Desktop or laptop?

[randy_byers]

So it's time to upgrade my home computer again, and I'm dithering about whether to get another desktop or whether to switch to a laptop. Anybody have a strong argument either way? I don't have any powerful urge to have a computer with me at all times, but I *am* thinking of buying a smartphone when the new Samsung Galaxy is released here. I'm not sure I need anything more in a mobile computer than the ability to connect to the internet (which the smartphone would give me), although it might be nice to be able to watch movies when I'm traveling (and I'm not keen to watch movies on a tiny screen). I want to be able to burn CDs/DVDs. I want a lot of hard drive space. It seems as though most of my friends have switched to laptops, yet I just don't feel compelled in that direction.

Comments

[jophan.livejournal.com]

For me the deciding factor (to get yet another stationary machine) was that I spend so little time travelling and I prefer to read on my daily commute.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

One thought I've had about mobile reading/film-watching/web-browing is to maybe get a tablet at some point down the road.

[gerisullivan.livejournal.com]

"...yet I just don't feel compelled in that direction."

Your answer is in your question. Also, you have solutions to your on-the-road needs with a smartphone and maybe a tablet at some point.

Yes, lots of people who own one computer are moving from desktop to laptop machines. As laptops have become more and more powerful, lots of folks with both desktop and laptop computers are are getting rid of their desktops and going just with the laptop. That's the trend; it doesn't mean now is the right time for you to go with it for yourself.

As far as I know, desktops are still cheaper and less likely to be damaged or stolen. Monitors are bigger. Disk drives are bigger. The ergonomics are better. They last longer.

A couple of years back, I spent a year or more doing pretty much everything on my laptop and was moving toward a 2-laptop approach for awhile (having a back-up computer that I can move files to and keep working is one of my standard business practices.) Then I unexpectedly ended up buying a computer when I was in Michigan. My laptop went belly-up, I had deadlines to meet, and the back-up laptop was 850 miles away.

I bought a desktop computer since it was cheaper and I didn't need another laptop. I so enjoy working on it compared to the laptop that I expect to continue on with my desktop'n'laptop arrangement for the forseeable future.

ymmv, here's mine

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

What I hate most about laptops is the keyboard. I can't do serious composition with such an impediment to typing.

Laptops may be portable, but their large size makes them awkward to haul around. I'd prefer a smaller one if I were to get one, but for that reason it couldn't be my main computer, because even the big screen I have on my desktop is often not big enough.

[wrdnrd]

I have a laptop, tho' much of the time at home i keep it tethered to keyboard/mouse. I wanted a laptop (a) because i can take it with me while traveling, and (b) it's really hard for me to write while sitting at my desk and the laptop lets me slouch on the couch or go to a cafe. I have a smartphone, but it doesn't adequately fill my "computing while traveling" needs.

(The reason i often keep it tethered to the desk at home is that it's also hard for me to do "work" if i'm slouched on the couch. So for Grand Illusion stuff, for example, i need to sit upright at a desk. Also, sitting upright at the desk *somewhat* discourages me from mindlessly surfing the internet all night.)

One note about watching movies while traveling: If you want to watch a movie on a plane, you'll need noise-cancelling headphones. Andy and i were able to watch a movie on my laptop once while flying, and i realized both how loud airplanes are and how completely inadequate my headphones are.

Andy and i do still have a desktop in the house, tho' (just upgraded to a brand spanking new one this past weekend, in fact) even tho' we both have tiny little laptops as our main personal computers. We still wanted 1 computer in the house that was fast and powerful AND big enough we could get our hands in there if we wanted to upgrade something. Laptops are pretty fast now, but desktops are still a little faster (judging from what we looked at) and i am not about to try opening my laptop to swap out components.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

How you will use it the most should probably be the deciding factor. Laptops are mostly a good idea only for people who really want/need that portability on a regular basis.

Ergonomics for desktops are better -- you can adjust the relative locations of the keyboard and monitor to suit your height and way of sitting, whereas the keyboard of a laptop is necessarily a fixed distance from the monitor, so chances are that either the monitor will be too low or the keyboard will be too high for comfort and good posture. Will you be uncomfortable using the machine most of the time, and if so, is that worth the portability?

Also, if you use your computer for watching movies a lot -- I get the sense that you do -- then the advantage of a desktop is that you can get a much bigger monitor without affecting the overall size of your computer. You can also increase the size of your monitor later without having to get a whole new system. Big screens on laptops often make the whole machine much more awkward to carry or use comfortably. The bigger footprint means you need a bigger table to balance it on, if you work that way, and the greater height when open means that the lid often gets bumped/folded down when the passenger in front of you tilts his seat back.

And then there's the fact that laptops are much more physically vulnerable and much less modular than desktops. You move a laptop around more, so there's more risk of dropping it. There's a bunch of critical wiring that has to pass through the hinge area of the laptop, and if that goes bad, often the only option is to replace the whole machine. If the wiring goes bad on a desktop, typically you just need to replace a cable. Likewise if you spill coffee on a laptop keyboard, that can mean either an expensive trip to the factory for keyboard replacement or, again, a whole new machine. Chances are you'll *need* to replace a laptop sooner than a desktop, because of wear or mishap.

And laptops typically cost significantly more for the same power/capabilities. Not only does that mean more of an initial outlay, but it also makes them more tempting as targets of theft.

In other words, in my opinion, go with a desktop unless you feel you have a compelling reason to choose a laptop. If having a laptop is just something that might be nice, occasionally, you might just think about getting a netbook or tablet when the occasion actually comes up.

[kip-w.livejournal.com]

My main computer is a laptop. I use a secondary screen and keyboard with it, and a graphics tablet with a mouse. I do like that I can keep working when I take Sarah to the Y, or when I go on a trip. Some of the price differential can be reduced by getting a rebuilt, or last-month's model, though the same could also make a desktop even lower in price.

I think you're already leaning towards a desktop, though, and why not? Looks like it works for you.