starseerdrgn | Why I prefer laptops

Something I've been thinking about today is why I'm so obsessed with using a laptop instead of a desktop.

More than a few people have pointed out why desktops are better, since parts are easily upgraded and replaced. It's true, too. Desktops are better in that regard…for most people. But not for me.

For me, portability is more important than power. I can easily write—and play some casual games—on my MacBook Air, which is all I really do these days. Even art is trivial on this machine, with a dual core i5 at 1.7 GHz, 4GB of DDR3 memory, and a 128GB SSD.

I don't do much that needs a heavy-duty MacBook Pro right now. Even if I started getting into programming, I could easily use my MBAir to compile apps and such. I have a Mac Mini if absolutely necessary, but that's used mostly as a home theater system (unless I can find my tv).

Even on the Windows side, I use my Samsung failtop as my "work" machine, and my ASUS desktop is always regulated to being a media center. It's still sitting on the floor near the PC right now.

I like being able to take my work machine with me, and write while I'm away from home. I also like being able to work at my desk, on the sofa, on my bed, in the kitchen…When an idea hits me, I want to be able to act on it. I also want to be able to be comfortable while I'm working.

However, I also want a physical keyboard that makes the device lap-able, as some people phrase it. Something like an actual laptop, where the screen is supported on a hinge, and the keyboard itself is stable enough that it doesn't need something hard underneath to keep from breaking it.

My workflow is at its peak when I'm able to be mobile while I work, and have something physical to type with. Perhaps that's why I lust after products like the Astrohaus "FreeWrite" and MacBook Air, as they provide exactly what I feel I need to be an efficient writer.

That may also explain why I'm not fond of tablets, as they don't have physical keyboards that make them lap-able. They're made for independent hardware use in most situation, with no external devices necessary. That just doesn't work for me.

But hey, that's just a theory.