Laptop as desktop replacements.

MrDrizz

MrDrizz

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Mark
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So at some point in the near future I'll be thinking of upgrading my current desktop and I'm thinking that this time I'll spend a bit more and get a kickass laptop. I can use a monitor and keyboard/gfx tablet at home and have the ability to be mobile.

Does anyone already run this kind of setup? Are there any disadvantages to it.
Hard drive space isn't too much of an issue as once a shoot has been worked on the pictures are put on my home server.

Hoping it's a viable option.

Cheers.
Mark
 
A computer is a computer regardless provided it meets your speed / storage requirements. The form factor is irrelevant.

The only downsides as such are a possible future upgrade path and more expensive to get desktop comparable cpu power.

If you can afford a suitable chunky beast then go for it.
 
I fear the laptop over heating if on a lot with lid down.
 
If its on, with the lid down its not going to be a lot of use! Neither is it likely to be using the processor unless you are hooked up to peripherals.

Buy quality which will mean it will be no cheaper than a desk top at the high end, and keep stuff off board on a separate drive. Biggest issue is likely to be screen quality with a laptop.

What's on your bucket list?
 
Last edited:
shreds said:
If its on, with the lid down its not going to be a lot of use! Neither is it likely to be using the processor unless you are hooked up to peripherals.
Click to expand...
He plans on hooking it up to a monitor, keyboard / mouse and with using a separate screen etc. closing the laptop lid is the norm ;)
 
i7
Dedicated GFX
16GB ram
SSD.
1440p maybe 4k but not sure it's needed on a 15" screen.

Seen a couple for around £900
 
MrDrizz said:
i7
Dedicated GFX
16GB ram
SSD.
1440p maybe 4k but not sure it's needed on a 15" screen.

Seen a couple for around £900
Click to expand...
For that price they will be very heavy things I would have thought. More luggable than laptop, and likely terrible battery life as well. I've been looking into it the last couple of days, although my Microsoft Surface Pro 3 is actually behaving pretty well now. But i7 quad, 16GB, 512SSD (fast not those SATA models), 4K screen in a decent package that is actually mobile, you'd be looking at double that I would say. A full HD version is better battery live and about £200 less. I would find that too big text on a 15" screen though.
 
Most things can be viable. However, it depends on your budget, the software you will use, the camera you will use, and what your expectations on performance are.
Lightroom for instance demands CPU and hard drive speed. Photoshop or gaming will require GPU.
My 1.1GHZ 12" macbook is great for my 50MB raw files when I'm on the road, as its tiny and light, and so much easier to carry around than my older more powerful laptops with larger screens, and I can back my shots up and do basic edits. However, it would drive me insane if I didn't have a 27" monitor and 3.4GHz i7 with SSD for doing the real work on.
 
I do most work and get most use from my Chromebook, but if I photo edit it is desktop all the way. It's not even a discussion. You want cheap power and good spec video card and that doesn't come in laptop form factor. £400 will get you a solid spec home built desktop and you'll have much change to get a super solid light-weight nice screen'd laptop for on the road.
 
Dell uk outlet. You can get killer stuff for around half price if you're patient.
 
I use to run that kind of set up but oncei had it all set up on the desk I thought I may as well have bought a proper computer, so I did. Much faster than any laptop for editing too!
 
Had a set up like this several years ago, but it became a real pain. You need the laptop in front of the monitor to use the keyboard and track pad. The problem is the screen of the laptop obscures the lower part of the monitor , unless you have raised fairly high, which can become uncomfortable. OK if you laptop will work with the lid closed but otherwise a real pain.

Got fed up after about 6 months and reverted to a normal computer, and used the laptop as my mobile device , transferring images to the desktop to be worked on.

Having said that I do know people who work that way but generally don't do much if any photo editing. A suitable dock can make life easier
 
Chappers said:
Had a set up like this several years ago, but it became a real pain. You need the laptop in front of the monitor to use the keyboard and track pad. The problem is the screen of the laptop obscures the lower part of the monitor , unless you have raised fairly high, which can become uncomfortable. OK if you laptop will work with the lid closed but otherwise a real pain.

Got fed up after about 6 months and reverted to a normal computer, and used the laptop as my mobile device , transferring images to the desktop to be worked on.

Having said that I do know people who work that way but generally don't do much if any photo editing. A suitable dock can make life easier
Click to expand...
Why would you have to have it like that?
Many that I know and what I used to do myself, just connect the laptop with a single cable and leave the lid closed. Then use normal keyboard, mouse and screen to operate like a desktop when in the office. Or as laptop screens are really good now, put it on a laptop stand and keep it open but work dual screen, again with a separate keyboard, mouse, screen when in the office.

For my Surface Pro I just pop it in its dock, nothing to connect as it is all in the dock. That way I've got the laptop QHD screen, and an external 4K monitor, and keyboard and mouse, and fixed gigabit Ethernet cable.

Best of both world, all the power and comfort when in the office. And the portability when out and about, without having to do fancy sync or copy/paste of files.
 
Chappers said:
Had a set up like this several years ago, but it became a real pain. You need the laptop in front of the monitor to use the keyboard and track pad. The problem is the screen of the laptop obscures the lower part of the monitor , unless you have raised fairly high, which can become uncomfortable. OK if you laptop will work with the lid closed but otherwise a real pain.
Click to expand...

If you have a stack of books to hand, you can set the laptop up side by side with a larger monitor for a very useful dual screen setup. Just add a mouse and keyboard.
Ran with this for a few years, but not for photo editing.
 
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