Should I ditch my desktop ?

[Bobvfr]

I have a "Workstation" desk, with a nice leather chair that houses my PC, if I am typing, skyping or generally web surfing, I tend to sit here.

Underneath the desk I have a desktop, it's nothing special, an HP with an AMD A8 processor, with 14G memory (It had 2G but I stuck three extra 4G's in), with a 1TB medium speed hard disc, it is hooked up to a 28inch HD monitor and has an HP web cam and a pair of Logitech speakers (Run through the monitor) and a desktop USB microphone that I use for Skype.

Its main advantage that I can see is has a DVD, plenty of USB's and a SD card reader. And it just works, never gets hot, I have the monitor turn off after a few hours and don't have it in sleep mode, so it's ready to go instantly with all it's peripherals set up and working.

However I also have an Surface Pro 4 i7 and docking station (Plugged into the same monitor and speakers).

I am not going to spend any pennies upgrading the HP and it's motherboard is old so no real benefit if I did, and because of the SP4 I really couldn't justify another PC anyway.

So its stick or bust.

To complete the picture in the same room I have an Xbox One rigged up to a 65inch 4k TV, receiver and large speakers for my entertainment and the odd game I play (I plan on getting an Xbox X next year for the 4k experience). And I also have a 950XL with a docking station also plugged into the already mentioned monitor.

One of the reasons for considering the ditching of the desktop is my wife, she has a Surface Pro 3, docking station with keyboard and mouse plugged in, an HD monitor, a 950 and docking station, and an Xbox One connected to a 50 inch HD TV.

She is not the worlds top IT expert, I have showed her how to dock the SP3, I have it set so the monitor duplicates the SP3, (She really isn't going to move apps to different monitors) but I have never seen her use the SP3 as a desktop, she just plugs it in to the dock to charge it.

By ditching the desktop she would see me using mine as a PC and maybe get the hint......

The other obvious reasons would be to save some power, clear some space and more importantly cut out half a ton of cables.

It would take a few minutes to plug the webcam and microphone into the docking station, I have a USB card reader for all sizes of SD cards, the only loss would be the DVD that I probably haven't used for a year anyway.

What say you all.

 

[Bobvfr]

I should add, I have bought into UWP apps in a big way, so the ONLY win32 program that is on my desktop that currently isn't on my SP4 (I can soon change that) is Paint Shop Pro 5 (Yes I know it's old but it's about the best version of the program for the simple editing I need, cropping, resizing etc.) the other few would be drivers for the desktop.

If I can't run it on my SP4 or phone I don't want it, and I use Office 365, Groove (With a pass), Skype UWP app, OneDrive, OneNote and other UWP apps almost exclusively so almost every thing is just a duplicate from one device to the next.

 

[AndyCalling]

I see two problems to address here. Firstly, as you say, DVD writer. Grab an external USB DVD or BluRay writer to address that. Then there's the question of general storage and backup. I suggest you would benefit from a home NAS. Nothing complex, I recommend a Seagate Personal Cloud (probably two bay to keep a raid backup). Great for both you and your wife for data, and can be used to stream media to your Xbox. I think that should cover everything? Then you can move your data over and say goodbye to the old desktop PC.

 

[AndyCalling]

One extra point, it is worth having gigabit wired networking on your router (assuming your docking station is using a gigabit wired link to the router) because it makes a huge difference when transferring anything more than a few smaller files, which is an important consideration when using a NAS.

 

[Bobvfr]

We already have the network and back up's sorted, it really is just a matter of getting PSP5 installed on the SP4 (I forgot I also have Photoshop Elements 14 but to be absolutely honest PSP5 is better, I have really never used Elements once I discovered I still had PSP5).

Then getting the microphone and web cam sorted.

I have switched off the desktop and using the SP4 this morning, and see how I go when I take the SP4 over to the settee to use as a tablet and then walk past the blank screen on the desk when the SP4 isn't plugged in. I am sure I will get used to it.

Will make a decision next weekend and then do the cable recovery job.

 

[PerfectReign]

What say you all.

if it involves the wife, leave it be

 

[Bobvfr]

Wise words indeed.

 

[raycpl]

Do. Not. Cross. Swords. With. Senior. Management.

LOL

... !

 

[TechFreak1]

I would say keep the desktop as a back up incase you need to do some troubleshooting but that's just me.

Otherwise go for it, we all could do with using less electricity as fossil fuels are not a infinite source of energy.

 

[DSR11]

To each his own, but I could never be without my 8TB of porn and 1080p gaming on my 42' TV at any given time so....desktop stays up and running for me. :grin:

 

[ScubaDog]

It's really simple. Use the devices that best suit your needs. Value is expressed as a relationship between cost and benefit. If multiple devices are necessary, don't sweat what others tell you. If a single device gets it done, same thing. As for me, I have a home studio. I'm also a PC-only gamer. My studio has both my main computer for music and video production (live and recorded) and is my gaming computer. It necessarily has to have really high specs and be updatable/customizable as needed. My studio also has an older PC acting as a server for media for our entire household (because, even with the fastest cable internet service we can get, it can't match being able to watch at 1Gb on our network). I also have a 47" TV connected to the server for watching other-end-of-the-wire results of anything I'm broadcasting or just watching/listening to media in the studio while not taking cycles away from my main computer. In addition, I have my Surface Pro 3, which allows me completely wireless remote control of many aspects of my studio and network and makes an excellent music chart binder instead of printing paper charts.

So, there's no hard and fast rule. Whatever provides best value.

 

[ManofGod1000]

Why would anyone ditch there desktop is beyond me. If it dies and you do not want to replace it, that is one thing. But to just straight up ditch it is not really a good idea.

 

[Pappa Ed]

I do most of my daily computing on my phone. The rest is done on my netbook. Haven't had a desktop in years.

 

[Yangstax]

With so many new powerful graphic cards, CPU processors, large monitors and VR/MR headsets arriving to the market, you should add instead of ditching the desktop.

 

[sniperboywc]

You'll have to pry my desktop from my cold dead hands...

 

[COLIN BARNHORST]

I use laptops, tablets, and desktops. I don't forsee dropping desktops. Their cost/benefit advantages for expandibility and power and the way I use a primary computer makes them ideal for me. I simply cannot upgrade other form factors the way I can my desktops.

 

[LIEBER]

I don't have a desktop at home, but a "media PC" using my 55" 4k TV as monitor. I mainly use the PC for playback of movies and music, and some surfing. At work, I have a desktop, but could perhaps use a laptop -- e.g., my Surface Pro 4. Problem: computing power + *battery life*. I could trade computing power of laptop to increase battery life under some conditions...
* Win10 integrates a remote login-tool to job desktop or home "media PC". I'd like to be able to start a "terminal" window on laptop (adapted to size and resolution of laptop) which appears just as any other window -- so that I can switch between the local Windows window and the remote "terminal" -- and have simple access through internet/routers/... Essentially so that I can run "heavy" computational jobs on desktop/media PC in a way that makes it feel as if I ran the code locally.
* This requires that I have "perfect" internet access. Probably, 4G/5G connection is safer than wifi... I've had lots of problems to achieve decent wifi-access on my Surface Pro 4 (at times I have good wifi speed on smartphone (2Mbs), but horrible speed on Surface Pro 4 (1kBs)).
* If I this way could run code on desktop and use the laptop for simpler computations + as a monitor for the desktop, then I can run demanding code on a desktop and get long battery life on laptop.
* I'd also like to see better support for storage solutions for "media PC"/desktop. I currently use a 5-bay Drobo USB disk connected to media PC to hold data, and every night I mirror changes to a NAS for "backup". Not a perfect solution, but some apps have problems running files from NAS. With 15TB of movies, 0.5TB of music and 1 TB of photos, I'd like a better integrated system. NAS is somewhat complex to integrate with PC (for a normal consumer -- I'm not talking about hackers in this forum).
* Summary: I don't want to get rid of a "desktop". In fact, if I could have a "Threadripper" desktop for computations with a good storage set-up, simple access from a laptop via internet/router/..., a laptop of medium computation power and long battery life could serve me well.

 

[real0395]

I simply still have a desktop (well currently an all in one) because at home I prefer working on a larger screen and I occasionally do high end gaming, so I need a decent graphics card. I also have the surface pro 2017 because I need to be mobile and I take notes. IF I wasn't a gamer I would likely just use a similar docking experience to connect to a larger screen at home. I know things like eGPUs exist but it's still pretty expensive for what it offers and isn't so mainstream yet.

 

[ulfvar]

I have a laptop and desktop, I always prefer doing my work on the desktop. I prefer the bigger screen and the power my desktop provides. I only use my laptop when I am traveling.

If I could get an all in one that has the same power as my desktop does now I would be willing to pay a few thousand more for it just to save up space and wires that a normal desktop uses.

 

[Brian2014]

I will always have a desktop PC. I can't get on with a laptop or tablet. I like customising my pc too, laptops are limited in that respect