it begins... the DEATH of the DESKTOP

[@tamalchakraborty5346]

Impractical at best. A mini PC is a desktop. Change my mind!!

[@yohanchristian2988]

if the grapichs chip broken you have to buy the whole thing desktop you only swap out the graphics card

[@tamalchakraborty5346]

@@yohanchristian2988 Right. I don't think most of them will have a GPU to begin with. Internal graphic have come a long way since 2016.

[@cubeskywalker4953]

It's really quite sad, but I totally agree with you. Portability is the whole point of a laptop! When I am using my laptop, I am almost always doing something lightweight that doesn't require a beast of a PC (anything that needs that kind of power can wait until I get home to my tower). And if I really wanted an upgrade-able/easily repairable laptop, I would just get something like a framework laptop.

[@DeepInsideZettaiRyouiki]

Gaming Laptop. I gave Lenovo Legion 7 Pro from 2023, 13980HX, 4080 mobile, 64GB of ram and 2x4TB Lexar SSD with 7,5GB/s of read ...for me eat beats it all... and it's still not the best from what's out there.

[@fatuminterfectorem1699]

@@yohanchristian2988 nah, my friend build a mini PC completely from ordinary desktop part. From h270 mini itx motherboard, kabylake core i5 to RTX 2070. Only 3x bigger than mini Mac. It's all completely modular ordinary desktop part that you can replace one by one. Now, my friend was building a gaming desktop. Without a chunky GPU, you could build even smaller desktop than my friend was. Completely with ordinary replaceable, modular desktop part.

[@MrKar18]

The coffee shop be like - For the 5$ coffee, dude uses 1000W of electricity 😭 Customers - Is that a bill counter there?

[@qwertykeyboard5901]

I'm sorry, but I couldn't help myself. I had to do the math. Given the average cost of power where I live, $5 gets you about 40kWh.

[@nameless_stranger]

1000W here is like $0.50 lol

[@AlmightyPyro]

1kwh is like 10 cents

[@icerink239]

no, the consumption would be similar to plugging in a laptop with a dead battery

[@icerink239]

@claytonpellow4767 i was responding to the original comment, didn't see yours lol

[@LukeAvedon]

lol setting that up at that coffee shop.

[@AZisk]

Nobody even asked me anything about it, I was hoping they would. People just don't care

[@LukeAvedon]

@@AZisk lol! Love it! Great video!

[@CalmDinosaur-jz9ej]

@@AZiskIn today’s society we would just silently say ‘who’s this crazy dude’ for two seconds and keep walking.

[@nowornever23]

I remember seeing a lot of people here in Santiago de Chile using those HUGE macbooks with 17 inch screens back in 2011-2012 in metro stations, taxis and even in public transport...go figure!

[@pham3383]

nobody works at a cafe,beside who begging for attention.Brains cannot function well in noisy environment

[@drewm7071]

I'm not disagreeing, but people have been saying desktops are dead for at least 15 years.

[@y_ra83]

@@drewm7071 15 years? Noooo

[@rfs54]

while driving truck i had numerous laptops i have 2 now but i finally realized that doing what i now do online i needed a desktop computer, the laptops just could not handle the workload so my concern with these would be overheating.

[@DeepInsideZettaiRyouiki]

@@rfs54 Did you heard about Gaming Laptops? I gave Lenovo Legion 7 Pro from 2023, 13980HX CPU, 4080 mobile, 64GB of ram and 2x4TB Lexar SSD with 7,5GB/s of read ...for me eat beats both desktop and normal laptops ...and there are better models than this.

[@RipMinner]

@@rfs54 What's your work load. I can help if you tell me everything your wanting to do. There really is not much need for all the big fat hardware of a desktop anymore for most work or games.

[@rfs54]

@@RipMinner well the print on demand designs i do have to be huge minimum of 4000 pixels and both laptops really struggled after only 10 designs or so but i got a refurbished Deesktop that is working great i had the chance to order some upgrades to it and did so it only upped the price by $150 so not bad but thanks for getting back to me.

[@dansanger5340]

I don't know about mini-PCs replacing laptops, but they do make good replacements for tower PCs.

[@АлексейПешков-г8ь]

Desktops are for gamers. Laptops for mobility. This small boxes are useless for me.

[@akin242002]

Exactly! Mini-PCs are great if you are a casual console gamer, want something with more freedom than Apple Ecosystem for a home setup, or small business office. You can even game with some of them at 1080p resolution settings. Tower desktops are only good for extreme engineering workloads or hardcore/professional gamers. Most people do not need this much power. It also shoots up your electricity bill (65-100 TDP vs 300-600 TDP).

[@tommydong8070]

​@@АлексейПешков-г8ь I wouldn't call it useless as it isn't meant for gaming. And it isn't meant to be portable either as this YTer make it out to be.

[@VOVOPERADOR]

@@АлексейПешков-г8ь the irony is right there: you assume there are only 2 cases, either you're a gamer, or you want mobility. Maybe there are use-cases where these boxes could be useful? But ok, you said "for me", so that's a pass.

[@laughingvampire7555]

there are two types of mechanical keyboards that matter, thocky and clicky

[@sergiarguimbau]

WHAT IF... The Mini PC would be able to be charged with an integrated battery, like a laptop!

[@A_lil_bitter_yk]

than thats a laptop...minus the screen, trackpad, keyboard, speakers, built-in camera and microphone. that wouldnt really work

[@DomainObject]

@@A_lil_bitter_yk It would for me!

[@rustyroy5385]

It has a barrel jack so must be DC input. So you could probably tape a battery to it and pretend it's integrated. I know with the Mac minis they do actually have enough space inside they can be modded to use an integrated battery.

[@racecarjonny8460]

I'd really love that.

[@nowornever23]

you can use a ARM based mini pc with a powerbank...

[@EnterpriseKnight]

What if they bundled this together with a keyboard, a screen and something that can emulate a mouse with the touch of a finger? They could even add hinges and fold this contraption on itself to both protect the screen and the keyboard

[@AZisk]

that would be amazing. We’d probably even be able to put it on our laps.

[@icerink239]

@@AZisk missed opportunity to say "put in on the top of our laps"

[@stinger4712]

I think we can call it laptop .. 🤯

[@themarcarts]

If someone could design such a device I think they'd be set to make a lot of money

[@fidelisitor8953]

@@themarcarts Uhh... that's basically a laptop

[@CybersecPat]

not gonna lie, novel idea, but totally impractical.

[@MMABeijing]

I need to charge my laptop computer wherever I go. I don't think his set up is impractical. If u r travelling this is great

[@AZisk]

depends where you go and what you’re doing. if you’re on a short train ride, then laptop wins. if you’re in a hotel room, then this wins.

[@haploid2k]

No it's not. It takes 90 seconds to set up. Been doing this for a year now, all gear in a pelican case instead of a backpack.

[@xgui4-studios]

@@haploid2k not until holoscreen are invented ... i dont find having to bring both the ac cord, keybaord, mouse and monitor + the mini tower itself conveninent at all...

[@aytviewer2421]

Much merit to the idea --I am thinking about. I already have a portable 17" USB-C monitor that I use for travel when consulting away from home. Except it doubles as an extra screen for the laptop. I type much faster with a real keyboard too.

[@ko2610]

This video should be labeled as an ad...

[@jirikral1052]

Why? 8:06

[@LuisJunior]

This is portable, not a laptop, not even comparable.

[@UltraaViolet99]

Coffee shop final boss 😅 great video anyways

[@AZisk]

Thanks 😅

[@zaicol850]

Mini boss

[@chetan_naik]

Biggest problem in most countries is availability of power outlet and risk of power outage. You need to carry an UPS with battery, that is a huge safety risk.

[@ivanschekoldin7315]

Really? I see short power outages maybe twice a year

[@teyemanon1970]

It's a bit late in the year for an April Fools'.

[@vahidyaghini3913]

Mini PCs are not comparable to laptops. Upgradability is not enough argument to justify the inconvenience IMO.

[@loens2]

As the owner of a Framework Laptop 16, half the video almost breaks apart, because I've probably got more upgradability and repairability than the mini pc while having more power than the mini pc. I know that Framework laptops aren't cheap, but they are worth the premium, if you think about taking a whole mini pc setup with you.

[@Parker8752]

Even with the 13, which I was finally able to get hold of a few months ago, I would still rather have that than a mini PC if I could only have one machine. The keyboard is actually pretty decent as laptop keyboards go, the touchpad is decent (though I prefer a trackball that I can always carry separately), and most importantly, I don't necessarily need a power outlet to get things done.

[@Parker8752]

@@kiillabytez On the one hand, yeah; laptops are expensive compared with desktops. On the other, if you need portability and only have enough money for one computer, it's going to be a laptop. That said, this isn't really a comparison of laptop vs desktop, but laptop vs mini pc; a machine type that has the worst aspects of both desktop (requiring a bunch of separate pieces and multiple power outlets to run) and a laptop (being so small that it can only use laptop internals and has similarly crap thermals). The framework laptop is arguably the least bad laptop just by virtue of being easily upgradeable.

[@lord_haven1114]

Yeah I totally love all the separate components and wires that I have to set up and break down every time for my on the go needs. /s.

[@Yes-cd2rq]

I doubt desktops are going anywhere. I'm a computer science major in university and mostly use a laptop for everything I do but desktops can always outperform a laptop/mini pc. The chips inside laptops/mini pc are not full desktop power. Another thing people care about with desktops is gaming and a desktop pc gives the best price to performance. Amazing video as always. Love your content

[@jivexero]

That espresso display is $800.00…. Ridiculous.

[@akarna69]

Insanity. 😂

[@BurntOrangeHorn78]

Yet Effective.

[@jivexero]

@@BurntOrangeHorn78 there are alot more cheaper portable displays that are equally effective.

[@pixelrancher]

Can't wait to see you do this with the new Mac mini. Would be a great setup inside a flight case with the monitor fixed to the lid.

[@codyrap95]

I had to check the calendar if it's April's fools lol 😂

[@minhtrannhat3322]

Instead of bringing a laptop, now you bring nearly your home inside your package 😂😂

[@mikeaaa6308]

Imagine if there is a power outage. Goodbye to all work done if there is no autosave feature.

[@midnightblue3285]

Carry a battary with you just in case

[@tegathemenace]

​@@midnightblue3285 why not stuff your PC in your bag😂

[@thesombral1505]

@@midnightblue3285 And this adds one more thing to carry, just use a laptop, the mini computer is not very useful, it just combine flaws of both Desktop and Laptop

[@shaikhhar6911]

That is exactly what is holding most people back from buying a mini-PC. Mini-PC with integrated battery ( even 1 hour backup ) would make mini-PC a more preferable option

[@-eternal]

I got a laptop that converts to a tablet, has a 4070 Laptop gpu running at 140w. Cpu is an i9 13900h and there's two slots of upgradable ram. I'm pretty happy with this. I don't need 4090 performance, but when needed there's always thunderbolt which can be used for an egpu.

[@fidellivino]

You forgot that laptops have batteries

[@nickthaskater]

This would have a point if the hardware in the mini PC could be easily upgraded with a socketed CPU, slotted RAM, and an MXM graphics card. As it stands, it can't (upgrading RAM as you suggest is not the same thing and is rarely the limiting factor at this point). If you're going to go through all of this trouble, just build a true SFF ITX desktop that's actually upgradable. They aren't much bigger than mini PCs like this - you can get to around 5L and still have proper upgradability and desktop hardware.

[@StupidusMaximusTheFirst]

If your caffe is not too far from your home, you could use a power cord extension. If it is, there are some portable not too chunky power stations / batteries you could carry, and you could charge them on the road if you connect your bicycle dynamo to your power station, you could also add a solar panel on your back and you could wear a not too big solar panel hat. It's not too crazy, I'd wanna see that video, especially the solar panel hat.

[@jeremystanley9395]

Dude, I could not stand setting that up everyday in a coffee shop and would prefer a laptop with a batter lol

[@pqsk]

Very interesting. I hate cords except if I setup and use for hours and hours, because it's always better than wireless. So I see this as good in some scenarios.

[@pqsk]

Man what monster was that? 😹

[@Pravculear]

yeah i'd rather have the laptop over the mini pc. it's simply more convenient to carry around and there's less risk of breaking that portable monitor.

[@LarryStrawson]

I like it! The ability to select peripherals over laptop portability is the deal breaker plus the added benefits of ability to upgrade.

[@chriswinslow]

For a minute there, I thought you were going to 3D print something to combine everything: the monitor, PC, keyboard and portable power bank!

[@xgui4-studios]

that exist allready , it is called a laptop pc with desktop part !

[@rubenahg]

Search for cyberdeck

[@chriswinslow]

@@xgui4-studios Do you know what else also exists? Spelling and Grammar checkers! Also, laptops have very little to no options for customisations.

[@panagiotispagonis6856]

Well in my opinion the minis replacing desktops is a little stupid for 3 reasons: 1) they are small and portable but as you said we need peripherals. There is no point carrying and assembling every time you wanna use your pc (and it’s heavier). 2) even if at a point they have top stats (beefy gpus etc) they are not upgradable so they won’t be as cost effective as a pc. 3) they can’t be customised so they look how they look and that can get boring af pretty fast

[@cbbcbb6803]

My "laptop" is never on my lap. It is always on a desk or table. My laptop is my desktop!

[@tegathemenace]

Nobody puts laptops on their lap in 2024

[@DarkBloodyFoxy]

Looks weird but I also prefer buying a PC separated from monitor and input devices. And I also have no issues bringing similar setup with me, however I found out gaming handhelds may be a better mini PC to take with you.

[@The4.0Guy]

Interesting, but can you browse web with chrome from the gamer?

[@DarkBloodyFoxy]

@@The4.0Guy I use Edge. Legion Go ships with Windows. I won't install Linux yet as I want to play Xbox games.

[@datriaxsondor590]

This entire situation boils down to simple real estate. MiniPC, laptop, or any variation of either, will never, ever compete with desktops. You will never have the GPU or CPU, die size of a desktop, in a laptop. You could possible fit the die, but you could never fit the cooling. This is to say nothing of the power delivery for a portable device. If you are on battery, again, you will never reach the performance of a desktop. Any improvements they make in miniaturization for portable devices, are translated to the desktop in future iterations, and given the far more real estate a desktop has to work with, the yields will always be better. So, until we have some evolutionary breakthrough in either cooling, or the generation of heat from processing, I'll continue to get a giggle out of anyone who thinks you can replace a desktop, with a smaller device.

[@mornnb]

One machine? Desktop. Because no system that has to fit in the low power of a mini-PC will be competitive with a high end desktop.

[@corvinyt]

Have you considered the Framework laptop?

[@andrewhussey2002]

@@corvinyt my thoughts exactly. I have a light plastic plate that sits over my laptop, resting around the edge of the keys and I put my mechanical keyboard on top of that. Voila!

[@And-vx6ry]

@@corvinyt overrated

[@gerald1964]

Since it is not likely that you will have a power outlet nearby, you will need to install a power outlet at most places that you would like to work. It’s not a major limitation however. You could install one in a few hours which includes any drywall work.

[@Ktulhu5000]

So, what you actually want is 17" non-slim laptop with good cooling and mechanical keyboard, which is not technically impossible, just hasn't been marketingly justified yet

[@kratafila]

When I was at uni and proudly bought my first Mac computer, the Mac Mini Intel Core Solo, I brought it in a luggage back and forth from uni to home and even to places where I need to do presentation. Because I did not have the money for the MacBook Pro/ iBook.

[@arhumaalhor6152]

The real death is in Windows OS , i see huge community migration from windows to Mac OS and Linux .

[@Syzygy2048]

This improves on the portability of a desktop, while I guess improving on the performance of a notebook. In otherwords it's less powerful than a desktop and less portable than a notebook and I don't think it fills a niche that exists. For most purposes a notebook is powerful enough. If it isn't, set up a remote session between your notebook and your desktop. But why stop there? Replace your notebook with your phone or tablet (and a keyboard). Perfectly adequate and plenty powerful for most tasks. For anything more, do the remote session or carry a Raspberry Pi around and use that (as a remote host). That way you can even code as well (which you can also do with VS Code's web client - but requires you to have a host PC as well). If your phone's screen is too small, try a VR headset, which can do the same things as your phone, including remote sessions to hour desktop or raspberry pi, and coding via vs code web, but with infinite screen real estate (for the record, I believe with VR an App or browser based approach works a lot better than screen sharing at the moment).

[@skelious]

That was awesome ty for going out into the wild and survived. :)

[@macgyverswissarmykni]

For me, a full desktop with remote connectivity hits the sweet spot. I get the power of a desktop processor, the flexibility to build to spec with great headroom, and better price points than a mobile-based build. Coupled with an easy way to connect to it, I can then carry a low-powered laptop to use as a dummy terminal. It does pose some challenges (e.g. what happens if connectivity is bad), but also benefits (physical security at home > possibility of having mobile device lost or stolen).

[@caiocutrim3596]

nah, instead I prefer a macbook pro

[@JoseReyesuruboz4l]

I think it will be the end of the mobile GPU and more slim laptops will come

[@beragis3]

Interesting that I saw this. One thing I considering when I bought my M1 Macbook Pro while is how practical it would be to create a "portable" workstation using a Mac Mini, a portable display, keyboard and mouse. Many of the same issues that were mentioned here are why I didn't. One thing I was looking for were 21 inch or higher portable monitors, but most were 1080P, and I would want at least 1440P, and to get that the prices were $350 or higher. It just didn't seem practical but you never know in the future it might be. For instance, about five years ago one hotel I stayed at was geared towards business travelers, and each room had a 24 inch monitor attached to the desk. I did take advantage of that, this very is rare. Although, I have occasionally used a hotel's TV as a monitor, more often than not it is very impractical.

[@erics7004]

This is great for companies who need lots of computers in a small space or for a homelab

[@thesun___]

2:40 How dare you put your pristine machine on that disgusting floor?!

[@infectedmushroom3488]

got myself a GMKtec NucBox k9 as my first PC in years to replace my Thinkpad T14. and now with WSL I don't have to miss out on anything. Had to replace the noisy fan with a Notcua.

[@netsudro]

Replaced my laptop with a Fujitsu ESPRIMO Q556 mini pc (I was using my laptop connected to a monitor anyway). I paid 50 euro for the mini pc and works great with Linux Mint. Now I use it for work with no problems. Processor: i5-6500T. Idle power 9W.

[@user-ey6nr1wm6y]

Add a batterypack and some long cables then you´ll join my club Been rocking a setup similar to this for just under a year now, mini itx pc with a batterypack packed inside my backpack with still room to spare, perforated backpack backrest as intake and a funnel with a 140mm fan uptop as exhaust. Pumps out loads of heat under load and so far been great with the desktop power in a portable setting. Use with one monitor aswell have to have two usb c’s like in the video but just one cable to charge the batterypack (which doesnt get that hot either) might try liquid cooling next but so far my "pc in a backpack" pc has been doing great laptop for other easy tasks and then bagpc ready to go if there is a monitor around. Wonder why minipc’s/itx arent used more as a replacement for laptops for heavy tasks as there is just a need for a battery and some efficient components and you have a much more capable portable pc.

[@JoeBurnett]

You really have me thinking about one of those Keychron keyboards.

[@markippo]

Although I do have a Kechron keyboard myself (k10), I wouldn't recommend iyou buying one nowadays. There are many better options in the Kechron"s price range. I bought mine 3 years ago and haven't got any issues so far, but if you can go better - go better. There's a guy, here on KZbin Hypio, he reviews keyboard - check it out.

[@TechwithTonyUK]

"Slide it in, zip up, and you're off" Describes my love life for the last 20 years perfectly!!

[@Dave-PL]

Definitely! I have been using an Intel NUC since 2016. Now I'm on MINISFORUM UM790 Pro which can offer a good Gaming performance in 1080p even on demanding games. I really love it. I love this pocket size PC 🤟🤟

[@ronenen]

Noisy keyboards may be fin for you, but they are distracting for your fellow "office" mates.

[@AZisk]

come on it’s starbucks, not the library. people come there for noise.

[@JAHDUBProductions]

Yea, I don't like loud keyboards.

[@malfaro3l]

Another benefit is that when anything breaks, especially when you are out and about, its easy to replace.

[@sergeydashko1665]

Nice. Just replace monitor with AR glasses and that would be a perfect solution

[@JAHDUBProductions]

That's what I do. Steam Deck and XR Elite. It's actually pretty cool. Plus I prefer VR environments, even with productivity. But I want to add to it.

[@enriqueflimberger]

I´ve only had one desktop in my life, from 2003 to 2010. Then I've only bought notebooks ever since. The desktop has been dead for years except for corporate use.

[@SamFigueroa]

That camera just sitting there in the background without a lens on it or a mount cover makes my eye twitch more than the play button.

[@williamlouie569]

One thing great about this setup. If any components beak you replace them. Don't have to throw the whole system away!

[@RickySupriyadi]

what if you got custom briefcase or backpack.... dock them all and open it as if a laptop LOL

[@AZisk]

Now THAT will probably get the cops called on me

[@RickySupriyadi]

@@AZisk LOL

[@InsideHaikuApps-mf4gc]

You mean like the MaCase B21? Before you hit the road with that, hit the gym for a few months.

[@ChuckAsum]

Always love watching your content and played with the same idea for a few years now. Thought the introduction of amd halo strix would make the cost to performance work out compared to a used gaming laptop. But it hasn't so much unfortunately. Hopeful for the future for people who just want the compute and some GPU power

[@pcklon2000]

interesting video, I think a minipc is a desktop because I need a electricity plug nearby. sometimes is not available, if I need to work and I can't plug my minipc I'm screwed. I would think your idea is better for vacations.

[@heatherhutchinson3625]

I was totally thinking about this a few days ago and you made a video haha

[@elsaman]

I would stick to a laptop given how inconvenient it is to assemble especially the monitor. I just wish if Apple would consider making their laptops upgradable

[@zachburton6043]

I have a desktop and stream it to my phone, tablets & portable monitors around the house and that works really well for me

[@thenetworkmystery]

Great video! Would love to see the comparison of the different mini-PCs!

[@egarcia1360]

This could actually be quite nice for more infrequent travel, such as seasonal moves to and from a dorm, vacations or business trips where you can get set up in your hotel room, and/or the occasional LAN party. But for daily commuting, it's doing way too much IMO. You can still get laptops with plenty of I/O as well as replaceable memory and storage (just avoid ultra thin-and-light devices), or a Framework if you really want every component to be separately upgradeable. A couple of brands (Aorus and Alienware based on a quick search, maybe more) even have built-in mechanical keyboards if that's what you're craving. An interesting experiment nonetheless :)

[@tyrellnelson]

I do this.. Not really at starbucks, but sometimes I have to be go into the office for work and its really nice being able to just pop my desktop in the backpack and head into the office... Except when I end up leaving the power brick there..

[@Dattobayo]

A mini pc that comes with everything needed to carry around (keyboard, mouse, monitor) and be practical (all integrated, slim, power-supply) would just be a laptop.

[@jupiterapollo4985]

This guy will setup anything in a coffee shop. Love this guy 😂

[@The4.0Guy]

Step into my office😂😂😂

[@sergeiashikhmin4916]

Good video to start the day! Is that an AI at the beginning? 😁

[@AZisk]

yep :) I guess it's getting better that you have to ask :)

[@Brendan2Alexander]

Good vid. Tho I am a windows guy, I bought a mac mini and forced myself to only use the mac mini on a month-long trip. Not sure if pros outweigh the cons. But it is certainly a doable approach.

[@dmh20002]

I’ve been doing that for a while. I have a cheap 27 monitor in a separate monitor carry case. Not quite as convenient but way cheaper than the espresso. I also have a sleeve for my full size keyboard

[@krasy8]

I have a dream where the only thing you need to move from your home setup (which most likely is stationary) to your office setup (which is most likely stationary) is something that you already have, in fact something you have been accustom to for a while now - your phone. When you're at home you plug it into some sort of docking station and it powers your setup there, and you have the similar situation in the office. I believe the technology is already there but it 'the marketing gods' would not allow it as it would probably kill or at least significantly decrease the need for the computers in a different form factor. No one can stop me from dreaming though...

[@ivanmalinovski7807]

My brother in Christ, look up Samsung Dex. What you're describing has existed for a decade, and it's available on any S-series Samsung device. Google Pixel has something similar in their newest betas.

[@robhunt8378]

Ten years ago I thought that's where it would all be going. With things like Linux on Samsung Dex I thought it was a matter of time. But no, not to be.

[@The4.0Guy]

YES!!! i also want this. Why can't my phone just also provide me with a desktop experience when plugged into a monitor?

[@ivanmalinovski7807]

@@The4.0Guy That's Samsung Dex.

[@HDfoodie]

@AZisk Be honest, you’re secretly preparing for the smaller Mac mini next month. 😂

[@SamFigueroa]

I'll take a MacMini in its current form factor too, just please put an M4 Pro into it.

[@mtr2192]

Limited storage capability, limited upgradability (soldered CPU, probably soldered RAM too depending on the models), no dGPU unless you count the giant eGPU you have to bring along which requires its own power source and bracket, which defeats the entire point. Terrible thermal -> shorter life span. Compact, cramped build, lack of modularity -> hard to clean, maintain and replace components. Limited power due to limited power source of the wall charger. No battery like a laptop. No all-in-one package like a laptop. Seriously, these mini PC/x86 SBCs are at best a niche hobby. It's the middle ground between a proper desktop PC and a laptop. I can only imagine myself using one of these as a NAS/Plex home server because of the lower power draw, not even a CCTV server, because who has that kind of money for multiple 4TB + NVME drives? Or as a backup PC when the main desktop one doesn't work. And if I'm far away from home and on the move constantly, I'd rather take a laptop, which has a screen, speakers, mouse, keyboard, wifi + bluetooth, webcam, battery, dGPU, all in a single compact package without too much extra cables. The only death worth talking about is these kinds of videos.

[@TheTrippyTerminal]

You cannot upgrade a laptop. Turns out you cannot even upgrade this mini or be-link or whatever. True upgradation lies in the fact that you can build your own desktops.

[@tegathemenace]

Do you not realize people travel?

[@dongogucci]

Exactly the idea I was a bit obsessed too! But somehow most of these small boxes can't be powered by USB-C, so you'll have hard time powering them from swappable power banks. In the end I stick with Lenovo Legion Go as a base for this setup, though it's not that powerful, mostly due to limited RAM, and I never bothered going beyound adding keyboard and mouse to it, might probably wait for 2nd edition of Go if they keep this formfactor.

[@nth256]

Honestly, as someone who loves mini pcs... Something akin to a MS Surface or an Ipad with a decent typecover would probably be better. 1) more portable; 2) integrated screen, battery, and a touch interface; 3) peripheral friendly, via Bluetooth or dongles. Admittedly, tablet form factor does lack the about to do major component upgrades, but i could see something like a laptop with the screen where the keyboard goes, that has the capability of being upgradable at the sacrifice of the thin ness of a tablet.

[@synen]

Macbook Air + Keychron Keyboard and Im happy. As far as multiple monitors, I got used to working with Virtual Desktops just fine, its not like you can look at two screens at the same time, think about it.

[@utsavgoswami5263]

well batteries will really take mini PCs to the next level where they have a clear shot at being the dominant form factor. without that these are kind of bricky

[@georgeshafik3281]

Cool episode Alex, extraordinary l was thinking of a similar setup a few months ago. 👍

[@monkeyfish227]

8:21 not crazy for going to office or when traveling to elsewhere for a few days. I wouldn’t of course go Starbucks with it. But it’s a great option. Look forward for arm chips to make it all even lighter and smaller.

[@robhunt8378]

Nop. Thought about it many times because I really only need the portability of a laptop once in a while but it the end I see no real downsides to a laptop over this solution. I always choose decently upgradable laptops though. Two SSD slots, two SODIMM and I'm good to go.

[@SinCityRadio2077]

Idea for a follow up, just have a bond backpack with everything connected, bonus point if it includes vr

[@curtispenner2]

My use with a mini pc, was going from home to work site and return. At each, there is a kvm setup. I would arrive, plug in 2 USBs, hdmi, networking, and power. Since the power cable is the same at all sites, l carry only the small box. All laptops are just thin desktops to me. I don’t work in public spaces, separating work and personal time. I have used the full sized nuc as you showed, and the half size nuc. The half was functionally the same, but easier to move around.

[@Dave102693]

Nah. Laptops are the best for on the go

[@bouassaba]

Just put the mechanical keyboard on top of the laptop and use your favorite mouse

[@OggVorbis69]

Oh yes. I did that already. My condition desktop parts. Itx board 64gb ram! Ryzon 8700g 2tb nvmi. 250w build in power supply . I anyway carry mechanical keyboard and mouse.

[@junechevalier]

You can get a Nuphy low profile mechanical keyboard and put it on top of your macbook if you want portability WHILE typing on a good keyboard

[@wayne8797]

These things are fascinating and some comes with oculink. The issue as always is the heat and with that, the noisy fan…

[@illiasukonnik9966]

Nice thing, but there are mini itx motherboards. With some small factor case, you can build pretty decent pc with great cooling

[@benjamintollison]

Being an aerospace student who writes ML and other numerical methods to solve homework questions. I have to always plug in my laptop as is, pull out a notebook for hand solving numerical schemes first, and always bring a mouse because I have never found a touch pad that feels good. I have to "setup" anytime I want to do work and laptops are not a good solution.

[@shregfrugg]

Sff + 18" portable screen and 60-70% keyboard is the way. You can build 9700x with 4070 super and only in 5L case with a good thermal .

[@Egor9090]

Heh that car is like second-worst manifestation of middle life crisis. The worst one is getting a motorcycle. Idea is unusable btw, you should dig into rooted Android phones and chroot Linux installs, that's rad, you can have a Linux machine in your pocket (even without root).

[@butterfinger4393]

Very useful, especially with a ryzen cpu, but to take it to the coffee shop, I think a surface pro is probably the best option if you wanna use a regular keyboard and mouse.

[@mendodsoregonbackroads6632]

I had a Mac Mini for years and I mostly liked it. It’s true that you can mix and match components individually and there is some benefit to that, but eventually the amount of cables was starting to get to me. They were everywhere. Once the Mini went officially unsupported for upgrades I bought the M1 iMac. That’s the whole setup, end of story. My portable was an iPad Pro with keyboard. More recently I got an M2 Air 15”. It’s too big for a portable and too small for a desktop, but it runs desktop software so it works when I go out of town. I don’t really do work at coffee shops though, although it has been done. I find it distracting. So I kind of still like the iMac with the iPad portable solution. I just wish the iMac came with a Pro chip and the extra Ram that comes with that.