Car laptop mounts are now available to fit all cars, you would not have to worry about whether the mount you were thinking of would fit your car or not. Whether you have a Chevy SUV or a Ford 500, a Chrysler Sebring it would make no difference. Since car laptop desks are now becoming so popular, it seems commercial sense to market such a laptop desk for all cars.
It won't make much difference to you right now, of course, but it might in a few years time when you changed vehicles and were not keen on purchasing a new laptop desk for your new car. If you had a mount that fitted most cars, you would likely be able to move your desk to your new car without leaving a trace on the old. That is only if you had a model of laptop desk that didn't need drilling to fit, however, since otherwise your old vehicle would have holes in the floor!
Many people are starting to mount laptops in their cars now, because not only does it give them a means of finding information, but also the bit of one-upmanship that those with the original car phones had. Now it is the car computer!
Most however are those that use these professionally, especially truck drivers, but also some SUV drivers that need to have two-way contact with their office in order to download, or even just view, price lists, drawings and other information required when visiting clients and places such as construction sites. Most of these, however, use heavier duty truck desks that are more rugged than those used in cars.
Car notebook use by individuals that use lap top desks professionally include salespeople who need instant access to prices and inventory, service personnel or virtually any professional that is mobile. Even company executives traveling to and from airports need contact with their offices. Computers can provide instant visual information and reports that other non-visual communications techniques cannot provide. Access to email and or even gps software for direction.
In such cases the laptop car mount is crucial in providing protection to their laptops while driving in difficult terrains. When crossing a ford, or even a small river, in a vehicle it is not always possible to know what you are driving over, and your laptop could be subject to quite a severe impact at times. Your hard drive, especially, is sensitive to these blows, and has to have some protection from them. That is one of the functions of a laptop mount, normally associated with off-road vehicles.
Nevertheless, that is a function that all laptop desks should have, irrespective of whether the vehicle is driven off-road or on a freeway, and a universal mount should fit all cars. What that refers to is the pedestal itself, and how it relates to the geometry of your car. An SUV, for example, usually has a large console between the driver and passenger that contains such accessories as a drinks holder. This has to be accessible and the laptop mount has to be designed so that it is. It also has to allow access to all the other accessories and controls, such as floor or console mounted stick shifts (most European cars have them), radios and heating controls that can often be towards the passenger side of the car.
It's not impossible to engineer this for any specific car, but it takes careful design to fashion the mount so as to fit all cars. Pro-Desks for example, do this with their Navigator car desk mount by designing adjustments into the pedestal and desk top to allow various heights, orientations and angles to be used for maximum visibility and accessibility from practically all cars. All that varies is the solid steel mounting plate that is specified when you order, but can be changed when you change your car.
There are lots of laptop desks to be found online, although you have to study the websites closely and make sure that what you are considering meets your needs exactly. Many do not offer separate plates and mounts, but just a single unit that bolts into the floor once the necessary bolt holes have been drilled. Try to avoid this if you can because you have make sure that you rust-proof the bare metal after drilling, and that the protection is not removed when the bolts are inserted. It only takes a small spot of bare metal to start the corrosion process as anybody that has a hood chip knows!
Car Laptop mounts are changing mobile office technology, and it will not be long before this is the standard. There was a time when mobile phones were only for executives, and then they graduated to sales representatives, and now to everybody. The same will be true of instant computer access, initially through laptops, and the laptop car mount will become the essential accessory that the mobile charger and DVD player is now.
So why aren't I pitching my desktop in the trash? It's stationary, bulky and takes up a lot more room on my desk than my laptop does. What do I need 2 computers for?
I think back to the 1960s, where having a second car was a status symbol. Has it become that way with computers?
Sort of.
Think of your needs and which computer is best suited to satisfy those needs. Think in terms of transportation, workload, mileage.
Need some big hauling done? Need lots of space? Need it fast? Get a big truck. Or a desktop.
Need to be flexible? Quick? Get things done on the run? Economy car! Or a laptop.
Want something that's built for the long haul? Ready to take lots of punishment and abuse? Get an SUV. Or a desktop.
Got an emergency? Need quick access? Dodge the obstacles? Zip, zoom, done? Get a motorcycle. Or a laptop.
There are plenty of reasons to own more than one vehicle. That Winnebago may make for a comfortable cross-country trip, but it's most impractical for running down to the local convenience store for a can of cat food or a microwave burrito. That gas-guzzling four-wheel drive may make for good heavy-duty traveling, but it's not ideal for long but easy trips that could easily be accomplished with a more fuel-friendly sedan. I wouldn't recommend trying to pull that horse trailer with a Geo Metro either.
Desktop computers can, with proper maintenance and upgrades, last many years. Laptops, at least as of now, have a life expectancy of 3 years-if you're lucky. Laptops are more portable and convenient, but for stability and assured retention of your important information, the desktop is still essential and pricewise, it's a much bigger bargain.
If you can afford both, by all means, get both. If you can only afford one or the other, determine your needs and make your decision accordingly. But remember that, with the technology presently available, the laptop is not to be mistaken as a permanent replacement for a desktop. If you decide you need a desktop, get a desktop. Don't spend up to twice the money on something that a) won't fulfill your needs and b) lasts maybe half as long.
I love my new laptop. But my desktop is still up and running, and hopefully will be for a long time to come.
Both Merv Carlson & are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.