The advent of technology has made life a lot easier for many of us. The digital age has brought us a wide array of tools that makes work and pleasure easier to access and accomplish. Despite having all types of computers, communication devices and related technologies available for us, we still have to make a choice as to which one fits our needs best.

Choosing the right technology can spell a difference in how we accomplish the things we ought to. Take for instance, choosing between a desktop and a laptop. Each has its set of advantages and disadvantages. Generally, if you intend to take your work with you, a laptop will serve you well as mobility is its greatest asset. However, if you see yourself working most of the time in a corner in an office or a room in the house, a desktop will fit the bill.

Go for a laptop if you:

1. Want to bring your PC with you wherever you go or if you do a lot of travelling and working at the same time

2. Work in a small space – a boarding house, a dormitory or a tiny apartment – all would necessitate the use of a laptop. Where space is a premium, the small footprint and the absence of wires give the laptop an advantage over a desktop.

3. Are concerned about having a hefty electric bill – energy consumption on a laptop is up to 80 percent less than a desktop

Choose a desktop PC if you:

1. Want to get more bang for the buck – similarly priced desktops offer more features than their laptop counterparts

2. Will be working on the same spot most of the time and if you do move you won’t mind the hassle

3. Plan to upgrade your unit later on

4. Are a heavy user of multimedia files

As a computer tech, I hear this question all the time from clients in one form or another. For some reason, the first answer I give, which I feel is perfectly logical, always surprises them – It depends on what you use the computer for.

Reasons for purchasing a laptop have always been pretty cut and dry – you need to be able to take your computer with you. However, with the advent of wi-fi hotspots everywhere now, the laptop’s role in our lives has evolved beyond just “mobile computing.”

With a new laptop, you can surf the web, keep your schedules up to date, email, use it as a great time waster (playing games in an airport lounge, anyone?), keep your projects and presentations current, use it as a mobile data entry device, or even cuddle up in bed and watch your favorite movie on the new wide-screens available. Laptops literally unchain you from the desk, and wireless networking adds the wings to let you really soar.

A desktop however is slowly evolving into something beyond the traditional “get connected” machine. They are becoming our personal movie theaters, jukeboxes, game centers and much more. But with towers weighing in at almost 50lbs (22kg) they make lousy portables. So, as the desktop grows deeper roots into our homes and personal lives, they’re less of a web surfing machine, and more of a fixture in our entertainment.

Laptop or desktop, which should you buy? I say have one of each. Turn your desktop system into your home theater, or your new game console system, or a jukebox for those fun parties. Heck, try all of the above and really have a blast.

Then use your laptop to free you from the desk. Have a seat on the couch, or outside on the porch. Go ahead, kick off your shoes and put your feet up while you surf the web. Or take it with you to your next business meeting and plug it into the overhead and impress your boss. With a laptop, you’re only limited by your imagination.

Dave Gillespie

PC Repair Tech