Marco's RTG : Notebook

It's Not Just A Docking Station Anymore

Marco C — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 22:45:00 GMT

The vast majority of notebook docking stations have traditionally been nothing more than port replicators or breakout docks that give users the ability to quickly connect their portable computers to desktop-bound accessories, like keyboards, mice, and monitors. Sure, there have been some hybrid docking stations that have allowed for increased expansion options on some notebooks, but they are the exceptions, not the norm.

I think it's time for that to change. Notebook sales have been outpacing desktops for quite some time now, but that doesn't mean all of those notebook buyers have chosen a portable machine over a desktop. Some of them, perhaps most of them, bought a notebook as a compliment to a desktop PC. Regardless of the convenience of a notebook, for some there's just no substituting for a large screen, quality input devices, and the performance of a desktop PC. With that in mind, I think it's time to take the notebook docking station concept up a notch to better appease these users, and equip the devices with capabilities that can morph the notebook into something much more powerful, while also offering additional functionality to other PC users in the home (or office).

A number of current notebooks offer hybrid graphics subsystems that give users the ability to switch between low-power integrated graphics and higher-performing discreet solutions. The technology already exists to allow for switchable graphics, so why not integrate the higher-performing discreet graphics into a docking station--which will be connected to a larger screen--to allow for higher performance when connected?

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The Best Gaming Notebook Money Can't Buy

Marco C — Sat, 30 May 2009 02:10:00 GMT

I'm a bit of a Left 4 Dead addict. I have been a PC gamer for close to 27 years now, if you count those myriad hours spent banging away on my first Commodore 64, and I've come to the decision that Left 4 Dead ranks in my top three all-time guilty pleasures. I can't even fathom how much time I spent scrambling through levels in Impossible Mission on the C64. The first Unreal Tournament probably cost me my job at the time. And now, whenever I can squeeze in a few minutes of carnage, I fire up Left 4 Dead. It's just the kind of mindless fun that gets me fired up. I neither have the attention span nor time for a MMORPG and strategy games just don't do it for me. Plus, the camaraderie that develops over a round of L4D can be awesome--I've played with soldiers deployed in Iraq, young kids playing hooky from school, grouchy old, bearded bikers, you name it. Cooperative multi-player gaming is where it's at. Wouldn't you agree?

There is only one thing that would elevate my L4D experience to a whole new level--being able to play it wherever I can flip open my laptop...

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Left 4 Dead: I Prefer The Auto-Shotty, But The Assault Rifle Will Do

Your Next PC Won't Be A MID

Marco C — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:14:00 GMT

With all of the recent hype and buzz surrounding netbooks, Intel's Atom processor, VIA's Nano processor, and mobile computing in general, we decided to put up a poll a little while back asking about your next PC purchase. We asked whether your next PC would be a desktop system, notebook, netbook, MID (mobile internet device), SmartPhone, or another type of computing device.

If you pay attention to recent market trends that show mobile systems outselling desktops, you'd probably surmise that notebooks and netbooks would be the most popular choices, but that didn't turn out to be the case in our poll. In fact, notebooks and netbooks combined received fewer votes than the desktop option. And despite a seemingly never-ending supply of iPhone related stories, SmartPhones were decidedly low on the list as well.

As of the time of this writing, we had received nearly 4000 votes--not an insignificant number. And of those votes, 56% planned to buy a new desktop system, 23% percent a new notebook, 14% a new netbook, and the rest of the field shared the remaining 8% (yes, I know that doesn't add up to exactly 100%; the discrepancy is due to rounding errors in our polling engine).

So, what do these numbers tell us? Well, for one, the PC enthusiast community marches to the beat of their own drum and doesn't necessarily follow the overall market trend. Although notebooks and netbooks are becoming increasingly more popular with general consumers, the majority of PC enthusiasts still plan to buy new desktop systems. Why? We didn't ask, but we suspect performance, upgradeability, and the satisfaction of building their own rigs are large contributors to their decisions.

More surprising than the desktop vs. notebooks comparison, however, are the MID and SmartPhone results. I personally view MIDs and SmartPhones as accessories to a desktop PC and thought many HotHardware readers would as well. Having had firsthand experience with a number of MIDs and SmartPhones, I came to the conclusion that neither would ever replace my PC, but I could definitely see the value in each and plan to purchase a MID at some point to compliment my PC. Personally, I couldn't function normally without my SmartPhone any longer, and suspected they'd be a more popular choice in the poll. For MIDs, the outlook is more bleak. It looks like they won't be selling very well with enthusiasts at all--at least not yet.

What say you? Will the majority of your technology purchases revolve around your desktop PC, or is there another type of device in your future?