I’ve only been using laptops since 2006. Why? Because they’re powerful enough!

The last time I owned a desktop computer was in 2006, which was a computer I built from scratch myself since 2002 and then upgrading it as I went along and new hardware came out. In 2006 I bought my first Mac, a MacBook notebook (or laptop, some might say) and sold the desktop. Since then, I haven’t owned a big, chunky and powerful desktop computer.

Why?

Because I found that, besides the most extreme gaming applications, I was able to do everything with a laptop that I used my desktop computer for. Gaming? I do, sometimes, like to play a game, but with Xbox and PlayStation 3 consoles getting cheaper and cheaper, why not play your games on such devices and take advantage of a big TV and possibly surround sound as well instead of playing in front of your computer sitting on a desk? That’s what I prefer, at least.

A lot of water has run under the bridge since my first MacBook in 2006 and I’m now on a 2010 MacBook Pro i7 notebook which I bought after I found out I needed something powerful to work with my RAW files in photography. That’s right, I use a laptop to work on 15-20mb RAW files in Aperture 3 – and it does a really good job at at it as well. I also use it for video editing and conversion, also, no problem at all.

There are, however, times when you might not want to work exclusively on a desktop, for example:

• If you’re a professional and your income depends on a powerful and stable computer, a desktop solution might (still) be the best way to go.
• You really have absolutely no need to be able to take your computer with you and you don’t plan on having that need within the next few years either.

If you’re a Mac user and you need something powerful, MacBook Pro is the way to go. If you’re into Windows, you might want to take a look at the Dell XPS series. The first time I learned about, and saw, a Dell XPS was also in 2006. It was quite a powerful laptop already back then and XPS continues today being a name that indicates plenty of power under the hood, well, under the keyboard.

What else can you do with a Dell XPS laptop here in 2010, soon to be 2011?

• Great visual experience with performance graphics and a vibrant HD screen.
• Immersive sound with high-end integrated speakers (Del XPS laptops come with JBL designed and certified speakers as standard).
• Integrated web cam, of course.
• Wide range of connectivity including wireless (wi-fi) and HDMI port.

With the HDMI port you can, using a single cable, connect your laptop to your TV and you have both audio and video coming out through your TV – and your laptop just turned into an entertainment centre!

Laptops are no longer just about office productivity and e-mail. If the extra cost of a laptop compared to a desktop is worth the ability to take it with you everywhere you go, why not try a laptop next time and say bye-bye to that chunky dust-gathering desktop?

Further information about Dell XPS can be found on www.dell.co.uk/xps

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