To Laptop or to Desktop, that is the question: A Back To School Decision
“Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the limitations of a laptop or to take refuge in the strength of a desktop” was a long time ago written by one William Shakespeare in his famous play eHamlet. This soliloquy was written to his quandary on whether to buy a laptop or desktop…well, maybe not.
As we come into back to school season where young scholarly minds head off to college to study great intellectuals like Shakespeare, many parents are prompted to purchase a new computer for their child. One of the quandaries facing parents is whether to purchase a laptop or a desktop. Today we are going to discuss the difference, advantages and disadvantage of purchasing a laptop.
The first and biggest feature students will want in a laptop is portability. Taking a laptop to the library or off to class can help the student be more productive while not forcing them to be sequestered in their room at school. Even though your student will enjoy this portability, so will the local thief as he walks away with the unattended notebook.
Your budget is the second factor that you have to consider when purchasing a computer for school. In general a laptop will cost $200-1000 more than a similar equipped desktop. In addition, a laptop will cost more to repair than a desktop. Since the parts in a laptop are combined into one unit (the motherboard), if one item goes bad, you will need to replace the entire motherboard. On a desktop you can replace individual parts such as a video card. Also, if you need to replace the motherboard or other part in a desktop there will be several different brands to replace it with, whereas in a laptop you will only be able to use the exact part.
The third item to take into consideration is performance. In general, due to size and weight constraints, laptop hardware will underperform a desktop. Therefore, if you are looking for high performance, such as for gaming, graphic design or video production, you would fare better with a desktop. The performance of a laptop will suit most students through their entire school career, unless they are in an engineering or graphic design track. If your child is heading off for one of these tracks, I recommend contacting the school for guidance in purchasing a computer.
The final item to contemplate is often very important to students cramped into a small dorm room and that is one of size. With a desktop, as the name implies, they will need a desk area to place the computer, whereas with a laptop the student can take the computer anywhere and store it most anyplace in their room.
After taking all of this into consideration the choice between a laptop and a desktop comes down to one of personal choice and need. I personally have a laptop due to my need for portability with my work. Even with that aside I would always prefer a laptop since I often to sit on the couch while watching TV and working on my computer. The factors discussed in this article: portability, price, performance and size will come together to help lead you in the right direction when making the decision between purchasing a laptop or desktop for your student.
As we come into back to school season where young scholarly minds head off to college to study great intellectuals like Shakespeare, many parents are prompted to purchase a new computer for their child. One of the quandaries facing parents is whether to purchase a laptop or a desktop. Today we are going to discuss the difference, advantages and disadvantage of purchasing a laptop.
The first and biggest feature students will want in a laptop is portability. Taking a laptop to the library or off to class can help the student be more productive while not forcing them to be sequestered in their room at school. Even though your student will enjoy this portability, so will the local thief as he walks away with the unattended notebook.
Your budget is the second factor that you have to consider when purchasing a computer for school. In general a laptop will cost $200-1000 more than a similar equipped desktop. In addition, a laptop will cost more to repair than a desktop. Since the parts in a laptop are combined into one unit (the motherboard), if one item goes bad, you will need to replace the entire motherboard. On a desktop you can replace individual parts such as a video card. Also, if you need to replace the motherboard or other part in a desktop there will be several different brands to replace it with, whereas in a laptop you will only be able to use the exact part.
The third item to take into consideration is performance. In general, due to size and weight constraints, laptop hardware will underperform a desktop. Therefore, if you are looking for high performance, such as for gaming, graphic design or video production, you would fare better with a desktop. The performance of a laptop will suit most students through their entire school career, unless they are in an engineering or graphic design track. If your child is heading off for one of these tracks, I recommend contacting the school for guidance in purchasing a computer.
The final item to contemplate is often very important to students cramped into a small dorm room and that is one of size. With a desktop, as the name implies, they will need a desk area to place the computer, whereas with a laptop the student can take the computer anywhere and store it most anyplace in their room.
After taking all of this into consideration the choice between a laptop and a desktop comes down to one of personal choice and need. I personally have a laptop due to my need for portability with my work. Even with that aside I would always prefer a laptop since I often to sit on the couch while watching TV and working on my computer. The factors discussed in this article: portability, price, performance and size will come together to help lead you in the right direction when making the decision between purchasing a laptop or desktop for your student.
posted by Eric at
6:23 AM
