racoma.com.phJ. Angelo Racoma on technology, economics, writing, problogging, and getting things done

There was a time in my life when my laptop was underpowered and I just had to get some things done with much processing horsepower. Heck, there was a time in my life I didn’t have my own laptop, and I just borrowed from the office. The home desktop was my staple for home computing. I kind of moved away from desktop computers when I got hooked on laptops (and got my own). But when my laptop needed repair, I salvaged some parts just lying around the house and re-built my old Pentium-IV based computer. And it was good.

Ever since I started to use laptops to work with (two, namely the Powerbook Pismo for serious writing stuff, when I don’t want to get distracted, and the newer, zippier Compaq Presario for graphics work, watching videos, burning discs and the occasional writing work), the desktop had once again been turned into a glorified paperweight. The monitor had been used on occasion as second screen for either laptop. But the rest was just in a state of rest.

But just this evening I had to look for a file that I know I saved on the desktop’s hard drive about a year back. So I plugged in all peripherals, flicked the power supply switch, and pushed the power button.

Silence … Fans whirring … That familiar POST beep.

Ah, sheer desktop computing bliss. I never know the day would come when I would be elated watching a Windows startup screen unfold.

Having worked on laptops for so long, I’ve grown used to touchpads (or trackpads, as MacHeads call ‘em), small screens and keyboards with integrated function and directional keys. I never realized I missed the large screen real estate, full size keyboard, separate pointing device and zip of a desktop computer. And of course there’s the expandability. With laptops, there’s only so much you can do to upgrade–memory, hard drive, and perhaps even a spare battery. But with a desktop, the possibilities are only limited by your budget, compatibility and the power supply’s capacity.

Sure it’s a bit dated, but it can still carry its weight. I do miss my desktop computer. I think it’s time to play around and tinker.