Laptop or Desktop?

Laptop. You don’t play games. If you don’t do any serious computing (video editing, 3d rendering etc etc) – then a laptop will be just fine.

Nowadays, laptops are as powerful as desktops, so I’d say laptop. You can plug it in to a station at home and use it on a big monitor, but you also have something to take with you on the road.

The only thing is you’ll pay a little more for the compact technology, but it’s worth it.

If you don’t plan on carrying it around with you (for class, or work) there is no good reason to buy a laptop.

@phoebusg That’s a misleading statement. Casual computer use will be much more comfortable on a desktop. Typing on a laptop for a long time is a serious strain on your back and wrists unless you get a special dock to elevate the screen, and an external keyboard. That’ll run a few bucks.

@mrrich724 That’s also misleading, taking a desktop and a laptop for the same price almost guarantees that the desktop will have superior performance. The margin is getting smaller, but not by a lot.

The “compact technology” argument is also bogus. If you’re concerned with desk space, you can always buy an “all-in-one” computer. These are now common, made by Dell and Lenovo for example. It will look like you just have a monitor, a keyboard and a mouse.

If you don’t need to take your computer around with you, get a desktop. If you do, get a laptop. (Also consider getting a smart phone if you need light email and browsing on the go).

At the end of the day, an 2.5 inch hard drive cost more than a 3.5 inch etc. I don’t see how that is bogus!

And I said that you will pay more for the laptop . . . I don’t understand what was misleading or bogus.

My recommendation is to get a labtop. You can carry your documents and other work around, and you don’t have to do too much e-mail attaching and printing. What you might want to do, though, is get a larger monitor. Mac makes great ones for their computers, and it isn’t too hard to find one for your labtop.

@mrrich724 A fair question. I wanted to make sure I’m not lying here, so I’ll investigate. Premise: a laptop and a desktop, specs should be as close as possible. The point of comparison is the final price. I will use the same manufacturer for both, Dell.

Dell Studio Slim Desktop:
Processor: 2.93 Ghz.
Memory: 6Gb
Hard drive: 1Tb
Monitor: 18.5”
Price: $754

Dell Studio 17 Laptop:
Processor: 2.93 Ghz
Memory: 6Gb
Hard drive: 1Tb
Monitor: 17”
Price: $1,224 (this laptop is on sale)

Bonus: Dell Studio One All-In-One
Processor: 2.93 Ghz
Memory: 4Gb
Hard drive: 640 Gb
Monitor: 19”
Price: $834

Once you go laptop and wi fi you will never go back.

Laptops are more prone to break, and you get less performance per $$.

If you are often in situations where you say, “I wish I had a laptop with me”, it’s worthwhile. Otherwise, I would go for a desktop.

A lot of portability issues can be solved by simply carrying a USB stick with portable applications. Or using Remote Desktop , Opera Unite, Dropbox and many other services which give you access to your desktop or files from most any computer on the Internet.

Laptop.They’re easier to drop on the floor ;)

@Cruiser I respectfully disagree. I’ve owned PC desktops for the past 9 years and only very recently got a MacBook Pro. I do enjoy using the laptop over the desktop for some things and it is helpful when I travel, but I still use my desktop quite often for even casual computing. It’s just a lot more comfortable than using the laptop for extended periods of time.

Desktops are quite nice because they are just so customizable. It is very difficult (if not impossible) to go into a laptop – especially a Mac – and replace a graphics card, add more memory, or anything else as technology improves. I’ve had my home built laptop for 5 or 6 years and I’ve been able to upgrade it several times without spending nearly as much money as I would have had to buying a brand new computer. On the other hand, my mother has had a Dell laptop for about 3 years and it’s on its very last legs. She paid about $1000–1500 for it, and there’s nothing she can do now but get another one.

Still, as @gggritso said, if portability is very important to you, go for a laptop. If you’re in any sort of situation where you move around often (moving back and forth from campus, etc) a laptop may also be more up your alley. But for durability and customization, desktops are the way to go.

Of course, you’ll be losing the customization element if you get an all-in-one desktop as well, since everything’s built in to the monitor. Just something to keep in mind.

Laptop. I found that when using my desktop, I actually had more strain on my back after sitting in that one position for so long. When I use my laptop, I will either be sitting at the table or on the couch. If I’m at the table, I’m working and need the space. If I’m on the couch, my feet are up and it’s in my lap. I could not be more comfortable. I don’t really need the portability for work, although I’ve taken it with me on the road for that reason.
I am so hooked on my laptop and I never thought I’d be. My husband and daughter would sit in the living room with theirs and I’d point and laugh and make fun of them for being so hooked, and now I do it too. Never in a million years did I think I’d be so attached to it. The only reason I even go to the desktop now is to look up a recipe that I keep on a Word file. I just haven’t ever transferred them to my laptop.

@ParaParaYukiko You can disagree with me all you want and warn you it is futile to do so. The only thing that beats using a laptop in bed or sitting on the deck on a sunny day is reading Drudge while on the throne! Let’s see you do that with your desk top!

I have both but I only bought my laptop a few months ago. I have been able to nurse desktops along for years and years. If the keyboard breaks, I go buy another one for 15 dollars and plug it in. No problem. If the hard drive breaks, I buy another one for a lot less than a new computer would cost, replace it myself. No problem. I have kept desktops alive until they were dinosaurs, replacing parts. When I bought my laptop I wanted something portable. I wanted to not be tied to one place. I like that when the internet goes out at my house I can take my laptop to the local library or many other places, and do my work unhampered by the time limits and wait lists on the library computers or paying for some internet cafe. I like that I can take on on vacation, or to the hospital with me when I get admitted. I enjoy how I can curl up on my bed with it when I’ve sprained my back or something. But, I think my laptop is not going to last as long as my desktops. I am not as familiar with replacing damaged parts and stuff. I can’t even figure out how to take it apart. I think once it starts having little problems and I start having to pay professionals to replace things, it will be retired to a closet or something. I don’t expect it to last like my desktops. If this thing is still around 7 or 8 years from now I will really really be surprised. Either that or I am going to have to learn how to maintain it myself. On my desktops I replace the keyboards every year or two. Replacing the keyboard on this little laptop looks like it’s going to be a hassle. I hope it holds out but I don’t expect it to.

I find advantages to both. The laptop is portable, but difficult for DIY repair and/or upgrades. The hardware in a desktop is much easier to replace or upgrade.

I use a desktop, but like you said, only for affordability. A desktop also helps me get focused, as compared to a laptop on my bed.

I find the laptop generally better overall unless you need ultimate power, gaming-quality graphics, or a huge screen. True, some lappies have 17” or larger screens, but they are really defeating the purpose of a laptop at that point.

I know many people and a few companies who chose laptops because a low/medium-powered system with a 15” screen was good enough and they needed something that didn’t take up much space. A laptop onlly takes up slightly more room than a desktop’s keyboard; there is no need for a big tower and all sorts of associated cabling.

However, if you think you will ever want to do any customization then desktops are superior. Even changing the hard drive with a larger one is nearly impossible (for the average person) in many laptops whereas I can undo one clip and two plugs to rip a drive out of my desktop. Also, my desktop has a replaceable graphics card whereas most laptops are permanently stuck with integrated graphics chips.

Pricewise, they are more comparable than many people seem to think, at least for the base system. As for parts, laptop parts are more expensive, but if you never need to upgrade (and most people don’t) then you’ll be fine. Reliability is about even too unless you are the type of person who treats their equipment roughly. I have yet to see a laptop broken by people who don’t break lots of other stuff too.

So at the end of the day, I would have to say laptops are a better choice for most people, and it sounds like you are one of those people.

I would agree with the laptop plan, but remember you have a higher total cost of ownership over the lifetime of the laptop vs the desktop. One that is usualy an issue is the battery, they are also prone to more damage/abuse than a desktop.

Another thing to consider with laptops is that the hard drives are quite prone to break. Make sure you get an external hard drive and back up your files regularly. This is also a good practice to do with a 2nd internal hard drive on a desktop.

Recently, my laptop crashed due to a malfunctioning hard drive. I had not backed up anything, stupidly, and I ended up losing everything on the drive, including pictures of my baby niece. I have a theory that the drive was broken from the start, but even small amounts of pressure or shaking to the HD can cause it to break. Be careful!

@ParaParaYukiko Or you could just do what I do; sync the documents with a desktop. We are a multi-computer household and my desktop system has considerably more hard drive space. Besides, since I often view/work on the same documents with both systems, it only makes sense. I’ve had to restore a few things, but I have yet to actually lose any files.

I agree with jaytkay, you can get the same amount of power or more in a desktop and pay way less then in a laptop. The only reason I think laptops cost so much is because you can move them around, but other than that, they are week.

Well I got a laptop. I dont need anything powerful. I dont play video games on my computer because I prefer consoles these days. I like the mobility of it.I use it for facebook, email, and AIM for the most part lol.

@Mikelbf2000 Congrats on your new toy :)

Laptop Acer www.acer.com is where you find the best laptops…

@aidoom7 Not bad. I’ve had decent luck with Acer, and they are good values for the money. I still prefer Toshiba overall, but Acer is my #2 pick.

Fine with me.

I definitely this that we should go with Laptop because in this modern life technology became more smarter. So, it’s very easy to carry laptop now and do our work frequently to anywhere. Laptop is absolutely portable device so, laptop is worth buying in my opinion.