By Suzana Desktop Verses Laptop – Picking the Right Machine
If you are looking to buy a new computer, you have one major choice to make before even deciding if you need a PC or a Mac. You need to decide whether to buy a desktop computer or a laptop. Each has their own benefits and shortcomings. The first thing that you need to know is the major differences between the two.
Laptops are the only choice if you need portability. I have seen desktop cases that come with reinforced handles, but these are still not portable. They are designed for serious gamers that must bring their gaming rigs with them to competitions. A laptop is excellent for document creation, web applications and most business applications.
Laptops, now, are all equipped with a wireless network connector, which makes jumping from one network to another very simple. Laptop hard drives have increased in size quite a bit these last few years. They generally have enough space for storing tons of music and documents. Laptops also are no longer restricted by limitations on RAM. With 2 and 4 GB sticks now readily available and cheap, it’s hard to find a laptop that doesn’t have at least 2GB installed. A good laptop should provide you with an average lifespan of about three years. Because they are portable, they have a higher chance of sustaining damage.
Desktops have the benefit of being as powerful as you want them to be. Not being limited by space, you can cram huge video cards into them. You can upgrade your processor and install a giant cooling system on it to allow you to overclock it as far as you want. If you need more storage space, just add another hard drive or two. Desktops are the best choice for processing power, graphical power and gaming, music and video manipulation and storage.
Desktops are also infinitely easier to repair because they are made out of components. Laptops have usually a mainboard that contains almost all of the key components. If your power supply goes bad on your desktop, buy another one and swap it out. If the power regulator goes bad on your laptop, your usually have to replace the entire mainboard, which is going to set you back a lot. Desktop generally will last at least five years, if properly maintained.
The decision should really be based upon what you need the computer to do. If you need portability, you have to pick a laptop. If you need unlimited storage and graphical horsepower, you need a desktop.
