I may soon desire a PC or laptop, here you may offer links to products you'd suggest.

Get a laptop. Being mobile is much more practical nowadays than desktop PCs.
.
I would only recommend a desktop if you plan to do any gaming, or run any applications that require huge amounts of horsepower.

Get a laptop. Being mobile is much more practical nowadays than desktop PCs.
.
I would only recommend a desktop if you plan to do any gaming, or run any applications that require huge amounts of horsepower.

I shall obey master yoda :D woot!

Yes...om is correct. Matter of fact, the only pervasive reason I have a desktop is that it's my media machine...I don't even play that many games on it anymore, in favour of XBOX.

There are decent priced laptops out there that would more than suffice for most everyday tasks, and even *some* games:

Vaio on Amazon, good price point (http://www.amazon.com/Sony-VGN-N325E-Notebook-Pentium-Processor/dp/B000R7TQKQ/ref=sr_1_2/104-6830154-0256761?ie=UTF8&s=pc&qid=1186751478&sr=1-2)

It really depends what YOU are going to need it for. Decide that and then you will choose what YOU need. They both have their advantages and disadvantages, so just remember to build your own PC if you decide to go that route don't buy a manufactured one for you can't add much except what THEY sell.

i would suggest a desktop or tower.
my reasoning is that if you purchased a laptop you would then be influenced into carrying it around with you. this would be the perfect opportunity for a thief to strike.

i have not looked at the statistics but i can say with certainty that way more laptops are stolen than towers or desktops.

Leopold: yes, a laptop is a very tempting target for a thief. It's an unfortunate and sickening fact of life. However, if you make every decision based on what theives might take, you'd have a very humdrum set of stuff :) If darksidzz really needs or will benefit from the portability (and actually I forgot to ask if he really needs it), then he should buy a laptop and secure his property.

I actually did refrain from buying a laptop because I have my media centre at home and a very decent desktop at the office. I have no need to be productive while out of the office...corporate email can wait, I do have a life.

Cosmictraveler: brand name PCs are not as restrictive and proprietary as they used to be...the only issue you'd have is that the motherboards and power supplies are not necessarily a standard size. All the other parts can be sourced elsewhere.

Simple, get a palmtop or other assorted powertoy. If it's small enough you can conceal it, it's mobile so you can use it out and about and if you don't like not having a full sized keyboard then just purchase a bluetooth accessory.

The real basis for choosing a machine however should be totally down to what you intend to use it for, for instance if it's all those dating sites, chatrooms and other locations you might be trying to pick up on, you might be best going for a mobile solution. That way when you've outstayed your welcome they can't trace your IP down because you've been using places like Tacobell to login at.

If you go for a desktop/tower then it means "You mean business", especially since your limited in regards to gateway connections. (e.g. you have to have an ISP rather than make use of Wifi hotspots)

Of course if you are going to roam those Hotspots, make sure you look into security a little first. Namely don't do online bank transactions through such hotspot points. Identify that you are connecting via the correct legitimate hotspot and not a phishing portal.

Cosmictraveler: brand name PCs are not as restrictive and proprietary as they used to be...the only issue you'd have is that the motherboards and power supplies are not necessarily a standard size. All the other parts can be sourced elsewhere.


But you can build up a nice system for half of the price that Dell or Gateway are selling. Why pay $2,000 for something that you can build for $1,000? I look at what PC's contain and , to me, the manufactured ones don't give you all that much unless you only want to surff the web then most are about equal.

I would go with a laptop. They are very powerful these days, and it's a wonderful thing to surf from your couch. I use a Dell M90 for work, but I realize these are very expensive for the typical consumer.

Cosmictraveler: Dell mid-range machines are sub 1000 generally. The new Vostro starts at USD 400 (don't you just LOVE that line name?).

Stryder: a palm/pda phone etc are thief magnets too. I actually carry a cheap-a$$ phone when I go clubbing, and leave my good phone home! But yeah, sometimes "mobile" computing might just mean me using an edge provider on my good phone :) or wifi on a pda device.

Cosmictraveler: Dell mid-range machines are sub 1000 generally. The new Vostro starts at USD 400 (don't you just LOVE that line name?).

i purchased my emachines (which is a gateway product) for $400.
it has XP home installed, CD burner/DVD combo drive, 80 GB HDD, 256 MB ram, 1.8 GHTZ sempron 3100, nvidia video and lan. not a bad price for what i got.

There you go leo! Except you should have gotten 512MB at that price ;)

Disadvantages of laptop:
Laptop keyboards are less ergonomic
Not upgradeable
More expensive (feature by feature)
Small screen (for my next monitor, I wouldn’t settle for anything less than 24")
Rechargeable batteries (great for traveling, pain for home use)
Difficult to repair (change components) yourself.

Disadvantage of desktop:
Not portable

i purchased my emachines (which is a gateway product) for $400.
it has XP home installed, CD burner/DVD combo drive, 80 GB HDD, 256 MB ram, 1.8 GHTZ sempron 3100, nvidia video and lan. not a bad price for what i got.


Is this the one you are talking about?

W3621


$398


CPU : AMD Sempron™ 3400+ (Socket AM2) Intel® Pentium® D Processor 925 (Dual Core) 1
Operating System : Genuine Windows Vista® Home Basic2
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium2

Chipset : NVIDIA® GeForce® 6150 Intel® 945GC
Memory : 512MB DDR2 (Dual Channel Capable) 1GB DDR2 Dual-Channel Memory
Hard Drive : 80GB 7200rpm SATA II3 250GB 7200rpm SATA II3
Optical Drives : 16x DVD±R/RW SuperMulti Drive 16x DVD±R/RW SuperMulti Drive
Media Reader : - High-Performance 15-in-1 Digital Media Manager
Video : NVIDIA® GeForce® 6150 Integrated Graphics Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950
Monitor : 17" flat CRT

Disadvantages of laptop:
Laptop keyboards are less ergonomic

Arguable at best, Acer and Sony both have slanted-keyboard laptops to compensate.


Not upgradeable

Completely incorrect, RAM, Hard drive and optical disk are easily upgradable. CPU upgrade is much more delicate and a little restrictive, but possible.



More expensive (feature by feature)
Small screen (for my next monitor, I wouldn’t settle for anything less than 24")
Rechargeable batteries (great for traveling, pain for home use)


Portability is the tradeoff. Not a disadvantage if portability is key.


Difficult to repair (change components) yourself.

Subjective. I find repairs of a laptop take more time, but the tasks themselves are not difficult.


Disadvantage of desktop:
Not portable

I'd also include these desktop disadvantages:

- Cable management nightmare (generally)
- Needs additional furniture
- Power protection for a desktop more expensive (a laptop is it's own battery backup, you only need surge suppression or line conditioning at most - dependant on uptime requirements tho)
- Aesthetically designed desktops are just as expensive as a laptop.

whatever you do, don't buy an hp laptop

Southstar, I'd suggest don't by the line that was absorbed (Presario). The Pavilion line is decent in my experience.

Vaio and Tecra are the bomb tho :)

I would get a PC instead of a laptop. Laptops are "slower" versions (component-wise) of desktops and to prevent overheating and to miniaturize and reduce weight, the components are often underclocked than their desktop counterparts. Laptops are also less upgradeable. Laptops almost always have intergrated video which will never perform well in high demanding games, you can however get a dedicated video card but it will never reach a desktops videocard.

If you decide to get a laptop, get one that has ATLEAST a Core 2 DUO processor (not Core duo which is older). Core 2 duo comes in two flavors for laptops. The original processor uses a Meroem core which runs at 667mhz FSB while the newest processor is Santa Rose and runs at 800mhz FSB and the difference is significant. I just bought a SONY FZ-140E from Circuit City for about 1.1K (it has santa rose core and 2 gigs ram). Beware that with the current version of laptops (all laptops that use a Core duo or Core 2 duo) will make a electronic frequency noise that maybe annoying. This is due to a motherboard design flaw (none of the manufacturers will admit this).

If you decide to get a desktop, get one that is Core 2 DUO with conroe core (not allendale which is the "low end" version). If you are tech-saavy you can order all the PC parts from newegg.com and built it yourself.

- Aesthetically designed desktops are just as expensive as a laptop.

huh?:bugeye:

Stryder: a palm/pda phone etc are thief magnets too. I actually carry a cheap-a$$ phone when I go clubbing, and leave my good phone home! But yeah, sometimes "mobile" computing might just mean me using an edge provider on my good phone :) or wifi on a pda device.

Okay make it a cheapo palm/pda and a Stun Gun for any would be assailants.

Aesthetically designed case - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146017
Quadcore Core 2 (4x processors, 8mb l2 cache, x64bit)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017
8gigs RAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220227&Tpk=patriot%2b6400
Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128046&Tpk=GA-P35-DQ6
1x Raptor OS, 1x 500gig storage
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136033
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148136
Creative XFI soundcard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829102006
5.1 Surround Sound
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121121
19" monitor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824254001
Total Price: Less than $2000


VERSUS

Sony FZ-140E
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Sony-VAIO-15-4-Widescreen-Notebook-PC-VGN-FZ140E-B/sem/rpsm/oid/179323/catOid/-12963/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

Winner: Desktop (quadcore! You can easily overclock from 2.4ghz to 3ghz on stock cooling.)

huh?:bugeye:

Aesthetically designed (or pleasing) such as:

- Vaio All In One (http://www.amazon.com/Sony-VAIO-VGC-LS31N-Desktop-Computer/dp/B000RCHLE4/ref=sr_1_9/104-6830154-0256761?ie=UTF8&s=pc&qid=1186774518&sr=1-9)

- Any current Apple desktop (which counts since they're Intel based now)

Or for an eye catching case (for a build it yourself clone) you start fairly expensive:

Thermaltake Mozart ATX HTPC case (http://www.directron.com/vc4000sns.html)

Come now...these boxy unattractive towers (http://www.directron.com/808pl.html) aren't satisfactory for home anymore are they?

Okay make it a cheapo palm/pda and a Stun Gun for any would be assailants.

No actually I'd still buy the proper device. It's just that you'd have to be cautious is all. We shouldn't allow the briggands to control us thru fear.

But...stun gun...yeah!

Aesthetically designed case - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146017

Ew, what an eyesore ;)

Aesthetically designed (or pleasing) such as:

- Vaio All In One (http://www.amazon.com/Sony-VAIO-VGC-LS31N-Desktop-Computer/dp/B000RCHLE4/ref=sr_1_9/104-6830154-0256761?ie=UTF8&s=pc&qid=1186774518&sr=1-9)

- Any current Apple desktop (which counts since they're Intel based now)

Or for an eye catching case (for a build it yourself clone) you start fairly expensive:

Thermaltake Mozart ATX HTPC case (http://www.directron.com/vc4000sns.html)

Come now...these boxy unattractive towers (http://www.directron.com/808pl.html) aren't satisfactory for home anymore are they?

There are not aesthetical words to describe how ugly that case is (Thermaltake Mozart ATX). Also, HTPC is similar to a laptop in terms of upgradibility and heat...maybe a notch up. Also, note that most users that run HTPC use passively cooled processors like the VIA processors.

For Pete's sake pencil! Why would you advise the man to waste money on EIGHT GB of RAM? There's nothing a home user or regular office worker would need that for. Even graphics artists are happy with 4GB. The memory cost almost the same as the processor!

And besides...you can shove as much power in a desktop as you like...but if the user wants or needs portability...especially application portability (office on the go, presentations, job requiring international travel), you can't beat a laptop.

That is my work desktop and 8gigs is the bare minimum.

Considering Vista, 2gigs should be bare minimum for web-surfing and media, 4gigs for office apps, 8gigs for graphic/video/development.

Is this the one you are talking about?

W3621
W3118


$398
it was about $400.


CPU : AMD Sempron™ 3400+ (Socket AM2) Intel® Pentium® D
sempron 3100+
Operating System : Genuine Windows Vista® Home Basic2
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium2
windows XP home

Chipset : NVIDIA® GeForce® 6150 Intel® 945GC
nvidia geforce 6100 video, accelerator nvidia c51, lan nvidia nforce,
Memory : 512MB DDR2 (Dual Channel Capable) 1GB DDR2 Dual-Channel Memory
256 MB
Hard Drive : 80GB 7200rpm SATA II3 250GB 7200rpm SATA II3
same
Optical Drives : 16x DVD±R/RW SuperMulti Drive 16x DVD±R/RW SuperMulti Drive
48X CD R/W, 16X DVD combo drive
Media Reader : - High-Performance 15-in-1 Digital Media Manager
none installed.
Video : NVIDIA® GeForce® 6150 Integrated Graphics Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950
see under chipset.
Monitor : 17" flat CRT
18" flat CRT

There are not aesthetical words to describe how ugly that case is (Thermaltake Mozart ATX). Also, HTPC is similar to a laptop in terms of upgradibility and heat...maybe a notch up. Also, note that most users that run HTPC use passively cooled processors like the VIA processors.

I put that in to prove a point. You thought that hideous tower was aesthetically pleasing. I think the Mozart case is fantastic for an HTPC. It can match many a stereo system - entirely dependant on where the user wants to put it.

And no, HTPCs have no problems with heat or upgradability...I run one now, on an AM2, with an attractive, short and unobstrusive microATX tower, jet black with silver buttons and an eye-catching vent grill at the front, with a calm blue LED. Matching silver and black flat panel, silver and black scissor switch keyboard (very flat, easy to hide). Every component is easy to swap.

I do grant you the HTPC was much cheaper to buy than a brand new laptop...but cheaper isn't always the winning factor.

That is my work desktop and 8gigs is the bare minimum.

Considering Vista, 2gigs should be bare minimum for web-surfing and media, 4gigs for office apps, 8gigs for graphic/video/development.

Sigh oh yes...I forgot stinking Vista :) I recommend to all my folks right now to stick with XPSP2. Vista is way too much of a headache.

SPEAKING of which...you forgot to add the US$ 250 to 400 you need to spend ON Vista for your desktop. Of course I assume you would never advocate piracy of the OS! :spank:. The Sony Vaio laptop arrives with Vista!

So your desktop, which was about $1535 before now rises to at least $1785. That's about $600 more than the laptop.

Hideous Tower? It's barely even 2.5 feet vertically. It's micro-atx almost. Anyways, HTPC is much better than a laptop like you said. I just prefer a normal PC heh so I can use quadcore without over heating. My quadcore is cooled passively using a ninja scythe heatsink. There are two exhaust fans and 1 intake...the noise level is less than 10db, something not audible.

Sigh oh yes...I forgot stinking Vista :) I recommend to all my folks right now to stick with XPSP2. Vista is way too much of a headache.

SPEAKING of which...you forgot to add the 400US you need to spend ON Vista for your desktop. The Sony Vaio laptop arrives with Vista!

Of course I assume you would never advocate piracy of the OS! :spank:


I disagree. Vista is awesome, it has significantly improved performance and features in terms of productivity. And Vista Ultimate retail will cost you $400 HOWEVER, the OEM version with no Microsoft support costs only $200.

I'd also include these desktop disadvantages:

- Cable management nightmare (generally)
+1, my cables look like they've been routed by a dyslexic
- Needs additional furniture
iffy, one could say the same for a laptop (you need a chair to sit in)
- Power protection for a desktop more expensive (a laptop is it's own battery backup, you only need surge suppression or line conditioning at most - dependant on uptime requirements tho)
no, wrong. desktops do not require surge management. this is a marketing ploy to sell you unneeded equipment. the surge protection is built into the power supply.
- Aesthetically designed desktops are just as expensive as a laptop.
can't argue this point because i don't know.

Although most power supplys have a surge feature (the expensive ones)...when it blows, it will most likely take out other components with it...especially the motherboard. That is why an external surge protector is recomended.

Laptops also require higher caring. You have to be careful to not scratch the casing and such.

+1, my cables look like they've been routed by a dyslexic

LOL you don't even want to see what my speaker cables look like. They sound awesome tho ;)

+
iffy, one could say the same for a laptop (you need a chair to sit in)

Why? it's a laptop, you can lie down on your bed with it, sit under a tree...etc.

+
no, wrong. desktops do not require surge management. this is a marketing ploy to sell you unneeded equipment. the surge protection is built into the power supply.

Actually I was thinking more along the lines of battery backup. And I'd still get surge management anyway, cause of where I'm at.

Although most power supplys have a surge feature (the expensive ones)...when it blows, it will most likely take out other components with it...especially the motherboard. That is why an external surge protector is recomended.

Very true. This happened to Dad's last PC. Nothing was salvagable. Not even the hard drive.


Laptops also require higher caring. You have to be careful to not scratch the casing and such.

True, or watch out for the falling bird poo if you're sitting under that tree (eh Leo?) :)

I disagree. Vista is awesome, it has significantly improved performance and features in terms of productivity. And Vista Ultimate retail will cost you $400 HOWEVER, the OEM version with no Microsoft support costs only $200.

Your desktop is way way more expensive than the more portable and sexy laptop at any rate...I added $250 for home premium.

Vista when used in and of itself, with NO added software, is a significant improvement over XP.

Add anything else, and watch out! It begins to develop a consistency, and this consistency thickens by the second.

And let's not even start about drivers or the many unsupported devices left in the dust because MS hasn't allowed time for driver development...even simple and pervasive branded items such as (some) Epson printers, or Logitech's digital pen. I even saw a preloaded laptop reject two Vista drivers straight out of the box.

Hideous Tower? It's barely even 2.5 feet vertically. It's micro-atx almost.

Actually I hated the design much more than it's height. I literally meant hideous. But, as the London guard told Kermit..."there's no accounting for taste is there?" :D

Oh btw, don't forget that laptops come with so much trialware and crap installed, you have to uninstall all of them which takes 2+ hours. Each time you "restore", this crap is installed. You could request a seperate clean copy of windows from the manufacturer for a small charge...if they are nice.

Very true. This happened to Dad's last PC. Nothing was salvagable. Not even the hard drive.
okay guys, listen up.
the surge protection in a desktop PC is inherent in the design of the supply, it is not something that is added later. it's called voltage regulation.
in the "old days" you would have transformers and ballast tubes to "regulate" the voltage. then along came zeners. but today we have fast acting "LM" series of IC regulators that can react to very fast pulses. these devices are an integral part of the supply. when they "blow out" you replace the entire supply.
do yourselves a favor and take apart a "surge protector" outlet strip. all you will find is a couple of inductors and a couple of capacitors. yes, they will limit surges but only by a few volts and they react v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y.
no, a PC DOES NOT require a separate device to limit surges.

Well, like i said, I was thinking battery backup.

I was saying 'very true' to the collateral damage a blown power supply can cause

OK, I will give the ultimate answer and we can close this thread:

Why don't you get BOTH? For $900 you can easily buy both a laptop and a desktop. That amount is way less than a top of the line machine in each category and you still can use them for years to come...

By the way OP forgot to give us his range of buying power, so my assumption of $900 can be average...

P.S.: At tigerdirect.com the Emachine is $290 and an Acer laptop is $440. If my math is correct that is under $800, including shipping. Get BOTH already!!!

I use a laptop that, for the most part, I love. It's a Gateway something-or-other I bought for work a year ago. I tried to get every bell and whistle because they reimbursed a "portion" (not at that point named, which turned out to be $200... and I spend a grand more)... but it serves its purpose.

I still want a nice PC that dual boots Vista & Linux.

~String

I use laptop when I need portability (in bed or in field) and desktop(s) for storage and media work.
Moreover I have set up an nxserver, so I can work with heavy programs from my laptop using WLAN, but the actual computing work is done by my Desktop workstation.

I can't imagine using a laptop for work, laptop for vacation would be fine for things like checking my mail and surfing the web.

On a laptop, the greatest limiting factor is the harddrive. Most work environments have auto-start services and multi-programs running which take a toll on the harddrive. Since the average laptop harddrive spins at only 5400rpm, that's a huge performance hit. In fact, some of you may notice "lag" on a laptop due to this.

Years ago, audiophiles had to have separate everything. A separate amplifier, preamplifier, tuner. You didn't just buy a turntable, you bought a certain turntable, a certain tonearm, and a separate cartridge. This was so you could get the best of each individual component. And you could upgrade each separately. Integrated amplifiers (receivers) were not really audiophile components. And home stereos that had all in one, including a built in turntable (and later, tapedeck) were a complete joke to audiophiles.

But to the general public, integrated stereos were fine. They weren't that picky, and if one component in the stereo system died, they threw the whole thing out, and bought a new one.

This is being replayed with computers. An enthusiast has to have a certain motherboard, hard drive, a special sound card, and a very specific video card etc. And six months later, probably a different video card. A year later, maybe a faster hard drive, or a new motherboard and CPU. You cannot just upgrade the motherboard on a laptop. Your upgrade options are very narrow. This isn't an issue for most computer users, but it is a very big issue for the computerphiles.

I really have no use for a laptop. My computer is also my home entertainment system. It is my TV, my stereo, and where I watch movies. If I cannot upgrade it how and when I want, I have no interest in it. This is also something that keeps me from ever really considering Apple products.

Aha, but you can't take a pc to bath or bed with you! :p

Your upgrade options are very narrow. This isn't an issue for most computer users, but it is a very big issue for the computerphiles. My computer is also my home entertainment system. It is my TV, my stereo, and where I watch movies. If I cannot upgrade it how and when I want, I have no interest in it. This is also something that keeps me from ever really considering Apple products.I'm an IT professional and I'm delighted with my laptop. My wife works in another field and she has a desktop unit. I couldn't stand to have my computer take up such a big footprint on my desk, or not to be able to shove it out of the way when I want to do something else in that prime workspace.

But we do both have Macs. I'm now an IT project management consultant and trainer. I long ago quit caring about what was going on behind the screen of my computer, just as I no longer rebuild carburetors for the fun of it. (Oh you say cars don't have those any more? :)) What I want is a computer that's an appliance. Turn it on, type in some commands, and out pops perfectly toasted data. I don't want to spend ten percent of every workday being a software mechanic. I'm forced by my job to have a Windows box <spits in the direction of Seattle> and ten percent of the time I spend "working" with it is indeed troubleshooting the piece of drenn I had to pay money for the privilege of being a gamma test site. It's not an appliance, it's either a toy or a delicate laboratory instrument.

I don't mind computerphiles, somebody has to design the bloody things. But what I object to is computerphiles who are so arrogant, myopic and incompetently managed, that they design computers on the belief that everyone who buys one will also be a computerphile. Goddess bless Apple: computing appliances for normal people.

I don't understand your point, "apple: computing appliances for normal people". How is $2000 for a piece of non-upgradeable garbage considered normal?

Also, the Mac OS (OSX) has tons of problems associated with it which isn't as publicized as much as the flaws of Windows because of the user-base ratio.

The $400 e-machines can do the same tasks as the apple but the e-machines is more upgradeable in the least amount of cost, therefore implying that PCs are far superior to Macs. Consider the variety of third-party support in terms of hardware and software, you got yourself a winning deal with a PC.