With notebook sales moving steadily upward and manufacturers touting the features of their new, low-priced models, is it time to ditch your desktop for a notebook? Could a notebook work double duty, both at home and on the road?
The answer for an increasing number of people is yes. For the 2007 holiday season, more than 75% (16 out of 20) of the top-selling PCs on Amazon.com were notebooks, and although the numbers weren’t out as of press time, the predicted results for the 2008 holiday season. Research firm IDC projects that by 2011, notebooks will enjoy a solid lead, with 66% and 71% of sales in the corporate and consumer worlds, respectively.
However, as most of parents drilled into us as children, just because everyone else is jumping off a bridge doesn’t necessarily mean we should do so.
If your desire to own a notebook is fueled by envy of cool-looking people tapping happily away outside your local coffee shop, think long and clearly about the decision. If you rarely travel or don’t find yourself pining for PC mobility when you do travel, a notebook-as-desktop solution may not be for you. This is especially true if you already have a smartphone with Internet access and other productivity enhancements.
However, if one of the following scenarios fits you, you are a prime candidate for a notebook-as-desktop replacement.
- You currently own both a notebook and desktop, and one of them needs upgrading
- You are considering purchasing a notebook for the first time.
- When traveling, you frequently head to a library, business center or other public PC to check email or perform key tasks.
- You have or are implementing a wireless network in your home and don’t already own a notebook.
With a notebook as a primary PC, you won’t spend hours copying files you need on the road from the desktop to a notebook or external, portable drive. You will never discover after you leave that you forgot to bring key information. Finally, you won’t return home with duplicate data sets you must resolve.
Furthermore, if you live in a hazard prone area such as the Gulf or Atlantic coasts or Tornado Alley, a notebook is a particularly sensible choice as your main PC. Admittedly, when disaster threatens, grabbing an external drive is as easy as unhooking a notebook.
However, if you lose touch with loved ones, an external drive won’t let you surf the Internet for news or send email messages.