LAPTOP or DESKTOP?

i want to buy a computer and now I have this choice

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I originially wanted to get a laptop but desktops seem to be a lot cheaper and a LOT more powerful.
Laptop's are good though because if you have a wireless card you can park near companies and use their network to go on the net.

 

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Desktop.

Laptop's are cool if you need mobility, but you have to accept the fact that it's going to be slow, expensive, unupgradeable, soon to be obsolete.

 

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I have both, but my laptop is pretty old and slow. Of course that's why I could afford it!

Yes, a desktop offers much more performance for your money, especially if you build it yourself! If playing games, or any performance intensive applications are in your future, you'll want to go with a desktop.

But I think for many people, even an older laptop will do everything they want to do with a computer. While taking up much less space, and having mobility as an added bonus. I think an increasing number of computer buyers never move their laptops, or very rarely.

 

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obsolescence is a problem with all computers, but a laptop does provide mobility [carry mine around all of the time] and is quite adequate for simply searching the web and word processing tasks. currently, my laptop is more powerful than my desktop, but the desktop is an antiquated piece of junk. grr.

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tower, always tower

 

Laptop all the way if you are mobile.

If you just sit home every evening playing games buy a desktop.

Don't go cheap on buying a laptop because you will regret it most likely.

 

Also, if I do choose to get a laptop, does anyone know the difference between getting a mobile processor or not? Because the mobile processors are a lot pricier than the regular ones .

 

I have one and apparently they use less power. But I hardly use my laptop without connecting it to a proper powersource.

Even at airports you can always find a seat somewhere next to a 'powerpoint' (whatever they are called).

 

an electrical outlet?

 

I've been working with laptops and desktops during the past 5 years and I find that laptops are less reliable than desktops. They simply crash more often. I wouldn't personally buy a laptop unless I really had to. You could probably get 2 or 3 desktops for the price of a laptop of equal power.

 

You also have to remember that the battry won't last more than 5 hours or so before needing recharging. It really depends on what you need it for. If you really can get by without a laptop then by all means don't buy one. As was stated they crash more often and cannot be upgraded. I'd prefer a desktop and won't nuy a laptop until i really have to have it for work, which I don't do so I won't ever buy a laptop.

 

five hours? like hell! try two.

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My battery lasts for four and half running linux using cpufreqd and apcid. It lasts just about as long running windows.

Intel Centrino platforms and Powerbooks have long battery lives, and that's what I aimed for when buying a laptop. Who needs rediculous processing power on a laptop? It's a portable terminal, not a gameboy.

 

You might be able to park near a company with a laptop however there are many reasons why not to expose your machine to their network, one is that the law would suggest it to be regard similar to a break-in, so getting a free internet connection is percieved a criminal pursuit. (especially since cricumnavigating a companies security doesn't exactly make them have trust in their whole network)

I personally suggest not to embark upon accessing peoples networks illegally just so you don't end up tarred as a hacker and end up restricted when travelling.

A decent desktop can be good when you want something that games well, or something that does what a "desktop" can deal with since it's named so.
A laptop has a nasty habit of burning it's battery out which means you end up having to connect it to a wall socket anyway. A laptop however does have it's own LCD screen as apposed to the potential of a CRT.

I have heard of a 5.1 Ghz dual processor laptop however its an extreme machine, and with such speeds there is still the need for cooling. It's totally up to you at the end of the day, do you intend to be mobile and using a system or sat at home surfing the net legally?

 

IT depends on what you are using it for. If you are willing to sacrifice a little power and pay more but be mobile, get a laptop. Do what I did- get both, I got a powerhouse desktop and a solid laptop that suit all my needs.

 

Ok, i think I am going to get a desktop because I don't REALLY need a laptop, occasionally I need a portable computer, but I will usually be using it at home. The novelty of having a computer that I can carry around I suppose was a big part of wanting one.
Everyone I know with laptops all wish they could upgrade them as they are becoming out of date - and they can't, so I suppose getting a desktop is a better option.

 

I'd go with a desktop then, you can always get a laptop later

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Yeah, I started off with a desktop and I kept it upgraded and with the times. Then I slowly saved up for a decent laptop that has a good bit of power but I do all the power stuff on my desktop. One thing that I learned with computers is that it would be better to save longer and get a good machine than settle for less.

How much money do you want to spend on tis computer anyway? Then I can tell you what sounds best for you, even though I love my laptop, its name is Merc by the way

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Ive got both a laptop and a desktop. I perfer to do menial web-browsing and chatting on my two thousand dollar laptop (what a waste of money ey? luckly it was a gift). Its also my "portable CD player". Text on a LCD screen just..looks better for some reason. It makes the internet 3 times more interesting. really, it does.
My desktop PC is for games and programming. desktops can support larger resolutions, so i can clutter my desktop with even more pointless files from fazed.net and never-to-be finished projects. If I were to choose to keep one or the other, my desktop would definatly be my choice simply becuase you can constantly keep updating parts within it.

A mobile processor can tolerate higher temperatures and runs on less voltage than non-mobile processors. Most normal processors can, at max, tolerate temperatures around 70C, while mobile processors can tolerate temperatures from 90C to 100C. Of course alwase try to stay well below these values

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my friends got a P4 3.0ghz computer with 512ram and a 120gig hard dive for $1800NZ, and it came with a DVD player, 17 inch flat CRT and the rest. Hows that for the price+specs? Wheres a currency converter?