The obvious answer to this question is yes, you can. Before explaining the modern way to use a laptop as a desktop, let’s take an amusing stroll down memory lane on how this was done years ago.

In the beginning…

(Note before continuing: I’m concentrating on late 1990s-to-present tech. Obviously what’s listed below doesn’t cover things like the GRiD Compass.)

We had these absolutely huge unwieldy docking stations, like this:

The laptop went into that huge slot you see above. A monitor would be placed on top of the station. You would attach your keyboard and mouse into ports in the back.

Rarely did home users use this because it was ridiculously expensive and furthermore didn’t work half the time. The infamous Windows "docked" and "undocked" modes would wreak havoc with the OS; the hot-swap introduced later on was lukewarm at best. Oh, you didn’t know? Most of these were cold-swap. You couldn’t just yank the laptop out whenever you wanted. You had to shut down before doing it.

Worst of all, it was bigger and slower than a standard desktop PC.

After that…

The computer industry wised up and realized those beasty docking stations had to go. What came after that was the docking bay.

It wasn’t all too much different than the station, but this was a step in the right direction. Even so, it was still just a weird bit of technology. Some allowed the laptop LCD screen to be used while others had a detachable "bench" that sat on top in predefined indentations or holes. This was used when the laptop lid was closed, docked, the bench placed over the laptop, and a monitor sitting on top of that.

The problem here is that it didn’t serve any advantage over simply plugging in your laptop while on the desk. Network connectivity could easily be had with a 3Com PCMCIA card with RJ-45 dongle, so there was literally no point to this putty or charcoal-colored monstrosity.

If you ever asked an LAN Administrator, "Um.. why is this thing necessary?", the answer would always be, "Because the VP of Sales wanted one", because he or she knew there was absolutely no real reason to have it. Gotta spend that budget somehow, right?

And yes this had the same clunky operation with Windows docked/undocked modes.

It goes smaller but is still bulky..

Realizing the docking bay was still too frickin’ big, then came the port replicator.

This was the smallest of the breed. It does exactly what its name suggests; it replicates ports. You click in your laptop, open up the screen and use as you would normally with attached keyboard and mouse plugged into the side or back of the replicator.

This is yet another one of those, "What’s the point of this thing?" bits of tech.

Port replicators are still in use today; they never went away.

In the present..

This is the modern version of a laptop dock:

Example setup:

Here’s another:

The only people interested in these things are corporate users. Home users know better than to use a setup like this because you really don’t get your money’s worth unless you buy docking setups used (some of which can be had at fire sale prices.)

If you are so inclined to purchase a setup like the above, shop any OEM manufacturer’s (such as Dell) "business" section and you’ll see them. Will you want to buy? Probably not after you see the price tag.

A cost-effective home user’s way to use a laptop as a desktop

Any laptop can be used to serve as a desktop – even a netbook. And you can do so without any of that docked/undocked Windows crapola.

What you will need is the following:

1. A ventilated laptop stand.

Your laptop will most likely spend most of its time plugged in and in heavy use. As such she’ll get hot under the collar real quick. There are many stands to choose from. Shop carefully, smartly and always read the customer reviews.

It is absolutely worth it to spend a few extra bucks on a stand that will do the job properly.

It is not recommended to run your laptop as a desktop unventilated because it will decrease the life span of your laptop – particularly with the hard drive.

Tip: Don’t run your laptop without the battery just to decrease heat while the unit is in use. This may render your battery useless in less than a year. You must keep it in the laptop in order to maximize its life span.

2. A USB hub.

You may or may not need this as the stand may have some port replicator options on it. But if it doesn’t, you’ll need your ports in a convenient place and that’s where the hub comes in. You should buy a dedicated small hub for your external keyboard, mouse and other things like USB sticks, external drives and so on.

Using a dedicated hub is convenient as well because you never have to unplug the keyboard or mouse when you take the laptop off its stand, should you decide to bring the laptop elsewhere.

Tip: If you have the option, plug the hub into the port on the laptop that is furthest away from its hottest spot when running. You’ll know this by touch.

3. An understanding of how to use presentation settings in your operating system.

This varies from laptop to laptop. It is usually accessible via a function key in combination with Fn, such as Fn+F1 or Fn+F7. One of the function keys on your laptop will have a small label of a monitor. That in combination with Fn will allow you to switch between the laptop screen and the connected monitor, similar to ALT+TAB’ing between apps, except that you’re switching monitor settings.

For Windows XP users: You have the choice between using the laptop screen, connected monitor screen, or both activated at once (called "duplicate" mode) using the lowest native resolution of the two monitors (but not as a monitor extension as far as I’m aware – although I could be wrong there).

For Windows 7 (and maybe Vista) users: Use Presentation Settings via Win+P (as in "Windows flag" key + P):

With this you can use a secondary as an extension of the primary, keeping the native resolution on both screens. Very cool, very useful. I do not know if this exists in XP as I no longer run that as my primary OS. If anybody out there with XP wants to test this, feel free and post a comment.

4. An understanding of controlling what the lid does.

This is done on a software level. In Windows 7 it looks like this:

This is available in Power Options via Control Panel in Windows and has basically been the same ever since Windows 95. Some of you will probably want to run your laptop with the screen lid closed when using as a desktop connected to an external monitor. If that’s your goal, what you don’t want to happen is the laptop "hibernating", "sleeping" or shutting down when you shut the lid. What you do want is the "plugged in" or "on AC power" setting to be "Do nothing."

Remember to only change this for "plugged in" and not "on battery."

5. (Optional) An external USB optical drive.

You may not need this as your laptop may have one of these already installed. But even if it does, I suggest getting one anyway because you can place it much closer to you via your USB hub, and furthermore will keep any extra heat out of your laptop from optical drive use.

6. USB keyboard and USB mouse.

You’ll obviously need these for "true" laptop-as-desktop use. These can plug in directly into your USB hub.

Quick question answered: Is it a problem to use both the laptop and desktop keyboard and/or mouse and the same time? No. Windows will activate both of them. If you want to switch between them, that’s fine. You won’t have to enable/disable anything to do that.

Drawbacks using laptop-as-desktop

1. Limited video memory.

Your laptop most likely uses shared memory for video and does not have a dedicated graphics card. In addition, the external monitor you use probably has a higher native resolution than your laptop LCD screen does. This means your laptop will have to "work harder" to render video on a higher resolution.

In plain English: Choppy/stuttering video may occur from time to time. As long as you’re aware of this, then you’re fine. You’ll notice this most with Flash video (of course).

2. Slower

Laptops are by nature slower than desktops because they house mobile processors, slower RPM hard drives (5400 compared to 7200), and are designed to emit the least heat possible so they don’t literally burn up.

You will notice the slowness most when you have a lot of programs open. Psychologically you will be fooled into thinking, "this is a regular desktop" because you have a regular monitor, keyboard and mouse in front of you. It’s not. It’s a laptop. You know this is true, but it’s easy to forget. Remember what you’re using and what it was designed for.

3. Potentially unplugging a bunch of stuff every time you have to go mobile.

The best possible situation with a laptop-as-desktop setup is to only unplug three things when going mobile, that being your USB hub, monitor connector and power cord. You have a spare AC adapter in your laptop bag, so you don’t need to unplug that from the wall – and then off you go.

However most people don’t have a spare AC adapter as they are expensive (usually at least $50). And some of you won’t use a USB hub. This means every time you want to go mobile, you have to unplug all the USB stuff, disconnect the power cord, unplug that from the wall or power strip, wrap up the power cord cable, chuck it in the laptop bag, etc. You get the idea. It can turn into a tangled mess in short order. And you’ll have to do it all over again when you want to use the laptop as a desktop again.

Using a laptop as a desktop will require you to spend a few bucks to do it right, make no mistake.

Advantages of using a laptop as a desktop

1. Quiet.

Nobody likes a loud desktop PC. Laptops are built to be quiet. And most modern laptops (with the exception of gamer laptop rigs like Alienware) are whisper quiet. The only thing you want to hear is the click-clacking of your keyboard and clicky-clicky’s of your mouse. With a laptop, that’s what you get.

2. You are not chained to your desk.

You are using a portable medium, so whenever the mood strikes you, go mobile. Everything will go with you in a usable compact form.

3. Eliminates bulk, and a lot of it.

If you took a brand new $300 Dell mini netbook and outfitted it as outlined above, you’ve got a super-small way of computing that can more or less do everything save for high-def video editing and gaming. It is the ultra-compact setup that completely eliminates the traditional PC tower. Is it as good as a tower? Obviously not. But it does do the job surprisingly well for what it’s capable of.

By attaching a regular-sized monitor and traditional keyboard and mouse, it feels just like a regular desktop computer when using it, save for the hardware limitations as noted above.

Do you (or have you) run a laptop as a desktop?

If so, does it work for you? Did you feel it was a good decision? What recommendations (and/or warnings) would you give about computing in this fashion?

One of the improvements you can expect to see in the latest OS release by both Microsoft and Apple is a noticeable increase in battery life. By some estimates, Windows 7 will boost battery life by 11% and Apple’s Snow Leopard by 10%. These are accomplished through, among other things, more efficient handling of idle CPU time and better management of wireless radios.

Even if these numbers are off by a few percentage points, I would consider anything around 8% to be noticeable as you are getting an ‘extra’ 5 minutes on each hour. Of course battery life estimates are highly subjective because they depend on what the user is running, but for the most part many users will (hopefully) realize this difference.

Just something to keep in mind if you are in the market for a laptop or you already have one capable of running the new OS releases.

It’s an ever-increasing mobile world, and with it comes all the tech stuff we need to get things done. Being mobile means your tech will run off a battery or two. However there are certain items when you should care and other times when you don’t have to.

Point-And-Shoot Digital Cameras

Should you care? Yes.

I won’t buy a point-and-shoot digital camera unless it runs off AA batteries. It is the best and cheapest way to keep taking pictures. Yes, it does add bulk to the camera for the battery compartment, but that small inconvenience is more than worth it.

Camcorders

Should you care? Yes.

It’s always smart to purchase a secondary battery for your camcorder. If possible, buy the secondary with the camcorder at the same time.

Automotive GPS

Should you care? No.

Battery life for automotive GPS devices such as from Garmin, TomTom, Magellan or any other have always been terrible, and it doesn’t look like that will change any time soon. With the screen at full brightness (required for daytime driving use) and the speaker volume at 70% or higher, you’ll get at most 2 hours out of the battery no matter who made the GPS. Furthermore it’s always used in the car, so when the battery dies you just plug in the charger and keep on going.

Battery life on GPS matters for units other than for automotive use, such as for trail or maritime. The Garmin Oregon 550t for example runs off 2 AA batteries, and that matters a lot for a GPS of that type given its particular purpose (it does both trail and maritime).

Cell Phone

Should you care? No.

I know no one that carries around a spare cell phone battery with them. All wireless phones today have a relatively decent talk time concerning battery life. And yes, if you talk for three hours straight, of course the battery will die on you. But for shorter calls and texting, the battery should last for days so it’s not a huge consideration.

What’s more important with a wireless phone purchase is the rated talk talk time and standby time. This doesn’t necessarily depend on battery type, because two phones by two different manufacturers that use the same type of battery will have different talk/standby times.

General rule of thumb: The less features a wireless phone has, the longer the battery will last due to the fact the phone doesn’t have to "think" as much. This is why 10-dollar TracFones have unbelievably good standby times, since the phone has only the most basic of features. It’s also the reason older less-featured cell phones with a new battery in them seem to "last forever".

Laptop Computers

Should you care? Depends on type.

With laptops there are basically three flavors: The netbook, standard and the gamer.

With the netbook (9 to 12-inch screen), yes, battery options definitely count because it’s meant to be ultra-mobile. You should stuff a netbook with longest-lasting battery possible.

With the standard (13 to 15-inch screens), yes it counts. You should stuff that one with a 9-cell. Yes it will cost a pretty penny but it’s more than worth it.

With the gamer laptop (17-inch or higher with a powerful graphics card), no. Gamer laptops are well known to have inferior battery life because of the horsepower required to run them. And even if you stuff in the best battery available, you’d be lucky to get more than 2.5 hours of life before it needs a charge.

It’s my opinion that everyone should own a laptop. Two years ago I couldn’t say this because the price point wasn’t low enough. But with the netbooks quickly becoming the new norm of laptops, I can say now that yes, you should own one.

And if you needed a reason why, here are 10 good ones.

1. Better resale value.

PCs hold little resale value – but laptops hold a lot more. Even if you own a Mac, the Macbook will always sell later for more than the desktop version.

2. Portable.

When I say portable I’m not necessarily referring to sitting in a Panera Bread click-clacking away with their free wi-fi (although you could). Portable can be as simple as bringing it elsewhere in your house or apartment/flat. Sit down in your easy chair or couch, watch the game and surf the ‘net? Sure, why not?

3. Space-saver.

One does not know the joy of owning a laptop until you put it on the computer desk and then realize all the space you get back. All you have is the laptop and possibly an external mouse and pad. That’s it.

4. Energy-saver.

Laptops use far less energy than desktop PCs do.

5. Easier keyboards.

Laptops use short profile keys with a scissor-style spring underneath. Your typing speed will increase almost instantly. And after using one for a while, going back to the desktop feels old and clunky compared to the super-easy laptop keys. Additionally, the place where the trackpad is serves as a built-in wrist rest, so it’s also ergonomically sound.

6. Better LCD screen.

More often than not the LCD screen on a laptop is far superior to your desktop LCD monitor. The colors look more true, gradients don’t "fuzz" and it has a more crisp picture.

7. Easier to work on.

Most laptops only require one screw to remove the hard drive or RAM. After that it’s literally pop in/pop out to upgrade. It doesn’t get any easier.

8. Proprietary architecture means everything works better.

The vast majority of laptops are very proprietary. This means there is no guesswork as to whether the unit will function properly or not. Even Linux "likes" laptops better because it absolutely knows what to expect, so to speak.

9. Easy-access USB.

Most laptops have 4 USB ports (two on the side, two on the back) and are in easy reach.

10. It’s not a throw-away computer.

This goes back to point 1. The laptop is more or less the only type of computer you can buy where you know it will sell later when it’s time to get rid of it. Even if you have an older laptop with a busted optical drive, someone will still buy it because of what it is. Older desktop PCs on the other hand turn into paperweights that you can’t sell for a decent price no matter what.

So go ahead, get that laptop. You’ll be happy you did.

If posed the question as to what you think the worst possible thing could happen to a PC is, your answer would probably be, "when the hard drive dies".

Wrong.

The worst possible thing that can happen is fire. This is when something in your computer overheats, catches fire and starts melting the "guts" (motherboard, chips, etc.). Fire is the worst because it makes any computer literally unusable – and that’s far worse than a hard drive that croaks.

A small and true story before continuing:

Years ago I was working for a large corporation and the LAN Administrator was delivering a brand new laptop to one of the six-figure guys in the corporate office in Boston Massachusetts. The laptop in question was a Texas Instruments TravelMate 5100. This was at a time when the Pentium processor was still new and laptop makers didn’t really know how to cool those things down just yet.

The guy goes into the six-figure employee’s office, sets up the laptop, plugs it in, presses the power button, and..

POP.

Sounded like a small gunshot.

Smoke comes streaming up from the keyboard. The smell of burnt silicon stunk up the office and more or less the whole floor soon after that. The stench stayed there for a week it was so bad.

Modern-day PCs and laptops thankfully rarely if ever catch fire and start melting stuff, however the threat of fire is not 100% out of the question.

Two common situations that may set your PC ablaze

1. Unbound wires/cables

Dangling unbound wires in a PC case is a fire threat. This is because a wire can get too close to a fan, a fan blade chops the wire, that sets off a spark and if that spark hits the right spot (which it always does), it’s burn city.

Or..

A wire gets too close to a hot item in your case, the wire wrap melts, wire is exposed, throws sparks and produces the same disastrous result.

I cannot stress enough that you should never have dangling wires in a computer case. Ever. Bunch your cables, keep them as far away from fans and sources of heat as possible.

2. Dead fan(s)

A fan’s job is to cool. If a fan dies and for some crazy reason the computer doesn’t shut off like it’s supposed to when it gets too hot, whatever it was cooling will overheat, burn up and possibly take the whole computer with it.

Indicators that your computer is running too hot

1. When you touch the side of your case, it literally feels hot to the touch.

This is bad news. It is normally okay for a case to feel slightly warm to the touch, but if hot, that’s a problem.

If you have a laptop, that’s a different story. Many laptops run hot on the backplane (a.k.a. the bottom) due to the very limited space inside the chassis and there’s really not much you can do about it other than deal with it, or use a laptop stand with built-in fans.

2. Your computer randomly shuts off for seemingly no reason.

There probably is a reason – it’s running too hot. And your computer is saving itself by powering off to prevent itself from burning up. The solution is more fans or better fans if you can’t add any. Maybe a cooling system if you’ve got the cash for it.

What type of PCs have a higher risk of fire?

Custom built. Many people who build their own PCs cut corners and this can lead to disastrous results like fire later.

Bear in mind that I’m not talking about just high-powered gaming rigs here. Any improperly wired/fan’d PC box can burn up.

OEM boxes on the other hand, be they by Dell, Apple, Gateway or the like almost never have fire threat issues, much less actually catch on fire. The manufacturing process is done in such a way where extra special attention is given to ensure fire (almost, repeat, almost) never happens.

Got a disaster story with a computer burning up?

Whether it’s your story or someone else’s box, let us know in the comment section. Bonus points if you have pics (although not required).

A big buzzword in any industry to do with electronics right now is “green”. Green, green, green. What does it mean, old bean? [/end corny rhyming here.]

It means anything that is less destructive to Mother Earth.

However there’s two parts to this. The first part is that the whatever-it-is must be less destructive now and less destructive as waste – which it will inevitably become.

Let’s take a look at how green a laptop can be.

Power Consumption

Green? Somewhat.

Whenever you’re running on batteries you’re not using power from the wall. This means you’re not needlessly using electricity from your utilities company and therefore is better for the environment.

When you are plugged in to the wall, a laptop’s power brick uses significantly less power compared to a standard PC’s power supply.

Most people would agree the bare minimum for an adequately powered computer requires a 300-watt PSU.

A laptop power brick ordinarily requires 65 watts or less. So even if you’re plugged in the wall you’re not using nearly as much juice as a standard PSU does.

The reason I label this as a “somewhat” green is because “gamer” laptops aren’t green. Some even require 120-watt power bricks just to power up and the battery life isn’t as good as standard laptops. Granted, it’s still far below 300 watt consumption, but if the goal is to be friendly to the environment, a 120-watt brick is wasteful.

If you want a better idea of what the watts means compared to other common household items, see this table.

Processor

Green? Yes.

Mobile processors are designed from the start to consume less power to extend battery life as much as possible. In addition they’re usually smaller which means less waste in the future.

Chassis/Case

Green? No.

If you own a laptop, there a high probability the chassis is plastic, and that plastic was made out of petroleum.

With standard PC cases you have the choice of the material its made out of, including steel which can be recycled later.

With laptops the most valuable thing in it to recyclers are its precious metals – but this obviously doesn’t include the chassis.

There are some rare instances where laptops have a chassis made from something other than plastic, but they are few and far between. One rare example is the current-generation Macbook which has an aluminum unibody.

Lifespan

Green? No.

This is the biggest knock against laptops in the green department. Full-sized PCs do last longer than laptops do (mostly because they’re not moved around). So even though you’ve got a much smaller footprint in power consumption and later e-waste, this may be all for naught if the thing dies too early.

Said in simpler terms: If you have to throw out 2 laptops in 5 years compared to only 1 standard PC in five years, the e-waste between each gets a little too close to a wash at that point. You’re still throwing out less overall bulk with the laptops but are needlessly using twice as much precious metals.

And yes I know there will be those that will say “My laptop has last x years just as long as a standard PC!” Good for you. But that still doesn’t eradicate the fact laptops bust quicker than full-sized computer boxes do.

End result – Is it green?

At the present state of the way most laptops are made, the short answer is yes. The long answer is “short term gain, long term loss”.

Short-term gain: Less power is used even when plugged in. Lower-powered CPUs are used. Laptop has far less of a footprint overall compared to a standard PC box.

Long-term loss: Plastic, plastic and more plastic. When the unit gets thrown out, the plastic and all its badness will go with it. And more laptops get thrown out than PCs do.

Hope for the future?

While most laptops still use too much plastic, they are being built thinner, lighter and more durable. The processors are also running cooler and faster at the same time. This makes the long-term result for Mother Earth not so bleak.

More information can be read here on e-waste and what it means to the Earth.

It was only a matter of time, but Intel has brought out the big guns and now has quad-core available for laptops. Five of them, to be exact.

Surprisingly, it won’t be that expensive. According to the article linked above, you can score an Acer Aspire laptop with an 18.4-inch screen (that’s frappin’ huge for a laptop) for $1,799. Not bad considering the horsepower that’s under the hood. However bear in mind it’s being billed as a gaming rig.

And what about the Macbooks? Oh, trust me, Intel will make their quad-core presence(s) in them soon enough, not to worry.

I estimate that more reasonably-sized laptops will get quad-core (i.e. 15 to 17-inch screens) in the 3rd quarter of ‘09 or possibly sooner.

I don’t know about you, but even with the power-extreme of quad-core in a laptop, an 18-inch screen is just too much. The unit isn’t exactly all that portable at that point.

For those that ask "What about heat?", bear in mind these are mobile processors we’re talking about, so the heat should be kept in check. What matters more is whether the manufacturer has designed a laptop chassis well enough to spread the heat evenly to avoid any nasty meltdowns.

One thing is for certain: Quad-core is not going to go obsolete for quite some time – even given the rapid progress of the computer industry as a whole. It is a purchase that should stay current for at least a good 3 to 4 years (assuming the laptop lasts that long).

Laptops traditionally command a high price tag than desktops and their resale value is undisputed.

You may have entertained the idea of buying a used laptop. Personally I recommend against doing this as new ones are easily under $500 these days. However, if you’re insistent on going used, here are a few tips. Continued

While this subject has already been discussed on PCMech.com, I saw a recent article which completely breaks down laptops. Before saying anything more, I want to make sure this post doesn’t turn into a ‘hatefest’ for either machine. This tip is intended for those who may be wanting to purchase a new laptop and are looking for objective information on making a decision.

That said, this article titled “Is the New MacBook Expensive?” is a great read. The article compares the Mac to similar (as close as you can reasonably get) Dell, IBM and Sony varieties and breaks down every component and option available. In short, the author concludes:

The MacBook is close in price to the laptops I looked at which it resembles most closely, all of which target what I think of as the low end of the high end of the notebook market; if there’s a Mac Tax here, it’s not worth worrying about. That said, it’s possible to get a somewhat more utilitarian 13-inch notebook–one that’s better-equipped than the MacBook in some respects, even–for a lot less.

If you are looking to purchase a new laptop and are considering a MacBook, this is an absolutely fantastic article to read.

I’ve written in the past about how easy it is to steal a laptop. While common sense still remains the best defense, a tool which may appeal to those which are extra cautious is Laptop Alarm.

This free to try program’s functionality is very simple, from their web site:

Laptop Alarm emits a loud alarm when:

The power cable is unplugged
The mouse is removed
The laptop is shut down

One of their testimonials states:

Laptop alarm is just great when I’m sitting at Starbucks or an airport and you got to go to the bathroom. I really can’t live without it

Now keep in mind here this tool is no substitute for common sense, rather a compliment to it. Someone could still forcefully shut off your machine very quickly by either holding down the power button for ~5 seconds or by removing the battery.

Compared to regular PCs, laptop upgrades are seriously simple to do. While you’d think the compact shape would make it more difficult to take apart and upgrade, this isn’t true.

In this article I’ll give you the how-to on three simple upgrades for major components – and how/where to get the parts you need.

Please Login or Register to read the rest of this article. Gold/Silver Membership required.

You might not realize it, but losing a laptop is a very common problem. In fact, according to a story in July of this year, a study by the Ponemon Institute shows that up to 12,000 laptops are lost at airport security checkpoints EVERY WEEK. How do you say “holy S**tballs” in geek?

But, there are solutions and, among them, is a free, open source option.

Continued

If you usually build your own desktop PC, you may have toyed with the idea of building your own laptop? Unfortunately, laptop barebones are quite hard to get by, unless you put out an order for a few thousand from your favorite ODM. OCZ is looking to change this, by letting you customize – and build – your own 15-inch gaming laptop.

Barebone Specs

The base model is built around the Intel PM965 (socket P) chipset, which supports the latest Penryn Core 2 Duo CPU’s up to the 2.6GHz T9600 and up to 4 GB of 667MHz DDR2 RAM. None of these components are included in the package, and neither is a hard drive or a wireless card. The idea is that you provide these components on your own, and hopefully, end up with an unusually cheap laptop.

One component that is not optional is the GPU, an Nvidia 8600M GT. This may be something of a let-down for some, especially when OCZ is branding it as a gaming notebook. The 8600 GPU is aging, and will soon be replaced by Nvidia’s 9-series equivalent 9600M GT. Most people who build their own are probably expecting to end up with the best laptop on the planet, and the 8600M is too old to comply.

Potential Issues

The so-called enthusiast market is pretty lucrative, and OZC could definitely be on to something with its new DIY laptop. Unfortunately for OCZ, some hard-core gamers will probably steer clear of the model because of the GPU. DIYers, or “Enthusiasts,” are usually well aware of what’s happening in the computer industry.

Another concern could be finding the components you want at the right price. Laptop components are usually quite expensive. Even though the barebone sells for only $699, a few high-end components could at least double that price. In the end, there’s no guarantee that it will be cheaper than if you buy a complete laptop, which makes it hard to justify a purchase like this.

How does it Work?

Judging from early reports in various forums online, it seems to be fairly easy to assemble the notebook. OCZ provides a complete set-up guide to minimize the chances of failure. In other words, if you’re used to PC building, this should be even easier. A list of validated components is also available at OCZ.com.

NOTE: This is a guest blog post by Jesper Carlson at Laptopical.com.

It really is, just take a look at this video. All it takes is you turning your head for 10 seconds to dig in your bag when you are in a coffee shop or some other wireless hot spot and *poof* your laptop can disappear. To make matters worse, if your laptop is stolen, any personal data is out of your control… which includes any browser saved user names and passwords to your bank or credit cards (which is why it is important you put a master password on your browser).

For the most part, common sense is your best weapon against laptop theft. Do not let the laptop out of your reach, or you can secure it to a table with protection cable.

There are several web sites available which offer good advise for protecting your laptop, but here are a few if you are too lazy to look:

• Preventing Laptop Theft
• Wikipedia page on Laptop Theft

Be smart.

Even though I champion Dell as the best go-to company for most consumers wanting a computer from a well-established company, my single largest complaint about them is the constant shifting of model names; it confuses the crap out of people.

Classic example: Inspiron. This should have never been made a desktop model name. Inspiron was known by everyone as “Oh, okay. That’s a laptop model.” Surprise! Not anymore! Now it’s a desktop and and laptop model name (groan…) Dell, seriously.. you gotta stop doing that.

So anyway, Dell now has a new laptop model called the Studio. You can see it now @ dell.com. I think ZDnet pretty much nailed it when they said “…offers a good mix of features for the price, but we’d be tempted to save up a few extra dollars for a thinner, lighter XPS.”

Yes, exactly. This model seems to have been shoved into the mix because… I don’t know. The 15-inch model is 6 frickin’ pounds (for a modern laptop that’s too heavy). and the processors used are nearing the end of their generation (tip: wait until September for the faster Centrino 2’s).

The Studio series is “cool” looking but it’s a mystery why Dell had to introduce yet another model into the mix. If this is the model destined to phase out Inspirons then I can understand that. But if it sticks around it makes no sense.

I’d pass on this one. If you were looking to buy a new Dell laptop, stick with the Inspiron or XPS models for the time being until Studio gets some more horsepower under the hood and goes on a diet.