My workspace at home is a single desk that I shared between a work supplied laptop and a desktop. Earlier this year I left my job, returned my work laptop, and transitioned to using my desktop as my daily driver for work. This had the following impacts:
- I no longer have to switch peripherals to use the same desk with the same peripherals: monitor, keyboard, mouse, microphone, DAC for music, and webcam. This simplified my wiring on the desk and reduced overall clutter, something I appreciate greatly.
- It helped me have a clear delineation between workspace and not workspace. When I'm done for the day, I tend to put my desktop into suspend or shut down entirely. I endeavor not to perform any tasks from my desk for the remainder of the day. Prior, I think I struggled with the mental transition of finishing the workday, switching peripherals, and then pivoting to my desktop for personal projects.
Recently, I purchased a modern laptop. My 2017 laptop was struggling, I needed to travel, and I needed access to software that wasn't readily available on my desktop OS. Post new laptop, I noticed the following:
- I am significantly more productive at my desk w/desktop versus pure laptop work. The peripherals, dedicated space, and compute power have a noticeably positive impact on my productivity. This is most impactful for development work and moderately impactful for my writing.
- My desktop is fast, and the screen is crisp. I thought my new M1 laptop would outshine my ~1-year-old desktop on Pop!_OS, and it does not. Desktops can pack a serious punch when it comes to computing power. This power does not require a large amount of space. My case is 6+ liters with a mini-itx board.
Having access to both a desktop and laptop has let me use both devices where they shine best. The laptop is great if the priority is mobility. The desktop is great is the priorities are power (compute / network), comfort, and a dedicated space.