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The chief issue is, what are you using it for? If you need mobility, then obviously a laptop is ideal, but if you don't then a desk top offers greater flexibility. "Why?" you ask, well here are some simple reasons:

Laptops are notoriously non-ergonomic. The tiny keyboard is not ideal for typing lengthly writing tasks and the screen can not be perfectly adjusted to suit your needs for long periods at the computer. The touch pad can be irritating to use in situations when you can't plug in a mouse.

Unless you're plugged into a power source, your battery has a limited life, so you won't be able to do extended periods of work. This doesn't negate my first point about ergonomics, but you will notice degradation in battery longevity over time, further curtailing your ability to complete tasks away from a power source.

Laptops are more difficult and more expensive to update and maintain. In most cases you will need to send the machine in for servicing, unless you work in an institution which has technicians on hand to service it for you, this can be a frustrating exercise. Only a few weekends ago I spoke to two graduate law students who chastised an unnamed company which sent back lap tops which failed, only to have them "fixed" and returned in worse condition! The reasons for this may have been specific to the company concerned, but in my own casual observations lap top issues are all too common.

Computer equipment is relatively delicate and vulnerable to heat, dust and excessive vibration. Despite the best efforts by engineers, lap tops have a limited life due to their increased exposure to heat, dust and movement. In most cases you will be throwing away your entire laptop after three years. For more traveled users, this might be less. In a desk top a lot of parts like the monitor, keyboard and even hard drives are still salvageable after this time reducing your overall expenses at upgrade time.

Servicing a desk top is generally more straight forward and if you have enough know how you can do it yourself; replacement parts are generally cheaper and easily installed. Likewise maintenance is a simple matter of removing a panel and blasting out dust with compressed air. Ever try taking apart a lap top? Despite some incredible advances in lap top technology, desktops are generally more powerful, due to their ability to literally run more wattage and thus support additional internal devices.

You wouldn't choose a lap top over a desk top if you wanted just one computer, it just doesn't make any sense.

Learn more about this author, Nathan Hook.
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