It’s not all that hidden but stashed away enough behind menus to make you overlook the gem of a feature. As promised, I sold my Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 gaming laptop last month now that I have a Mac mini. Absolutely no regrets so far.
My new machine is a beast of a device for most tasks. What’s more, it’s a capable gaming console, at least for the pre-2020 titles in my library. It’s silent and fun. And it’s portable enough to take anywhere if I wish. I recently bought a portable monitor to go along, so it’s a completely portable solution now. It takes a bit more time to set up as compared to a laptop, of course, but it’s worth it.
One thing I miss from my laptop is its intimate screen to watch movies or TV shows – you know, when you aren’t in the mood to watch them on TV and want a screen that’s big enough to keep anywhere. Sure, I can move my Mac mini around, but it’s a hassle finding a power socket and a stable base to ensure adequate thermal airflow.
That’s a gap my Steam Deck fills pretty well. When connected to a portable monitor, it’s practically a laptop. Its desktop mode makes you feel right at home with a fully featured KDE interface on top of SteamOS (an Arch-based Linux distro). The controls on its right double up as a capable mouse – trackpad, right trigger, and R4/R5 buttons (at the back). Steam Deck + portable monitor is one option that I can truly take anywhere!
P.S. Currently watching Dexter: New Blood on this setup.