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There are several reasons why I feel that a desktop is a better computer to have.

1. Price

Due to the size and form limitations of laptops, they naturally incur higher costs. Development is harder because they are a non-standard form factor, as well as the challenge to be the company with the smallest and lightest computer. To get the same performance out of a laptop as you would get out of a desktop you would have to pay much more. As a result of them not being standard across all companies, replacement parts cost much more for laptops since most of the time they have to be purchased directly from the manufacturer and not a third party supplier. Since manufacturers also only produce a certain type of laptop for a short period of time, if your model is no longer made then it is possible to drive up the cost even more because of part availability.

2. Lifetime

Laptops by nature are moved around a lot, relative to a desktop that remains stationary for long periods of time. As a result they are more likely to be damaged, whether by simply being jostled or moisture. While they are designed to withstand some minor shock, repetitive shocks can eventually damage connectors inside or the casing of the laptop. The hinges on the screen, from repetitive opening and closing, can start to loosen and wear out on some brands of laptops, which eventually will require either expensive replacement or frustration. Some business persons who do a lot of traveling sometimes get laptops replaced every one to two years because they get damaged from all the movement.

3. Upgradeable

Since desktops are standardized across platforms it is easy to find parts that fit your hardware and as a result you can upgrade the hardware to improve performance. While components such as hard drives, RAM, and CPUs are standard across laptop manufactures, other components like the wireless card or video card are proprietary and are only in a specific brand of laptop. It is also impossible to upgrade the screen size since it is a feature of the laptop, whereas you can simply plug in a bigger monitor to your desktop computer.

4. Mobility

This discussion would not be complete without defending against the mobility argument. While you can always take a laptop anywhere, say a coffee shop or a park to work. If you are going to want to go to one of those places, you should go there to enjoy yourself and not be constantly plugged into your computer anyway. People are already plugged into the internet and communication networks everywhere they go, having a desktop is one way to free yourself from that connection a little bit.

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