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One more reason for switching to laptops Thread poster: Heinrich Pesch
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Heinrich Pesch 
Finland
Local time: 15:23
Member (2003)
Finnish to German
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If you think about buing a new machine, here is on more reason for buing a laptop: no disruption due to power failure any more.
Because the in-built battery will keep you running for at least 2 hours you will not suffer from data loss when a lightning strikes somewhere resulting in a power failure.
Regards
Heinrich
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Atenea Acevedo (X)
Local time: 06:23
English to Spanish
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| A question for laptop lovers... | Jun 19, 2006 |
Hi, Heinrich,
I hope you don't mind my replying to your posting with a question:
Am I the only one who just can't deal with laptop keyboards? My shoulders and wrists go on strike every time I try using a laptop. Are there any special secrets to being a successful laptop translator shooting 2,000-3,000 words/day?
Please, share!
Atenea
[Editado a las 2006-06-19 05:31]
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| You can use your favorite keyboard! | Jun 19, 2006 |
I personally change from one keyboard to another as taste strikes me. I just got myself a neat wireless keyboard and here I am, shooting words away! 
[Edited at 2006-06-19 05:40]
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| Laptops and keyboards | Jun 19, 2006 |
One can adjust to any reasonable laptop keyboard, but usually one performs best with a large desktop one. I always carry my Microsoft Natural along with the laptop, getting far better typing performance in the process.
Other than that, my main computer is a laptop, a desktop being used for Skype, backup and what have you.
Another caveat for laptops is that they are very stealable. I would recommend having a laptop safe in the office / home.
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Nicolette Ri (X)
Local time: 14:23
French to Dutch
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| Special secret | Jun 19, 2006 |
Atenea Acevedo wrote:
Am I the only one who just can't deal with laptop keyboards? My shoulders and wrists go on strike every time I try using a laptop. Are there any special secrets to being a successful laptop translator shooting 2,000-3,000 words/day?
The problem is that the laptop keyboard is too far away. Connect a normal keyboard (and a mouse) to your laptop. I work in this way for four years now, no problems.
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Balasubramaniam L.
India
Local time: 17:53
Member (2006)
English to Hindi
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SITE LOCALIZER | Power interruption is just one of the many factors to be considered | Jun 19, 2006 |
Where I am located (Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India), power disruptions are unheard of, and thunderstorms never interrupt with power supply for the cabling here is all underground.
Further, with UPS I can run my desktop PC for about an hour even if (ever) the power goes off.
Apart from the cramped keyboard of the lap top which others have pointed out, I find the small screen size irksome for I usually have more than three or four programmes running while translating: Trados W... See more Where I am located (Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India), power disruptions are unheard of, and thunderstorms never interrupt with power supply for the cabling here is all underground.
Further, with UPS I can run my desktop PC for about an hour even if (ever) the power goes off.
Apart from the cramped keyboard of the lap top which others have pointed out, I find the small screen size irksome for I usually have more than three or four programmes running while translating: Trados Workbench, MSWord, one or two electronic dictionaries and of course Google. The larger the screen size, the better under such circumstances.
Also, the laptop screen becomes invisible when looked at from certain angles which forces you to sit in a particular posture for long durations. This can give you a kink in the neck or a nasty back pain.
Lap top is only useful when travelling and in my opinion one should never allow it to take the place of the main work computer. ▲ Collapse
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| Laptop = Freedom | Jun 19, 2006 |
Just imagine the freedom you can enjoy with a laptop plugged wirelessly into a home router: the warmer room in winter, the coolest room in summer, in the garden if you have one or in your bed if you are sick.
And nowadays there are also several laptops available with a large screen resolution, so that keeping two program screens opened at the same time is not a problem anymore.
The only drawbacks are perhaps the lack of the dual-monitor capability and the more limited... See more Just imagine the freedom you can enjoy with a laptop plugged wirelessly into a home router: the warmer room in winter, the coolest room in summer, in the garden if you have one or in your bed if you are sick.
And nowadays there are also several laptops available with a large screen resolution, so that keeping two program screens opened at the same time is not a problem anymore.
The only drawbacks are perhaps the lack of the dual-monitor capability and the more limited hardware self-maintainability.
Mario Cerutti
http://www.aliseo.com
[Edited at 2006-06-19 08:07] ▲ Collapse
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Fan Gao
Australia
Local time: 22:23
English to Chinese
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| Laptops are portable and....... | Jun 19, 2006 |
...that's all they're good for.
I agree with Balasubramaniam in that the advantages of a desktop will always outweigh that of a laptop.
Technology progresses and things get smaller but with PCs....bigger is better! That's my motto for this topic:)
Mark
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Heinrich Pesch
Finland
Local time: 15:23
Member (2003)
Finnish to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
I used a 17 inch liquid chrystal screen for about three years, before I got my laptop. First I had planned to use the old screen in parallel with the inbuilt screen (easy to plug in), but I never found it necessary. I plugged my old keyboard and my old mouse via USB-adapter into the laptop (stupid word, never keep it in my lap) and work in exactly the same position as before, on the same chair at the same desk (with keyboard shelve).
Though the screen is a bit smaller I'm just too lazy to... See more I used a 17 inch liquid chrystal screen for about three years, before I got my laptop. First I had planned to use the old screen in parallel with the inbuilt screen (easy to plug in), but I never found it necessary. I plugged my old keyboard and my old mouse via USB-adapter into the laptop (stupid word, never keep it in my lap) and work in exactly the same position as before, on the same chair at the same desk (with keyboard shelve).
Though the screen is a bit smaller I'm just too lazy to plug the TFT in. I work seldom with workbench, perhaps when a bigger Trados job comes in I will try it.
I do not intend to use the portable computer (=laptop) on journeys, perhaps I will take it sometimes with me to show our photos to relatives. I cannot find any reason why I would spoil my holiday by taking work along.
I just wanted to point this advantage out to colleagues which are not so fortunate as Balasubramaniam from India. Power failures are rare, but they usually happen when important work is in progress and you have no backup.
IN addition to lightning there are storms and snowstorms felling trees agains powerlines, last winter was a record breaking season in this respect.
Happy Midsommer week to all!
Heinrich
[Bearbeitet am 2006-06-19 07:55] ▲ Collapse
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Myron Netchypor
Ukraine
Local time: 15:23
Member (2003)
English to Ukrainian
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MODERATOR | keybord + mouse | Jun 19, 2006 |
When I bought a laptop a year ago, I bought at the same time the USB-keybord, and the mouse, and they really go together well! I hit 800 - 1200 word an hour depending on the subject. Besides, very useful thing is a second monitor. I connected to the laptop the 15'' LCD monitor (that was left from my desktop), and now I cannot imagine how could I work earlier with only one screen.
Balasubramaniam, as far as I know the average UPS can provide electricity up to 15 - 25 minutes (besid... See more When I bought a laptop a year ago, I bought at the same time the USB-keybord, and the mouse, and they really go together well! I hit 800 - 1200 word an hour depending on the subject. Besides, very useful thing is a second monitor. I connected to the laptop the 15'' LCD monitor (that was left from my desktop), and now I cannot imagine how could I work earlier with only one screen.
Balasubramaniam, as far as I know the average UPS can provide electricity up to 15 - 25 minutes (besides, the longer time – the higher price), and they are designed mainly to provide the safe switching off of the computer, while on the laptop you can work up to 3-4 hours without electricity. ▲ Collapse
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Myron Netchypor
Ukraine
Local time: 15:23
Member (2003)
English to Ukrainian
+ ...
MODERATOR
Balasubramaniam wrote:
Also, the laptop screen becomes invisible when looked at from certain angles which forces you to sit in a particular posture for long durations.
Let me disagree with you. The view angles of the laptop screen are very convenient to work with, unless you are working with graphic, and need 100% correctness of rendering the colours.
[Edited at 2006-06-19 09:43]
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Jerzy Czopik
Germany
Local time: 14:23
Member (2003)
Polish to German
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| One has to find the best soultion for himself on his own | Jun 19, 2006 |
But I disagree that a laptop can fully replace a desktop.
Laptops have surely their advantages, but if you consider the price and what you get for desktop is simply better. With laptop you almost always have to stick to what you bought, enhancing something is both complicated and very expensive. Laptop performance lays behind a performance of a desktop PC.
I would prefer to have both: a desktop for daily working and a laptop for travelling.
Regards
Jerzy
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| why not both... | Jun 19, 2006 |
well, I live at a place where we have quite a few power-cuts (in and around Delhi) so most people have an inverter (sine-wave if you want to operate a computer).
Well, I have a computer and am going to buy a laptop. Why? Simply because of the freedom it gives... come on... consider sitting in a garden and working much more interesting than anything else... and of course it's possible these days with wireless internet connection. But you can't actually move you PC the way you ca... See more well, I live at a place where we have quite a few power-cuts (in and around Delhi) so most people have an inverter (sine-wave if you want to operate a computer).
Well, I have a computer and am going to buy a laptop. Why? Simply because of the freedom it gives... come on... consider sitting in a garden and working much more interesting than anything else... and of course it's possible these days with wireless internet connection. But you can't actually move you PC the way you can move a laptop and I have often worked in Gardens and find it much more motivating... only, earlier I had to carry papers and then type it.. whereas now I'll be able to do it directly on the computer and save valuable time... and of course while travelling which means I'll increase my output and what I call pleasure quotient (PQ)
And of course it's especially motivating for everyone if you work in a team... I remember, I managed an important translation project for an organisation where I was working full time. The work had to be completed over the weekend and people were not very willing to work over the weekend and it was my responsibility to get it completed on time... so... we took the printouts went to a big garden with all our stuff and worked... ate and had a lot of fun in general (sort of picnic) while working. And we actually completed it on time. And the organization was quite happy with it, of course. On top of it we got some days off for that weekend.
I love my work and enjoy the freedom it offers... so I'm just considering adding to it. And I don't mind increasing the PQ if I can... I mean, why not?
Ritu
[Edited at 2006-06-19 10:21] ▲ Collapse
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Pilar T. Bayle (X)
Local time: 14:23
English to Spanish
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Jerzy Czopik wrote:
I would prefer to have both: a desktop for daily working and a laptop for travelling.
I just bought a new CPU today, since my old one died during the weekend (terrible death, I have my two HDDs in the freezer to try to make them usable for a while, so that I can extract the last things not covered in the backup copy).
We have a laptop at home and I was running it during the weekend. Although we have an extra wireless keyboard and mouse for it, after a while my eyes get troubled by the screen, no matter what I do.
So, for long hours, everyday work, I do prefer a regular desktop machine. Another advantage of it is being able to expand hardware as much as you want, something also possible with the laptop, but always with a visit to the shop.
I aim at being self-sufficient with my PCs, not just softwarewise, but also in the hardware department.
P.
www.pbayle.com/blogs
PS: As for losing power, I recommend a UPS, a parallel UPS, in which the machine is always running on batteries, which absorb all peaks and sags, as well as poweroffs. Yeah, sure, after a while you have to turn it off, but it may be a great chance to take some time off.
[Edited at 2006-06-19 11:30]
[Edited at 2006-06-19 13:09]
[Edited at 2006-06-19 13:11]
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| Laptop lover | Jun 19, 2006 |
It is a matter of habits, I suppose. I have been working exclusively with laptops for 16 years now - the first one weighed 8 kg! - and I simply cannot work with a desktop PC. I love their design and look, and you have models just as powerful as any desktop unit. I find laptop's keyboard extremely comfortable, the only external thing I use is a mouse. With the latest high resolution models there are no longer any viewing angle problems, even working with complex graphics, video, etc. Current scre... See more It is a matter of habits, I suppose. I have been working exclusively with laptops for 16 years now - the first one weighed 8 kg! - and I simply cannot work with a desktop PC. I love their design and look, and you have models just as powerful as any desktop unit. I find laptop's keyboard extremely comfortable, the only external thing I use is a mouse. With the latest high resolution models there are no longer any viewing angle problems, even working with complex graphics, video, etc. Current screen sizes provide enough room for everything. In-house mobility is a great advantage, especially with a wireless router - I can work everywhere at home and in the garden... I have still to try the bathtube hahahaaa. And if you have to move, you simply unplug it, take it under your arm and go. I renew my laptop every two-three years and keep the old one for backup purpose.
Cristóbal ▲ Collapse
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