Laptop or Desktop?
Monday, 21st April 2008, 01:54

ChangesPosted by Mark Oates on 21-4-2008 01:54

Roaming around a few retailer sites recently, I was struck by the way the PC market seems to have completely changed in the last few years. At Dabs.com, Laptop configurations outnumber desktops 298 to 141, and there seems to be a similar story at other sites.

Are laptops now taking over from desktops and are there still any advantages in buying a desktop? For the purposes of this thread, the purpose for the hypothetical machine in question is for use primarily as an internet machine, and for basic office operations rather than running muscle applications like 3D Gaming.

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ChangesPosted by Jitendar Canth on 21-4-2008 12:03

I think the line between laptops and desktops has blurred completely in the last few years. It began with LCD screens becoming the norm for desktops, as well as component prices decreasing to the point that the only profit is in software nowadays.

The last time I was in PC World, the spotty teen showed off his ideal desktop, LCD screen, tiny cordless keyboard, mouse, and a box so small that I doubt you'd be able to get a single PCI card in if you wanted to expand it.

I recently bought a laptop, as my desktop is getting a lot creaky. It's already become apparent that the laptop is rarely going to leave the house, has found a nice place on a desk, and will run off the mains. I've also found the laptop keyboard a nightmare, I keep hitting the mousepad (which I hate using) when I'm typing. So later this week, I'm off to buy a cordless keyboard and mouse.

Blimey, I think I've got a desktop.

For me, there are two differences left between laptops and desktops. Price, you'll still be paying £100 more for an equivalent laptop, and disposability. A laptop is the sort of thing you use until its spec no longer suits the situation, and then dump it. A desktop with a nice big box offers the opportunity to easily upgrade it as you go along.

ChangesPosted by Robert John Shepherd on 21-4-2008 12:10

Laptops are great if you have a wireless network. But for gaming they can't compete with a desktop, and even with older games they get very hot on your lap!

ChangesPosted by Mark Oates on 21-4-2008 13:14

Thanks for the feedback. I'm curious about running a laptop on the mains. How - if at all - does it affect battery life? I know Li-ion batteries don't have the same issues as earlier battery configurations. You could kill a NiMH or NiCad battery by not doing full charge/ discharge cycles. Does running on the mains shorten or lengthen the battery life?

ChangesPosted by David Beckett on 21-4-2008 14:44

Informative as always: Wikipedia.
Unless you need to write on the move, or are desperate for room, I'd go with a desktop.

ChangesPosted by Brian Elliott on 21-4-2008 23:22

Quote:
I've also found the laptop keyboard a nightmare, I keep hitting the mousepad (which I hate using) when I'm typing. So later this week, I'm off to buy a cordless keyboard and mouse.
This drives me insane. On the one I'm currently borrowing, the slightest waft of wind sets the bloody thing off onto some other paragraph that it takes me thirty seconds to find.

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