What's new

Scrapping on a laptop vs. desktop

mlewis

mlewis

mlewis
Joined
Nov 18, 2009
Messages
3,500
I've always scrapped on a desktop (with its nice BIG screen), but my PC recently bit the dust so I've been trying to install PSE and LR on my husband's laptop so that I can still do some scrapping. I'm finding it very hard! I'm so used to the big screen that this little laptop screen is driving me nuts. Someone tell me it will get easier?

And do you scrap on a laptop or desktop?
 
I made the switch a few years ago - around when I got Penny and I wanted to spend more time in the living room as opposed to my little office, because Penny made me nuts up there! I've always bought laptops with 17 inch screens and when you're working on a laptop, you're working a bit closer - so it doesn't feel that small to me. I don't really have room in my set up to use a mouse so using the track pad was took me awhile, but I'm so used to it now, I don't even think about it. Sometimes if I want to do more intricate work, I'll use my tablet. But I love that I can take my laptop with me and scrap where ever I go!
 
Desktop for sure. I have two 27 inch monitors that I love! It makes it easy to have Photoshop on one screen and my digi stash folders on the second screen.
 
My laptop recently bit the dust and I had to move back to our desktop. I truly miss the freedom of being able to move around and scrap where I want. On the flip size a HUGE monitor is such a bonus. You'll get used to scrapping on the lappy, it just takes time. I would suggest getting a wireless mouse if possible. I used to set mine right next to the trackpad on the actual laptop.
 
I used to scrap many years on a laptop, which I loved the convenience of scrapping wherever I wanted (with a mouse of course, can't scrap with out one of those!) Now I have the 27 inch iMac (desktop) which I do love (picked these up 2 years ago)! It is quite huge. :giggle
 
I scrap on a 13in laptop so I do a lot of zooming in and out but I am used to it. I dream of someday being able to afford a larger screen laptop or a desktop but for now, this works.
 
(Untitled)

Laptop scrapping is super hard for me. I just can't seem to be productive.
 
I scrap on my laptop... because I scrap lying down. Always. I lie on the couch on my side and am very, very close to the screen that way- not because my eyes are bad, but because I just like to get really close. The screen is small, but that doesn't bother me- it just leads to some strange misconceptions on my part sometimes. For example: I always chose my font- size so small that I could just about read it while working on my layout. When I switched to the A4 format and started PRINTING my layouts, I found out that my font- sizes are MUCH TOO BIG... because my screen is so tiny, and the printed A4 layouts are HUGE in comparison to the layout I see on my screen ;). But those are just small problems that can easily be corrected... I just LOVE to scrap lying down, so laptop it is for me :).
 
I scrap on both. I have a smaller laptop which is ok and I have PSE11 on it... I also have the PC which I have PSE10, CS3 and now Creative Cloud on it... the bigger screen is definitely much better.. then I have the larger 17" laptop that Dad had just gotten, so I use that downstairs and I have PSE11 and Creative Cloud loaded. I have been scrapping lately on the larger laptop and I do have the wireless mouse... the tract bar and I are not friends ... LOL... I have photos on one External Hard Drive and my scrapbook supplies on another and I just travel depending where I am scrapping. Also the laptop & desk top are networked so it is pretty cool. Lately I don't print my pages. I will use them in a slide show instead.
 
I have always been a desktop girl, but my husband bought me a mac book for Christmas last year. I used it only to surf the web and respond to email for at least 6 months. When we went to our place in Michigan for the summer.... I brought only my laptop and it was a rough couple of weeks. I absolutely hated scrapping on my laptop (plus I had gotten a new version of photoshop as well which was throwing me off). I was not happy for quite some time. But, once it all "clicked"... I love scrapping on my laptop! I like being in the middle of things vs. off by myself in my office when I want to work on photos or layouts. I love being able to take my computer with me when we travel so photo editing and scrapping doesn't have to wait until we're home. And... the big bonus as Nixenkind pointed out... the ability to scrap lying down on the couch! :-)
 
i have only scrapped on a laptop for the last.... 5years? just been too mobile to sit in one spot for too long. some day, i'd love to sit in one spot, though, with a nice, huge screen or two... :)
 
I've got a 22" monitor with PC, the screen is big enough and the HD is fairly fast. But I love the convenience of the laptop as I travel to the States a lot and bring it with me. Or if I'm at home I might sit in the LR with my hubs. It is a smaller screen (17") which is a PITA b/c those few extra inches makes a difference....but you get used to it and just zoom in and out as needed. I just wish my laptop were faster. It is so slow and the ram can't be upgraded much so I'm kind of stuck with it until I can get a new one someday.
 
Brandi;n510255 said:
I used to scrap many years on a laptop, which I loved the convenience of scrapping wherever I wanted (with a mouse of course, can't scrap with out one of those!) Now I have the 27 inch iMac (desktop) which I do love (picked these up 2 years ago)! It is quite huge. :giggle
Click to expand...


This is me totally. All we had for years were macbooks and it's all I scrapped on. I got an iMac about 2 years ago and I am SPOILED to it. I find scrapping on my laptop do-able, but annoying. One other issue is that I have all of my "stuff" on my iMac so have to use an EHD when on my laptop. Between the machine, mouse, EHD... it's not usually worth the inconvenience.

That said, when it was all I had, it worked fine, LOL.
 
I do both depending on where I am, but I definitely prefer scrapping on my desktop. Screen real estate is valuable, and bigger is better.
 
Laptop scrapper here! I hate being stuck to a desk and when I had to use it, I thought everything felt way too huge, LOL!
 
christineirion;n510252 said:
Desktop for sure. I have two 27 inch monitors that I love! It makes it easy to have Photoshop on one screen and my digi stash folders on the second screen.
Click to expand...

WOW, that's awesome! One screen for scrapping, another for the stash... I never thought of that!

I'm scrapping on a 13-inch Macbook (aluminum body, before they rebranded it to the MB Pro). It's pretty small & restricting. I'd love to get an iMac sometime this year or next year. a 27" screen would be too big for me, so I might get the smaller one.
 
I had thought 27" would be too big until we got one. I loooooooooove it! I do love the convenience of scrapping on a laptop too but if I could only do one I would choose the bigger screen.
 
I prefer my desktop by far because I have a two monitors like Christine. I love to spread out all my stuff on one screen and PS on the other. Then just drag and drop between the two. Even when I go on scrappy retreats I still take an extra monitor and hook it up to my laptop.
 
I totally get why the mobility of a laptop would be appealing. But I am seriously missing my big screen! Also, I kinda like getting out of the thick of things when I scrap. :) No choice but to get used to it, though, because we're not going to replace my desktop for now. Working on getting LR and shadow styles, photo effects, etc. installed on the laptop.
 
Back
Top