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As I wrote elsewhere in this thread [1], the data in the article shows desktop computing down significantly in Q3 2020. That came as a surprise to me. I would
by bhauer 6y ago
As I wrote elsewhere in this thread [1], the data in the article shows desktop computing down significantly in Q3 2020. That came as a surprise to me. I would have expected it to be up since so many are stuck at home and desktop computing remains the premium home computing experience. If you've got a good work desk, desktop computing will push the value of each dollar spent on hardware further. Apparently most people still prefer to pick up a computer and move from room to room during their lockdown. That's not compelling for me, but it presumably is for others.
I have a 3900X desktop workstation and a 4900HS laptop, an Asus G14. You are right that the performance delta for most tasks is not as large as it was 15 years ago. In fact, for routine work, they seem about the same. The advantages to a desktop are things that I personally find valuable: ease of connecting many large displays (I use three 30 inch 16:10 monitors), ease of equipping large amounts of memory (32GB is a piece of cake, 64+GB is also easy on a desktop), tidier connectivity (everything is routed to a box hidden away behind the desk), no thermal throttling (always the same performance regardless of workload), quiet (larger and more powerful cooling), etc.
[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25083580 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25083580
- meddlepal 6y agoA desktop is only a premium experience if you're an engineer of some sort and really need the horsepower... Just about everyone else on the planet sees a desktop as a huge space waster.
- qz2 6y agoFor me it's a huge ergonomic and health gain using a desktop after using a laptop for 10 years. To the point of being life changing again.
- stkdump 6y agoUsing a docking station there is zero difference in ergonomics. But you still can move around if you want.
- qz2 6y agoI’d rather avoid it. I have orders of magnitude better input devices on the desktop. I’d rather not keep switching back and forwards as using a laptop is like doing stuff with oven gloves on.
- freeflight 6y ago> That came as a surprise to me. I would have expected it to be up since so many are stuck at home and desktop computing remains the premium home computing experience. Couldn't that be down to what data they track? From the looks of it they are only tracking OEM vendor sales of pre-built desktop systems. But what I've observed these past months during the pandemic is that a lot of people have picked up PC building, an observation that's collaborated by new hardware (Nvidia Ampeere cards, AMD Zen 3) being in super high demand to such a degree that in many places supply is struggling to fill demand.
- qz2 6y agoI think those who can, will. At least in this space. I'm on my third desktop build this year. One for myself, one for my daughter and one for someone else who is not paying for commuting now and has disposable income to join the PC gaming club.