text: i saw people using their laptops in coffee shops, can i bring & use my desktop there too? or while traveling on plane, or in my car, you know places like that? definitely. it's actually the "in" thing these days. i have seen people carrying these huge suitcases around to starbucks and plopping them down on the table, setting up their huge computer and monitor, plugging everything in, even getting their laser printer ready.  the problem is that there is no place to put your coffee. in the car you might have a problem with getting electricity. but i suggest you invest in a 100 mile long electrical cord to solve that problem. in the plane you can tap  into their main electrical supply, which will divert all the power from the engine into your computer. you will also have to buy an extra ticket for your desktop computer to sit in the seat next to you, so  it might actually be cheaper to buy a laptop.