WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en-US 00:00:00.060 --> 00:00:02.780 The comments on this one are gonna be a doozy… 00:00:02.780 --> 00:00:03.600 Hello there! 00:00:03.600 --> 00:00:07.340 Did you know that some people work differently than you do? 00:00:07.340 --> 00:00:08.540 Weird, right? 00:00:08.550 --> 00:00:15.080 Well, today I’d like to talk to you about one of the fundamental tools I use to do my work. 00:00:15.080 --> 00:00:15.760 This! 00:00:16.200 --> 00:00:17.440 A laptop‽ 00:00:17.440 --> 00:00:19.940 You edit videos from a laptop‽ 00:00:19.940 --> 00:00:22.580 Why are you doing that to yourself‽ 00:00:23.140 --> 00:00:26.340 Oh it gets worse; I often write them on a Chromebook! 00:00:26.340 --> 00:00:30.020 But anyway, this is much more than just a laptop. 00:00:30.020 --> 00:00:33.360 It’s also quite a capable desktop computer. 00:00:33.360 --> 00:00:35.140 I know, it’s confusing, 00:00:35.140 --> 00:00:37.620 but that’s what we’re gonna be talking about today! 00:00:37.620 --> 00:00:38.520 But first! 00:00:38.520 --> 00:00:40.080 Hi! I just wa… 00:00:40.080 --> 00:00:41.600 ooh, wrong shirt! 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:42.380 Hi! 00:00:42.380 --> 00:00:47.420 I just want to set the record straight and let you all know right now that 00:00:47.420 --> 00:00:53.600 I’ve also got a duper super pancy fants for-real desktop PC. 00:00:53.610 --> 00:00:56.260 You can tell it’s good 'cause it has blue lights in it! 00:00:56.260 --> 00:00:58.870 But you see, through some deep, 00:00:58.870 --> 00:01:02.520 deep soul-searching, I’ve come to the conclusion that… 00:01:02.520 --> 00:01:04.220 I don’t really need this thing. 00:01:04.220 --> 00:01:08.280 It’s... it's nice to have, but I don’t really need it. 00:01:08.280 --> 00:01:14.020 You see, while I need a fair amount of computing horsepower to do what I do for you, 00:01:14.020 --> 00:01:16.660 I actually don’t need all that much. 00:01:16.660 --> 00:01:23.480 especially because video editing is only but a small part of my overall video making process. 00:01:23.480 --> 00:01:28.600 Now first - let me be clear that, just as I said there are people that work differently from you, 00:01:28.600 --> 00:01:30.840 there are people that work differently from me! 00:01:30.840 --> 00:01:37.280 Some people do nothing but video editing all day long, and they’re certainly not gonna find my tools adequate. 00:01:37.280 --> 00:01:39.360 Or maybe you work with CAD 00:01:39.360 --> 00:01:44.200 or other modelling software and you need some big beefy GPU at your disposal - 00:01:44.200 --> 00:01:47.180 but specifically to you folks - hang tight. 00:01:47.180 --> 00:01:52.860 What I’m about to show you in this video certainly isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution or anything, 00:01:52.860 --> 00:01:58.000 but it’s an option that I think is really underappreciated and also just… 00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:01.920 not very well known outside of specific corporate environments. 00:02:01.920 --> 00:02:05.740 And that option is a laptop and a dock. 00:02:05.740 --> 00:02:06.800 Watch this magic! 00:02:06.800 --> 00:02:08.780 Here’s my laptop all neat and pretty. 00:02:08.780 --> 00:02:10.980 And here’s a desk! Slightly… 00:02:10.980 --> 00:02:11.760 less neat. 00:02:11.760 --> 00:02:15.960 Over here is a cute little box with a bunch of cables and junk plugged into it, 00:02:15.960 --> 00:02:20.020 and if I take this single cable and plug it into the Thunderbolt 3-capable 00:02:20.030 --> 00:02:22.400 USB-C port of my computer… 00:02:22.400 --> 00:02:26.690 suddenly my laptop has transformed into a veritable desktop computer, 00:02:26.690 --> 00:02:28.620 part of a complete desktop breakfast. 00:02:28.620 --> 00:02:30.500 I’ve got a real keyboard and mouse, 00:02:30.500 --> 00:02:34.500 a high resolution ultra-wide monitor (and I could even have a second one if I wanted, 00:02:34.500 --> 00:02:38.260 or just use the laptop’s own screen as a second display), 00:02:38.260 --> 00:02:42.660 I’ve also got some real speakers, and thanks to the fact that the dock has ethernet, 00:02:42.660 --> 00:02:47.880 I could even have this wired into networking and printers and whatever other junk I might need! 00:02:47.880 --> 00:02:51.280 Oh, and it’s charging the laptop through that cable, too, 00:02:51.280 --> 00:02:56.920 so it really is 100% functionally equivalent to a desktop PC. 00:02:56.920 --> 00:03:01.240 And here’s the kicker - when I’m working on my videos in Adobe Premiere, 00:03:01.240 --> 00:03:09.020 I don’t notice a difference at all between my laptop and my desktop when it comes to overall performance. 00:03:09.020 --> 00:03:12.360 Granted, they are running essentially the same processors 00:03:12.360 --> 00:03:17.060 (a 7700K in the desktop and a 7700HQ in here) 00:03:17.060 --> 00:03:20.480 but there’s a pretty substantial difference in graphics hardware. 00:03:20.480 --> 00:03:23.000 A 1050 vs. a 1080. 00:03:23.000 --> 00:03:29.480 Despite that, there’s only one thing that I know my laptop doesn’t do as well, and that’s export the video file. 00:03:29.480 --> 00:03:35.000 Some of that is down to the notoriously flawed thermal design of this Dell XPS 15 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:39.360 the voltage regulator modules overheat causing the most annoying throttling ever, 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:44.280 not thermal but power throttling and it sucks (here’s hoping the redesign has fixed that)- 00:03:44.280 --> 00:03:49.260 but thanks to the latest Adobe update which takes advantage of the GPU for actual rendering, 00:03:49.260 --> 00:03:51.260 that issue is much less pronounced. 00:03:51.260 --> 00:03:57.140 As it stands now, my laptop is about 20% slower than my desktop at rendering a video. 00:03:57.140 --> 00:03:59.860 So it takes like 20 minutes instead of 16. 00:03:59.860 --> 00:04:01.860 Tragic, I know. 00:04:01.860 --> 00:04:05.740 Now I’m sure many of you already know about the wonderful world of docks. 00:04:05.740 --> 00:04:09.200 Some of you might have even heard some sort of tech tips about them. 00:04:09.200 --> 00:04:10.980 But for those who haven’t, 00:04:10.980 --> 00:04:16.240 well I’m here today to extoll the virtues of this wonderful method of personal computing, 00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:20.260 and also tell you about some of its current challenges and future opportunities. 00:04:20.260 --> 00:04:27.000 Because, you see, I think there are many more of you out there that would benefit from this computing lifestyle 00:04:27.000 --> 00:04:28.340 than you realize. 00:04:28.340 --> 00:04:32.800 A modest laptop these days is more than powerful enough for the average person, 00:04:32.800 --> 00:04:39.600 and if you, like me, value having both mobile and desktop computing capabilities, 00:04:39.600 --> 00:04:44.260 you might find having one device fill both roles to be quite splendid. 00:04:44.260 --> 00:04:48.120 Oh and before I forget, this isn’t exclusive to Windows machines. 00:04:48.120 --> 00:04:51.760 Macbooks can make use of docks too, but don’t ask me for any advice there 00:04:51.760 --> 00:04:53.280 ‘cause I don’t have any. 00:04:53.280 --> 00:04:54.590 Those of you using Linux, 00:04:54.590 --> 00:04:58.540 you’ll just have to figure it out yourself like you do everything else about your computer. 00:04:58.540 --> 00:05:01.340 First, an acknowledgment of history. 00:05:01.340 --> 00:05:04.860 This isn’t anything new, docking solutions have been around for a long time. 00:05:04.860 --> 00:05:08.080 Lots of them involved weird, giant proprietary connectors 00:05:08.080 --> 00:05:11.740 on bottoms of laptops that would give your old iPod pin envy. 00:05:11.740 --> 00:05:17.460 What is new-ish is the world of USB-C or/and Thunderbolt 3 docks. 00:05:17.460 --> 00:05:21.460 And, well, regrettably this world ain't perfect yet. 00:05:21.460 --> 00:05:23.620 Particularly on the Thunderbolt side. 00:05:23.620 --> 00:05:28.260 There seem to still be a few compatibility bugs floating around, and support for Thunderbolt 3 in general 00:05:28.260 --> 00:05:30.560 remains somewhat spotty and also… 00:05:30.560 --> 00:05:33.020 just incredibly confusing. 00:05:33.020 --> 00:05:38.220 Look, I know we’re heading towards One Connector to Rule Them All which is pretty great, 00:05:38.220 --> 00:05:41.790 but having the same physical connector support so many wildly 00:05:41.790 --> 00:05:45.020 different technical standards is not easy to parse. 00:05:45.020 --> 00:05:48.300 Let’s not get started on USB 4, either. 00:05:48.300 --> 00:05:52.800 And even where compatibility seems assured, there are sometimes other nuanced issues. 00:05:52.810 --> 00:05:57.830 Like, in the case of Thunderbolt, how many PCI express lanes does that particular connector 00:05:57.830 --> 00:06:00.380 on your particular laptop support. 00:06:00.380 --> 00:06:02.040 Or even weirder things. 00:06:02.040 --> 00:06:09.070 For example, this model of dock is specifically listed as compatible by Dell with this specific model of laptop. 00:06:09.070 --> 00:06:14.620 Which is cool, because it is, but the dock was available with two different power supplies. 00:06:14.620 --> 00:06:19.300 This laptop needs the larger one to work correctly, otherwise it might have been power limited 00:06:19.300 --> 00:06:23.100 by the smaller power supply, or potentially it wouldn’t have been able to charge from it, 00:06:23.100 --> 00:06:25.120 or perhaps it wouldn’t work at all. 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:29.050 This appears to still be a factor with currently available models. 00:06:29.050 --> 00:06:34.710 There’s definitely work to be done to make this a more seamless and universal experience, 00:06:34.710 --> 00:06:39.270 like for example the fact that many docks aren’t even using Thunderbolt at all and 00:06:39.270 --> 00:06:45.400 are just operating over USB (and for the moment those seem to be more universally compatible). 00:06:45.400 --> 00:06:48.340 But for what it’s worth things are wonderful - 00:06:48.340 --> 00:06:52.820 no, blissful when you have a known-compatible setup. 00:06:52.820 --> 00:06:56.280 Take, well, take this exact PC. 00:06:56.280 --> 00:07:00.760 The laptop’s display is a downright gorgeous 4K panel, 00:07:00.760 --> 00:07:07.960 but since 4K on a 15 inch screen is a little ridiculous, I have Windows scaling everything to 175% 00:07:07.960 --> 00:07:10.460 so I can see things. 00:07:10.460 --> 00:07:13.389 Windows gets a lot of hate for how it handles scaling, and to be honest 00:07:13.389 --> 00:07:16.380 it deserves it (though it has gotten much better lately), 00:07:16.380 --> 00:07:21.420 but to its credit when I plug in the dock, it correctly remembers to turn off the scaling 00:07:21.420 --> 00:07:23.680 and everything recombobulates pretty well. 00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:28.440 After a few seconds of reconfigurationizing and handshakes and whatnot everything is good to go. 00:07:28.440 --> 00:07:31.940 Now I have a honest-to-goodness desktop! 00:07:31.940 --> 00:07:38.060 This particular dock is fairly basic (and also I think discontinued) but has connections for three monitors 00:07:38.060 --> 00:07:42.400 (though I'm pretty sure it's limited to using only two at a time, if memory serves) 00:07:42.400 --> 00:07:46.700 over HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, or VGA if you wanna go that route, 00:07:46.700 --> 00:07:51.740 gigabit Ethernet, 2 USB 2.0 ports, 3 (but he said 4) USB 3 ports two on the front two on the back, 00:07:51.740 --> 00:07:54.477 a rear audio jack, and a front headphone jack. 00:07:54.477 --> 00:08:00.449 You can add a hub onto one of the USB ports if you needed, but also keep in mind that all of the ports 00:08:00.449 --> 00:08:03.980 and the card reader on the laptop itself remain usable. 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:05.940 If you have any, that is! 00:08:05.940 --> 00:08:11.780 But, sadly, even this officially compatible dock from the same manufacturer as the computer 00:08:11.790 --> 00:08:13.780 has misbehaved a few times. 00:08:13.780 --> 00:08:16.000 Occasionally when I first plug it in, 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:20.300 it just doesn’t notice that that happened and won’t do anything until I cycle the power to it. 00:08:20.300 --> 00:08:25.120 I still haven’t figured out when exactly the little power button on it is going to actually wake up 00:08:25.120 --> 00:08:30.240 the laptop when it’s asleep or shut down - it seems to have about a 70% success rate. 00:08:30.240 --> 00:08:34.340 And as seamless as the overall experience is when it’s playing nicely, 00:08:34.340 --> 00:08:38.240 the way Windows handles its audio devices is a little… 00:08:38.240 --> 00:08:42.580 strange, and a few fights have occurred between Premiere and Windows 00:08:42.580 --> 00:08:44.920 regarding which audio should be going where. 00:08:44.920 --> 00:08:46.370 It’s fun! 00:08:46.370 --> 00:08:51.180 Now, you might be asking, why is he telling me all of these bad things if he wants me 00:08:51.180 --> 00:08:52.980 to like docks so much? 00:08:52.980 --> 00:08:57.980 Well, for one thing, I don’t want to oversell the experience as being universally amazing. 00:08:57.980 --> 00:09:01.380 Because as it stands now, if you (or someone you know) is 00:09:01.380 --> 00:09:07.900 not computer savvy enough to be comfortable with A) finding a compatible laptop and dock combo 00:09:07.900 --> 00:09:12.940 and B) a bit of occasional troubleshooting this might be a bit frustrating. 00:09:12.940 --> 00:09:17.980 Now, a bit ‘o googlin’ reveals that at least for general purpose docks things are much much 00:09:17.980 --> 00:09:22.900 better than they used to be (which is corroborated by my personal experience)… however 00:09:22.900 --> 00:09:26.820 things just aren’t quite perfect yet. I won’t sugarcoat it. 00:09:26.820 --> 00:09:30.140 But, assuming you’re comfortable with a little turning it off and on again 00:09:30.140 --> 00:09:33.380 (and/or that things improve as I’m sure they will) 00:09:33.380 --> 00:09:39.340 let me tell you why this might be the bee’s knees for thee. You see, if you’re like me, 00:09:39.340 --> 00:09:43.900 you want to be able to do anything you might do with a computer on the go. 00:09:43.900 --> 00:09:48.680 I want a portable machine with a full-blown desktop operating system 00:09:48.680 --> 00:09:53.529 with all of my delightfully buggy Adobe software at the sometimes-ready. 00:09:53.529 --> 00:09:59.580 So, a few years ago I purchased this fairly high-end laptop ($1,600 for those curious) 00:09:59.580 --> 00:10:01.880 which can handle that competently. 00:10:01.880 --> 00:10:05.500 Now say you want to also have a desktop computer. 00:10:05.500 --> 00:10:10.440 There are plenty of reasons you might want one, such as the dramatically improved ergonomics of a 00:10:10.440 --> 00:10:15.000 real chair with a real monitor at a real height and a real keyboard and a real mouse. 00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:18.960 Maybe you’ve got a printer and scanner thingy set up there all nice and convenient like. 00:10:18.960 --> 00:10:24.820 And maybe you’ve got a bunch of external drives and other peripherals just dying for something to talk to. 00:10:24.820 --> 00:10:31.720 Well, you could buy another computer to make use of those things… or you could just instead 00:10:31.720 --> 00:10:33.040 buy a dock. 00:10:33.040 --> 00:10:38.700 Then, the very same computer that you use on the go can access that monitor and that printer scanner thing 00:10:38.700 --> 00:10:42.620 and that keyboard and that mouse and even your external drives or whatever else 00:10:42.620 --> 00:10:44.840 all with just a single cable. 00:10:44.840 --> 00:10:49.860 And, because the dock will charge the laptop for you, if you do a lot of back-and-forth 00:10:49.860 --> 00:10:55.080 between mobile and stationary computing, well you can just leave your laptop’s power brick and 00:10:55.080 --> 00:10:57.700 other portable-mode accessories in your bag. 00:10:57.700 --> 00:11:00.980 Just take the laptop out, plug it in, and boom! 00:11:00.980 --> 00:11:02.240 Full-blown desktop. 00:11:02.240 --> 00:11:04.880 No need to get out the power brick or anything at all. 00:11:04.880 --> 00:11:07.380 And when you need to take your computer somewhere, 00:11:07.380 --> 00:11:11.340 all it takes is *bink* detaching from the dock and putting in your bag. 00:11:11.340 --> 00:11:15.900 The very same computer is now your laptop, fully charged and ready to go. 00:11:15.900 --> 00:11:20.660 I like this solution a lot. So much in fact that I’m considering upgrading to the new 00:11:20.670 --> 00:11:25.980 Dell XPS 17, which seems to have addressed the annoying thermal issues of this design, 00:11:25.980 --> 00:11:28.920 and potentially retiring my desktop altogether. 00:11:28.920 --> 00:11:31.020 I know, blasphemy! 00:11:31.020 --> 00:11:32.380 But here’s the thing; 00:11:32.380 --> 00:11:36.079 I have a somewhat minimalist philosophy when it comes to my computer stuff 00:11:36.079 --> 00:11:38.960 (and more generally my IT life). 00:11:38.960 --> 00:11:45.340 I don’t like spending any time on perfecting my workflow or optimizing system performance or any of that junk. 00:11:45.340 --> 00:11:49.680 I just want something that allows me to do my work with basic competency. 00:11:49.680 --> 00:11:55.180 Oh, and speaking of competency, one of the more exciting things that Thunderbolt 3 specifically has 00:11:55.180 --> 00:11:59.420 allowed to happen is docks with external GPU enclosures. 00:11:59.420 --> 00:12:03.660 Thunderbolt 3 carries certified fresh PCI Express through it, 00:12:03.660 --> 00:12:08.200 meaning that real graphics cards can operate over Thunderbolt 3. 00:12:08.200 --> 00:12:12.900 For those of you that are into gaming or otherwise need a powerful GPU at your disposal, 00:12:12.900 --> 00:12:14.660 this is an exciting option. 00:12:14.660 --> 00:12:19.660 Slap an RTX 2080 in there or whatever is current and suddenly your laptop 00:12:19.670 --> 00:12:23.820 is able to take advantage of an actual desktop class GPU. 00:12:23.820 --> 00:12:27.440 Now, if you wanted to do this, you should know that the whole 00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:30.600 “how many PCI express lanes does this port carry?” 00:12:30.600 --> 00:12:35.740 becomes a significant factor, and compatibility becomes even more dicey so… 00:12:35.740 --> 00:12:39.860 I’m not saying this is perfect, but I do expect it to improve as time goes on. 00:12:39.860 --> 00:12:44.540 If it interests you I’d suggest you do some research on the topic before you get too excited. 00:12:44.540 --> 00:12:49.260 Compatibility between devices seems to be not-at-all guaranteed at this point, 00:12:49.260 --> 00:12:52.660 especially when you factor in other operating systems. 00:12:52.660 --> 00:12:57.450 Now, there are some people who like to insist that I’m somehow losing the game of life 00:12:57.450 --> 00:13:00.060 by using a laptop for video editing. 00:13:00.060 --> 00:13:02.800 Some people say I’ve wasted money on a laptop. 00:13:02.800 --> 00:13:06.820 I could have saved like… 400 whole dollars if I built my own desktop 00:13:06.820 --> 00:13:09.060 which is not portable but nevermind that. 00:13:09.060 --> 00:13:16.040 Or sometimes they insist that by not using the fastest available hardware, I’m slowing myself down. 00:13:16.040 --> 00:13:20.840 This, in particular, leads to an assertion I’ve had to make over and over again, 00:13:20.840 --> 00:13:23.100 particularly on Twitter (said with extra salt); 00:13:23.100 --> 00:13:26.260 Render time is not work time. 00:13:26.260 --> 00:13:27.960 At all. 00:13:27.960 --> 00:13:32.860 When I make a video, even a simple one, there’s gonna be at least two days of script writing 00:13:32.860 --> 00:13:36.860 and revision (even with a script like this in which I don’t really do any research at all), 00:13:36.860 --> 00:13:41.529 at least a full day of shooting video (or more depending on the project’s complexity), 00:13:41.529 --> 00:13:45.880 and then usually two or three days at the very least of editing work. 00:13:45.880 --> 00:13:53.500 The time it takes my computer to turn all that work into a finished video file is an entirely insignificant factor, 00:13:53.500 --> 00:13:55.740 because it’s not work to me! 00:13:55.740 --> 00:13:58.780 It’s about as much work as preheating your oven. 00:13:58.780 --> 00:14:02.800 All I need is a computer that can handle the editing part, 00:14:02.800 --> 00:14:05.720 that’s the only part where I'm actually interacting with it 00:14:05.800 --> 00:14:07.580 without being frustrating. 00:14:07.580 --> 00:14:12.020 If I can scrub through the timeline and preview the video without issue, I’m fine! 00:14:12.020 --> 00:14:15.470 And both this laptop and my desktop, which are both 00:14:15.470 --> 00:14:18.940 three years old now, are more than capable of that. 00:14:18.940 --> 00:14:24.340 Editing only taxes hardware in short bursts, so even my thermally challenged laptop 00:14:24.340 --> 00:14:29.900 doesn’t have a problem with that very long and involved part of the creative process. 00:14:29.900 --> 00:14:34.740 Granted, I don’t shoot video with a RED 8K camera or even a BlackMagic Pocket or whatever… 00:14:34.740 --> 00:14:36.900 but I don’t feel like I need to. 00:14:36.900 --> 00:14:41.160 For my work, my camera (which is a Lumix G7 by the way) is totally fine, 00:14:41.160 --> 00:14:44.400 and I don’t feel held back by it, at least not yet. 00:14:44.400 --> 00:14:46.860 I’m probably gonna keep using it ‘till it either breaks, 00:14:46.860 --> 00:14:51.130 or I find it is holding me back. If I got a new camera and find that my computer can’t 00:14:51.130 --> 00:14:55.280 handle its output then sure, I might need to invest in a more beastly machine. 00:14:55.280 --> 00:14:58.720 But right now… that would just be a waste of money. 00:14:58.720 --> 00:15:03.600 And also time. Transition costs are a real thing, you know. 00:15:03.600 --> 00:15:08.060 Serious talk time; I’m trying not to toot my own horn here, especially because there 00:15:08.060 --> 00:15:12.950 are upgrades to my equipment that I want to make, but I think that one of the most damaging 00:15:12.950 --> 00:15:19.300 things the tech community has done is create lust for shiny new things and worse, suggest 00:15:19.300 --> 00:15:23.660 the thought that without them… your work is less valuable. 00:15:23.660 --> 00:15:24.715 That’s not true. 00:15:24.715 --> 00:15:26.400 And it never was. 00:15:26.400 --> 00:15:29.880 You are what makes your work unique, not the tools you use. 00:15:29.880 --> 00:15:34.880 If you have the resources to get the most whizbang stuff out there by all means have fun. 00:15:34.880 --> 00:15:37.940 But don’t think that you can’t get started with what you have. 00:15:37.940 --> 00:15:41.880 And while I know and understand that if your tools are faster or better 00:15:41.880 --> 00:15:45.649 you can get more done, you need to put thought into where those 00:15:45.649 --> 00:15:50.340 time savings will actually occur, and whether they’re actually helpful. 00:15:50.340 --> 00:15:57.280 For me, an independent content creator, my computer is not and has never been a limiting factor. 00:15:57.280 --> 00:16:02.459 And making regular upgrades to it would be more of a bother than it would be helpful. 00:16:02.459 --> 00:16:06.690 I deal with a lot of people telling me that I should be doing things this way or that way, 00:16:06.690 --> 00:16:10.820 and ya know that’s fine. A lot of it is earnest offers of help. 00:16:10.820 --> 00:16:13.040 Or at least is perceived to be. 00:16:13.040 --> 00:16:19.680 But a lot of it also doesn’t bother to understand my workflow, my desire for simplicity rather than complexity, 00:16:19.680 --> 00:16:26.160 or my philosophy that time spent chasing performance gains is usually time poorly spent. 00:16:26.160 --> 00:16:29.360 If it’s something you enjoy, or if it’s your hobby, by all means. 00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:32.440 But I’ll tell you now that I am much more frustrated by 00:16:32.440 --> 00:16:36.120 those who try and tell me why I’m being held back by the way I work 00:16:36.120 --> 00:16:39.300 than I’ve ever been frustrated by this computer. 00:16:39.300 --> 00:16:43.640 To put it bluntly, I like to do work on my computer. 00:16:43.640 --> 00:16:45.640 Not work on my computer. 00:16:45.640 --> 00:16:47.720 And that’s why I don’t use Linux! 00:16:47.720 --> 00:16:48.520 Yeah. 00:16:48.520 --> 00:16:49.840 I went there. 00:16:49.840 --> 00:16:54.120 Anyway, that aside aside, let’s talk about cases where this wouldn’t be appropriate 00:16:54.120 --> 00:16:55.440 or desirable. 00:16:55.440 --> 00:16:57.100 First - gaming. 00:16:57.100 --> 00:16:57.940 Maybe. 00:16:57.940 --> 00:17:00.540 GPU enclosures make that a possibility, but there’s a lot 00:17:00.540 --> 00:17:01.940 of nuance there that I won’t go into. 00:17:01.940 --> 00:17:06.400 Secondly - people who don’t need a full-blown desktop OS on the go. 00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:09.959 If you’re someone who does a lot of work on an iPad then maybe you don’t 00:17:09.959 --> 00:17:14.500 use a laptop at all in which case this solution is entirely meaningless to you. 00:17:14.500 --> 00:17:21.040 And third - real power-users who need or can otherwise take advantage of a threadripping desktop PC. 00:17:21.040 --> 00:17:26.100 For you, even if you also have a laptop, a dock is likely not of interest. 00:17:26.100 --> 00:17:31.800 But if you’re someone who uses a desktop operating system on the go with any regularity 00:17:31.800 --> 00:17:34.580 (meaning, you’re someone with a somewhat capable laptop) 00:17:34.580 --> 00:17:37.809 and you also like having a true desktop experience 00:17:37.809 --> 00:17:42.080 for long, agonizing sessions of staring at Premiere and hoping it doesn’t crash when 00:17:42.080 --> 00:17:47.480 you import that jpeg, then perhaps there’s no need to have two computers. 00:17:47.480 --> 00:17:50.620 I can honestly say at this point that I really don’t. 00:17:50.620 --> 00:17:56.760 And I would have actually saved money had I bought this laptop before I bought my desktop. 00:17:56.760 --> 00:17:59.330 I know, that just blew some minds out there. 00:17:59.330 --> 00:18:03.060 I could have saved money by buying this first. 00:18:03.060 --> 00:18:05.850 Because, well, even with its thermal issues 00:18:05.850 --> 00:18:10.480 which do annoy me quite a lot it has yet to get in my way. 00:18:10.480 --> 00:18:15.920 I’ve spent much more time trying to eliminate the thermal issues than I could ever have hoped to save 00:18:15.920 --> 00:18:17.440 by fixing them. 00:18:17.440 --> 00:18:20.040 And that’s what I mean about chasing performance gains; 00:18:20.040 --> 00:18:22.809 it can often be a silly time waster. 00:18:22.809 --> 00:18:26.780 Now, to address the concerns of the laptop haters out there, you’re right! 00:18:26.780 --> 00:18:31.669 Laptops tend to not last as long, they’re harder to repair, often impossible to upgrade, and 00:18:31.669 --> 00:18:36.679 the cost of a laptop with equivalent performance to any particular desktop is always higher. 00:18:36.679 --> 00:18:42.240 Plus, as my laptop is a wonderful example of, many have disastrously flawed thermal designs 00:18:42.240 --> 00:18:44.400 so long gaming sessions or... 00:18:44.400 --> 00:18:47.460 rendering video, can be a problem. 00:18:47.460 --> 00:18:52.340 But personally I think that shouldn’t be something thrown at laptops as a category, particularly since 00:18:52.340 --> 00:18:54.700 better thermal designs do exist. 00:18:54.700 --> 00:18:57.440 They’re just frustratingly uncommon. 00:18:57.440 --> 00:19:03.600 But more importantly, those concerns are more often than not irrelevant to the average person. 00:19:03.609 --> 00:19:08.690 If you’re concerned about the thermal performance or upgradability of your machine, you are 00:19:08.690 --> 00:19:14.000 probably an enthusiast, power user, or gamer. There are a lot of you out there, yes, 00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:16.080 I'm not saying you don't exist, but 00:19:16.080 --> 00:19:19.460 there are also a lot of people who don’t fall into those categories 00:19:19.460 --> 00:19:22.020 and couldn’t care less. 00:19:22.020 --> 00:19:27.850 Honestly, I lean in that direction, though I’m not shy to performing a few upgrades. 00:19:27.850 --> 00:19:33.630 And here’s the thing - even I, a professional content creator (I think I get to say that now) 00:19:33.630 --> 00:19:37.540 am fine with this flawed, three year old machine. 00:19:37.540 --> 00:19:41.860 There is something to be said for the upgradability of a desktop PC. That’s for sure. 00:19:41.860 --> 00:19:45.980 And it’s true that my laptop might break long before my desktop would. 00:19:45.980 --> 00:19:48.060 But here’s my truth; 00:19:48.060 --> 00:19:52.220 I want a laptop which can handle everything I do for this job. 00:19:52.220 --> 00:19:57.080 I want to be able to take it with me when I travel and be productive anywhere. 00:19:57.080 --> 00:20:01.740 That means I’m always going to have a powerful portable computer. 00:20:01.740 --> 00:20:07.180 And given that, why would I also need a powerful stationary desktop? 00:20:07.180 --> 00:20:12.309 The fact is I don’t. Thanks to a dock, I can have the best of both worlds 00:20:12.309 --> 00:20:17.179 with one machine. It doesn’t matter if my laptop cost more than an equivalent desktop 00:20:17.179 --> 00:20:22.249 or if it breaks sooner or any of those other concerns because I will always have one. 00:20:22.249 --> 00:20:26.920 It’s that subset of people where I think a dock can be really valuable. 00:20:26.920 --> 00:20:29.480 And actually save you money. 00:20:29.480 --> 00:20:33.120 And there’s one other benefit that I think deserves attention; energy use. 00:20:33.120 --> 00:20:37.980 Laptops are always, at least to some extent, designed to optimize their energy efficiency. 00:20:37.980 --> 00:20:42.480 Because if you’ve got a battery onboard, you want to maximize the time you can use it. 00:20:42.480 --> 00:20:43.660 Duh. 00:20:43.660 --> 00:20:47.799 Desktop PCs have gotten a lot better in recent years, but in general efficiency isn’t a 00:20:47.799 --> 00:20:49.140 huge concern of theirs. 00:20:49.140 --> 00:20:54.500 My desktop pulls more power from the wall at idle than this does does when rendering a video. 00:20:54.500 --> 00:20:57.280 And that’s… well that adds up. 00:20:57.280 --> 00:21:03.200 Which might be part of why docked laptops are increasingly gaining favor in the corporate environment. 00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:07.020 When you’ve got hundreds of computers running for 8 hours a day or more, 00:21:07.020 --> 00:21:11.460 you can save some serious dough on your energy bills if they’re all laptops. 00:21:11.460 --> 00:21:16.920 And boy are companies that made that switch happy given that there’s a pandemic right now. 00:21:16.920 --> 00:21:21.540 If you can take your entire computer home with you when needed, that’s a nice bonus. 00:21:21.540 --> 00:21:26.000 But I’d like to see docks get a little more traction outside of the corporate world. 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:31.179 As I said, I’m honestly to the point where having an actual desktop PC is superfluous 00:21:31.179 --> 00:21:32.420 for my needs. 00:21:32.420 --> 00:21:38.280 Yes I want a desktop computer, but there’s no reason it needs to be a 15 pound box on the floor. 00:21:38.280 --> 00:21:42.169 One thing that DESPERATELY needs to happen, and not just for the benefit of docks, 00:21:42.169 --> 00:21:46.980 is consistent branding and clear delineation between USB-C and Thunderbolt. 00:21:46.980 --> 00:21:51.660 It’s a mess and there are docking solutions using both technical standards. 00:21:51.660 --> 00:21:56.369 Given that Thunderbolt 3 is more powerful overall with the potential for eGPUs and whatnot, I would 00:21:56.369 --> 00:22:01.440 expect it to eventually become the defacto standard but right now that’s not the case 00:22:01.440 --> 00:22:05.340 (and the future is anything but clear) so if you’re interested in this as an idea 00:22:05.340 --> 00:22:08.739 I cannot stress enough that you should make sure whatever dock you’re looking at is 00:22:08.740 --> 00:22:10.780 compatible with your computer. 00:22:10.780 --> 00:22:15.280 And also, since this is the world of tech, unfortunately we can’t be assured things are gonna be 00:22:15.280 --> 00:22:20.580 anything near stable. If these rumors that Macs are ditching x86 architecture are true, 00:22:21.680 --> 00:22:24.860 well I wonder how Thunderbolt will stay a thing in that ecosystem. 00:22:24.860 --> 00:22:29.360 Perhaps it will just be fine but… I can’t imagine things are gonna just be all hunky dory 00:22:29.360 --> 00:22:32.180 (particularly with external GPUs). 00:22:32.180 --> 00:22:37.020 The way we compute is constantly being upended, and in fact that’s one of the primary reasons 00:22:37.020 --> 00:22:39.860 desktop PCs have largely fallen out of favor. 00:22:39.860 --> 00:22:45.660 I mean, loads of people hardly use traditional computers at all anymore, laptop or desktop. 00:22:45.660 --> 00:22:49.080 I’m sure that annoys all you gamers out there but it’s true. 00:22:49.080 --> 00:22:54.480 And speaking of rumors of switching to ARM, here’s perhaps the most embarrassing thing I own. 00:22:54.480 --> 00:22:58.220 This is a Microsoft Lumia 950XL 00:22:58.220 --> 00:23:00.940 the last flagship Windows phone. 00:23:01.400 --> 00:23:02.380 Yeah. 00:23:02.380 --> 00:23:04.120 I bought this! 00:23:04.120 --> 00:23:08.140 For the virtually all of you that are unfamiliar with this, it had one feature that 00:23:08.140 --> 00:23:12.980 I naively thought would change the smartphone game; Continuum. 00:23:12.980 --> 00:23:16.380 Microsoft developed a dock that worked with this phone (and certain others) 00:23:16.380 --> 00:23:21.580 to create a true Windows 10 desktop environment running from the phone itself. 00:23:21.580 --> 00:23:26.139 You could plug this phone into the dock and suddenly have full desktop-versions of the 00:23:26.140 --> 00:23:30.580 Microsoft Office suite and, hopefully down the road, other apps. 00:23:30.580 --> 00:23:31.940 I thought this was pretty neat! 00:23:31.940 --> 00:23:36.360 Imagine a world where your smartphone was the only computer you need. 00:23:36.360 --> 00:23:42.320 People envisioned laptop chassis which were basically just a display, keyboard, and extra battery for the phone, 00:23:42.320 --> 00:23:47.100 and it seemed like there was a lot of potential to make the phone the new PC. 00:23:47.100 --> 00:23:51.259 While I never once used it (I have the dock somewhere and might play around with it on 00:23:51.259 --> 00:23:55.280 the second channel at some point) I thought this could really be a game changer. 00:23:55.280 --> 00:23:56.039 Of course, 00:23:56.039 --> 00:23:56.820 it wasn’t, 00:23:56.820 --> 00:23:57.780 not at all, 00:23:57.780 --> 00:24:00.220 but it was a really neat idea. 00:24:00.220 --> 00:24:02.500 And frankly, if these rumors about Apple are true 00:24:03.760 --> 00:24:08.300 one has to wonder if iOS, iPadOS, and macOS will eventually merge into one, 00:24:08.300 --> 00:24:12.140 and Apple will reinvent this concept and probably get credit for it, too. 00:24:12.140 --> 00:24:14.200 But anyway, that’s neither here nor there. 00:24:14.200 --> 00:24:18.500 Also I should add that there are android phones out there today which can do this very thing 00:24:18.500 --> 00:24:22.700 with a USB-C dock, though obviously there are limitations there. 00:24:22.700 --> 00:24:26.499 I want to reiterate that this certainly isn’t for everyone. 00:24:26.499 --> 00:24:30.970 If I didn’t want the ability to edit videos in Premiere on the go, I probably would have 00:24:30.970 --> 00:24:32.920 a much cheaper laptop. 00:24:32.920 --> 00:24:37.180 I mean, I do, it’s my Chromebook, but that might be my only portable computer. 00:24:37.180 --> 00:24:43.500 And if spending more money on your desktop in favor of a cheaper or no laptop is your game, 00:24:43.500 --> 00:24:46.140 I’m not gonna stop you. That makes a lot of sense! 00:24:46.140 --> 00:24:53.119 In my shoes, though, I want a powerful laptop. And given that, my desktop is largely redundant 00:24:53.119 --> 00:24:54.260 at this point. 00:24:54.260 --> 00:24:57.340 I’m surely not going to get rid of it, not any time soon, and even if 00:24:57.340 --> 00:25:01.580 I do upgrade my laptop there is value in having a separate computer for other things. 00:25:01.580 --> 00:25:06.180 Compartmentalizing in that way can be quite helpful, and honestly I’m doing that right now. 00:25:06.180 --> 00:25:08.800 Plus, it doesn't hurt to have a backup machine. 00:25:08.800 --> 00:25:12.260 But I hope this video has gotten you thinking a bit. 00:25:12.260 --> 00:25:16.180 If nothing else, I just want to spread awareness of this solution. 00:25:16.180 --> 00:25:19.960 Even if you had no interest at all in a desktop PC, 00:25:19.960 --> 00:25:24.600 well maybe you’d like some way to seamlessly use a real monitor and stuff. 00:25:24.600 --> 00:25:27.860 With a dock, form factor is arbitrary. 00:25:27.860 --> 00:25:32.200 I bought my laptop before I was aware of the existence of Thunderbolt docks. 00:25:32.200 --> 00:25:36.340 It was actually an upgrade of my mom’s work computer that brought them to my attention. 00:25:36.340 --> 00:25:39.299 Seeing her new computer connect to two monitors and all the other 00:25:39.299 --> 00:25:43.300 junk with just a single USB-C cable made me realize 00:25:43.300 --> 00:25:49.260 hey … my laptop has one of those ports. Is that… could I do that? 00:25:49.260 --> 00:25:52.140 Serendipitously, a quick Google revealed that indeed, 00:25:52.140 --> 00:25:56.980 her new dock was compatible with my existing laptop, so I bought one of my own. 00:25:56.980 --> 00:26:01.160 And I really like it. Maybe you would, too. 00:26:01.160 --> 00:26:04.500 Thanks for watching! Again - super important thing here - 00:26:04.500 --> 00:26:06.920 I am not you and you are not me. 00:26:06.920 --> 00:26:09.760 My priorities are undoubtedly different from yours. 00:26:09.760 --> 00:26:11.360 And that’s OK! 00:26:11.360 --> 00:26:17.320 I think that being aware of options is always good, and I get the sense that not enough people are 00:26:17.330 --> 00:26:21.679 aware of this one. I hope this video can serve as an example of what’s possible with a 00:26:21.679 --> 00:26:24.680 little outside the desktop box thinking, 00:26:24.680 --> 00:26:30.820 and I also hope that at least some of you will take some inspiration from the fact that a three year old, 00:26:30.820 --> 00:26:35.220 thermally challenged laptop makes these videos for you. 00:26:36.120 --> 00:26:38.640 ♫ computationally smooth jazz ♫ 00:26:40.280 --> 00:26:42.440 *pbbbpbpbpb* noises 00:26:42.440 --> 00:26:45.360 What I’m talking about… ohhh, 00:26:45.360 --> 00:26:48.820 I’m not talk… well I am talking about it but that’s not how the sentence goes. 00:26:48.820 --> 00:26:51.480 Or my philosophy that time spent chasing performance 00:26:51.489 --> 00:26:54.180 gains is (Windows notification sound loudly interrupts from benind) … 00:26:54.180 --> 00:26:55.400 THANKS!! 00:26:57.060 --> 00:26:58.600 Of course... 00:26:58.600 --> 00:27:00.519 Though, I’m gonna say for all the people 00:27:00.519 --> 00:27:05.460 out there who are still given windows crap for this; it’s so much better than it used to be. 00:27:05.460 --> 00:27:08.380 I guarantee you this will be less than a minute. 00:27:09.300 --> 00:27:11.280 Probably less than 30 seconds. 00:27:12.740 --> 00:27:19.260 A modest laptops these days is more than (voice went really high and he made lots of weird noises) 00:27:19.260 --> 00:27:21.700 ...those of you that… shoot. 00:27:22.020 --> 00:27:25.179 This is like a minute-long line! What did I do this for? 00:27:25.179 --> 00:27:27.640 How many takes will this line take? My guess is… 00:27:27.640 --> 00:27:29.220 seventy. 00:27:29.220 --> 00:27:32.220 There seem to still be a few compatibility blugs… 00:27:32.220 --> 00:27:33.660 blugs? Bugs. 00:27:33.669 --> 00:27:36.540 Laptop’s display is a GORGEOUS 4k … 00:27:36.540 --> 00:27:37.640 GORGEOUS 00:27:39.000 --> 00:27:41.420 I know, I know, I give Linux a hard time. 00:27:41.420 --> 00:27:46.120 But I'll tell you know, it ain't gonna stop so long as there's the "BUT HAVE YOU CONSIDERED LINUX?" crowd 00:27:46.120 --> 00:27:51.000 always relentlessly popping in whenever I make the vaguest complaint about my PC. 00:27:51.000 --> 00:27:54.620 You're almost as bad as the "get a Mac" crowd at this point.