If you only have one computer, should you choose a desktop or a laptop?

Desktop

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by Jeremy Jameson

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The question depends more than anything on how you plan to use your computer. While I chose the desktop side of this debate, I will say up front that anyone who has a very mobile lifestyle and wants to easily take their computer with them is better off with a laptop. But a majority of computer users are not traveling business people or college students who go home every weekend but rather regular home users who would be better suited by a stationary desktop unit, and hence my choice of side in the debate.

The first reason why is cost. You can get more powerful technology at a lower price in a desktop than in a laptop. There are also a great deal more components on the market for desktops and therefore a wider range of prices and options. Also, if you're looking to build your own system then it will most definitely be a desktop because not many people would have the money - let alone the expertise or resources - to assemble a laptop computer themselves.

The second reason was alluded to somewhat in the first: modular parts. Let's say a couple years down the road you decide you want more powerful graphics for your system. For a desktop it is not so hard to buy and install a better graphics card for your system, but try that with a laptop. Even the hardest and most costly upgrade for a computer - a processor upgrade - is doable with a desktop but not so much so with a laptop. This bodes well for desktops as future-compatible machines since they are easily upgraded with more current hardware to a certain degree, but the options for upgrading a laptop are sparse if existent.

A third reason is risk of theft. You are must less likely to have your desktop stolen than your laptop. Not only are laptops more portable and thereby easier to snatch, but also laptops are more often seen out in public where an opportunistic thief is likely to strike.

A fourth reason is maintenance and cleaning. With a desktop, you can open up the case and blast away with a can of compressed air to help get rid of dust buildup. But if you get dust buildup in your laptop, that's a bit harder to remove. Furthermore, if you spill a soda on your desktop keyboard, you've probably only ruined the keyboard which is easily and inexpensively replaceable. Do the same with your laptop and you may ruin the entire machine!

A final reason is the aspect of cooling. A desktop typically has a mid-tower case though which air flows and helps cool the components inside the computer. The aforementioned fact that desktops are easier to un-dust also helps keep them cool. Laptops do have internal fans and air vents, but there's no open space inside. Everything in a laptop is very closely packed together to fit in that small space. Furthermore, laptops tend to sit on laps, which are typically warmer and less friendly to air circulation than sitting on the floor or a desk as desktops tend to do. The hotter a computer runs, the more risk there is of the hardware malfunctioning and even dying prematurely, so the cooler your computer the better.

Laptops have their own advantages and I'm definitely a fan of them as well (in fact, I'm using one to type this very article right now!); but for the average computer user a desktop is the better choice.

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