ok, but could you install an ASIC chip into a desktop/laptop computer and then mine?
If I'm not mistaken, its really all about the chip right? Everything else, the graphics card, hard drive etc.. don't really matter.
Yes it's all about using an ASIC chip. No you cannot just install one in a laptop as most are not made to be modified in any way. Hell, with some you cannot even add memory to them...
The only thing you can do is use the laptop as a controller by installing cgminer on it and then use it to control an external miner such as one of
Sidehacks USB stick or pod miners.