macska

Just wondering if anyone relies on just a desktop + pocket pc. Mr. Macska is considering just travelling with the pocket pc with wifi, and I'm wondering how this works for others. The pocket pc would primarily be used for playing powerpoint presentations, checking email, reading adobe documents and microsoft word.

ScottC

He'll try it once. And then give up.

It's not very practical with current day technology, it's going to take at least 6 months for devices to come out that will be capable and powerful enough to pull this off.

doc

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When I am on a holday, I do very well without a laptop!

Of course I also have family members that prefer that we bring it anyway just to view DVD movies and so on!

-Mark

ScottC

You might have misread the question.

MrFurious

I sat through a Dell webcast talking about notebook sales. Once the price point is right, the desktop will be a rare thing.

As a friend so eloquently put it - "you can't surf from the bathroom toilet with a desktop"

winkydink

Was Dell's point that eventually the price of laptops is less than or equal to that of desktops? Otherwise, I can't see this happenning.

In the business world, TCO does measurably increase for laptops and useful life is generally less. Don't buy the bs that laptop users will take them home and you'll get "free work". Walk around your company on any given night and see how many laptops remain behind. Most people who will do "free work" are already doing it via their personally-owned, home PC.

Many home users are extremely price-conscious.

ScottC

Microsoft said the same about the Tablet PC, and the Portable displays...

Laptops STILL don't have the power to price ratio a desktop does. I can put together a VERY powerful desktop with a 17" display, but the equivelent in a laptop would be around $4000.

Prices on laptops ARE coming down but they will never replace the desktop for consumers. Of course, the business user is different, and they have different wishes in terms of power and features.

Something interesting this year will be the super-sub notebooks like the Flybook and OQO. These devices are not too much bigger than a PDA yet run off the shelf Windows and have regular ports like VGA. Devices like the Flybook even have WiFi, GPRS and Bluetooth in one piece of hardware...

MrFurious

The price point isn't there, and the performance/price ratio will always be in the desktop's favor, but it's getting there, and the separation between the two is decreasing.

I love my laptop.

MatthewClement

I just replaced my primary desktop with a 17" laptop which I picked up for about $1800. It doesn't travel frequently with me (I've got a work laptop for that) but I love it and wouldn't go back to another desktop.

Regarding the original question -- I'd look at one of the small laptops (e.g. the Sony Vaio) if portability is an issue, but a PocketPC isn't a viable alternative yet.

mauld

Actually while I do use a laptop (5 yr old Compac 1800 Presario), I don't travel with it, nor with a Blackberry, i-pod, or any other handheld device. I'm probably in the minority both here and as a business traveller in general -- but I don't have a use for it while en route. My business trips are 90% to my companies' offices where I can log-on on site, both in the US and overseas. I prefer not to do work when flying; although I will admit to using the old fashioned pen & paper to make notes etc. That said, I do carry a mobile, but 95% of the time that's on OFF, unless I know I'm expecting a call or have to make one--although it is only good in the US. (In fact I just got my Verizon wireless bill for last month, and total minutes used was a whopping 12

GadgetFreak

I have tried it and I agree it isnt quite there. Im still experimenting with it. I am also trying to work up some combination of PDAs and accessories to do it but not completely successful.

The weakness in what you describe as what you want to do is Powerpoint. I just havent been happy with that. For mail and even mail with small documents and spreadsheets I think a Pocket PC device can substitute for a notebook. Especially if you add something like a Think Outside folding keyboard.

Xyzzy

I carry a cellphone and that's it. I don't own a laptop though I have borrowed one on occasion mainly to download pictures from my digital camera. Mrs. Xyzzy wants me to get a laptop (mainly for her to use) and it will probably happen at some point. For the most part, I have access to machines wherever I go so I find that there's little justification for me to spend $1500+ for more stuff to lug around.

izzik

It would be nice to see more of the ultra-light subnotebooks like the Sony Vaio TR series.. wish they weren't so darn expensive.

MrFurious

I've got a Dell Latitude X300 (2.9lbs) that I got fully tricked out at the office for $3500. For the lightweight ones, the pricepoint isn't there unless you go with some off brand.

crowes

I've got a Toshiba Portege that my employer provides to me. It's fantastic because it's so light and fairly powerful. The only complaint that I have is that a modular DVD player was not provided/ordered with the system.

For a home computer I have an Apple Powerbook 12". I love having the freedom to work, etc. from anywhere in my place. I've married it to a wireless network and now have some serious flexibility. As a matter of fact, I'm typing this right now from my balcony as I watch the sunset over western Chicago.

Portability is definitely where it's at. I would love to be able to carry a blackberry sized device to handle all of my computing needs. Hopefully we aren't too far off.