I don't know if I have an ancient mind, but as far as I'm concerned, 17" is hardly portable which is kind of the reason for laptops, and connecting an extra keyboard, mouse, and screen to a laptop defeats its purpose a bit.

Of course, both Ubuntu and Microsoft are working towards phones that can be connected to peripherals and expand to a desktop UX.

You should've called him Brad, you know? According to Jill Sobule, he's a hairy behemoth, which makes him... I'll stop here :P

To me a 17.3" laptop is a portable, but not mobile. It is still very easy to pack and move it around e.g. at my home, or even bring to some other place (e.g. our summer cottage). But would i want to carry it with me all the time every day, and turn it on in a crowded bus? No, for that I want a smaller and lighter laptop, or even a tablet/smartphone.

I don't see why connecting an external keyboard, if one happens to be available, defeats the purpose. Do you also refuse to use an USB mouse with a laptop, and only use the integrated trackpad? I rarely use the trackpad, only if I really am in a place with no flat surface whatsoever to use a mouse.

All right, to each their own. I prefer to use the pointing stick, if there is one, because no current laptops use a trackball which I really prefer, else the trackpad. I see little to no reason in bringing a mouse with me when the thing already has a pointing device built-in, especially since I more often use the keyboard for navigating around the system and the built-in pointing device is closer at hand for when I do use one so I don't have to move my hands. Also, using even a decent laser mouse on uneven, non-flat, or small surfaces is annoying at best.

Trackpad is less accurate and I constantly use the wheelbutton too which a trackpad doesn't have, that's why the trackpad is only a fallback option for me.

That small clitoris thumbstick... I never use it. I've always hated it, it is the worst mouse-like pointing device I know. Inaccurate, slow etc. I think a good test to see how good a pointing device is is to try to draw a freehand circle on Paint.

I practically always keep a small wireless mouse with my work laptop, and I use it even on the couch, moving it around the couch. I'm doing fine even in TeamFortress 2 with it, quite often ending in the top places in points on public servers. :)

Let it be of comfort to you that mine is (slightly) broken too, only one rear channel really functions (strangely, it doesn't matter which one I use, L and R both work, but if I plug in the second cable, I only get a single rear channel) so it's not a 5.1 speaker set no more, but 4.1 speakers.

When looking for a replacement, I couldn't find one neither, the ones that were suitable were far too expensive, while this one cost me something in the order of €60,- I couldn't find a suitable replacement below €200,-.


I too used to sit askew in front of my computer, but we warned, it increases the chance of RSI. I solved the problems I got with sitting straight and using a wrist rest.

I should probably remove those because it's not very "sightly", but in my mind, the alternative is that shiny surface will get all scratched over time and look horrendous. :p

Wacom pens are awesome in such scenarios, but I wouldn't use them for general computer use, much less gaming.

Holiday Inn Express?

Even so, I was using mine as a 3.1 for a good while because I couldn't be bothered mounting the surround speakers on the wall behind me. I mostly miss the remote, though, having all of volume, bass level, and on/off while still being small.

You are either a very tidy person or you broke THE ONLY RULE: ' don't tidy up first '

Ummm, yes! The furniture looks familiar?

But not anymore. Here's the new gaming station, in Kansas.

Exceptionally clean. Exceptionally depressing. So, what's it like to live in and out of hotels and motels?

And exceptionally cheap! Actually, I can't yet complain about this place. It IS clean, and my room is on the side away from the highway. Haven't tried the bed yet, and it's got the complimentary All Starch breakfast. We'll see. I'm here 'til Friday morning. If things aren't wrapped up at the customer by Friday afternoon then I'm screwed since every local hotel is booked up for Fri / Sat nights. Next nearest place is 45 minutes away.

Living on the road... it sucks. And it's okay. Sucks to be away from home for these long trips (2+ weeks this time), but sometimes it's nice to live a more stripped-down lifestyle. And by stripped-down, I mean removed from the encumbrances of whatever stuff awaits me at home; it's just me, my clothes, and my laptop bag. It would be better if I were one of the adventurous types who fully embraces whatever town ones finds oneself in. One of the worst parts for me, not be the travel adventurer, is passing time on the weekends. If the customer doesn't want to work Sat / Sun then I try to catch up on reading, games, and paperwork. Pretty exciting! But that's my fault, not the fault of the towns I visit.