As for laptops, there's a considerable difference between a three-pound ultraportable and a seven-pound desktop replacement on your shoulder.

ENGADGET: Switched On: The weighty issues of slates

The company has just unveiled the 8900M series, an adaptation of its Graphics Core Next architecture for desktop replacement-class gaming laptops.

ENGADGET

The W family will be desktop replacement devices weighing in at about 7 pounds with displays as large as 15 inches.

CNN: Emachines builds line with multimedia, business PCs

The LIFEBOOK E752 desktop replacement notebook, designed for business professionals and office workers, offers a highly flexible platform that can be configured to meet diverse business needs.

ENGADGET: Fujitsu outs a trio of similar looking Lifebooks that carry Ivy Bridge over troubled waters

Now there's a case to be made that the Powerbook can in many cases literally become the desktop replacement machine so often discussed in the world of high-end Wintel notebook PCs.

FORBES: Magazine Article

"With the increasing demand for mobile high performance computing solutions, we wanted to offer our customers with the most powerful gaming desktop replacement possible" said Wallace Santos, CEO and Founder of MAINGEAR.

ENGADGET: Maingear's eX-L 18 grabs for "world's most powerful gaming laptop" title

The MacBook Air has far fewer ports than what you'll find on some of the monstrous "desktop replacement" laptops now available: Flip down a small hatch, and you'll find three that can handle many needs.

FORBES: Into Thin (MacBook) Air

Meanwhile iTunes itself, an aging piece of desktop software, is overdue for a cloud-based replacement.

FORBES: Is Apple's North Carolina Battle Station Fully Operational?

With Intel abandoning the traditional desktop PC, people may find themselves shopping around for a portable replacement.

FORBES: AVADirect's X79 Gaming Notebook Isn't Just A Desktop Replacement, It's A Desktop Destroyer