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Laptop Or Desktop, Which do you prefer and why? |
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 Mar 28 2006, 08:18 AM
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Inquiring about Double-ended Newts
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QUOTE(lionheart73 @ Mar 28 2006, 03:44 AM) [snapback]759221[/snapback]
These days, laptops are just as powerful and have as much disk space as desktops.
I have a desktop and a laptop, but I prefer my laptop. If you have limited space like I do, laptops are wonderful. I travel quite a bit as well, and I like taking my laptop with me.
But don't you need to charge a laptop? How often do you have to charge it? How long does it take?
This post has been edited by Bratpack: Mar 28 2006, 08:18 AM
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 Member of M.A.F.I.A, the John Noe Fan Club, & S.Q.U.E.E. --- Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure... Marianne Williamson |
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Mar 28 2006, 10:27 AM
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Junior Dishwasher at The Leaky Cauldron
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Another thing to consider is the ability of docking stations. You can add on to a lap top with a docking station, allwing you to use your laptop like a desk top. I acutally don't know much about them, but (as far as I understand it) it connects a mouse and keyboard and all the USB stuff you need. All you have to do is connect it to the laptop once, instead of recconecting it all the time.
Again, I don't know for sure, but thats what I know 
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Mar 28 2006, 12:22 PM
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WhizzHard Books Copy Editor
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We have two laptops at home, our desktop is in our MAME cabinet now. I use a desktop at work. I agree that it mostly depends on what you want to do with it. If a person wants top of the line, state of the art, then it should be a desktop.
I also plug my laptop in at home when I am using it. There are plugs near enough to wherever I am that it is not a big deal.
One other thing to consider is internet connection. We have a wireless router set up so that we can access the internet from anywhere in the house. It is not necessary to have that with a laptop, it can still be plugged into the modem itself, that just ties you to one spot though.
We prefer our laptops also because they take up less space. We can set it on the kitchen counter and use it there. We don't have to have a corner of a room dedicated to a computer desk with wires, etc. all over the place.
We haven't hooked our printer up wirelessly yet, but we have it in one location and just hook up there when we need to print.
The docking station, or at least a portable mouse is a good idea. I have gotten used to the touch pad on the laptop, and I like it alright, but it can be a nuiscance and uncomfortable. Clicking and dragging is difficult on mine. Our young children can use the touchpad easier than a regular mouse though.
If you are going to get a laptop, I would recommend spending no more than $1000 (US) at most. That will get you a computer that is more than adequate for everyday use. If you need more bells and whistles, then go ahead and get them. But, if you don't, be careful not to get caught up in the excitement of the purchase. I spent about 6 months researching and watching prices before I bought mine. I saved myself about $600-$800 just by being patient and not running out and getting the coolest new thing. I looked at what we had, and compared the new models to that, as opposed to comparing the ones on the shelf to each other.
Good luck with your purchase.
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Mar 28 2006, 12:33 PM
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Inquiring about Double-ended Newts
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Joined: 7:36pm January 28, 2005
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QUOTE(Ameena @ Mar 28 2006, 03:27 PM) [snapback]759553[/snapback] Another thing to consider is the ability of docking stations. You can add on to a lap top with a docking station, allwing you to use your laptop like a desk top. I acutally don't know much about them, but (as far as I understand it) it connects a mouse and keyboard and all the USB stuff you need. All you have to do is connect it to the laptop once, instead of recconecting it all the time. Again, I don't know for sure, but thats what I know
QUOTE(Woof @ Mar 28 2006, 04:06 PM) [snapback]759586[/snapback]
It should be stated, that there are some areas where a desktop is optimal choice.
- For people who like to play the latest graphics-intensive games in high resolution and at high frame rates, a high power desktop is the only choice. You simply cant fit a state-of-the-art CPU and ditto graphics card into a laptop... and even if you could, it would fry to death in a second.
- If you are on a budget, a desktop still offers the most "bang for the buck". Laptops are usually more expensive compared to desktops with similar performance.
So it really boils down to, whether you need the portability or not...
I do like computer games. Very much. I am also on a pretty tight budget. (folks that have both a desktop AND a laptop -- how cool is that!!)
But just to make sure I understand...The only real difference is: The laptop is portable, but it can't play video games. The desktop is probably cheaper and can play video games, but it stays at home. Does that about cover it?
QUOTE(coach @ Mar 28 2006, 05:22 PM) [snapback]759673[/snapback] ...If you are going to get a laptop, I would recommend spending no more than $1000 (US) at most. That will get you a computer that is more than adequate for everyday use. If you need more bells and whistles, then go ahead and get them. But, if you don't, be careful not to get caught up in the excitement of the purchase. I spent about 6 months researching and watching prices before I bought mine. I saved myself about $600-$800 just by being patient and not running out and getting the coolest new thing. I looked at what we had, and compared the new models to that, as opposed to comparing the ones on the shelf to each other.
Good luck with your purchase.
Wow, Coach! Thanks! Just another question then. Where is the best place to shop for your computer. My associate say she got hers from (?) the boxes look like cows (?) But another friend said that those computers are no good and that he suggests I go to Best Buy or something. How do you find the best computer at the best price?
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Member of M.A.F.I.A, the John Noe Fan Club, & S.Q.U.E.E. --- Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure... Marianne Williamson |
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Mar 28 2006, 01:01 PM
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WhizzHard Books Copy Editor
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Laptops will play games, they just may not have as advanced processor or graphics card as is necessary for the high end games. A laptop has just as much power as a desktop with the same specs. I like it because it is portable and takes up much less space. I can put it in its bag in my closet when it is not in use.
The way I did my shopping was to go to websites like Best Buy, Circuit City, even Gateway and Dell, and see what they had. Each of those sites has a way for you to compare about 2 to five models to each other. The site creates a spreadsheet where the columns are the models and the rows are the specs. It is a really good, easy way to see what is actually different about them. I know Best Buy even has descriptions of what the technical things mean. They were helpful to me. They're basic and don't go into any real depth, but they'll tell you this makes it go faster, this means more storage, etc.
Once you have looked at those you will begin to see what is different between one and another. You may not fully understand what it all means, but it can help direct your research.
What I decided to look for for myself was processor speed, RAM, the size of the hard drive, the number of ports (USB, firewire, etc), whether or not it had a dvd or cd writer, and the video card. Really though, it all depends on what you want to use it for. I go online, use Microsoft Office programs, and Itunes. That's about it. I don't really need anything fancy. For that I have a 1.8 AMD athalon processor, 512 RAM, a 30GB hard drive, a CDR-RW/DVD drive, 1 firewire, 2 USB, 1 parallel(printer) port, and a slot for the wireless card. That was on sale for $700 3 years ago. It still works fine for what I do.
My wife's laptop is similar except for only having 256 RAM. That, I can tell, makes a difference in speed. It also doesn't have a printer port.
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