It's definitely a double-edged sword though... because MAN this new laptop is FAST... but it takes me literally an entire day to get everything CLOSE to where my settings / preferences on my old laptop were... and another month or two of constant tweaking.

Oh, and for those of you who don't know - my laptop IS my workstation. I have a laptop and a giant external monitor. So this is what I do all of my stuff on. Then my old laptop gets demoted to travel laptop, and my travel laptop gets put on a shelf in case the "server" laptop dies. Then the backup shelf laptop gets donated.

I'm all about the laptops. Can't remember the last time I had a desktop case. I think I got rid of the last one in 2014 or so... around the time laptops became powerful enough to replace desktops.

What are the specs on the new baby?

I've tried using laptops but have always gravitated back to desktops.  I guess some people need the mobility more than others.  I went to school in an era when pencils and physical notebooks were used in classes.  I imagine nowadays, mobile devices are essential in schools.

In the 90s and 2000s, when my consultant visited our office, he didn't bring a laptop, and had to use one of our computers to do his work.  He was an excellent consultant so we accommodated him.  I can't imagine any consultant today who has to travel to various sites not carrying a laptop or mobile device of some kind.

That's just the thing... I don't take my work laptop anywhere. It just sits on my desk. My travel laptop goes on the road with me. I guess I just like laptops. Lol.

Specs... Lenovo Legion 5i, 17.3" 1920 x 1080 144Hz, Intel Core i7-11800H 8-Core, Nvidia Geforce RTX 3050 Ti 6GB, 64GB DDR4, 4TB SSD, Windows 11 Pro, RGB Backlit KB, 720p HD Camera, Blue.

This is my third Lenovo Legion. Absolutely love them.

Sweet

https://github.com/jayharris/dotfiles-windows

I'm like Kevin, I've got to have a desktop PC. I've tried using a laptops, and just can't make myself like them.

I'll go with Janeway...and her Coffee.  OK I wont' go with her because Coffee black.  I like mine as adulterated hot chocolate.. er mocha.   64GB what the?  I looked a Levano but ended up with the Surface Laptop that I have... that is my road one.  Like Sandra I prefer the desktop. I want the full keyboard granted yeah I could get another keyboard etc.

I miss my full click keyboard

I had two Lenovos. The keyboards gave out just after the warranty ended. If you're hard on them, as I am, check it out before the warranty ends.

I loved the 60% battery life saver setting on Lenovo. I haven't found that on any other laptops. My two HPs are holding up (but the "student" model is a slow dog--about as fast as a 10-year-old Toshiba). So far, an ASUS is doing very well, for a discount model with lots of features. I bought two of those micro-PC that sell for under $200 for testing the splitting of Access. They come with malware, but I reinstalled Windows immediately and they seem okey. Presently the trash heap has two Lenovos, one Acer and one HP all lasting no more than two years.

Yes, the smaller keyboards aren't fun on my laptops, that's the only complaint, well that and the small display letters that I can't see well at times. I view code on the big monitor, a real headache saver.

I'm also not crazy about laptop keyboards.  I use a mechanical keyboard for my desktop PC, the kind that makes loud tapping sounds that could drive your co-workers crazy in the office (and makes your office sound like a firing squad).  That is why most office workers use "silent" keyboards nowadays, and they bring the habit back home with them.  But those keyboards are not nearly as comfortable to type on as mechanical keyboards.

I love my mechanical keyboard
It even lights up

We know Alex, we can hear it. lol

My mechanical keyboard is a Logitech G910 that costs $150, and it has plenty of quality-of-life features besides being comfortable to type on:

- A button to turn the lights on or off on all the keys, great for low-light and bright-light conditions.
- Software that can customize the colors for said lights.
- Software that can customize different keyboard lighting schemes for different applications.
- A button to turn off the Windows key to prevent accidental pressing of it.
- A "dock" to hold your smartphone (or tablet) up; see picture below.
- Programmable macro keys.
- Two swappable wrist rests -- one bigger, one smaller, for different hand sizes.

Redragon K551 MITRA 104 Key LED Backlit Mechanical Keyboard with Blue Switches

https://www.redragonzone.com/products/redragon-k551-mitr-104-key-led-backlit-mechanical-keyboard-with-blue-switches

Keychron K5 Max QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard ISO Layout

https://www.keychron.uk/products/keychron-k5-max-qmk-wireless-custom-mechanical-keyboard-iso-layout-collection

My first "mechanical" keyboard after university. Oh yes, it made a good clacking sound, almost like a Remington manual typewriter that my dad used for his publishing.

I've used an Ergonomic Keyboard for over 30 years. Every since taking my daughter roller skating landed me in the ER and using a regular keyboard felt like being stabbed with an ice pick. I've used them ever since, and can't type the word "the" on a regular keyboard with making three mistakes. :)

That's one of the reasons I got a new laptop... The space bar is starting to go on my old one. Plus it's 3 or 4 years old, so it's time. I used to be a lot rougher on keyboards, but now voice recognition has gotten so good that I barely type anymore.

Lenovo is having a Labor Day sale, so I checked out the Legion laptops which Richard just bought.  A 16-inch model weighs 5 pounds.  The charger is the dreaded gigantic "brick" that weighs another 2 lbs.  So I expect Richard's 17" model to weigh even more.  This is just not conducive to mobility.  The last laptop I used was a Samsung notebook (now called Galaxy Book) that weighs only 3 lbs total.

Richard, you said your laptop will mainly stay at home.  If I have a small apartment and/or tight working space that doesn't accommodate a desktop PC, I may consider that route.  But I may also consider doing a bit of re-furnishing and/or re-modeling of my working space, which may not even cost $2k -- which I'm guessing is your laptop's cost based on the specs.

Laptops excel over desktops mainly due to their smallness and mobility.  In practically every other aspect, desktops excel.   If I don't need to move around and don't have tight working space, laptops are usually a hard pass for me.

Here's a link to the exact laptop that I bought. I have bought three iterations of the same laptop every couple of years. As the old one gets old, it then gets kicked down to my travel laptop. I have a third one (the oldest) which I use for the "server" machine. I prefer a laptop due to the smaller size requirements on my desk. I plug it into a widescreen monitor, and it's the perfect setup for me.

I don't really need cutting-edge technology. If I was playing games, I'd obviously want something faster, but for the work I do, this is perfect. As far as mobility goes, it is a little large in the backpack when I travel, but it's not that bad. I honestly keep the brick-sized charger in my checked suitcase so I'm not lugging that around too. I mostly carry the laptop so I can work at my destination. If I do need to use it at the airport or on the plane, I usually have enough power stored in the battery to get done what I need to get done.

Let's be honest; this giant laptop isn't fitting on any plane tray table, even in first class. But yeah, ever since I switched to laptops about 5 or 6 years ago full-time, I can't see myself going back. Desktop or tower cases are just so giant. The only downside with laptops that I have is that they're difficult to work with if you get a key on the keyboard that goes out. It's a huge pain to replace the keyboard. For instance, my last laptop'one of the major reasons I upgraded'was because the space bar was starting to act weird.

But yeah, laptops are a little more expensive, but hey, it's a business expense, so it comes right off the taxes. :)

The Legion laptops are gaming laptops, which are the most expensive of all mobile devices.  Since you don't use them for gaming, you probably should buy a regular laptop with Intel integrated graphics.  Also, the gaming GPU in your specs (3050) is quite old, so the laptop model is probably a few years old.  The latest Legion laptops all come with 40xx graphics.  Did you choose a gaming laptop because of the sturdy build?  Gaming is resource intensive, so it requires top-of-the-line hardware, which is often bulky (and sturdy), and that explains the weight.  Since you use these for business, you are not really using these laptops for the purpose that they are designed for.

@ Richard, Let's look at the "it comes right of the taxes".
I'll work with nice even numbers to do the math.
Assume:
Net income before taxes: $100
Cost of new equipment: $30
Overall tax rate: 25%

Taxes without the equipment purchase: $25 (100 * 0.25)
Taxes with equipment purchase: $17.50 ((100-30) * 0.25)
"Savings" in taxes when purchasing $30 equipment = 7.50 (25 - 17.50)
After tax cost of $30 equipment purchase: $22.50 (30 - 7.50)

Your results may vary depending on your federal and state tax brackets. ;)

There is 10 more hours in Lenovo's Labor Day sale ( https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/d/deals/doorbusters/ ) and I almost bought something, but decided not to.  

I'm going to spend my money next year, when Windows 10 support ends, to buy (or build) a new Windows 11 desktop PC instead.  My current PC was built 5 years ago when Windows 7 support ended.

I do have a couple of old laptops that run Windows 7 and XP.  After I upgrade to Win11, maybe I'll get an old laptop with Win10.  As many computer geeks know, sometimes you need the old Windows versions at hand.  And laptops are great for that purpose because they're not bulky like desktops.

Kevin: I found a gaming laptop to work best because I do a lot of video work which involves video editing and piecing together video segments. I also run some resource-intensive stuff that generates the transcripts and handbooks and all that, and I've just found the gaming laptops work better. And yeah, I do like the sturdy build and the keyboard. Those are big things for me. Most small, portable standard laptops have really cheesy keyboards.

Thomas: Yeah, I'm unfortunately well aware of the lack of love that small businesses get when it comes to tax write-offs. It's just a figure of speak that it "comes right off the taxes."