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.
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.
@@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.
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!
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).
@@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.
@@tommydong8070 mini pcs r portable compared to a towwwwer pc,,,there is power everywhere,and monitors too.....but less portable compared to a laptop,,but more upgradable than a laptop
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.
@@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.
@@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.
@@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.
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.
@@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...
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
@@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.
@@Parker8752 Though this specific mini pc has internals that far exceed pretty much any laptop at the price range. I recently bought it to replace my tower, and performs tasks such as video rendering and playing Cyberpunk 2077 better than what I had. Granted I had a 5800X and a GTX 1070. I got the PC for around 500 USD from sales.
@@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
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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).
@@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!
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.
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
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
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.
Great video. I'm curious, is it possible to use a laptop as the monitor/mouse/keyboard for the mini PC? Let's say I have an older basic laptop but purchased one of the new Mini Pcs which is more powerful. Is there a way to use my older laptop as the monitor/keyboard to run my MINI Pc?
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This idea of all-in-one devices sounds good at first, but in the end it is better to have a separate device for each application. I've tried Surface Pro devices twice and both times the screen was too small for a laptop and the battery was far too weak for a tablet. Now I use an MBP with an external monitor at work and an iPad for drawing. At home I also have a PC with a workstation GPU for Blender. I'm in the home office 99% of the time anyway, but it's still nice to be able to take the MBP or iPad somewhere else. However, I will probably really do without the desktop PC in the future, because in terms of performance, a Mac Mini would be enough for me, but I won't be lugging it anywhere.
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.
With the Beelink minipc I have been thinking of getting one and having Windows 11 be on one of the NVME and Linux on the second NVME. Have you tried doing a set up like that before? I wouldn't want to do a dual boot on the same HDD, but want to try the 2 NVMEs. I also read that you can access files on both harddrives, but haven't been able to confirm that.
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
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.
I don't know, a set up like this is a bit much for me to consider it truly portable. It's less bulky than a desktop tower and I would say that it's good for setting up in a hotel or something, but for a coffee shop, it's a bit too bulky and takes too long to set up. With a laptop, the form factor is the real selling point. It's light weight, small, and the set up is as simple and quick as pulling it out of your bag and opening the screen. Nothing is stopping you from using a mechanical keyboard and mouse with a laptop either. Sure, a laptop is pricier and cannot be upgraded, but a laptop is also way more convenient and fits more use cases. If you are sharing a table at a coffee shop, you might not want to take up so much of the table space with your set up and you might not have enough outlets to plug in your mini PC and monitor, while leaving a plug open for your table partner. If you prefer clicky or other loud mechanical switches in your keybaord, you shouldn't use it at a cafe any way, as it's inconsiderate of other guests. This also isn't going to fly (pun very much intended) on a plane or in an uber/taxi. It might be great for some people's use case, but it's a bit much for most. The laptop is the king of portable productivity.
the only way this make sense is if you are playing some sort of esports gaming and an APU is capable of running the game at a high refresh rate. finding a mini PC with that APU and adding gaming peripherals is probably gonna cost less than a laptop with a high refreshrate monitor. it does have a major problem: it took two wall plugs for everything to run. my current portable solution is a MS surface go 2 and the advantage is it can either be used wo any peripherals, with a mouse(and keyboard if needed) or be fully docked with an external display. it can also run on either the built in battery or be powered via anything with 25W PD USB C port. that includes a 25€ powerbank and the phone charging adapter in my car. the only problem is that its kinda slow and won't run much in terms of gaming.
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 :)
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.
Can I recommend using a tablet instead of a portable monitor as the display, that way if you are on a short trip or not going to be somewhere for long all you would need to do is pull out the tablet and use it separately.
I love my mini pc. Just not nice when I have to work in very uncomfortable locations (on the floor, a small space in a tabletop, while waiting for boarding the plane, etc). I have set up RDP connection though. Kinda sucks when the internet is slow. Please remember that if you need to constantly move and is subject to unconventional spaces to work, just get a laptop if you have the budget.
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.
The laptop tends to heat up above 70-80 degrees, I will not work at the coffee shop or outdoor all day long with it, and there are too many distractions in my opinion.
The only reason to use MINI Pc's are if. - You need to control the amount of physical desktop space you have because your office is small. - You want to run a mini server environment and you don't want a case and you want modern hardware for that kind of an environment rather then just pulling full servers out of the local recycling company. - You embrace a lan lifestyle and for some reason don't like a laptop.
I've been doing it with a Lenovo m720q. I was even able to get display over USB C with an add on. And that thing has a full sized pcie slot. I have added wifi 6 and upgraded to Intel 8700.
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.
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.
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.
In my opinion Xreal AR glasses are the better portable display for the mobile desktop display than physical portable monitor only issue are eye dizziness and near sightness problem which should be fixed in the future
AR glasses, samsing phone(or another phone that has desktop mode when connected to an external screen) and a bluetooth version of the keyboard at 4:55(tho personally i would bring a mouse unless i need to type a lot of text) . the true minimalist laptop replacement.
@@yvs6663 Didn't Samsung claim to stop supporting or updating their Dex mode? Samsung Dex mode is for casual users not for serious laptop replacement for gaming and high load work
I want to fix my two alienware m51 laptops a r1 and a r2. If it's not done before Christmas I'm going to put it on my new year's resolutions. R2 when pop smoke when my power stick decided to stop working. The r1 was sent to me in a box of stuff that was shipped to me instead of by itself in a nice laptop box. So I figure buy a r1 motherboard swap it out se what happens. Weather it works or not repeat for r2.
i have a feeling that once the glasses with integrated screens like the AR technology gets more affordable this would be a solid option but bringing a whole monitor with me is just nuts to me.
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...
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.
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.
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.
This is just a laptop in a box with better cooling. Keyboard is ok, but try filco magestouch 3. 5 devices and customisable. Can even swap esc with tilda or caps lock with control key. Comes with the keycaps for that too. Not to mention properly key if you are excel user. Try it.Japanese quality more than a decade ago. It is much better power instead of laptop,
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
I really wish I could connect my iPhone to an external display and when I did it ran MacOS. I could connect a keyboard and mouse and do everything you mention. The power and capability is there and I already have my phone with me.
Mini-PC with integrated battery , albeit very small that powers on device for about 1 hour would make most people prefer mini-PC over laptop because it would be cheaper and powerful than equivalent laptop even with a separate portable monitor, bluetooth KB & mouse. And more repairable and upgradable. Basically laptop without screen, kb & mouse . Saves lot of space and with integrated battery, no worries of unsaved work during power cut or accidental power cable pull
I believe that the only thing that can kill a notebook and maybe desktop pc are DOCKING stations for Phones.... You just carry your own pc in your pocket and then just plug into whatever station is there or you carry the peripherals with you
The smaller, less capable Beelink miniPCs are designed to be mounted on the back of a monitor. For portability, that would make a bit more sense assuming there is a nearby power plug.
Couple of issues. I would want two USB-C that USB 3.2 points so I can use at least 2 portable screens. I also want to use one plugpoint. Currently I use two portable + my laptop screen for 3 screens. Boarding planes with that box is going to be a problem as it is something they don't see often so air travel would issue. If they can make it smaller and easily opened by customs than one could get away with it.
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.
I would like to see a comparison between a laptop, a PC, and a mini PC with similar specs, such as an i9 Ultra Core, for someone studying ML, to evaluate their performance for running large ML models and LLMs, and compare their prices.
Honestly, the biggest con for this setup is that you need multiple power outlets. With a laptop, I can work for hours without access to a single power outlet. Without a portable power supply, I cannot see myself running this kind of setup if I could only use a single computer.
I get the idea here with the mini-PC, but my chunky Dell laptop has more ports than it, and I've upgraded the RAM and the SSD. I keep it plugged into peripherals of my choosing at home, treating it like a desktop PC, and use it as a laptop on-the-go. Best of both worlds.
the only " practical " use to these mini pcs is as a test server for, say, web development. ssh-ing to it from an android phone via Termux. and tweaking your code by neovim. or coding on your phone instead of doom-scrolling social media. Still, it doesn`t justify the price. But it`s a "somewhat" valid use case for me at least.
My mom is using a $100 mini PC with a N100. It works great for her needs, she prefers it over laptops, and it's cheap. They do well in schools, too, and in many organisation-related cases. A ton of people on Reddit use them to host homelabs as well. To say that they only do well for test servers is super ignorant.
I'd like to remove the OS from one machine and take it to another. I could plug it into a desktop, remove it and put it into a laptop when I'm on the go. It would basically be a storage device that would fit into a dock that I could boot from. The dock could be integrated into a laptop or desktop footprint. When I upgrade one of my devices, I keep my OS and the files stored with it. This is possible today with Linux but not Windows. There is also no standard "dock" or easy built-in method of booting from the external OS. Seems easy and do-able. The footprint of such a device could be as small as an SSD. Just need the dock (or slot) and an OS that's "portable".
or you could just buy a nice laptop and plug in a keyboard and mouse. If you get a 2 in one you can just flip the keyboard back so your external keyboard can be close to the screen. The flow x16 may be good for that purpose but idk. This seems excessive.
I have a nice laptop and a 2 in 1. And I still want a smaller setup for, whenever. I like that my steam deck runs Blender and Krita. I can hold it in my hands. If I need a bigger screen, I use my headset. I love laptops, but smaller, more powerful rigs are really cool. And not excessive.
So i have a dell mini pc for the kids to use, and a decent desktop for me to use. I barely ever need to work away from my desk, when I do i just do my basic office tasks on the phone. I think laptops are unbeatable for working out of the office, but not upgradeable, hence I use a desktop
No upgradability (RAM doesn't improve computing ability if you didn't know). No system of standards for parts, which complicates repairability, and requires a specialist to replace something trivial in the PC for well...standards. Also power. Also portability was never a feature of a regular PC. Although even that can be achieved using a special micro ITX parts standard that fits into cases you can slip into a backpack. It will be more powerful, fully repairable and fully upgradeable. So it's not a PC replacement. It's just a tween option that will have its own audience. Comparing it to neither laptops nor PCs makes no sense.
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.
Yes, I'd easily use a setup like that. I don't like a laptop, because I could never find a keyboard that I really liked. I'm used to a membrane keyboard like Keytronics KT800U.
I mean, at the end of the day, a setup like this is only mildly less convenient than a gaming handheld PC. But I think even those aren't _really_ portable for serious desktop usage. The biggest advantage to mini PCs is simply the compact form factor and often low prices. I can see businesses and schools absolutely switching to these in the near future. The best use I can think of tho is in cases where people move around a lot between home and office. It'd be great to have a setup in both locations and just have to plug the PC in, while keeping all your files on one PC.
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.
![[Day 25] Live Coding Advent of Code 2024 in Scala](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/-CUKctNa8c8/mqdefault.jpg)
Impractical at best.
A mini PC is a desktop. Change my mind!!
if the grapichs chip broken you have to buy the whole thing desktop you only swap out the graphics card
@@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.
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.
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.
@@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.
The coffee shop be like - For the 5$ coffee, dude uses 1000W of electricity 😭
Customers - Is that a bill counter there?
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.
1000W here is like $0.50 lol
1kwh is like 10 cents
no, the consumption would be similar to plugging in a laptop with a dead battery
@claytonpellow4767 i was responding to the original comment, didn't see yours lol
lol setting that up at that coffee shop.
Nobody even asked me anything about it, I was hoping they would. People just don't care
@@AZisk lol! Love it! Great video!
@@AZiskIn today’s society we would just silently say ‘who’s this crazy dude’ for two seconds and keep walking.
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!
nobody works at a cafe,beside who begging for attention.Brains cannot function well in noisy environment
I don't know about mini-PCs replacing laptops, but they do make good replacements for tower PCs.
Desktops are for gamers. Laptops for mobility. This small boxes are useless for me.
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).
@@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.
@@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.
@@tommydong8070 mini pcs r portable compared to a towwwwer pc,,,there is power everywhere,and monitors too.....but less portable compared to a laptop,,but more upgradable than a laptop
I'm not disagreeing, but people have been saying desktops are dead for at least 15 years.
@@drewm7071 15 years? Noooo
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.
@@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.
@@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.
@@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.
WHAT IF... The Mini PC would be able to be charged with an integrated battery, like a laptop!
than thats a laptop...minus the screen, trackpad, keyboard, speakers, built-in camera and microphone. that wouldnt really work
@@A_lil_bitter_yk It would for me!
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.
I'd really love that.
you can use a ARM based mini pc with a powerbank...
not gonna lie, novel idea, but totally impractical.
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
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.
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.
@@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...
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.
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
that would be amazing. We’d probably even be able to put it on our laps.
@@AZisk missed opportunity to say "put in on the top of our laps"
I think we can call it laptop .. 🤯
If someone could design such a device I think they'd be set to make a lot of money
@@themarcarts Uhh... that's basically a laptop
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.
Really? I see short power outages maybe twice a year
This video should be labeled as an ad...
Why? 8:06
This is portable, not a laptop, not even comparable.
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.
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.
@@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.
@@Parker8752 Though this specific mini pc has internals that far exceed pretty much any laptop at the price range. I recently bought it to replace my tower, and performs tasks such as video rendering and playing Cyberpunk 2077 better than what I had. Granted I had a 5800X and a GTX 1070. I got the PC for around 500 USD from sales.
It's a bit late in the year for an April Fools'.
Mini PCs are not comparable to laptops. Upgradability is not enough argument to justify the inconvenience IMO.
Coffee shop final boss 😅 great video anyways
Thanks 😅
Mini boss
Imagine if there is a power outage. Goodbye to all work done if there is no autosave feature.
Carry a battary with you just in case
@@midnightblue3285 why not stuff your PC in your bag😂
@@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
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
That espresso display is $800.00…. Ridiculous.
Insanity. 😂
Yet Effective.
@@BurntOrangeHorn78 there are alot more cheaper portable displays that are equally effective.
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.
Instead of bringing a laptop, now you bring nearly your home inside your package 😂😂
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.
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.
there are two types of mechanical keyboards that matter, thocky and clicky
You forgot that laptops have batteries
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
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
Have you considered the Framework laptop?
@@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!
@@corvinyt overrated
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.
Interesting, but can you browse web with chrome from the gamer?
@@The4.0Guy I use Edge. Legion Go ships with Windows. I won't install Linux yet as I want to play Xbox games.
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
we need portable modularity
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
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.
Great video. I'm curious, is it possible to use a laptop as the monitor/mouse/keyboard for the mini PC? Let's say I have an older basic laptop but purchased one of the new Mini Pcs which is more powerful. Is there a way to use my older laptop as the monitor/keyboard to run my MINI Pc?
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).
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.
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.
My "laptop" is never on my lap.
It is always on a desk or table.
My laptop is my desktop!
Nobody puts laptops on their lap in 2024
The real death is in Windows OS , i see huge community migration from windows to Mac OS and Linux .
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.
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.
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.
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.
Man what monster was that? 😹
This idea of all-in-one devices sounds good at first, but in the end it is better to have a separate device for each application. I've tried Surface Pro devices twice and both times the screen was too small for a laptop and the battery was far too weak for a tablet.
Now I use an MBP with an external monitor at work and an iPad for drawing. At home I also have a PC with a workstation GPU for Blender. I'm in the home office 99% of the time anyway, but it's still nice to be able to take the MBP or iPad somewhere else.
However, I will probably really do without the desktop PC in the future, because in terms of performance, a Mac Mini would be enough for me, but I won't be lugging it anywhere.
One thing great about this setup. If any components beak you replace them. Don't have to throw the whole system away!
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.
With the Beelink minipc I have been thinking of getting one and having Windows 11 be on one of the NVME and Linux on the second NVME. Have you tried doing a set up like that before? I wouldn't want to do a dual boot on the same HDD, but want to try the 2 NVMEs. I also read that you can access files on both harddrives, but haven't been able to confirm that.
I had to check the calendar if it's April's fools lol 😂
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
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.
I don't know, a set up like this is a bit much for me to consider it truly portable. It's less bulky than a desktop tower and I would say that it's good for setting up in a hotel or something, but for a coffee shop, it's a bit too bulky and takes too long to set up. With a laptop, the form factor is the real selling point. It's light weight, small, and the set up is as simple and quick as pulling it out of your bag and opening the screen. Nothing is stopping you from using a mechanical keyboard and mouse with a laptop either. Sure, a laptop is pricier and cannot be upgraded, but a laptop is also way more convenient and fits more use cases. If you are sharing a table at a coffee shop, you might not want to take up so much of the table space with your set up and you might not have enough outlets to plug in your mini PC and monitor, while leaving a plug open for your table partner. If you prefer clicky or other loud mechanical switches in your keybaord, you shouldn't use it at a cafe any way, as it's inconsiderate of other guests. This also isn't going to fly (pun very much intended) on a plane or in an uber/taxi. It might be great for some people's use case, but it's a bit much for most. The laptop is the king of portable productivity.
the only way this make sense is if you are playing some sort of esports gaming and an APU is capable of running the game at a high refresh rate. finding a mini PC with that APU and adding gaming peripherals is probably gonna cost less than a laptop with a high refreshrate monitor. it does have a major problem: it took two wall plugs for everything to run. my current portable solution is a MS surface go 2 and the advantage is it can either be used wo any peripherals, with a mouse(and keyboard if needed) or be fully docked with an external display. it can also run on either the built in battery or be powered via anything with 25W PD USB C port. that includes a 25€ powerbank and the phone charging adapter in my car. the only problem is that its kinda slow and won't run much in terms of gaming.
I like it! The ability to select peripherals over laptop portability is the deal breaker plus the added benefits of ability to upgrade.
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 :)
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.
Can I recommend using a tablet instead of a portable monitor as the display, that way if you are on a short trip or not going to be somewhere for long all you would need to do is pull out the tablet and use it separately.
I love my mini pc. Just not nice when I have to work in very uncomfortable locations (on the floor, a small space in a tabletop, while waiting for boarding the plane, etc). I have set up RDP connection though. Kinda sucks when the internet is slow. Please remember that if you need to constantly move and is subject to unconventional spaces to work, just get a laptop if you have the budget.
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.
The laptop tends to heat up above 70-80 degrees, I will not work at the coffee shop or outdoor all day long with it, and there are too many distractions in my opinion.
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
The only reason to use MINI Pc's are if.
- You need to control the amount of physical desktop space you have because your office is small.
- You want to run a mini server environment and you don't want a case and you want modern hardware for that kind of an environment rather then just pulling full servers out of the local recycling company.
- You embrace a lan lifestyle and for some reason don't like a laptop.
I've been doing it with a Lenovo m720q. I was even able to get display over USB C with an add on. And that thing has a full sized pcie slot. I have added wifi 6 and upgraded to Intel 8700.
Another benefit is that when anything breaks, especially when you are out and about, its easy to replace.
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.
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.
This is great information! Thank you.
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.
In my opinion Xreal AR glasses are the better portable display for the mobile desktop display than physical portable monitor only issue are eye dizziness and near sightness problem which should be fixed in the future
AR glasses, samsing phone(or another phone that has desktop mode when connected to an external screen) and a bluetooth version of the keyboard at 4:55(tho personally i would bring a mouse unless i need to type a lot of text) . the true minimalist laptop replacement.
@@yvs6663 Didn't Samsung claim to stop supporting or updating their Dex mode?
Samsung Dex mode is for casual users not for serious laptop replacement for gaming and high load work
Nice thing, but there are mini itx motherboards. With some small factor case, you can build pretty decent pc with great cooling
Cool episode Alex, extraordinary l was thinking of a similar setup a few months ago. 👍
I want to fix my two alienware m51 laptops a r1 and a r2. If it's not done before Christmas I'm going to put it on my new year's resolutions. R2 when pop smoke when my power stick decided to stop working. The r1 was sent to me in a box of stuff that was shipped to me instead of by itself in a nice laptop box. So I figure buy a r1 motherboard swap it out se what happens. Weather it works or not repeat for r2.
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 .
i have a feeling that once the glasses with integrated screens like the AR technology gets more affordable this would be a solid option but bringing a whole monitor with me is just nuts to me.
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...
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.
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.
YES!!! i also want this. Why can't my phone just also provide me with a desktop experience when plugged into a monitor?
@@The4.0Guy That's Samsung Dex.
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.
This is just a laptop in a box with better cooling. Keyboard is ok, but try filco magestouch 3. 5 devices and customisable. Can even swap esc with tilda or caps lock with control key. Comes with the keycaps for that too. Not to mention properly key if you are excel user. Try it.Japanese quality more than a decade ago. It is much better power instead of laptop,
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
There is something called a laptop, highly recommend. 😃
hey! welcome back man!
I really wish I could connect my iPhone to an external display and when I did it ran MacOS. I could connect a keyboard and mouse and do everything you mention. The power and capability is there and I already have my phone with me.
Mini-PC with integrated battery , albeit very small that powers on device for about 1 hour would make most people prefer mini-PC over laptop because it would be cheaper and powerful than equivalent laptop even with a separate portable monitor, bluetooth KB & mouse. And more repairable and upgradable. Basically laptop without screen, kb & mouse . Saves lot of space and with integrated battery, no worries of unsaved work during power cut or accidental power cable pull
I believe that the only thing that can kill a notebook and maybe desktop pc are DOCKING stations for Phones.... You just carry your own pc in your pocket and then just plug into whatever station is there or you carry the peripherals with you
The smaller, less capable Beelink miniPCs are designed to be mounted on the back of a monitor. For portability, that would make a bit more sense assuming there is a nearby power plug.
Couple of issues.
I would want two USB-C that USB 3.2 points so I can use at least 2 portable screens. I also want to use one plugpoint. Currently I use two portable + my laptop screen for 3 screens.
Boarding planes with that box is going to be a problem as it is something they don't see often so air travel would issue. If they can make it smaller and easily opened by customs than one could get away with it.
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.
I would like to see a comparison between a laptop, a PC, and a mini PC with similar specs, such as an i9 Ultra Core, for someone studying ML, to evaluate their performance for running large ML models and LLMs, and compare their prices.
I mean, if this is an option, can we get a video about a "jank MacBook" setup involving a Nexdock (or some other lapdock) and a Mac Mini?
Honestly, the biggest con for this setup is that you need multiple power outlets. With a laptop, I can work for hours without access to a single power outlet. Without a portable power supply, I cannot see myself running this kind of setup if I could only use a single computer.
I get the idea here with the mini-PC, but my chunky Dell laptop has more ports than it, and I've upgraded the RAM and the SSD. I keep it plugged into peripherals of my choosing at home, treating it like a desktop PC, and use it as a laptop on-the-go. Best of both worlds.
the only " practical " use to these mini pcs is as a test server for, say, web development. ssh-ing to it from an android phone via Termux. and tweaking your code by neovim. or coding on your phone instead of doom-scrolling social media. Still, it doesn`t justify the price. But it`s a "somewhat" valid use case for me at least.
My mom is using a $100 mini PC with a N100. It works great for her needs, she prefers it over laptops, and it's cheap. They do well in schools, too, and in many organisation-related cases. A ton of people on Reddit use them to host homelabs as well.
To say that they only do well for test servers is super ignorant.
Dude, I could not stand setting that up everyday in a coffee shop and would prefer a laptop with a batter lol
I'd like to remove the OS from one machine and take it to another. I could plug it into a desktop, remove it and put it into a laptop when I'm on the go. It would basically be a storage device that would fit into a dock that I could boot from. The dock could be integrated into a laptop or desktop footprint. When I upgrade one of my devices, I keep my OS and the files stored with it. This is possible today with Linux but not Windows. There is also no standard "dock" or easy built-in method of booting from the external OS. Seems easy and do-able. The footprint of such a device could be as small as an SSD. Just need the dock (or slot) and an OS that's "portable".
or you could just buy a nice laptop and plug in a keyboard and mouse. If you get a 2 in one you can just flip the keyboard back so your external keyboard can be close to the screen. The flow x16 may be good for that purpose but idk. This seems excessive.
Exactly
I have a nice laptop and a 2 in 1. And I still want a smaller setup for, whenever. I like that my steam deck runs Blender and Krita. I can hold it in my hands. If I need a bigger screen, I use my headset. I love laptops, but smaller, more powerful rigs are really cool. And not excessive.
So i have a dell mini pc for the kids to use, and a decent desktop for me to use. I barely ever need to work away from my desk, when I do i just do my basic office tasks on the phone.
I think laptops are unbeatable for working out of the office, but not upgradeable, hence I use a desktop
No upgradability (RAM doesn't improve computing ability if you didn't know). No system of standards for parts, which complicates repairability, and requires a specialist to replace something trivial in the PC for well...standards.
Also power.
Also portability was never a feature of a regular PC.
Although even that can be achieved using a special micro ITX parts standard that fits into cases you can slip into a backpack. It will be more powerful, fully repairable and fully upgradeable.
So it's not a PC replacement. It's just a tween option that will have its own audience. Comparing it to neither laptops nor PCs makes no sense.
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.
Yes, I'd easily use a setup like that. I don't like a laptop, because I could never find a keyboard that I really liked. I'm used to a membrane keyboard like Keytronics KT800U.
I mean, at the end of the day, a setup like this is only mildly less convenient than a gaming handheld PC. But I think even those aren't _really_ portable for serious desktop usage.
The biggest advantage to mini PCs is simply the compact form factor and often low prices. I can see businesses and schools absolutely switching to these in the near future.
The best use I can think of tho is in cases where people move around a lot between home and office. It'd be great to have a setup in both locations and just have to plug the PC in, while keeping all your files on one PC.
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.
Wouldn’t you need a small portable battery in case there is a power glitch?