Laptops vs. Desktops

[olliesub]

What do you prefer? Desktops or laptops?

 

Desktops

-Not mobile

-Big/heavy

-Can be upgraded

-Much more powerful

-Cost less in terms of power

 

Laptops

-Mobile

-Can be small and light

-Cannot be upgraded (with the exception of RAM and hard drive)

-Not as powerful as a desktop

-Cost more in terms of power

 

I personally prefer laptops because of their mobility.

[CHiLL]

It depends on what I'm doing.

 

Work/gaming/watching video/music I'll use the PC.

 

If I'm at home and just browsing the Internet, I'll use my laptop. Especially if I'm talking to my girl friend on Skype.

[Nathan]

Well I have both, I need my laptop when traveling or I'm watching TV upstairs and need to check something really quick. But when it comes to coding or working all day I would much rather be on my desktop. A real keyboard and mouse is 100x faster than me trying to use a laptop and the finger pad.

[bryce12]

I have both though I prefer to work on a desktop. The laptop keyboards and tracking pad seems too small to me. There's nothing like a desktop with a 32 inch monitor and an ergonomic keyboard..

[Creaky]

All depends what I'm doing, use laptop or iPad when just browsing the net & desktop for everything else.

[tetutato]

Desktops since I'm mainly a gaming and I need as much power as I can get with the ability to upgrade :#

[ridwan sameer]

Both are used for different ways of lifestyle.

A desktop for people needing power... Maybe gaming or graphic desingning or 3D Modelling..

And a laptop for students or travelling people

[Hardison]

I do most of my work on a laptop. I love it because it's mobile. My laptop also has full size keys so it's easy to type on it. Sometimes, I miss working on a desktop. I miss the larger screen, the extra power and not having to worry about finding an outlet when my battery runs low.

[Marc]

I use both as I think they are both usefull in different scenarios, however I do prefer a good desktop if I have the choice.

[Ram8349]

I have both.

 

Desktop is much more powerful than laptop. Yes, I upgrade it often. And I play a lot of high end video games on it to take advantage of its raw power.

 

Laptop comes into the picture when I on a trip. I sometimes carry laptops to LAN parties. Some peopel still bring their desktop and monitor lol. I don't want that kind of trouble. Laptop is fine for basic use, but for gaming and resource heavy application, I'd rather use my desktop.

 

Both have their places.

However, I think tablets, smartphones, and other mobile devices will eventually replace laptop.

[Hardison]

.

 

However, I think tablets, smartphones, and other mobile devices will eventually replace laptop.

 

I have heard this before. I really don't see that happening. I see tablets and smartphones being used for entertainment purposes, but I don't anybody can really be productive on one.

[SwitchCase]

As a student, I prefer using a laptop. The main reason is that I can bring it anywhere I want go. It is portable and doesn't consume big space. I can easily bring my laptop at school to finish projects or simply play games and browse the net. Even though desktops are more powerful than laptops in terms of processing power, laptops can still manage to do the tasks that I do. Keep in mind that laptops consumes less electricity than desktops.

[Ram8349]

I have heard this before. I really don't see that happening. I see tablets and smartphones being used for entertainment purposes, but I don't anybody can really be productive on one.

 

That's because currently those smaller devices are not yet up to speed. Give some time, they will be powerful enough to run productivity software as good as current laptop and desktop PCs. For certain software, you don't always need the top of the line. There is a point once you reach it, there isn't much difference. Like the most powerful desktop PC today isn't going to have any advantage in running Microsoft Office software over a budget PC from a few years ago.

[CHiLL]

That's because currently those smaller devices are not yet up to speed. Give some time, they will be powerful enough to run productivity software as good as current laptop and desktop PCs. For certain software, you don't always need the top of the line. There is a point once you reach it, there isn't much difference. Like the most powerful desktop PC today isn't going to have any advantage in running Microsoft Office software over a budget PC from a few years ago.

But on the flip side, as computing power increases, so will the performance of laptops, taking them closer to desktops, allowing them to do more things.

[tetutato]

That's because currently those smaller devices are not yet up to speed. Give some time, they will be powerful enough to run productivity software as good as current laptop and desktop PCs. For certain software, you don't always need the top of the line. There is a point once you reach it, there isn't much difference. Like the most powerful desktop PC today isn't going to have any advantage in running Microsoft Office software over a budget PC from a few years ago.

 

I can kind of see your point. Especially as cloud computing evolves

[Ram8349]

But on the flip side, as computing power increases, so will the performance of laptops, taking them closer to desktops, allowing them to do more things.

 

 

One of the reasons to keep a powerful desktop PC is for high end gaming. Laptop is still far from up to this task, and probably never will be in near future...since high end gaming's requirement is continuously raising as newer more graphic intense games come out. It will require better and better graphic cards... in near future there isn't going to be any mobile graphic card powerful enough to be the top of the line. So laptop will not match the power of the best desktop in foreseen future.

[CHiLL]

One of the reasons to keep a powerful desktop PC is for high end gaming. Laptop is still far from up to this task, and probably never will be in near future...since high end gaming's requirement is continuously raising as newer more graphic intense games come out. It will require better and better graphic cards... in near future there isn't going to be any mobile graphic card powerful enough to be the top of the line. So laptop will not match the power of the best desktop in foreseen future.

Of course. It's an endless cycle of advancements. High end games will always develop with high end technology, which will always be for desktops. Mobile devices including laptops and tablets will always be playing catchup. But as much as a tablet will advance, so will a laptop, and it will start having more uses. Which is why I don't think tablets will replace laptops, altogether.

[Ram8349]

Of course. It's an endless cycle of advancements. High end games will always develop with high end technology, which will always be for desktops. Mobile devices including laptops and tablets will always be playing catchup. But as much as a tablet will advance, so will a laptop, and it will start having more uses. Which is why I don't think tablets will replace laptops, altogether.

 

My opinion is, there will be a point where smaller mobile devices can do everything a laptop can do without much difference in performance, while a laptop still is not up to bar with a high end desktop in true resource intense applications such as high end gaming, video encoding, etc.. At that time, laptop will be replaced, not desktop. It will be only desktop, smartphone, tablets left.

Edited June 21, 2012 by Ram8349

[CHiLL]

My opinion is, there will be a point where smaller mobile devices can do everything a laptop can do without much difference in performance, while a laptop still is not up to bar with a high end desktop in true resource intense applications such as high end gaming, video encoding, etc.. At that time, laptop will be replaced, not desktop. It will be only desktop, smartphone, tablets left.

While I understand where you're coming from, laptops will be at a stage where they can do what desktops can do now.

 

I think we can agree to disagree!

[Victor Leigh]

While I understand where you're coming from, laptops will be at a stage where they can do what desktops can do now.

 

I think we can agree to disagree!

 

Well, as laptops improve they will reach a stage where they can do what desktops USED to be able to do. That's because the development of desktops have not stopped nor has it been abandoned. There is still a big market for desktops and, frankly speaking, desktops offer a lot more scope than laptops.

[Marc]

They will also never have an external keyboard, free mouse, 2 screens and a desk LOL

[dagscot]

I started with a desktop and went through all the fun of going to computer fairs and modding it to my requirements. New motherboard and graphics card. etc. It mostly sits in the corner of my room now, used for the occasional gaming. I use my laptop all the time, checking email and flipping through webpages. I'm even thinking of upgrading my laptop so I can game on it a little.

[Victor Leigh]

Well, I have upgraded my old laptop.

 

External 20-inch monitor, external keyboard, external mouse and external speakers. Not by choice actually. All those items I mentioned which are built-in are dead already. Now waiting for the cpu to die so that I will have no qualms about burying my laptop and getting another computer. Maybe an ultra-book, if I can afford it. Otherwise, a home-assembled desktop since I have nearly all the parts in the store room now.

[DarkGizmo]

I have an all-in-one desktop that's dying on me so i'm getting rid of it the end of the year as my dad will be getting a new windows 8 all-in-one touchscreen from his work sometime in august. I'll just use that.

 

However, I love my laptop(s). I have a 13" macbook from 2009 i use for coding and designing and an Asus Republic of Gamers 17.3" that just, runs all over every other PC i have in the house. It's by far the most powerful. It's built for high-end gaming so it better damn well be a beast! and it is .

[Jatelo2]

I choose Desktop now that I can upgrade it and it is more stable and powerful compared to a laptop or my small Acer Aspire One net-book. I also agree with the popular opinion that the Laptop/Notebooks allow for certain privacies and are easy to transport.