Traditionally, laptop computers were bought by people who had to be able to take their computer with them when they left the office, such as the salesman visiting a customer. It always used to be the case that buying portability meant a trade-off in terms of power and functionality, so desktop machines were the preferred option for those who didn't have to travel. Is this still a genuine trade-off, however? It's time to re-examine the assumptions to see if they are still true.