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The answer to this question is quite simply to choose a desktop, and it can be justified.

The only big advantage of a laptop is that you can take it with you. In reality, most employers that would require you to have a laptop for work are going to supply you with one, so don't use that as the justification for buying one.

Now, the advantages of a desktop.
1. Screen size. I've yet to see a laptop compete with my 19" lcd. By all standards, 19 isn't really that big. You can get much much bigger.

2. The screen itself. If your desktop monitor or lcd goes out on you, you can be up and running after a quick run to an electronics/computer store. If your laptop screen has a problem, you can pretty much kiss your laptop goodbye for a week while it gets checked for warranty. Chances are, it's not covered, and you'll have to shell out almost as much as you paid for the laptop in the first place.

3. Parts. As noted about the laptop screen, if anything in the laptop goes you'll be out of luck. In a desktop, there's not a single thing that can't be replaced or upgraded. With a laptop, you're far more limited in upgrades. What you bought in the first place is what you'll be stuck with until you get a whole new one. With a desktop, you can upgrade the processor, the cd/dvd drives, the zip/floppy drives, the sound card, the video card, the modem/ethernet/wireless card, etc. If you really wanted to get into it, you can even add a second (or third) hard drive, change out

The basic point to it all is that with a laptop, you're pretty much stuck with what you bought. There's not a whole lot you can do to soup it up other than maybe an extra ram chip or a pci card. The rest will have to work with USB.

With a desktop, you have options. Period, end of story.

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