a question of computers
on 08/15/2012 at 12:46 PM
Primarily the BOX is expandable in ways most laptops arent ,which you hit on a bit. In the event of a hardware failure the parts in a BOX are less expensive by a factor of 3 normally.Oh,and try finding a drive/battery or power supply for a dell/HP/toshiba Laptop locally when its do or die time .But,having said that, I think best policy nowadays is a laptop or even a tablet pc as a backup for folks who need to stay connected to planet internet.
best part of owning a laptop is that you can take it anywhere and do the same things you can with a desktop.
I have not owned a desktop since 2001 and no need or desire to own a desktop.Posted by rlabutis
08/15/2012 at 07:02 PM
Desktops own serious gaming.
I can build a fairly good gaming desktop for under $3000. I’ve shopped around, and the equivalent laptops start at almost twice that.
Plus, I can upgrade the video, monitor, memory, etc anytime.Posted by Samoore
08/15/2012 at 07:26 PM
All of the above plus:
Desktops don’t need charging - ever. Or a charger and cable, etc.
All the desktop peripherals are installed and available all the time - and are generally better/faster.
Desktops don’t usually get dropped or physically damaged.
Desktops aren’t often the victims of casual theft.
Desktops don’t usually get lost or misplaced.
People don’t borrow desktops.
Desktops don’t have hinges with wires in them to fray and break or become intermittent.
Desktops don’t have those mini-micro connectors to deal with, damage, etc.Desktops have these benefits:
- Cheaper (usually)
- Easy to replace components that go bad (fans, monitors, keyboards, etc...)
- Don’t take tumbles usually
- You can pick any keyboard you want and plug it into your desktop
- 3.5” hard drives are usually larger, and cheaper than their 2.5” equivalentsLaptops have these two main benefits that I can think of:
- Portable (a BIG plus to some)
- Have a built in UPS with that battery; you can keep playing tetris in a power failure.
- Can BE desktops with a docking station, and this can make them the best of both worlds.I agree with most of the above.
If you need and use multiple monitors then a desktop has the advantage. Most laptops will allow a second monitor, but that’s generally the end if if. (An exception would be if a docking station has multiple video outputs.)
The other issue I have with laptops as a main PC is cooling. Laptops have very small heatsinks and fans. Plan on blowing dust of it once per month. Desktops need that treatment as well but they are better able to handle some dust than a laptop.
Either way you go, make sure you have a means to backup your stuff!
I have to agree with all of the above!
In addition, desktops allow a wider variety of hard drives, CD-ROM/DVD/Blu-Ray drives, memory card readers, and other peripherals.
As an IT guy, I prefer a multi-monitor setup (I use 3 ATM) on a desktop for my main work station, with a laptop for those run out and troubleshoot sessions.
In addition to all of the above, desktops have bigger monitors… which is good for my ancient eyeballs.
I have a dell (6 year old) desk-top computer which I use mostly for internet browsing and e-mails.
I have a HP laptop for when I travel. It’s a bit bulky since it’s about 5 years old, but it sufices.
A few years ago I installed Microsoft flight simulator on my desktop and really got hooked on it. Unfortunately the slow processor chip and limited storage causes all sorts of hesitation and sometimes even brings the computer to its knees.
I’m thinking of investing in this Intel “i7” powered bad-boy to use strictly for Flight Simulator. It should be able to handle the speed no sweat.
http://www.dell.com/ie/p/alienware-x51/pd
I said THINKING because the cost is about $1,000 and I’m also seriously thinking of moving back to the land of the big PX.
There I’ll be able to get what I really want. A Colt AR-15 for about the same price as the Dell game computer.
Oh, how I suffer. The choices I must be faced with.
08/15/2012 at 09:36 PM
08/16/2012 at 10:01 AM
