Despite the massive innovations we’ve experienced in the last few years, the two main types of user computing: laptops and desktops have largely remained the same. And while smartphones are very much taking over the market with every passing year, most professionals still need access to either a laptop or a desktop in order to get their work done. The question then boils down to: which is best for me?
There are a myriad of pros and cons to choosing either but buying the wrong one might turn out to be a burden in the long run. So, to those that are looking to buy their next computer, first consider the following points before making a commitment.
Laptops – The Ultimate Portable Workstations
There’s no denying that a laptop will always be the superior choice for anyone that needs to travel, as lugging a full desktop around is simply impossible. But the portability of a laptop doesn’t need to necessary benefit those that travel often; and they can be extremely useful to workers at home that want to be able to pack up their work and head to to a local coffee shop. Laptops, however, aren’t without their problems. They tend to be quite expensive due to their smaller, more specialised components, and there can be serious heating issues thanks to their lack of proper ventilation.
Along with this, many modern laptops lack the same ability to upgrade as a desktop. Putting in a new storage device or more RAM is usually easy enough but upgrading the central processing unit or the graphics card is often impossible. This means that buying a laptop might have to fork out extra at the start to ensure that it would last them as long as it would with a desktop.
Desktops – Nothing Is More Powerful
Desktops have had a sharp increase in their popularity over the last few years as more people turn tot them for their power. Most desktops these days are usually put together part by part, making it possible for the user to customise their new PC as they see fit. This has a number of advantages, from being able to build a budget computer right from the start and upgrade over time, or to spend a lot and build an extremely powerful machine that can last for up to a decade. Desktops tend to be more powerful, much easier to repair due to access to their components, and they generally make better workstations.
This doesn’t make them perfect, for those desktop lovers that were hoping for a bit of luck. A great disadvantage of any desktop is its limited portability – they are difficult to take anywhere and are best left on a desk at home for most of the time. They also can’t work if the power goes down, unlike a laptop, effectively turning them into a large paperweight whenever the grid is off. Regardless, their monstrous processing power makes them a better choice for those that need to engage in heavy video editing, or for anyone that wants to play the latest AAA video games.