptops still cant replace a high end desktop PC.
I did think at one point of getting an all in one desktop PC than changed my mind.
Darren
Yes, a laptop can replace a basic or even low mid-range laptop, but if you want to play games then it has to be a desktop simply because you cannot get the graphics card needed in one because of the size and the heat issues (although MSI do a laptop with a graphics card dock that basically turns it into a desktop, but it's still a compromise), nor lots of RAM unless you want to spend in the thousands, and even then the graphics chips aren't available in desktop specs and get really hot.
I do also have a laptop (Intel i5 CPU, 6Gb RAM, 128Gb SSD) which is an ultra-portable, but I rarely use it so am thinking of selling it as my Desktop is a Intel i7, 32Gb RAM, 256SSD, 4tb H/D, low end Radeon R270x 2Gb graphics card with a 25" widescreen monitor 2560x1440, gaming keyboard and mouse, and i use a wired internet connection - in addition to gaming, it's also used to stream TV from the desktop to the TV via HDMI and will quite happily stream HD and 4k video while I'm playing a game at teh same time without getting too hot or struggling (it's not even the latest spec, as it was built 2 years ago from already year old at least technology).
Yes, a laptop can replace a basic or even low mid-range laptop, but if you want to play games then it has to be a desktop simply because you cannot get the graphics card needed in one because of the size and the heat issues (although MSI do a laptop with a graphics card dock that basically turns it into a desktop, but it's still a compromise), nor lots of RAM unless you want to spend in the thousands, and even then the graphics chips aren't available in desktop specs and get really hot.
I do also have a laptop (Intel i5 CPU, 6Gb RAM, 128Gb SSD) which is an ultra-portable, but I rarely use it so am thinking of selling it as my Desktop is a Intel i7, 32Gb RAM, 256SSD, 4tb H/D, low end Radeon R270x 2Gb graphics card with a 25" widescreen monitor 2560x1440, gaming keyboard and mouse, and i use a wired internet connection - in addition to gaming, it's also used to stream TV from the desktop to the TV via HDMI and will quite happily stream HD and 4k video while I'm playing a game at teh same time without getting too hot or struggling (it's not even the latest spec, as it was built 2 years ago from already year old at least technology).
Sounds like you have a good high end desktop PC. I don't do much online gaming and never have.
When I'm on my laptop I use it for surfing the web, playing music, watching YouTube. Once in a little typing a letter and I need my laptop if I want to print something and that's not offen.
Also now and again I sync my IPhone 5s and IPad Mini 4 using ITunes on my laptop.
I went for HP as I like the brand and it was what I could afford at the time as my other laptop was starting to get slow and only had 320GB hard drive and 2gb RAM was also only dual-core. My older laptop still sort of works.
Plus as I said in a post above my desktop PC packed about a year ago after just over 5 years.
I still use my Desktop, and have it hooked up to my 40 inch LCD TV, (even though i need to replace the VGA Cable, as sometimes the colours do mess up occasionally due to a loose connection.) I bought it from my sister's ex father in law who buy's old Desktop PC's or laptops from car boot sales, he formats them or fits bigger Hard Drives,
I only use a desktop to plug in all my portable external HDD's into that have films & TV shows. I have it connected to my TV and network, so I can stream to different devices in the house.
Comments
I've been lazy to a degree, the thousands of family photos I have really need sorting, naming/dating and indexing...no way I could do this on a tablet or even my Surface Pro 4...need space and comfort for this task.
PS, buy the most comfortable chair you can for your desk
It has ok but not spectacular specs for gaming and I do fair bit of that on it, using it a bit like a console in that regard. Struggle a bit with fast-paced keyboard & mouse games but anything else is fine and I have controllers too.
I see it as part of an all-round living room entertainment system. Had this sort of setup for about 3 years now and I'm happy with it.
As a family doing PC upgrades pretty much on an annual basis, all our base units are now plugged in to TVs in our bedrooms, wireless keyboard and mouse and you have a true 'smart' TV.
A desktop more or less means a computer that is static and is not portable. As you said it can be in any format, even all in ones, not that I am a fan of all in ones, but I can see why some people like them as they can be placed more or less anywhere and no dreaded cables, ok, only one cable, unless you got wired mouse and keyboard.
i know a few families with all in ones, from cheap and cheerful windows based machines, in fact one is Android based to a top of the range or it was in it's day IMac.
Other people I know have small ITX type machines and they are happy with them, while others have got tower systems like myself.
There are also some that have gone to tablets, but a lot of those are now saying they want a desktop again.
B...bbb... but wires and cables are half the fun of it! I wouldn't be without them, everything and I do mean everything is wired to my PC! Just counted them, 17 wired connections including mains power and router, and that's just the main PC. Another 8 on my backup PC, and yet more on three other devices sat on the same two desks.
And that doesn't even touch my (connected to the PC) audio hifi, satellite and broadband TV system, which adds another 16 or so. Laptops and tablets? They are no more than puny wireless pretenders.
I would say I use my laptop 50% of the time and IPad Mini 4 45% of time. The other 5% is my IPhone 5s.
Also if I need to print something out and that's not offen I need to use my laptop.
Darren
The HP Pavilion laptop I got nearly 7 months ago is classed as a basic desktop PC replacement. Cost me just under £450 at the time.
Its got a 17.1 inch screen. AMD A6 processor. I know AMD A8 and A9 is now out.
Its also Quad-core. 8GB RAM and 2TB hard drive also has 3 USB ports two of which are USB 3 and has 1 HDMI port, Ethernet port that I sometimes use with it and Bluetooth as well as built in wireless, An DVD/CD RW. Also comes with B&O play sound.
Only thing its lacking is a SD card reader but that don't bother me as I not used my digital camera in nearly 2 years. If I want to take photos I use my phone and sometimes my IPad Mini 4.
Laptops have improved over the years and some are now classed as a desktop replacement but I agree some laptops still cant replace a high end desktop PC.
I did think at one point of getting an all in one desktop PC than changed my mind.
Darren
Yes, a laptop can replace a basic or even low mid-range laptop, but if you want to play games then it has to be a desktop simply because you cannot get the graphics card needed in one because of the size and the heat issues (although MSI do a laptop with a graphics card dock that basically turns it into a desktop, but it's still a compromise), nor lots of RAM unless you want to spend in the thousands, and even then the graphics chips aren't available in desktop specs and get really hot.
I do also have a laptop (Intel i5 CPU, 6Gb RAM, 128Gb SSD) which is an ultra-portable, but I rarely use it so am thinking of selling it as my Desktop is a Intel i7, 32Gb RAM, 256SSD, 4tb H/D, low end Radeon R270x 2Gb graphics card with a 25" widescreen monitor 2560x1440, gaming keyboard and mouse, and i use a wired internet connection - in addition to gaming, it's also used to stream TV from the desktop to the TV via HDMI and will quite happily stream HD and 4k video while I'm playing a game at teh same time without getting too hot or struggling (it's not even the latest spec, as it was built 2 years ago from already year old at least technology).
Sounds like you have a good high end desktop PC. I don't do much online gaming and never have.
When I'm on my laptop I use it for surfing the web, playing music, watching YouTube. Once in a little typing a letter and I need my laptop if I want to print something and that's not offen.
Also now and again I sync my IPhone 5s and IPad Mini 4 using ITunes on my laptop.
I went for HP as I like the brand and it was what I could afford at the time as my other laptop was starting to get slow and only had 320GB hard drive and 2gb RAM was also only dual-core. My older laptop still sort of works.
Plus as I said in a post above my desktop PC packed about a year ago after just over 5 years.
Darren