Apple’s M1 Pro laptops outperform many desktop machines, but sometimes only a desktop will do. And for that, you need a way to carry it.

Laptops used to be about compromises. You traded power, storage, and flexibility for portability and convenience. But lately, with Apple’s M-series MacBooks, the laptops use the same chips as desktops, and they do so at full speed, with all-day battery life. But for filmmakers, photographers, and other professionals, the extra capabilities of a desktop machine far outweigh the inconvenience of lugging it around. Let’s take a look at why you might still prefer a portable desktop, and how to take one with you.

“We may be running multiple productions in different locations at any given time, so the portability of my workstation has always been important,” filmmaker Michael Ayjian told Lifewire via email. “Being able to take a Mac Studio from location to location in a travel bag makes the process easy. Laptops make portability easy, but ultimately it’s ideal to have a desktop station and monitor.”

Some people, including this writer, use a “desktop laptop” setup, where you use a laptop as a semi-permanent desktop computer, connected to a monitor and perhaps some other peripherals. If you do this via a Thunderbolt dock, the entire setup is connected with just a single cable for power and data, and when you leave your desk behind, you’ll still have all of your projects, data, and apps right where you expect them to be.