Mobile Workstations vs Laptops
One question I’m asked quite a lot is, “What kind of laptops should I get for remote CAD workers?” I usually stop the conversation right there and insist that we no longer talk about laptops but mobile workstations instead.
Why the vocabulary lesson? Because, right from the start, I want to be sure upper management and companies understand that CAD work requires a workstation-level machine, not a cheap laptop. After all, if a BIM specialist must model a large building project, they need real workstation power — whether they’re at home or the office. The same holds true for someone designing mechanical assemblies, rendering, animating CAD geometry, performing analysis, or any other heavy-use scenario.
Conclusion 1: The era of cheap laptops has given way to the mobile workstation.
What about Desktop Machines for Home Workers?
Another statement I hear quite often is, “I can’t afford mobile workstations for everyone who works from home!” My reply is always that it is easy to ship a desktop machine to a user’s home office, rather than buying an entirely new mobile workstation. And, for that matter, desktop workstations don’t have to be huge towers either.
In my personal work, I’ve used HP Z Mini workstations to achieve workstation power in a compact format that can be easily shipped, thrown in a travel bag for trips to remote offices, or even mounted to the back of a monitor stand in the most crowded home offices. Other options are all-in-one–style computing devices in the form factor of a monitor such as the Dell OptiPlex. My point is that desktop machines don’t have to take up tons of room or dominate your home office.
Conclusion 2: Just because you work from home doesn’t mean you have to have a mobile workstation, there are numerous compact desktop options.
Peripherals Matter
I’ve been using a combination of mobile and desktop workstations at home for years and have travelled extensively with mobile devices. No matter where I am or go, I always take my trusty Logitech mobile keyboard and mouse with me and do everything I can to have a second monitor available.
What does this have to do with working from home? Good question. My point is that CAD users are generally used to full-sized keyboards, a particular style of mouse, perhaps a 3D space controller, and absolutely require a second monitor. At minimum, buy a 24” second monitor for mobile workstation users and dual monitors for desktop users. Most mobile workstations can accommodate these peripherals with on-board connectors but sometimes a docking station that supports more monitors or high-speed backup drives might be required.
While we’re at it, don’t forget to provide home-based workers with a business class headset/mic device for Teams meetings. My go-to devices are my Yeti Blue microphone with high quality headphones for my desktop and a Logitech H800 headset for mobile applications.
Conclusion 3: A productive work from home CAD environment isn’t just about the workstation.
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