Laptop or Desktop: Which is Right for You?

It wasn't terribly long ago that laptops were considered a professional or luxury item, suitable only for executives, travelers, and college students with rich parents. For most, laptops were too expensive to consider, and their relatively poor performance also made the option less attractive to home users.

But the computer industry never stands still. Today, laptops are affordable to anyone who can purchase a desktop computer - in fact, the cheapest netbooks cost less than even budget-priced desktop PCs. Performance has also increased, while the minimum requirements for the programs used most often used have done so more slowly. As a result, most laptops available today provide performance which is more than adequate for word processing, web browsing, and other basic tasks. Even more complex programs like Photoshop, or games like The Sims, can run on many laptops.

Because of these improvements, many people in the market for a new PC often find themselves wondering if they should purchase a new desktop or a new laptop. It is a difficult decision to make, because even though both will run the same programs, there are many obvious differences between the two platforms. So, which is right for you?

We'll start with the obvious difference. A desktop is tied to a desk; a laptop, on the other hand, is very portable. Today's smallest netbooks are so tiny that they can fit into a purse, or even a large pocket on a pair of cargo pants. This sort of mobility means that, with the right laptop, you can literally sit down and start working wherever you want, whenever you want. Even the largest laptop computers can fit easily into a backpack.

That said, mobility is only useful if you actually use your computer on the go. If you're the kind of person who likes to work at a desk in the privacy of your own home, than you may not use that portability much.

When trying to choose between a desktop and a laptop, think about how you've traditionally used your computer. It may be difficult to decide how you might use the mobility of a laptop if you've never purchased one before, but it helps to think of other activities you can do virtually anywhere, and where you choose to do them. For example, if you're the kind of person who likes to curl up on your couch to read your favorite book, than a desktop might make the most sense. But if you find that you prefer to read your favorite book at a coffee shop, then you'd probably be better of buying a laptop.