Laptops mobility vs. desktop replacement

Size Matters

For many years, the firm has purchased full size laptops with 15" screens for attorneys.  They are bigger and bulkier than many newer laptops available.  But as they were considered desktop replacements, many people wanted the larger screens and full keyboards.

We could purchase smaller and lighter laptops, but they have smaller screens, smaller keyboards, and most do away with CD/DVD drives.  Are these sacrifices worth the savings on size and weight?  I certainly welcome user feedback on this question.  If you wish, take my poll on laptops:

Take the Laptop Survey

See the Responses

Docking Stations

Another question I often hear is why the firm no longer purchases docking stations for laptops.  In the past, firm laptops came with special ports on the bottom of the laptop, so a user could easily connect to a docking station with little effort.  Newer laptops purchased by the firm do not have this docking, and have caused us to rely on USB port replicators or other devices for users who want to use various external accessories at their desk.  It also requires the user to plug and unplug more wires when taking the computer to and from the office.

The reason for this is cost.  A laptop with similar specs to what we are currently buying, but which also has the docking station port, costs around $500 more.  The docking station itself is another $200 or more.  Multiply that by more than 100 attorneys, on average going through a laptop every 2-3 years, and you have added roughly $35k to annual IT costs vs the nuisance of having to pull a few extra plugs when you take your computer home.

Lenovo has developed a new device called Onelink that allows you to connect multiple devices through your power connection.  This only works on the newer laptops with the rectangular power plugs.  If you have one with a circular tip, it will not work for you.  Onelink allows you to plug into your power cord, and immediately have your keyboard, mouse, monitor, and other external devices connected.  We are currently testing this device to see if it works as promised, but it may be available soon for those who regularly carry their laptops home and have multiple cables to reconnect.

Tablets Will Not Replace Laptops

I have also been asked whether tablets may eventually replace our laptops.  I am a fan of tablets for many features.  They are convenient for mobility as they are much smaller and lighter than laptops and have longer battery life. I much prefer the larger tablet screen, compared to my phone.  But I don't see tablets working as a laptop replacement any time soon.  For starters, most tablets run on IOS or Android.  These systems are simply incompatible with a  great many of our programs.  Some of this could be overcome with some solutions such as virtual desktop, but the cost to the firm to invest in such a system makes this unlikely in the foreseeable future.  Tablet screens are also much smaller than for laptops.  Lack of full size keyboards and mice also make them difficult to work with, unless you also want to carry around a bag full of accessories.

Tablets, in my opinion, are nice supplements to laptop or desktop computers, but not a replacement.  Typically, they are stripped down so that the memory and processing power is not as much as you would find in a laptop.  The OS is also not nearly as robust as you would find on a PC or laptop.  There will likely be more powerful tablets in the future, but this will then take away from what makes them useful.  They will demand more power and have shorter battery life, or they will become bulkier to handle a larger screen or more powerful battery.

Another real weakness is accessories.  You can attach a wireless keyboard or mouse, but a great many accessories will not work with a tablet.  Other things such as printers, flash drives, DVD drives, etc. do not easily connect to a tablet, at least not without buying special wireless accessories.  In short, there are many advantages to having a tablet in addition to a computer, but not as a replacement.  And the firm does not wish to pay the costs of providing attorneys or staff with both.

Price Remains Key to Adoption of New Features

Other newer laptop features such as touch screens, or solid state drives (which improve performance) will probably come to be used eventually.  But given the firm's focus on cost savings we probably will not see those on firm computers until the cost differential falls substantially.