I don't think it's useful to conflate the terms 'mobile' and 'portable'. You've been able to make a portable desktop for several decades. (I recall one Compaq that came in a closable case with a handle.) That's not typically what people mean by 'mobile'.
That 'extreme example' weighs as much as many laptops and it's just a case. Even if you carried a small display, and everything else you need, I doubt most people would take that out if they found themselves with extra time at the airport.
That makes sense, I agree with you. Though I still think there’s something to be said about the mobility of desktop computers today and saying outright that they are not mobile might not do justice to them.
Edit: Especially with the rise of the Small form factor PC culture.
> Especially with the rise of the Small form factor PC culture.
Small cases have gotten pretty nice but if you have to carry around a separate screen to go with it then you might not end up any better off than if you had an all-in-one luggable computer.
That 'extreme example' weighs as much as many laptops and it's just a case. Even if you carried a small display, and everything else you need, I doubt most people would take that out if they found themselves with extra time at the airport.
Edit: Found the machine I was thinking of: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compaq_Portable