To ask if anyone still uses a laptop/desktop PC

[Stuckinthis]

So DP just booted up my laptop for the first time in months to rearrange something that couldn't be changed by smartphone. I got all excited and told him to leave the PC on as I'd like to do some things - an hour later and I still have no real idea of what it is I want to do that I can't do on a smartphone or tablet.

Now there are things that CAN only be done with a computer (for example I can only pay my CC bill on a PC (which I do at work)). And IF I wanted to play WoW or Sims, that's a PC thing - but I honestly don't think I even have the patience for those except on the odd novel occasion. I game on the Xbox (which is very quick, better quality than my laptop and holds lots of data), I browse and watch videos on my phone, I listen to music on Amazon Music or Alexa so I'm not even sure what the point of my PC even is...

So AIBU to ask if anyone still uses their PC for everyday usage (not including work needs of course)>

A phone is more portable than a laptop which is more portable than a desktop. The extra portability is almost the only way the smaller device is better than the next. In a context where the portability benefit doesn't matter, then a desktop is better than a laptop which is better than phone.

A laptop can of course be upgraded to desktop equivalence with the addition of non-portable peripherals.

I feel sorry for people who have to live their lives on laptops, without desktop-quality peripherals. Being restricted to a phone would be an terrible constraint.

I'm a fast touch typist and you can't get any speed up on a tablet. I turned my tablet on for the first time in months the other day. I use a laptop just about all the time unless I'm out and about on my phone.

I do my banking on a laptop, book, holidays, flights, type documents, organise photos in files.... a tablet or phone just won't cut it for that sort of thing.

Having said that, I did pay a good price for mine, it fires up instantly even after 2 years of having it, it's got SSD so is silent, all in all it's great!

I use my MacBook more than I use my iPad Pro. I use my iPad when out and about or just for a quick look at something. I use my MacBook for school work, photograph editing and for booking things usually.

Teen Dd has just been bought a desktop. She does have a laptop (well a 2 in a style) and an iPad mini, but needed a bigger screen and a better machine really before starting her A levels (one of which is computing.) she's always used a laptop (and now the Mac desktop) for playing Sims; says the tablet version is rubbish.

Dh uses a man iPad at home but a desktop at work.

At school I had a brand new suite of desktops installed last year which every class uses weekly. We also have a couple of class sets of iPads, but we use both - and for computing lessons I tend to teach mainly on desktops.

Stuckinthis - my MacBook and DD's Mac load up in a few seconds. I never really shut my laptop down that often. I just let it sleep though unplug it at night. The desktop Mac we do turn off but it remains plugged into the mains and is really quick to turn on and be ready to use.

Yes, I need the large screen for documents, proper keyboard is quicker for me too.

I do photoediting and try out design work on my laptop. Also gaming.

I work from home occasionally as well.

I'm currently looking to buy a new laptop, but I'm not planning on upgrading my tablet anytime soon and it's ancient now.

I too am a fairly fast touch typist, but for that I need, and am most comfortable with, a proper keyboard. Therefore I prefer the laptop when I am dealing with lengthy documents, and I do use Microsoft Word and Excel a lot. They work far better on a laptop than on a tablet or phone.

I have my own personal laptop, which is admittedly now elderly but it works and does everything I need and like. For convenience, I do also have my tablet and smartphone but there are times when they just don't cut it.

I also have a separate laptop specially for work, which a tablet or smartphone still wouldn't be adequate for.

Laptop & smart phone.

The design package I use isn’t suitable for a tablet and I like to keep my data locally because our internet is pretty flaky. Also have thousands of music cds that I load via laptop onto central music drive.
Plus having already bought MSOffce for laptop, I’m not paying a subscription for something I already own.
Not yet anyway

Are we still hanging on unnecessarily as a generation to the PC?

Not sure what is meant by “hanging on unnecessarily.” We have different preferences and needs, so it’s nice there are different machines.

Yes. Its easier and quicker on a laptop.

I have a laptop, an iPad and iPhone. I use all of them every day even though I am now early retired. I do online banking, emails, save photos and keep music on it. I use spreadsheets as I don't find the iPad good for that and the phone is too small. I surf the net on all of them though but find the laptop or iPad best for that as again the scrolling on the phone gets on my nerves.

I think it depends on what your set up is as to how much people use a laptop and also how up to date and fast it is. We replace ours every 5 years and both DH and I have a study each with desk chair so mine is always set up and plugged in.

It may be a generation thing though. I know both my daughters in their 30s use their tablets and phones more than laptops but then they have to multi task more than me so easier to use a tablet or phone whilst watching the kids or working or whatever.

I use my ‘phone for most things - it’s generally to hand and it’s easier to just use it. If I’m browsing or researching something though (holidays, RightMove, insurance etc.), I use my MacBook as I like to have things open in lots of tabs so I can change between them.

I also use my MacBook a lot of photo editing (of raw files), desktop publishing type activities, sending photos to be printed etc. Basically, I have Adobe Creative Suite, so I use it for that! And for playing The Sims 3 on.

I couldn’t imagine being without a ‘proper computer’ in addition to my ‘phone and tablet. That being said, a lot of people I know who are older only use tablets now - I think they’re easier if you’re unsure with technology generally.

yes of course. I use desktop every day for work.

Plugging it in? Only for recharging surely? It's a laptop it has a battery. Desktop at work, laptop at home, tablet and phone I carry around with me for out and about accessibility. More comfortable working and typing for long periods on my laptop, bigger screen less of a strain on my eyes, plus it's a light as a feather new MacBook replacing a steam-age 10 year old built like a brick Sony Vaio so it's my beautiful new precious!

I work part-time as a freelancer and writer. I can't write on my phone or tablet, I need a keyboard and a big screen but my phone has Word and Adobe, so technically I could write on my phone, if I needed to.

I also create e-Books, info leaflets etc for clients and I don't think phones or tablets have the capacity to do that. I'd need my computer for that.

Laptop charges overnight and runs down in the day
boots up in seconds
has a keyboard
and a 15 inch screen

ipad is a toy
phone is too small for my eyes

Yes, laptop

I still use my laptop a lot as there are still some things that can't be done on a tablet. DH was trying to change our BT DD details last night on his iPad and it wouldn't work so I did it straight away on my laptop. I also use Exel for budgeting and I can't bear it on my iPad.

I mainly use a laptop for computer-based work. I also have one desktop that's plugged into my main TV (along with consoles and such) and another I use for printing and graphics things which is going to need fixed or replaced soon. I have no desire for Alexa or Amazon music, I just use my own collection or youtube...

I don't have a tablet. My older daughter does but she only uses for reading, listening to music, entertainment stuff as my older son does his phone. For doing school-type stuff that requires the computer, they use the TV-desktop or one of our laptops.

I mainly use my smartphone for texting and taking/sending photos and a range of tracking and on the go apps for hobbies and travel. I'm sure I could do a lot more things on a smartphone, but why? I prefer using both hands to type and my laptop can handle doing far more at once - a couple dozen tabs open, a few notespads, google documents, pbworks documents, couple spreadsheets...I really don't think my smartphone would do well trying to do what my laptop does at once. I also like the wide screen and ability to changed the font size without it all going to chaos and having multiple windows side by side which my phone doesn't really do well.

I might be an old fogey, sure, but I just think different tools and equipment suit different jobs better. I use my phone when out and about or have one single task to do that's not reliant on other things, I find computers to be better when using multiple sources, storing a lot of work, or doing many different things in a short space of time.

I haven't had a laptop for years. I use a tablet for browsing and games. I have a smartphone that I only use as a phone. Love my tablet, hate the thought of having to go back to using windows again.
My son is the other way round - he had an Ipad and sold it because he prefers his laptop. He uses his for his university work as well as leisure.

Yes I use my laptop all the time. Both for work and personal stuff. Much prefer it to a touchscreen for online stuff and e-mails as well as obviously word-processing, spreadsheets etc.

I never use our home ipad at all (in fact no-one really does much). Use my phone for looking things up quickly, quick e-mails and kindle for reading. But laptop for anything that is going to take a bit longer.

I don't even have a smartphone and I do everything on my laptop (other than make phone calls and send text messages). no one has just been able to come up with anything that I can't do more easily using the laptop (which is always plugged in and always on, it takes me 3 seconds to start using it).

I don't think it's a generational thing either - we bought the DCs (teenage) reconditioned laptops not long ago and they both much prefer them for doing homework, doing research etc.

Only for work. Use the ipad or phone otherwise.

The main difference is probably in 'input. People that need to type or manipulate images or sounds or whatever will generally work faster with better input devices - keyboards and mice. If you're just reading/watching then a phone or tablet will suffice.

I'm confused--surely typing is a nightmare on any sort of tablet (unless you can get one of those mini keyboards fitted)....

I love my laptop.