Laptops - used as desktops

Tom Fisher · May 21, 2018, 03:54:16 PM

I've got a client looking for Dell or Lenovo laptops that have awesome docking capabilities so that they can be used as the desktop when in the office and also mobile.

Anyone using something like this that they LOVE?

Ric · May 21, 2018, 04:06:51 PM

Tom, there has been talk about Surface Pro 3 and 4s being good solutions too

Bob · May 21, 2018, 04:46:06 PM

Actually Ric I was set on getting a Surface Pro 4 as workstation. When I polled all my tech friends they told me NO. Pointed me to reviews and experiences. While a great product, the full time use is unreliable on the life span. Many complained of failure after 1 year intense use.

It took a lot of convincing to talk me out of it because my heart was set on that. Why I got my new workstation Opti 7550 similar to yours with the 500GB SSD and I went with more memory too. SP4 was what I wanted.

Depending on Tom's clients need SP4 could work but if everyday workstation then not recommended. That was the majority opinion and went with it.

Tom Fisher · May 22, 2018, 08:51:51 AM

For the same reasons, I'm not comfortable suggesting a SP. I dont think these laptops will be mobile very much. They will be workstations that can be taken home when needed or on trips or maybe to the conference room when needed. My biggest thing is the docking ... 1,2,3 monitors, keyboard, mouse, speakers and LAN when connected with no more than one wire.

Joshua Conner · May 22, 2018, 09:04:42 AM

I love my Lenovo x1 Carbon with Pro Dock. I have the 5th Gen and I think they just came out with the 6th gen.

It is one cable to plug it in when i sit down and I am good to go. I have been using the lenovo docks for years and I love them.

Jeff Golas · May 22, 2018, 09:51:10 AM

We use Lenovo T and X series across the board and love them. On-site support is hit or miss sometimes but compared to all my previous laptop experiences we've been fairly good with these.

Ric · May 22, 2018, 10:05:08 AM

Quote from: Bob on May 21, 2018, 04:46:06 PM
Actually Ric I was set on getting a Surface Pro 4 as workstation. When I polled all my tech friends they told me NO. Pointed me to reviews and experiences. While a great product, the full time use is unreliable on the life span. Many complained of failure after 1 year intense use.

It took a lot of convincing to talk me out of it because my heart was set on that. Why I got my new workstation Opti 7550 similar to yours with the 500GB SSD and I went with more memory too. SP4 was what I wanted.

Depending on Tom's clients need SP4 could work but if everyday workstation then not recommended. That was the majority opinion and went with it.

Bob, my Surface Pro 3 has been rock solid, I use it all the time as a full time machine.

Just sayin

Tom Fisher · May 22, 2018, 01:02:01 PM

Ric, how is the docking with the SP?

Ric · May 22, 2018, 04:06:55 PM

Quote from: Tom Fisher on May 22, 2018, 01:02:01 PM
Ric, how is the docking with the SP?

Tom,

I was only speaking in that instance as to the durability of the Surface Pro 3 (4)

I do not use a docking station but know people that do and would refer you and Bob to them. From what I understand they work well

DebAmstutz · April 25, 2019, 02:39:27 PM

So the agency here is getting me a laptop to use full time (they're going to keep me as an employee-I've been moving around to whatever desk is empty on any given day since I was hired in January. The Lenovos win the vote, I presume? They will get me a 2nd monitor also. The agency is TAMOnline. Would I be able to take the laptop to one of the other branches to use or not? My previous agency was TAM in-house, so I'm new to TAMOnline how-to.

Sherry Burrell · April 26, 2019, 10:34:06 AM

Once you connect to the network/internet in the branch office, everything would work the same.

Jeff Golas · April 26, 2019, 10:38:09 AM

One thing to note with Lenovos...the very latest generation (90 series - T490, T590, etc) have changed a bit from previous generation Lenovos. The 3 biggest things are that the batteries are strictly internal now, but the laptops support USB charging so it might be possible to use USB batteries with them.

One other complaint about the latest gen is that the vents are on the right side of the laptop, so if you use it as an actual laptop a lot with an external mouse (on the right side), your hand may get a little warm. I have one in house now and messed around with it yesterday, and unless you're directly to the right of it (like if you were on a plane) you should be ok.

The 80 series was the last generation to have left-side ventilation and real batteries, and are still very readily available.

Mark · April 26, 2019, 10:44:13 AM

We always use a docking setup with dual monitors. The leaves the laptop closed and off to the side or whatever, allowing you to work with full keyboard, mouse, dual monitor stand.

The new Dell docking stations are little boxes with USB-C on them. Smaller than a Wyse thin client - probably about the size of a Western Digital Passport if I'm remembering correctly. You can place the laptop anywhere the USB cord reaches.

We do still have one of the old docking deals as well, where the laptop snaps into a tray.

I definitely prefer using docking rather than a laptop monitor and external monitor with mismatched display size/height and having to plug everything in all the time.

Laptops are "going away" though. So are desktops. Not even that futuristic talk, either.

Billy Welsh · April 26, 2019, 12:00:51 PM

I have always felt the same, and yet I have surprised myself at home with a mismatched mishmash. Laptop in the middle, might be 13" display (probably 12"). 2 additional large displays (~21" methinks) on either side, but different brands and therefore slightly different heights. Laptop is on a stand so that everything is loosely aligned close enough horizontally. Naturally, all the important stuff is occurring on the big boys.

Of course, I am not on that 10+hours/day 5 days a week. I did spend some pretty full weekends on this setup recently doing tax returns. But when I lost one of my 3 matched/identical displays here, and had to sub in a smaller one while waiting on IT, it was making me crazy.

Quote from: Mark on April 26, 2019, 10:44:13 AM
I definitely prefer using docking rather than a laptop monitor and external monitor with mismatched display size/height and having to plug everything in all the time.

Jeff Golas · April 26, 2019, 12:18:25 PM

My last setup was like that, and I call it the Mikey Mouse rig!

I'm looking into USB3 docks right now, at least for a group of shared/hotel desks, as I'm now going to be running two different gens of Lenovo docks which are a pain.

Quote from: Billy Welsh on April 26, 2019, 12:00:51 PM

I have always felt the same, and yet I have surprised myself at home with a mismatched mishmash. Laptop in the middle, might be 13" display (probably 12"). 2 additional large displays (~21" methinks) on either side, but different brands and therefore slightly different heights. Laptop is on a stand so that everything is loosely aligned close enough horizontally. Naturally, all the important stuff is occurring on the big boys.

Of course, I am not on that 10+hours/day 5 days a week. I did spend some pretty full weekends on this setup recently doing tax returns. But when I lost one of my 3 matched/identical displays here, and had to sub in a smaller one while waiting on IT, it was making me crazy.

Quote from: Mark on April 26, 2019, 10:44:13 AM
I definitely prefer using docking rather than a laptop monitor and external monitor with mismatched display size/height and having to plug everything in all the time.

Joshua Conner · April 26, 2019, 02:28:08 PM

the problem with usb3 dock is most if not all also require a power plug so its not a true one plug docking station. which that may bother some and not others.

Yes deb I work off a laptop and anywhere I can get internet you could connect to TOL. Depending on how they serve the rest of things you might be able to work from anywhere.

DebAmstutz · April 26, 2019, 03:51:44 PM

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it!

Jeff Golas · May 06, 2019, 11:25:03 AM

I got the Lenovo USB3 dock in last week, and found one big flaw - the power button on the dock doesn't power on the laptop, it turns the dock off and on

So while it works fine, as far as I can tell, it will not let the laptop run closed like the other docks too. GRRRR!!!!!

Quote from: Joshua Conner on April 26, 2019, 02:28:08 PM
the problem with usb3 dock is most if not all also require a power plug so its not a true one plug docking station. which that may bother some and not others.

Yes deb I work off a laptop and anywhere I can get internet you could connect to TOL. Depending on how they serve the rest of things you might be able to work from anywhere.

Jeff Golas · January 16, 2020, 10:03:40 AM

Quick update to this incase anyone finds it or cares; the Lenovo USB3 dock does work ok with a laptop closed - but it's cludgy. You have to open the lid, turn on laptop, then close the lid immediately. If you have a bitlocker pin enabled, you won't see it get prompted on the screen, but you can type your pin on the keyboard and hit enter to get it to boot regardless.

If the laptop goes to sleep, keyboard/mouse seems to work well to wake them up.

On the other hand, the standard style dock that literally just pushes USB plugs into the side of the laptop has mostly worked but also glitch on video; not sure if that's my actual laptop or the dock, but I use 3 screens and often when waking up from sleep, one of the 3 (DVI) comes up scrambled eggs. Undocking/redocking fixes it.

Joshua Conner · January 16, 2020, 10:51:30 AM

Interesting I have usbc docks for my lenovos and you can just plug the laptop in closed and push the dock power button. It doesn't need the laptop open at all. It is a single plug too everything flows through the one usbc cable.

Now the docks arent 100% stable which is a real problem but they are normally workable.

Billy Welsh · January 16, 2020, 12:03:52 PM

Just got a ThinkPad T580 with an "Ultra" docking station. I am not yet using it daily in the office because I have to inventory what software I'm using on the desktop that needs to be installed on it. But this is a standard setup for us, and I know from others that the video through the dock can be wonky. Lady who works for me regularly has one of her 3 displays blinking off for no apparent reason. They've changed cables and tried other stuff, none of which has completely eliminated the issue.