PCs - Towers v Laptops

[Richard]

I have a Tower Unit in the bedroom, another in the Shed and my Laptop in the Kitchen. The 'Base Camp' (as they're all networked) is the Laptop.

Each Tower system has five 13amp plugs, the Laptop has one.

Has anyone gone down 'the frugal / green route of just having a Laptop and nothing else??

Now Leo isn't here playing a-world-football-association and other PC power guzzlers on it, I don't need the mega Graphics Card so much, so intend that when the Towers have had their day (one in about 6 months and the other longer, but I could sell it) I will buy a really good Laptop and just take it around with me.

My existing Laptop is a 17" which I prefer because I can see more of the Website stuff and I can plug a second monitor in which is very handy for me.

There is also the space and mess that Towers make, which in a way is also environmentally un-friendly.

On the non-frugal side however, I would buy two extra Power leads to save humping all the cable around with me.

Just wondering if anyone has.

Richard

[Richard]

Thinking about it, I guess a lot depends on household needs, such as Kids and OH who likes to do their own thing.

[Totally Scrambled]

For sociability a laptop is best and when the weather's nice you can sit out in the garden. For power and hardware that can be added, the tower is best budget wise. My kids use their school laptops for general school work but for the more complicated graphics hungry tasks find the tower easier, quicker and less likely to go slow or freeze.
Dom

[liskeardjane]

We only have lap tops, but they are provided by work and we are both expected to work unpaid at home, for on average 2 hours each a day. We both have a Dell Latitude and they seem to work fine for hour after hour a day. Mine gets taken into work and plugged into the school network and the interactive whiteboard and then lugged home, whilst I plan lessons on the train on the way in and out. We both charge them up at work and they hold about their charge for hours - I charge mine at work and usually pack in when the battery gets low. How frugal is that? We need to get a solar charger really to be green instead of mean! However, it's plugged in right now and costing me!!!

[Richard]

Agreed, a lot depends on things such as photographic needs and games etc. I use Photoshop and Dreamweaver CS3 which are graphically quite heavy, but work fine on the Laptop though.
The Tower Unit in the Bedroom has an extremely powerful Graphics Card which wiz's, plus separate DVD Player and Rewriter. Plus the firewire is quick for doing Camcorder stuff.
But the modern Laptops have some amazing specs now.

I just wonder if a better frugal option is the route and if anyone has noticed any financial or otherwise difference.

For simple web surfing and basic spreadsheet work, it is less expensive to buy a cheap Tower System I guess. All the extras won't speed up the web so to speak.

[p.penn]

I only have the one laptop, which is a bit of a worry as it is making such a racket at the moment. I am looking to get a new one - my son reckons sooner rather than later.

I would never have a tower again - I didn't like having a dedicated space for it.

[stace]

Exactly that!

My Tower is in the dining room just over a year old with a 24in monitor, James has the same in his bedroom, and hubby has his laptop which he uses in the lounge when needed. When i wanted to renew it i was going to get a laptop, but i find them a little faffy to be honest, but its great when we go away wouldnt be without it

[Totally Scrambled]

For space economy a laptop is best, but a tower is easier to add things to, which you can do slowly, when necessary rather than having to buy a laptop with everything built in. With all the new things that my kids need the computer to do, it works out cheaper in the long run.
Dom

[mikey]

with the price fall on laptops over the last few year along with better specs its a close run thing now which to go for, for quite a while I used my laptop as a desktop pc due to lack of space for a tower. Just hooked up a bigger screen to it and pluged in a usb keyboard.

[Sara]

I have a laptop... I didnt make a choice with capacities ect in mind.... I decided on a laptop because i can take it to the bar when i need to do work there, or i can take it on holiday or to mums. I can sit in the garden (when its not -7) and if i want the desk for something else i can move it and still use it.
Mum has a tower and i find it too big and bulky........

[Richard]

I guess the Towers are good for a separate Office out of view of domestics etc., if you have kids who play fuel expensive games and have above average graphic and video needs,
Everywhere else, one can probably think more frugal and 'eco-friendly' and have a Laptop.

As said above, the specs and powers of the modern Laptop around the £400 mark are well equal to a Tower Unit of a couple of years ago. For the specs I need for example, I'd be looking at more around the £500 - £700 mark.

[mikey]

Biggest problem with a laptop is fixing them, with a tower you can pull out parts and replace with a lot less problems

[Richard]

True Mikey, I've got away with just replacing a hard drive, a power unit before. For my Bedroom PC, I went to a local company and just said exactly what I did with my PC and they built around it.
If you're having a Tower unit, that's probably the best way to go.

If just surfing the net, a second hand £100 job will do the job quite efficiently.

[Mo]

My laptop seemed on the point of death due to
a) the power lead failing yet again where it plugs into the laptop
b) the battery holding very little charge
c) the screen switch when you shut the lid being very unreliable

It was getting very frustrating so IT Advisor (SIL) said get a pc before it goes completely, they are more reliable. Of course, now I hardly ever use it, it seems OK!

[p.penn]

I know what you mean Mo. I have had the socket where the power goes in replaced once on my old laptop and then it was broken again but as the lid/screen was about to fall off as it had split accross the hinges too, I replaced it. The socket has gone twice on this one so far too!