Notebooks named as increasing PC shipments, but notebooks have a shorter life? Why? - Page 2

get a sager or clevo, better comps than alienware, plus alien doesnt use the best parts like they used to. but im sure they will start to after their class action law suit. Plus ul save a shit load of money and get the same exact system.

I have replaced screens, memory, hard drives and cases on laptops and gotta say, more expensive than desktops, less versitile in some cases, more time to do the work, in some cases triple the time. Notebooks are ment to last around 2 years. I know that sounds like a short time but think about a top notebook from the end of 2003 (just over 2 years ago) would you buy it brand new now? I don't think so and the manufactures know that so they do not make these babies really tough, I had a toshiba portage that had the best case of any notebook I've everhad since, but it had a P3 650 in it, useless to me now. My gateway was bought in Nov 2004 top notch just about for a light notebook. Still really good but look at the specs of my new one and it is not at the top but near for it's wt and class. The gatway goes to my kid, his fujitsu doesn't cut it (7200 model) and my gateway was better.

I am starting a new job and was offered to choose what computer I wanted. I picked a Dell Latitude 820 but I might wait until the end of the month to see the new lineup.

I told my boss I wanted a lappy to be more transportable with a dock and 20" widescreen LCD. He was fine with that.

What job? Where are you working? I want that job! LOL. Seriously sweet.

Ransom

I hope there's no difference.
In desktop replacements anyway.

Laptops are more senstive,you carry them around with you. Desktops sit in one place and the only normal things that get used are CD,USB,Keyboard and mouse. Also laptop screens get broken really easily, i have fixed lots of acers with broken hinges

I would have to disagree with this post. I think in a general sense for the average users who normally have not lived, worked, and breathed on the go work, you would think that laptops life span is much lower than a desktop.

In the real world though you would be suprised to find out that many laptops out live desktops for use, this is especially true in companies. I know alot of guys who are still running Pentium 2 and Pentium 3 laptops, but their workstations are P4 based.

For those of us who remember what a pain upgrading these old beasts was, also know that newer machines like the i9300, XPS, alienware etc rigs are much easier to upgrade, have nearly or better performance than thier desktop counterparts, and really cannot be compared to a desktop. Placing them in the same group with a desktop would be an obvious mistake just on plain fact that they are "mobile". Only Toasters come close to the usefullness of laptops, and thats barely.

I myself just retired only a year ago an older latitude I had from 1999. Still works, is a little worn but can run many the apps I have now. I think now going forward topics like this would be more along the lines of their life span actually getting longer. I do not think notebooks really ever had a short lifespan, I just think some peeps have unrealist expectations as to what they were in the past, and don't give em enough credit for what they are. In the last year I retired both my old lappy and newer desktop which was pretty kickin, and have worked almost exlusively on my i9300, and the only reason I retired (sold it for $5 more than I bought it for FTW!) was because I wanted the better screen, core duo and 7800 =)

lmao, but doesn't Clevo make BOTH Sager AND Alienware's chassis and all they do it slap on their logo and sell it?

Clevo makes Sager chasis. Alienware does not use Clevo anymore. I do not know the names right off the bat but there are the big three or five makers of laptops. The story is posted on powernotebook.com's website. Alienware use to use Clevo to cut costs they use someone else now. Alienware is crap in my opinion. Go Sager.

I have a laptop thats from 1990 and it STILL WORKS! Also a few others,a little newer,and except being obsolete,they also work. I think HEAT is probably the number#1 killer of laptops, along with dropping them and pouring drinks into them right behind.BD51

Many laptops have some design objections, meanwhile the designs of desktops are rather mature.

I think the main reason why laptops sales have increased and the fact that they last shorter is simply because of the componets.

If the sound card goes out in most laptops, you'll have to buy a whole new motherboard, and it'll normally be cheaper to just upgrade to a new laptop. Where-as, if it was a desktop and the onboard sound card went out, it'll normally be cheaper to just get a new, upgraded motherboard that will work with all your current componets.

Plus other various reasons that people have posted, I think many things lead to the increase in laptop sales.

Yeah why was this even asked posted? Heat=shorter life, and laptops have heat.

Very untrue. Laptops have heat, they get jostled, etc etc bla bla. When the average person gets a different laptop, it isn't because the old one broke. It's because they got bored with it or something like that. Look around, there's millions of old old old laptops that still work just like when they were new, but that performance isn't good enough for most people. Human nature, if something better is available, we want it.

Far as I know Alienware still uses a few Clevo chassis, but mainly Uniwill now and also a third... compal maybe? I dont remember.

There is not a single laptop ever made that has "better performance" than a desktop counterpart. Unless by counterpart you mean, bought-a-desktop-two-years-ago-then-bought-a-laptop-and-the-laptop-is-better. If you have a p4 3.0 desktop with 40gb 7200rpm hd and a single PCI-E 7800gtx graphics card, 1gb of 533mhz RAM and a laptop with that EXACT same statistical and componential (is that a word?) configuration, the desktop will outperform it probably by 20% or more.

Also, a point I may mention: when is the last time you saw a desktop computer with a scratch on the lid? Never. When do you see worn out keyboards? Sometimes, but not often. Laptops have more wear-and-tear surfaces, like palmrests and lids, and I'm fairly sure a lot of people are like me: if it's scratched, it's just not as good as it used to be. How can you fix a worn palmrest? Buy a whole new laptop.

Also, the mxm website has some info around laptop makers WANTING to keep them non-upgradable, as they actually have marketing data that states that people just buy new units instead of upgrading.

another reason why their life may be short lived is how peole use them.....do they sit them on their lap and block vents......I am waiting on a sweet Hypersonic fuly loaded...I will buy me one of those laptop coolers that work off a usb port..it has fans that help keep the machine cool and it sort of works as a desk......they arent that expensive so I would suggest everyone with a laptop should get one

I saw this thread and asked myself what is the most replaced part on a desktop? the keyboard and mouse, these are not easily replaceable on a laptop. Since most large companies have a lease contract, they just return the whole laptop and get another. Whereas on a desktop, if all it needed was a mouse or keyboard, an on site tech would swap them out.

wealthier

itmay be that people who buy laptops are wealthier, and may, therefore, be able to change computers more often.

I remember before the time of laptops and only the perceived rich could afford a desktop at all. I also think that its the techno gap. We have new technologies emerging quicker and faster. When the first desktops (80386) came out the ability to upgrade came maybe 3 years later when a 80486 came out. A hard drive would cost $400 for a 80 meg drive. And you were rich to be able to afford such a large drive. Now my camera has more memory and my wristwatch has more mhz than my first AST.
I wonder how people upgrade because its become a necessity or because they just want to have the most current hardware?.

You think thats hard try using a Z92Km in a 81 Volkswagen Rabbit Pickup.

If you think about, larger machines generally last longer. I mean, remember the computers from the ice age that took up whole rooms? You didn't have to go about replacing those every three years