Desktop or Laptop?

[jjeling]

This computer is on its last leg. It is time to start looking for a new computer. On several occasions today I got the blue screen of death and the hard drive has been clicking. The monitor is already broken and I have this laptop plugged into a desktop monitor for use.

Laptops seem to have an advantage for their portability but lack the amount of RAM and hard drive space. I only memory intensive program Ill be running is Photoshop so Im not too concerned with the speed.

However, in my experience, desktops seem to last MUCH longer. Plus they have huge hard drives now and usually have much more RAM.

Anyone else in the market for a new computer that might have similar questions or suggestions. I plan on spending about $700 so that might give you some information as to what Im working with.

[Fortytwo]

Well, it really should depend on how you're planning to use it. If you'd like to move your computer around the house and to other places, you're probably better off buying a new laptop. If all you do is keep it on your desk plugged in (or occasionally move it to the bed), you should really get a desktop.

Also, you could consider buying a small netbook next to a desktop to have something movable to watch TV on or something if that's all you do with it...

[AntZ]

I have a similar dilemma here. I have had a work supplied laptop/notebook for nearly 20years, which is nearly as long as they have been around and you can imagine how expensive the first ones were. Since the start of the year I have been riding to work and mostly leave the notebook at the office and use a 7yr old desktop at home, which surprising can run everything I need..just slowly. So like you say desktops seem to hang in there longer. But running lightroom is painful and I am considering my options. To be honest not having a PC that is pleasurable to process my photos on is having an impact on how and when I handle my images.

So here are my thoughts so far:
I already have a keyboard, monitor etc so really only need a box and can get one for cheaper than a notebook. The problem is that I am used to travelling with a notebook and would need something to store photos when I do.

Desktop Pros: Cheaper, faster,better specs, bigger HDD
Notebook Pros: Portable, capable of Dual screens, smaller

I don't think RAM is an issue. Most Notebooks can handle 4GB which I would think sufficient and only then you get 64bit Windows.(Not sure about apples here)

Having typed this, I think I am leaning towards a Notebook. I am waiting for the new i5 and i7 processors to become more available before I decide...and working out how to explain to my wife why she gets a netbook and I get the real thing

[Fortytwo]

I've got a dual screen on my desktop PC.

Also, I would never keep my pictures on a laptop. If you drop it, they're all gone...

[Marko]

I hate to say it....but processing photos on a desktop is MUCH easier. I too have dual monitors on my desktop.

If it were me...I'd spend the money on a desktop and great monitor.... and save a few hundred and get a mini laptop a few months later.

[jjeling]

Yeah, Im leaning towards the idea of getting a desktop and then a mini net book in the near future.

I think the net books are more durable than a full size laptop. Much like a tree branch, if you take it when it is full size it is quite easy to break. If you take the same branch and it is now only a fraction of its size, it doesnt break so easy.

I do believe picture are easier to edit from a desktop, but the idea that I can do it from anywhere is kind of nice to. I have several versions of Photoshop so if I do get a netbook Ill load a prehistoric version of photoshop on there.

We will see what happens, It might be a while before it happens.

[Iguanasan]

I know I totally wrote a big post to chime in with my view and it's not here. I can only image I forgot to hit "Post" - D'oh!

In any event the noisy drive and blue screen of death can be easily explained by an old hard drive going bad. The rest of the PC may be just fine. By a 1TB drive for $100 and rebuild your system, voila! Just like new. Now, if your system is more than 5 years old then I would definitely think about an upgrade.

You'll get a lot more power out of a desktop replacement and you only need to by the computer. You already have keyboard, mouse, monitor, etc. Definitely a less expensive way to go.

I, however, am hooked on my laptop. I don't think I'll ever go back. I like being able to drag my laptop outside on a sunny day and sit on the deck to do my computing. If you go this route though, spend the extra on the Dell Complete Care (I buy exclusively from Dell) as laptops get banged around a bit and the extra money is well worth every dime.

The hinge on my laptop broke a couple of weeks ago, I called Dell, they sent me an empty box. I put it in the box on Monday and got it back on Thursday all fixed up. Sweet!

[Marko]

+1 on the Dell thing for me. Dell is overpriced for sure, but for a bit of that extra cash you get great service if anything goes bad. That's been my experience anyway.

[Iguanasan]

+1 on the Dell thing for me. Dell is overpriced for sure, but for a bit of that extra cash you get great service if anything goes bad. That's been my experience anyway.

And mine as well which is why I always go back for another Dell. I'm up to 4 now. Two desktops and two laptops in the house.

[ericmark]

I have been looking at same thing myself. I have always gone for desktop as up-gradable but each time I try and up-grade I seem to get unstuck.
Can’t buy that memory now sir.
Sorry new hard drives are serial devices can’t fit a tetra-bite sir.
Sorry you have USB1 and you need USB2 sir.
The list goes on and I have come to the conclusion you can’t up-grade what ever the salesman says at the time.
So I have a massive box instead of a slim device that I could fit in a lot less space. And using an external monitor, mouse and keyboard they seem to work same way anyway. Want more hard drive space then a drive connected to LAN does that exactly same for any PC or even MAC. And printer runs off LAN also so that’s not an issue either.
However when one looks at lowest price of both although now near the same one realises that with a desk top the processor is a little faster and the drive a little bigger and a few more USB sockets and 5.1 surround sound rather than stereo and so you do get more for same money. Well you should as the desk top has no monitor.
As one moves to the more expensive types. An APPLE Mac mini MC238B/A at £510 is smaller and cheaper than a laptop APPLE MacBook MC207B/A at £799. The APPLE Mac mini MC238B/A at 6.5” square is basically the same as laptop without monitor, keyboard and mouse and takes up less room than laptop one wonders is it were not for the size of DVD would it be smaller still?
The DELL Inspiron 400 looks very like the MAC at £400 it is cheaper as well, however slower and I suppose you get what one pays for.
However it seems gone are the days of huge box to fit all the bits in and soon they may be fitting it all into the keyboard like old Amiga!
So down to do you want to move it about the house, garden, car, boat etc. If so then laptop but this moving about also seems to cause problems and also everything combined in one unit something goes wrong and you lose the lot.
My daughter spilt orange juice on my laptop and messed up mouse so now I need to carry a USB mouse with me. Had it been a desktop then I would have just bought a new mouse. And accidents do happen and at 30 years old I couldn’t really blame myself for letting her play with it. At that age they should be OK without supervision!
So one must ask what one wants to do with a computer? My son uses his as his TV, Audio system, DVD/hard-drive recorder and computer and it runs 24/7 so it can record TV programs as they come on and a laptop would not do the job. I have more room and use stand alone Hard-drive/DVD recorder, Audio system, and TV and since unlike his home mine does not move TV satellite receiver.
I did do same process with Photoshop CS4 on college APPLE Mac mini MC238B/A and my home computer and on mini it took 2 hours and on home PC it took 8 hours well maybe longer was not watching it at home went away and left it doing it’s own thing. And the Mac is not 4 times faster so I think more to do with operating system than computer speed that it was 4 times faster than PC.
Out of interest I was combining and processing 15 x 10Mb pictures using both HDR and Panorama so was asking a lot of the computer.