>The comparison should be a laptop from 2007. >Laptops have always been substantially more efficient than desktops. No, they haven't; not on a MIPS/Watt basis

>The comparison should be a laptop from 2007. >Laptops have always been substantially more efficient than desktops. No, they haven't; not on a MIPS/Watt basis. A laptop-to-desktop comparison is entirely valid. I use a laptop now, and a desktop in the past; I do the same work, and I get better performance out of my modern laptop. I even have dual 24" monitors on the laptop (docking station). Demanding a comparison between desktops of the mid-2000s and desktops of now is like demanding a comparison between the fuel consumption of a Corvette from the 1980s and one from now, instead of recognizing that I can buy an economy car now that gets better performance than the 1980s Corvette while also getting much better fuel economy. If you're comparing on the basis of performance and capability, you don't need to stay with the same class of device, because capabilities and performance have changed so much over time.