Today’s question is going to be a bit hard to quickly answer for many people. No, I am not talking about desk tops and lap tops. For this question, I am talking about desktop computers and laptop computers. At this very moment, you are probably on one of the many different reading devices that can access the internet: a desktop monitor, laptop, pda, mobile phone or something else. If you had a choice between having a desktop or a laptop, or both, what would you choose?
Your choice or preference in this case can have a greater impact than the impact of just having a computer based device around you. Your offline and off-computer life can get heavily affected due to such a choice. Having a laptop can mean that your sleep time includes browsing the internet for a little bit, and having a desktop in a cold room outside of your bedroom may mean that you spend less time on the computer in case you hated the cold weather. Having both a desktop and a laptop could mean a lot of things, like having access to the internet at the coffee shop and then getting back home, throwing the laptop onto the sofa and jumping on your desktop, literally or metaphorically.
Some random benefits of having a desktop:
- May have a bigger screen
- Better keyboard
- May have better processing power
- Cannot be stolen as easily as a laptop
Some random benefits of having a laptop:
- Take it with you to different places inside and outside of your house
- Screen, monitor, mouse and usually more devices built into a single unit, allowing you to focus on a small space all the time
- Allows you to do stuff usually when you want, and not when you get home to the desktop
- Can replace the things you carry with you, like journals or notepads
Some random benefits of having both a desktop and a laptop:
- Have a computer, either desktop or laptop, be the backup for important files
- Divide the computers between work, play, experiment, useless or other themes
- All of the combined benefits of having a laptop and a desktop
- Easier to completely replace either unit in case of boredom, hunger, poverty, and more
Above are some random reasons you may prefer having one or more than one computer.
Would you prefer having a laptop, a desktop, or both?
Would you prefer no desktop and only a single laptop that you can use at home or anywhere you go? Or would you rather have a desktop that sits in one place most of the time1? Or would you prefer having both? Please let me know.
I personally have a laptop and a desktop that I use actively. I have to divide different things between the two, and I also spend some time, from time to time, in planning how to sync different things in simpler and better ways between the two. As of now, I am using the laptop more than the desktop in terms of actual minute useage I think, though when I do use the desktop, I use if heavily too. I use both daily, and the desktop gets used a lot too when I am home.
I wrote this on my laptop, by the way. Thank you for reading. 
Footnotes
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- Unless you move the desktop computer around in order to compensate for not having a laptop or something [↩]
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I prefer having a laptop with the configuration of a desktop, and thats exactly what I have and works fine for me.
@sawai, thanks for sharing. By "configuration of a desktop", are you referring to the operating system or the installed software on it or something else? What kind of a laptop do you have, if I may ask?
I have been trying to see if I can completely replace the desktop with the laptop [I have the Acer Aspire 6920-6508], though having a desktop around makes me want to do some things on it [like play RTCW:ET]. The separate keyboard and mouse simply feel a bit nicer and different anytime I use them.
I have been thinking of the new netbooks since yesterday when I had a chance to hold one and hear about it a bit more. I wonder how the small monitor size will feel in comparison to being able to carry them around like a journal.
I use my macbook, netbook, and a desktop. I use the netbook for quick trips to class or presentations and when I want to browse the internet comfortably somewhere other than my desk. It is essentially my notebook and pen with an internet browser. My desktop is my magical hub where everything goes and syncs up. I have two hard drives in it, one for backup and one for use. I use my mac for design usually and extended periods away from home. Probably ridiculous but I can't seem to part with my desktop or mac.
@Chicago medical center Rush.edu, thanks for the reply!
I see, thanks for sharing too. What kind of netbook do you have? When you're in classes or in other places, do you ever run into situations where you would rather have the macbook instead of the netbook?
I prefer both. I am in school and having a laptop is extremely useful; I am able to take it to class to take notes and read along with the powerpoints of the lectures. I also have a desktop, this is for gaming and developing programs/websites. Both are pretty much the same but if I had to choose one, I would choose the desktop just because the capabilities are better with it (bigger case means bigger better hardware). Good question… Regards!
@Ryland.com, thanks for sharing.
What kind of laptop do you have? I also use my desktop for gaming and some other things, though those "some other things" I do on laptop also like editing and testing things. Lately I've been thinking of getting a netbook, though I wonder of its performance and capabilities compared to a regular desktop [like running a few browser windows and Outlook at the same time, at least].
I have trouble keeping different systems sync'd up, so my primary computer is an aging 12" PowerBook. I use it at least 12 hours a day. It goes with me on the hour long commute to and from work, then for 8 hours at work, and then gets hooked up to a 24" monitor at home.
When at home it works perfectly fine as a desktop, albeit a really small one.
@ColeWire.com, thanks for sharing too. I also have been thinking of better ways to sync, as I do not want to mirror everything from both computers onto each other.
A 24" monitor does sound nice. Do you use it as a dual monitor or the sole one?
I think use of both the laptop and the desktop is specific to each one's needs. Personally if one is stationed at one place there is no better option than the desktop. It has all the ingredients to make your experience online more fruitful and easy besides being a sturdy equipment.
The laptop can give you numerous other problems like bad posture and resultant fatigue. Keyboard is another real irritant with the laptop besides the inconvinience of the mouse. The external mouse if connected has another problem of handling etc. Your positioning in front of the laptop also needs to be good else the picture is hazy etc.
However for people on the move the laptop is a godsend. The weight of the laptop however needs to go down more than whatever is available in the market currently to ensure a hassle free carriage everywhere and anywhere.
Desktop more preferable. But for convienience of portability Laptop anytime.
@goacom.blogspot.com, thanks also for taking the time to share what your setup is.
What do you think of laptops that have larger screens and better processing power, like the Alienware laptops?
Honestly, I have used a laptop for close to 5 years now, almost exclusively. There has always been a desktop in my home but usually, like our current desktop, it was used as a hub for our router. Now it's used for…well…a scanner? If that? Eventually I hope to get it set up for our son who is getting old enough to bang on keys (Toddler Keys) but for now, my husband and I both use laptops for portability and movies. I've never had a problem with the screen size (15.4 inch widescreen) or processor (even on games like Rappelz).
Sorry, I guess you didn't want a book… *g*
@Lynn, thanks for the comment.
I see, so you use your multiple computers in that setup.You must be very happy to give your son a computer too. I haven't played Rappelz though any game on a laptop can mean that the laptop can be more like a replacement for the Desktop in term of that game at least.
I am wondering if it would make sense to buy new desktop or simply a more powerful laptop like Alienware [whenever I think of high end laptops, that name comes to my mind a lot].
Also, by a "book", did you mean a netbook?
I like a desktop. Laptops can easy break
I prefer laptops.
I have quite a large internal hard-drive in my iMac G5 so I mainly use my desktop for holding files and acting as a server. Also, I use it to connect to my xbox 360.
I do find that sometimes I have back and neck pains when using my laptop for long periods though.
a debatable question
if your are a designer, coder i think a powerful desktop is good
a business man a laptop is good
but i love a laptop, its always handy….
I prefer laptop because it is not bulky. If I want to move in to another country, I don't have to worry about extra luggage. Desktop is good if you don't have any plans of relocating somewhere else in the near future.
I prefer a desktop. I never felt comfortable with the compactness of a laptop to work on. I also do not like lcd screens. I feel a crt moniter is far superior, at least to my eyes.
I am using a desktop since my laptop has been stolen from a bar.
When laptops had limited technical possibilities I preferred having desktop when needed more hardware capacity (memory, graphics etc) but nowadays laptops are almost the same as desktops. SO now I would choose (if I have to) laptop.
well i prefer both. cause you can use desktop indoors and you can also use your laptop outdoors on a trip, leasure time, with friends.
i would prefer to have a laptop for its compatibly, you can handle it anywhere you go.
[Here are my responses! Thank you for commenting!
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@msnhacksoftware.nl, thanks for the comment.
So probably for you, losing the data on the hardware, like due a broken laptop, can be one of the reasons you prefer a desktop?
@planet-numbers.co.uk, thanks for the comment.
What kind of a laptop do you have? Do you usually use the laptop on a table, a bed, or in some other place? Do you divide the things you do [besides file storage] between the laptop and the iMac G5?
@randi, thanks for commenting too. Hmm, what do you use a laptop for?
For a designer, in your view, does the monitor screen become the main focus, versus a laptop, or the different type of keyboard, or something else?
@latinosunglasses, thanks for sharing too. Have you run into that situation a lot?
@Davey, thanks for sharing. Do you have a CRT monitor at the moment? What size and brand is it? In the future, would you be willing to upgrade to an LCD if there are no more CRT's being built?
@Bloginsane, thanks for sharing too. Wow! Where did that happen? Was it recent? Did you have important info on it that you cannot recover?
@Tadeusz Szulc, thanks for the comment. You have a good point: laptops are becoming more powerful and many laptops of today almost rival many of the available desktops too.
@Brandon Camron, thanks for sharing too. True: having both have benefits too. Do you have both a laptop and a desktop? What brands are they [or it, or something else?], if I may ask?
@meanne, thanks for the comment. Do you have a laptop that you prefer over a desktop?
Thanks for the comment everyone!
Yes I like both laptop and desktop.I also have another two laptops which are all configured to work with the others by way of a belkin flip and kvm docking station. I won't go into details how I have set them up, but let me tell you they work fantastic. I write a lot of encrypted programs and codes for the Military and R&D as well.
Typical laptops are built for portability, thus the built in display, battery, multifunction keys and are a tad bit slower than desktops. What I want is the laptop technology with perhaps a little more speed, a full-size keyboard. Forget the ATX's volume of space, internal power supply and 5 1/4" bays. Graphics power is a must to fire dual displays (display(s) of my choice), USB and bluetooth to the max, also optical and hard drives, all under the keyboard.
Portability has robbed us of upgrading the desktop PC. The AT/ATX standard has been with us since the 80's, it's time to leave it to the modders and gamers. The money saved by not having an attached display can be put into keeping the cost reasonable. This has lots of green potential.
The main thing that bugs me about having only a laptop is the fact I have to carry around a mouse and maybe a keyboard. Often I find the keyboard is to small and I hate using a built-in touch mouse. I think the most common practice is to have a basic laptop and a good pc at home, using the big pc as a depot for all the stuff you make/download while your out and about. But if your at work using a pc, why not use a portable harddrive to move things between your pc and works?
I'm never really in a place i can concentrate to use a laptop. I have a pc at work and just use a ext hd to ferry data between there and my desktop at home.
yaaa..
I've already it and very easy for my job.
Its often better to just carry a external hd, less valuable, smaller and easy to just plug into the pc and move you work around.
I think use of both the laptop and the desktop is specific to each one’s needs. Personally if one is stationed at one place there is no better option than the desktop. It has all the ingredients to make your experience online more fruitful and easy besides being a sturdy equipment.
I prefer a laptop, mainly because of its portability. It is easy to connect the laptop to wireless networks too. It is easy to use a laptop even on travel or while moving. Even though there are certain demerits like less memory, small screen, yet I always prefer a laptop to be useful.
Thanks for that wonderful debate.
I 100% go with laptop, is easy to transport and is cool to!
I've managed a super range of LCD displays in the past and I personally think they cannot be compared to any other type of display or monitor. Common just look at the high calibre that most LCD displays can substance these days, even the not so high spec, low end LCD monitors have a much higher and better calibre then most monitors. Just my opinion with LCD quality.
I really can not imagine the life without internet ,without computer. If there are not any computers or mobile phones which could offer the possibilty of surfing on the internet:how could us know the world ,how could nowdays people live? I just want to point that, you could not involve so many people to take part in your survey if there is no internet;in the other way, you would never find the best choice for you— brett favre jersey. We are surounded by internet,by computers, mobile phones.We benefit of surfing on the internet,actually.
Prefer the desktop over the laptop, works well for me.
Desktop or Laptop? I think it depends on the needs of each person…
The considerations on this article really help us to decide what we need to buy, desktop computer or laptop computer…
I will go decently with laptop, is a bather solution small easy to transport.
But what do you think about i pad?
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Quality.
I prefer to have a desktop at home for heavy computing and gaming, a laptop at my office for presentations, emails, etc and none of them on holiday.
I have a netbook and a laptop. My laptop has pretty much replaced my desktop – hell it replaced my desktop about 6 years ago. Now my netbook is a secondary computer that I used when travelling. It's so portable by comparison – love it!
It really depends, I think they both have advantages over each other but for most jobs I prefer to use the laptop. My daughter however much prefers the desktop.
It’s definitely good to have both, for me sometimes on a Sunday morning I just want stay sat on the couch & use the laptop.
I also find it good for the mind to change the area you’re working in, being stuck in the one place all the time is not good for the mind. Being able to use the laptop in the garden for example really helps me to be more creative when I have some articles to write.
I mainly use desktop while in home, u can use it as roughly as u can, laptop need to be used with care
I was just writing about it – if you have an external monitor (in my case 23″) and one of these small usb sticks which connects to your laptop some kick-ass wireless keyboard and mouse – then you are dude
The only truth is that it could be easily stolen, because for sure you will carry it around
I prefer having both desktop and laptop.
I’m using desktop at home for everything, but I prefer laptop for my office work!