Best Desktop Replacement Notebooks
I think the main reason why people buy notebooks as desktop replacements is the lack of space inside their home. Other than that, I still believe and old fashioned computer can offer good performance for less money, and the components are also cheaper in case you want to upgrade. Anyway, we have tried to look into some if the best desktop replacement notebooks.
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For $1164 dollars you can buy the Dell Studio 17. This notebook is files under “multimedia laptops” but it has some pretty good specs for its price and the 17.3 inch display is the ideal size for a desktop replacement. A minus would have to be the fact that you have to pay extra if you want the full HD screen. The design of the notebook does not have anything which can be considered too appealing. It has pretty much the same design as the other Dell Studio notebooks. If you like the satin lid, we’ll let you know it’s available in 5 different colors and which is not a fingerprint magnet like other Dell notebook’s lids are. When you open the lid you will come across the matte black keyboard and the silver area of the palm rest. As expected, the Studio 17 has a set of multimedia touch sensitive controls that blink when you touch them and they respond to your every command.
If you are heavy user of the keyboard and type really fast, you may notice that they keyboard has some flex which may disturb you. If you slow down and type at a more “calmer” pace, then this problem will disappear. The touchpad is large so there is nothing to complain about. Since you will be using this notebook as a desktop replacement, we think it’s best you get yourself an external mouse which may prove faster and more efficient. Even if the display has a glossy finish, the side angles are quite ok so you can enjoy a movie with a couple of friends or family when you gather around this notebook. The JBL speakers are ok and the sound quality is decent. You can enjoy a movie or some tunes without having to attach any external speakers or put your headphones ok. To really live up to the title of “best desktop replacement notebook”, any machine has to have a sufficient number of ports and connection as not to limit the possibilities of the users. The Dell Studio 17 has 3 USB ports, one HDMI out, a Display port, a VGA port, a FireWire port, an Express Card Slot, an Ethernet jack, a super 8-in-1 media card reader, plus two headphones and one microphone jack.
Above the display there is a 2.0 mega pixel webcam which has become quite a necessary feature since social networks allow us to make friends all around the globe and video chat programs such as Skype allow us to have some real time fruitful conversations. The 1.6-GHz Intel Core i7-720QM processor combined with 4 GB of RAM (with the possibility to upgrade to a maximum 8 GB), 320 GB of solid state drive and the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 graphics card with 1 GB of video memory will surely provide some power, just enough to keep you satisfied and determine you to keep using this notebook. I think it’s fair to say that this $1164 notebook offers the performance of a more expensive one so it may prove to be a wise investment for your home.
In our opinion, one of the best desktop replacement notebooks is the Toshiba Qosmio X505. The unit reviewed is worth about $1900. First of all, it’s not at all expensive if we compare it to other Toshiba Qosmio models. It’s a multimedia notebook that offers the best specs for all the money you pay. The design of this notebook is definitely something you’ll remember long after you first see it. The black chassis with red touches got us thinking that it’s funny how this laptop can be serious, mysterious and furious at the same time. 4 USB ports, a HDMI port, a Kensington lock slot, an Ethernet port, a FireWire port, an Express Card slot, a 5-in-1 memory card reader plus the headphones and microphone jacks should be enough to go wild with this notebook as you please.
In our opinion, this keyboard is somewhere close to perfection. It resembles a regular computer keyboard, with fully sized keys and a numerical pad. On left side of the keyboard there is a set of multimedia control buttons for different commands like adjusting the sound volume of launching Windows Media Player. The touchpad is accurate and pleasant to use but we still recommend an external mouse if you plan to play any games. I must admit, I expected to find a 2.0 mega pixel webcam on this unit instead of a 1.3 one but this doesn’t mean you can’t get some good video images especially if you are using Skype which is, in our opinion, the best program for video chatting. 1.6-GHz Intel Core i7-720QM processor, 6 GB of RAM (and you can upgrade to a maximum 8 GB), 320 GB of disk space and a nVidia GeForce GTS 250M graphics card with 1 GB of video memory is a combination that will show you what it means to have a truly powerful notebook.
And since it’s so powerful, don’t get your hopes up to high as far battery life is concerned. When you browse the internet continuously with wireless turned on, the notebook will stay on for about 3 hours. What else did you expect from this 18.4 inch monster? Since it’s pretty heavy, we’re sure you didn’t plan on carrying around much, so it will probably stay on your desk and connected to a power outlet most of the time. You can even play some games but don’t expect the performance of an Alienware.
The two notebooks we have presented are just a few examples of what a good desktop replacement should look like. There are still many more models you can choose from, it’s just a matter of finding some spare time to do the research.
