Do You Prefer Laptop Or Desktop Computers? Which Is Better Overall?

[unimatrix 0]

I just bought a friend's 1.33Ghz G4 Powerbook with 2GB of Ram. He wanted to get the new Macbook Pro, and all my software is PPC based. I know there is rosetta, but since I am using Pro Apps (Final Cut Pro, DVD Studio Pro, etc) and not all my hardware have drivers for OSX Intel (like my video capture device and scanner) I needed to buy a new laptop to use for the next 18 months or so when I plan to get a new OSX-Intel system with all the bugs worked out. He sold me the unit for USD 850 since it needed a new battery. Now is the unit as powerful as either my Dual 1.25 Ghz G4 PowerMac at home? No, but it's good enough for the video editing I do. Typically I will do all my editing work, save to an external firewire drive, then use my big tower to render while I start on the next project at my favorite coffee shop. It works out better for me too, because when I'm in my condo, I don't do work. I watch TV, play on the internet, post here, do everything, but work. Since my Cell phone is my business line, I can work from anywhere with an electrical outlet. Granted, is FCP or PS quite as responsive as my tower? No, but I can live with that in exchange for the mobility.From time to time I do go in the road. Not much else to do in the hotel room so I can usually have my rough cuts done by the end of the day. I create memior/biographical videos for people, so being able to scan in their pictures for use in the documentry is a nice thing to have on the road. I don't have to worry about taking them to my condo, them getting lost in the mail, me loosing them, etc. I can do it in their own home while I'm there to shoot video. Chances are when this tower is useless, I'll be hard pressed to by another one and sometime fall of 2007 I plan to buy a new Mactel. These days, for me, laptops just make more sense. I'll take slightly less power for the mobility trade off anyday.

[XIII 0]

Hi all,

 

Am my way to purchase a new laptop, bu tin between i had a doubt either to go for a new laptop or update the exesitng desktop machiene, then i decided to post it on the Xisto where i can get the proper answer.

 

please all asta users judge which one to go for and why, their's pro and corns.

 

Please let me know.

 

If Desktop what should be the ideal configuration and same for the laptop also.

 

Regards

Arunkumar.H.G

 

it depends, if i'm into getting the most better features for portabillity, then ofcourse without doubt i'll go with a laptop, if i want the most powerful features like graphics, and so on, i will go with a desktop.

ofcourse there are alot of basis to choose between, for example, if u need games, graphic designing, ...etc from things these need loads of memory and graphics and so on, u should get a desktop, i prefer a laptop cause i travel alot, i have some business which i can't be away from, like stocks trading and forex, so i must have a pc all the way around, also i'm a web developer so all i need is a notepad and internet connection, and i don't play 3d games, i prefer text based games and so no need for a high graphic support, also i don't need so much storage space and no much ram as i use linux even, ubuntu distro, so i just need nearly the minimum requirements u can know right now on any pc

but as i said from the begining, it depend, both have there advantages and down-sides

[Termin-X-man 0]

Desktops, mostly because I am a gamer and I need to be able to easily upgrade my system. And with laptops they tend to overheat. For regular work a Laptop is a good thing to have though because of portability. But again, Laptops are more expensive to manufacture so they can cost you more.

[mustra 0]

i dont have time to read all, but i want to say 2 thingslaptops can now be fully upgraded, has new ones all come with pci express tec, wich means u can change graphic cards, sound board and more stuff,there pretty good game graphic cards for laptops, with shared power source, wich mean they save battery when u are mobile but they also can achieve traditional gfx results when you are connect to power supply,laptops are catching up on desktops really fast !ive seen a turion 64 amd 3200, ati gfx pci express 512, 1,024 ddr2 100 gbs disk space, widscreen , for 1500 dollars, wich rounds about the same price of a desktop.

[kgd2006 0]

Although im currently using a laptop right now for a computer, I prefer a desktop because with it you can do so much more and have much more power too. Laptops are overpriced and are limited in power, but features a on the go experiance for computer users. Desktops can be upgraded so you dont have to to go out and by a whole new computer every few years, so that would be my reasoning why I would perfer desktops over laptops. Im actually going to be getting a desktop computer as soon as the time is right for me. Because I believe new upgrades and computer stuff should be coming out soon. So I wanna make sure that I will be getting the most recent hardware before I actually go an upgrade myself to another computer.

[snutz411 0]

This would all depend on what you need to use the computer for. People who want to game or need high end specifications will definitely want a desktop. However for people that are mobile, they will want a laptop.I personally like to use my laptop. I am a college student, so it is very useful to bring around to classes. I bought it 2 years ago and definitely paid the high price to make sure it will still be in good shape down the road. I like being able to unplug and just take my laptop anywhere with me, and have all the resources I need from a computer to get through the day.If you are going to invest in a latop, don't be cheap. You'll regret it down the road since the only thing you can really upgrade in a laptop is memory and a hard drive, which will be expensive nonetheless. I paid aroudn $3000 for my Dell 600m and its still good today.1.6 gHz Pentium M Processor512mb ram60gig hd64mb video card14.1" LCD screenI also have an external 19" LCD monitor to hook my laptop to when I need it, but I don't recommend using a laptop as a desktop replacement. You'll end up lugging around a 15lb weight that will most likely just sit on your desk because you don't want to bring it anywhere.Although in the near future, I may be investing in a new desktop system from theses makers...http://sys.us.shuttle.com/
They make Small Form Factor computers that look really nice. I'll end up paying around $2600 for a high end gaming computer from them. It'll have dual-core AMD 64-bit processor, dual 256mb Nvidia video card, 2gig ram, 250gig SATA HD. And it'll all be in the case that is a little longer than a Gamecube.

[mediafork 0]

Well obviously there are many pros and cons for both laptops and desktop computers. Personally I have a laptop but that is simply due to the fact that I need something portable so I can work and play while i'm on the move, although desktop computers have far more power and speed capabilities.I do own a desktop computer aswell and whilst it is better, faster and generally a more efficient computer than my laptop it simply isn't as practical and convenient to use it especially since I use a wireless connection so I can sit and surf the net whilst I sit down on a comfortable couch and watch tv at the same time or something.Anyway, there's my opinion.

[Mafamba Team 0]

I think that you need both really, one for when you are mobile around the hosue and need to note different things, and one for when you arein a big rush and need quick speed.As long as you have a trustorthy pal of a USB flash Drive, your perfectly OK!

[Opethian 0]

I was going to say that after using a desktop for 10 years, moving to a laptop is now a more feasible solution for me, just because I don't have a permanent address, and would like to create stuff on the go. Although I will have to agree with Mafamba Team's comment. Having both is the ideal setup, since a laptop is very expensive, and a cutting edge PC will always be cheaper.

[SP Rao 0]

Well well well... Quite a discusion going on here. Well, I'm also in the same dilemma of whether to go for a laptop or a desktop. Ofcourse there are pros and cons.First of all, the purpose of buying the PC matters the most. If you want to do some serious programing and you move around too much and don't want to waste time, you can always choose a laptop. Simply because of its mobility. You need enough charging points though Other than the mobility factor, everything else is a disadvantage in a laptop.I'm listing some of them below.1) A laptop costs twice as much as a desktop costs. - Upgradations too are twice as expensive, twice as difficult. The moral of the story- expensive to buy; expensive to maintain. Definitely heavy on your pockets.2)The mouse is the most irritating part about a laptop. I've always found it very difficut to handle it. Even after using laptop for more than an year, I still find it a nuisance. I agree one can attach a normal mouse to the laptop, but then mobility factor has gone to the dogs!3)The keyboard in itself is a nuisance. I always find the keys a little too small for my fingers. You can get best of the wired desktop keyboards for INR 400 (That's $9).4)The battery of the laptops ain't that great. It'll last around 1hr-2.5hr depending on the model and make you choose. If you want further time, you need to buy extra batteries which will cost you like hell.5)You can view the laptop only at certain angles. At other ngles screen looks blank. That means, if you're watching a movie on your laptop, only you can watch it comfortably. Well, you have a desktop, your entire gang can join the show.6)If something goes wrong with a deskop, you can always experiment by opening it(For minor poblems atleast), can't really say the same about a laptop.7) If you're into gaming, definitely it's stupid to get a laptop.There's more. But I'll stop at it. I'm going to buy a lapop because,1) I travel for 4 hrs inside my company cab everyday, all thanks to the beautiful traffic of Bangalore! That too to covr a distance of 20km to and fro included! Which means, my cab moves inch by inch without making me feel I'm travelling. You know what I'm arrivng at. I can use laptop t this time.2)I have some i-fi zons where I usually visit where I can just go online.The choice depends on one's needs- Thats the moral of the story.(Even with so many didvantages, I still choose Laptops!)

Edited September 23, 2006 by SP Rao (see edit history)

[webintern 0]

It is interesting how this thread continues long after the original poster had probably his bought new laptop or desktop--or both! This just shows how relevant a topic it is for all of us. I myself am contemplating purchasing a new machine within the next year to replace my aging Dell Inspiron 8xxx (yes, it is ancient). I also wondered about whether to get a laptop or desktop. The last few computers I had were laptops, but there is definitely the appeal of desktops. For a bang-for-buck ratio, desktops deliver much more power and are more easily extensible. With a desktop, I can also invest in a 500-inch monitor so I don't have to squint to see the small details on the laptop screen. I would also feel more comfortable leaving my desktop on 24/7/365 to act as a server (not to replace Xisto, of course; but for intranet or VPN purposes) than I would my laptop.But, despite all these advantages from having a desktop, I think my next computer will once again be a laptop. Laptops are quickly coming down in price and are similarly rising in power. They are adept at handling most applications (maybe except for the more power-hungry games). The screen sizes have not changed much, but I can live with a 15- or 17-inch monitor. I mean, I have been using them for as long as I can remember.The ultimate clincher for me in getting a laptop is that I value my mobility. I enjoy moving from the office to the living room to the bedroom to the wherever whenever I feel like it. I enjoy bringing my computer with me to the cafe when I need a change of venue to do work. I enjoy bringing my computer across the country to family reunions or various meetings. The portability of a laptop versus a desktop is practically impossible to beat. So, as it turns out, maybe the next time I purchase a desktop is when I will not use it as a replacement for my primary computer, but as an adjunct for the home network.

[noddy 0]

I prefer desktops mainly because of the fact that with handheld devices like blackberrys and psps can do everything i need on the go.i use my psp for web browsing and gaming, it may not have the game range of a pc butyou dont need to worry about overheating and battery life and i just use my pc at home for everything else.

Edited September 26, 2006 by noddy (see edit history)

[orenji_jaro 0]

dont you think laptop is much betetr? o.o'cos now laptops screens are compelte its LCD its as big as desktop screens and it can be faster like desktop.the only thing is... laptops are handy and can be brought anywhere than desktop so laptop wins ^^

[Zerbirus 0]

PCs are cheaper and the hardware is cheaper to buy, but i'd love a laptop

[ahender 0]

I voted desktop but mostly because ive had trouble with laptops overheating and power problems. However if you travel at all laptops would be for you. On the other hand desktops are cooler(In two ways) and can be upgraded easily. well thats my half cent.