All in one computer and RV ?

When you start looking at hardware details, all-in-ones often use premium laptop components (for management of power and heat loads), and are comparable in performance to entry to mid-range deskside boxes. Thus all-in-one vs laptop depends on how important is a larger screen, versus the questions of where will I store it, how long does it take to set up, and do I really have space for a 20-26 inch display screen. For CAD the screen space can be important, but there also can be a question of how much processing power you need.

You are also working against compromises of capability for what you want to spend..

My apps are photo/video, and when my Windows 7 deskside died trying to do defective OS updates, I decided to switch to Mac. Balancing cost vs capability, the smallest iMac (22.5" screen, four-core I5 processor, 8G ram and 1 terabyte drive) beat out all the price-competitve laptop options, which would have given me 1/3 to 1/2 the processing performance and a 13" screen.

You are likely thinking Windows. When I was shopping, Dell was selling 22-inch all-in-one closely matching the specs of a base iMac for about $ 200-300 more, price competitive with their upper range laptops with matching processor performance and 15-17 inch screens. So it is still a balance of screen size vs portability.

For RV use, I'd be tempted to use the laptop instead, and still using a 17-inch Dell with dual-core i5. I want my work backed by "uninterruptible" power, and for a desktop or all in one in a RV that means a backup UPS or a laptop, as a laptop carries its own backup power.

If you are serious about CAD applications on your laptop you do not want a low end laptop like most of these suggestions. You have to make sure you have a dedicated GPU, a quad core i7 would be recommended and as much memory and disk you can afford. You also want to make sure it's set up to run as cool as possible and that it vents from the back or anyplace other than at your dominant hand (used for the mouse) and not from the bottom (it will burn your lap or not vent enough heat.). Here is a link to more detail Clicky

Not meant to put down other folks suggestions, but your day to day laptop will not run a decent 3D program and if it does run, it will take hours to render if you're able to render anything. Hope this helps!

Just make sure you have lots of RAM and a decent SSD drive in the laptop or even a desktop All-in-one for the CAD software.

8 GB should be the minimum RAM you get. More the merrier with CAD. Most modern computers come with a decent video chipset that will handle the 2D of CAD just fine. I would not recommend a tablet for CAD. They will do it, but just not as smooth and fast.

That is straight from a engineer client of mine that does use both a tablet and a desktop. Tablet handles the smaller drawings just fine and is great for when he is on the job site. But when he has editing to do where he needs the entire drawing, his desktop is the way to go. He's not an RV'er, so his Desktop is a full tower with 64 GB of RAM, SSD drives and a couple of 30" screens. His home system is an iMac that he dual boots with Windows 7 and Mac OS when he really has to do something at home.

I'ev not seen an All-in-one without WiFi already included in recent years.


The other great thing about a Laptop instead is security. You can lock it away in a drawer or something.
There are some laptops that offer spectacular performance. The key is, as far as CAD goes, memory. Getting at least 8 GB, 16 GB would be better. SSD helps speed those loads up as well.

I recently bought a 13" ASUS Transformer which gives me the best of both worlds. It works just like a laptop but the tablet just unplugs from the keyboard when I want to use it as a tablet. It also has a 125GB SSD which I really like and makes it really fast. However, since you mention CAD, you will need to see how large your CAD software is and ensure you by something that will have a large enough hard drive to handle that and the other software that you will need.

wow lots and lots to chew over. I think the majority is right however about a laptop. I can put it in a bag and go outside or work in a lunchroom or something. I am concerned about price. We are on a fixed budget so will work on selling things to save up. Thank you for the info and now goal.

Dave

All in one computers are they type with display that has a CD drive, processor, and computer 'all in one' package. While OK for a desktop computer, they are a bit larger than a laptop.

But a laptop is more portable, you can take it with you while out sightseeing, and might be able to pick up a 'free' wi-fi public signal from someplace, and be able to download your e-mails. Or take it to the office, and download them.

Many new laptops also include a camera. I bought one at Best Buy for only about $330, and it included a camera. My niece set up Skype, a free phone service. If you are calling another computer, you can use the camera's to see the person you are talking to!

Check with Best Buy if you have one nearby. THey have branches all over the country, so you can get service in most large cities. . .

Good luck on your travels! I hope that you can find a local RV park. Sometimes they are difficult to find in California. Check moble home parks in your area, and ask about them setting up a place for you for the next couple of months. .

Fred.

mlts22 wrote:
If you are doing CAD, you will need at least 16 gigs of RAM and a SSD, which throws out 90% of what is out there out the window.

I don't think a Surface Pro 3 would have the CPU/GPU to handle SolidWorks. The minimum I'd go for would be a dual core i5, 16GB RAM, and a decent GPU. The ideal would be a quad core i7, 32 gigs of RAM, and the OS, CAD application, files, and swap/temp space all on SSD... making sure to have a hard drive for backups.

you can do CAD on an XP machine
it just takes longer to render the final output

Solid works is 3D modeling

not the same as C.A.D. computer aided Drafting

there is a world of difference between CAD ..drafting where you to the drawing

and Modeling where you create a solid object and let the computer create a picture of the final Product

Or you can build what you want. Mini-itx form factor with i7 CPU, GTX 970 GPU and at least 16GB of ram.

You'll hear good and bad I'm sure on all makes and models as well based on individuals personal style of usage. Just as with cars, everyone has a preference.

For business and fast typing I still prefer my laptop. Had a Lenova tablet and had to send it back several times under repair, finally gave up after a combined use of probably about 3 hours when it actually worked. We have had Dell and Toshiba lap tops with large screens for years and never ever had a problem with any of them. Apple client hooked me up to a Mac 20 months ago with a huge learning curve, miss a lot of the MS office suite programs like excel but love the Mac for internet searching.

I do a lot of spread sheet stuff so prefer the larger screens. Am in the market for another PC to replace my 8 year old with XP one, purely for MS Office programs I still like to use, so will purchase a cheaper version for that. Use the MAC Book Pro now about 90% of the time. FWIW.

I have a 4 year old Toshiba Protoge notebook with i5 processor and 13" screen. It runs AutoCad quite well. You need to zoom in and out a bit though.