Is it only possible with expensive computers? I only have one laptop so I can only watch. So is there no other way?
You are asking the same question. To mine in today's mining ecosystem you need ASICs, not one, not ten but multiple. Enough to make a cumulative hashpower comparable to the existing players in the market.
Dont bank on the fact that you might hit a block sometime in the future. If you are determined to mine to make money it is big investment to get those ASICs, PSUs, a workforce and location to run them and maintain them.
In other words, it is almost an industrial scale not hobbyist.