I am still happily using my 16” MacBook Pro for just about everything. In fact, I have hardly touched my desktop setup at all. This took me by surprise as I am visually challenged and need the largest scree I can get to operate a computer competently. I have a 32” monitor attached to my Mac mini. It serves me well. Despite that, I have been using my notebook without giving my desktop setup a moment’s thought. This is the first notebook I have owned that really can be my full-time computer without having to add desktop accessories.

However, when you have a 32” display, you are going to want to use it from time to time if only to watch movies and enjoy other forms of entertainment. 16” is great. 32” is even better. There is also just the ergonomics of using a laptop versus a desktop. The desktop will always win that battle. For these two reasons, I decided to give the desktop replacement setup another try. Here is what I have found so far:

Pros

Two screens are better than one, sometimes

I can’t make the case that everyone should use a dual-screen setup all the time. Even I don’t use a dual-screen setup all the time. But sometimes, it is just what the doctor ordered. Right now, I am running a dual-screen setup with my laptop connected to the 32” monitor. I am facing the big monitor with my laptop nearly at a right-angle to my left on a separate table. I am using a Magic Mouse as a pointing device.

This setup only works because I have excellent peripheral vision despite my overall vision being poor. I have mail open on the notebook screen so I don’t miss any of my incoming mail. I am viewing my word processor of choice on the big screen. You would be right to wonder why I don’t just put the laptop on my desk. Simple: The laptop has a huge footprint and I would have to do some rearranging to get both on my 4’ desk. This is something to consider before going dual. You have to put those monitors somewhere.

I don’t have to go dual at all. I can just close the lid of the notebook and it will go into what is called clamshell mode. The big monitor stays on while the laptop lid is closed. It immediately goes into Mirroring mode so all of your screens are consolidated into one. The computer is smart enough to remember how you had things set up when you were using dual screens. When you open the lid again, it will just return to the way things were the last time you used dual screens. That’s really smart and convenient. Just know that the computer has to be plugged into power for clamshell mode to work.

There are lots of ways you can take advantage of two screens. I tend to put my second screen to work displaying just a single app that I need to monitor. But you can use split-screen mode to put two apps on screen at once, or just tile several apps on one screen. If you have a lot of windows open, you can offload some of them to the secondary screen. You can even use the second screen to show a magnified version of your main screen. Two screens can be great if you can handle the cognitive load. Otherwise, just close the lid when it gets to be a bit much for you.

Ergonomics for the win

A laptop will never be as ergonomically satisfying as a desktop. If you place it high enough for comfortable typing, the screen is still low enough that you have to look down. If you raise it up so that you can look straight-ahead, the keyboard will be too high. One solution is to place the computer on a riser so that it will be at eye-level. You can then use an external keyboard. That can certainly work. And it is cheaper than buying a standalone monitor.

Thing is, you probably already have a keyboard, mouse, and monitor. That will usually be better than a makeshift solution. My recommendation is that if you are going to use a laptop as a desktop, invest in desktop accessories and peripherals. You will be able to use a traditional desk and traditional ergonomic chair. If you are at your desk as much as I am, this is an important consideration. Even so, I sometimes just take the laptop to my comfy recliner and put my feet up while I work. That is option you don’t have with a desktop.

No syncing issues

One of the main reasons a person might want to use a laptop as a desktop replacement is to consolidate two computers into one. It is a little more work maintaining a desktop and a laptop computer. You have to do twice as much updating, and keep two separate sets of information. This type of thing requires the information to be synchronized over both computers all the time. The last thing you want is to leave the house with the laptop, open your document, and find that it doesn’t have your last three hours worth of work. It happens.

The list of bad things that can happen when you depend on two computers staying in sync is too long. Suffice it to say that the list is not a factor when you only use one computer. The computer you were working on at home becomes the computer you are working on waiting for the train, sipping a ice, cold drink at the park, and meeting your client at the coffee shop. There is nothing to sync and no data to consolidate. Freedom!

Cons

More expensive

A notebook with comparable specs to a desktop will be more expensive, usually, by a lot. The notebook computer I am using right now (on a bus) lists for $2,400 before tax. The closest Mac desktop is the 27” iMac which lists for $1,800. That’s a $600 difference. If you already have a monitor, you could pick up a well-endowed Mac mini for $1,100. Think about all you could do with an extra $1,300 in your pocket.

Even for people with a lot of money, money is always an object. People who earned their money through hard work didn’t get rich by being stupid with their money. If money is an object, get a desktop rather than a power laptop unless you are very familiar and comfortable with the tradeoffs of that decision.

Desktops are more powerful

If absolute power is what’s important to you, a desktop is the only way to go. The reason is physics. There is always going to be more room inside a desktop chassis than a laptop. More room means better heat dissipation. Better thermals means you can have more powerful components. This is why gaming laptops are bigger than other laptops. There is not much left to say. If you need the power, you need a desktop. There will never be a laptop equivalent to a well-speced Mac Pro in our lifetimes.

Desktops are more reliable

Anything you carry with you is going to suffer more damage than something that never moves. This has nothing to do with build quality. Even a cheap desktop faces fewer existential risks than a well-built laptop. This is why it is so important to avoid moving parts like spinning disk drives in a laptop. There are too many ways to damage them.

Laptops also get lost, left in restaurants, on busses, at the office, or just plain stolen. No one steels a desktop unless there is a home burglary. If you are at Panera and have to use the restroom, you had better take that laptop with you or it might grow legs while you’re gone. My advice (though I don’t take it myself), buy AppleCare for laptops, skip it for desktops.

Two computers

With few exceptions, I have either been desktop only, or a two computer kind of guy. Only once did I have a period where the laptop was my only computer. While I am experimenting with that now, I have an iPad Pro connected to a Magic Keyboard case. That means this MacBook Pro is not my only computer.

Things get a little dicey when you have only one computer. It becomes a single point of failure. I can’t afford to have my only computer in a shop being repaired. Even if the failure isn’t bad enough to take down the whole system, a misbehaving system makes life difficult when you have no other options at your disposal.

While iPad is a great platform in its own rights, iPad is not Mac. No combination of pointer support and keyboard will change that. The iPad keeps me from being completely dead in the water. But it is no substitute for a Mac if what you need is a Mac. I spent a brief period with an iPad as my only computer. I managed to get my job done. but it was neither easy, nor something I would want to repeat. If my Mac broke, I would just buy another Mac. I wouldn’t try to go it alone with an iPad. That wouldn’t work for me. Your milage may vary.

That said, not everyone can afford to have two computers. Those same people might also need portability for whatever reason. In that case, don’t buy the cheapest laptop you can afford. That is a recipe for misery. What you should do instead is save your money until you can buy a good laptop near the high-end that will last. Be prepared to spend $1,800 at the low end for your notebook if it is going to be your only computer. At that level, it should be able to pull double-duty with ease. Always buy a little more computer than you need and you will never be disappointed with your purchase.

Conclusion: There is no replacement for what you need

At the end of the day, the only deciding factor is what you need the most. If you need a full computer that is also mobile, you have no choice but to have a laptop. The only choice is whether or not you will also purchase and maintain a desktop. Mac laptops are very good, and are versatile enough to serve both roles. A desktop has no chance of serving as a mobile.

While the term was popular many years ago, I have never liked the idea of a desktop replacement. I don’t see any reason to replace a tried and true form factor that serves the needs of so many people. Don’t worry about replacing your desktop unless you are just tired of maintaining two computers, as I am. My best advice is to get what you need. Beyond that priority, get what you love, in whatever quantities make you the happiest.

David Johnson