Why are laptops becoming more common than desktops?

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contingencyplan
contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
Lately it's become increasingly common for laptops to outsell desktops in electronics and computer stores. I'm curious as to why most people would choose a laptop over a desktop given the following:

1. Most people do not need the portability of a laptop.

2. Laptops are not as powerful despite having the same stats on paper.

3. Laptops often cannot be repaired when they fail and must be replaced entirely.

4. Laptops are prone to overheating.

5. Laptops are very limited in their upgradeability.

Do you use a desktop or a laptop? And if so, why?
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Replies

  • nwhitley
    nwhitley Posts: 619
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    Laptop b/c my employer provides it free of charge. They maintain virus protection, repair when needed, and upgrade every other year. What's not to love about that deal??
  • XtyAnn17
    XtyAnn17 Posts: 632 Member
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    My guess, laziness


    And let me add, I have a desktop...but I know my mom has a laptop for the sole reason of convenience of not having to get up off her *kitten*
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    Laptop b/c my employer provides it free of charge. They maintain virus protection, repair when needed, and upgrade every other year. What's not to love about that deal??

    In cases like yours its understood =)
  • stepherzzzzz
    stepherzzzzz Posts: 469 Member
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    Laptop. Desktops require a desk. I don't have room for a desk. Plus I go back and forth between my place and my parents' place a lot and I like to take my laptop with me.
  • ket_the_jet
    ket_the_jet Posts: 1,257 Member
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    I have a desktop at home. If I wanted more portability, I'd get a tablet. Let's face it, nothing I do on-the-go could not be done on a tablet.

    That said, my company has provided me with a laptop. Presumably it is because I'm supposed to travel more than I actually do. They don't confirm if I check in at the hotels.
    -wtk
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    Many people in my company work from home or on the road part of the time, so for us it makes sense to have laptops.

    Personally, I have one of each. My laptop is pretty old, but has never needed repairs, doesn't overheat, and is powerful enough for anything I need to do, except gaming. And I do want the portability - not every day, but occasionally.
  • Magenta15
    Magenta15 Posts: 850 Member
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    Laptop all the way... unless I get more into photography and thus editing and would want a nice desktop with HUGE monitor... for better editing of course ;) lol... as this is not the case. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my lap top (and now my iPad also incidentally my laptop gets a bit of a break now lol)... I am on laptop number 3 and haven't had a desktop well... ever, of my own actually lol but when I lived with my ex he had one, I hated be confined to one room and chair... drove me stir crazy

    Mine comes to work some days, or I can do my work or time wasting in the comfort of any room in my house without being confined to one said desk and miserably uncomfortable chair... especially after sitting at a desk all day I don't want to do it again at home should i need to do more work, or homework etc... :)
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
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    I use a desktop because I assemble my own machines, but most people I know have laptops.

    1. Many people discover that while they don't use the portability of a laptop every day, it occasionally comes in handy.

    2. Most people don't need something as powerful as they have - let's face it, any modern computer is going to run any modern software (other than games) just fine.

    3. Most people cannot repair computers. Heck, I get a lot of informal repair requests from friends, family, and co-workers because "the machine got slow". Well, yeah, those 1500 viruses you had on it might have had something to do with it - that pop-up ad you clicked on that said "you had a virus"? That was a self-fulfilling prophecy.

    In a few cases, I've had people offer to "pay for the parts" and start trying to throw money at me because they thought I added hardware - nope, installed an ran a free anti-virus package, the 6-pack of beer we originally agreed to is dandy, thanks, but I'll take a second six-banger if you insist, thanks.

    4. Cheap crappy laptops are more prone to overheating. But so are cheap crappy desktops. On the other hand, laptops have a built-in battery backup system and tend to use less electricity and have better power management than a desktop.

    5. See point 3. For a lot of people, "upgrade" means "go to Best Buy, pick out something shiny, pay to have someone move documents to new machine". The smarter folks use something like Carbonite so they can just restore their data to the new machine.

    I'm finding myself increasingly using my smartphone and I'll probably drop some bucks on an Android tablet soon.
  • Octopies
    Octopies Posts: 157 Member
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    I have a laptop. I'm a student and some classes require you bring one if you have one. Its easy to just pick it up and take it anywhere on campus to do homework.
    I know how to repair a laptop if it fails. Fixing computers was actually my job.
    (provided you can actually fix what happened to it, with a lot of physically broken things you're *kitten* out of luck because laptop components tend to be soldered in rather than field replaceable like a desktop)
  • lukeout007
    lukeout007 Posts: 1,247 Member
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    Lately it's become increasingly common for laptops to outsell desktops in electronics and computer stores. I'm curious as to why most people would choose a laptop over a desktop given the following:

    1. Most people do not need the portability of a laptop.

    2. Laptops are not as powerful despite having the same stats on paper.

    3. Laptops often cannot be repaired when they fail and must be replaced entirely.

    4. Laptops are prone to overheating.

    5. Laptops are very limited in their upgradeability.

    Do you use a desktop or a laptop? And if so, why?

    1) Space saving...doesn't always have anything to do with portability.

    2) My laptop has the EXACT same specs my desktop that I replaced did. Intel Core i3 processor, 6gb ram, 750gb hard drive.

    3) What are you talking about? Are you talking about home repair? Because I've repaired many laptops myself. You can also send them in if they are under warranty.

    4) Never had a laptop overheat.

    5) It's not difficult to upgrade hard drive, ram, or software on a laptop. The video card and processor are the only things that I could see being difficult...but most likely if those things are important you'd be wanting to just buy something new anyway.
  • daffodilsoup
    daffodilsoup Posts: 1,972 Member
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    I can't lay under my covers with a desktop :/
  • Thaelvyn
    Thaelvyn Posts: 67
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    I have 2 desktops self built, 3 laptops and one iPad (let's not start to include all the game consoles as well, I own over 20 of those).

    The desktops are my gaming stations, whilst the laptops are usually more work related or back-up for gaming/used to google stuff when in full screen on the desktops (although both desktops have dual screens).

    But in short: Desktop: personal, Laptop: Professional. Tablet: bit of both but mainly personal.
  • jcmartin0313
    jcmartin0313 Posts: 574 Member
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    It is hard to hole the laptop while you...
  • runnercheryl
    runnercheryl Posts: 1,314 Member
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    I use a laptop because I want to be able to use my computer in various places. I carry it to see clients, I take it up to my office, I go downstairs and relax in the lounge, I use it whilst lying on a hammock in my garden, I relax on the bed with it...

    I'm aiming to get a desktop PC late this year or early next year, so I've got something more powerful to meet the new needs of my business, but I'll still require the flexibility of a laptop.
  • mfanyafujo
    mfanyafujo Posts: 232 Member
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    I have a laptop. I like the portability of it (got it in college, and was always taking it to class, to friends' houses, to coffee shops, etc). My laptop could always handle my engineering programs, and if I ever needed something more powerful, it would probably be work-related and therefore work-provided.

    Also, now I don't have electricity, so a laptop is kind of required.
  • digitalbill
    digitalbill Posts: 1,410 Member
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    I have a laptop and a desktop.
    I have found myself using the laptop more and more as I can bring it into the kitchen instead of printing off recepies I am using or I can bring it outside while chilling with my wife and surfing Kayaks together.
    The desktop has become a music and movie server more then anything else and now that I can keep the desktop on the floor and out of the way (I use the Television as a monitor when needed), I have gotten rid of that big stupid computer desk.
    It has nothing to do with being lazy.
    Also, I have NEVER had a laptop overheat on me.
    Not my old Toshiba, not my old Dell (that I still do use), and not my current Toshiba.
    As someone else pointed out, these laptops are plenty powerful enough to do what I need to do with the exception of hardcore gaming but, at my age, I am better off outside anyway then planting my fat self in front of a computer to play games.
  • ErinBeth7
    ErinBeth7 Posts: 1,625 Member
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    I have a desktop at home because I do a lot of freelance graphic design and I NEED it to be productive without cussing at my laptop and throwing it across the room. Not to mention its a brand new iMac and runs so well!!! I have an iPad (from work) that I use when I'm not doing work. So really, my macbook never gets used anymore. Not to mention its slow and about ready to give out.
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 MFP Moderator
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    Desktop for power use, but laptop is something i can take with me to a clients home when I'm trouble-shooting their computer if I need to download something i can always do it on my computer if there's isn't working for it. Or just to go between home and wherever I'm heading... camp, remote work-site etc, the laptop just makes sense and since I only use the laptop for simple browsing it doesn't need to have screaming performance.
    I do have 4 laptops sitting around from the clients who decide they're going to upgrade anyway I'll pull parts from them for other computers I'll be working on.
  • Veganniee
    Veganniee Posts: 460 Member
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    Desktop. It's a gaming pc. Not found a laptop that could compete.
  • ashbee03
    ashbee03 Posts: 272 Member
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    i have a desktop.
    until i go to school, or NEED a laptop. a desktop is just fine for me.
    desktop has everything.
    2 TB hard drive, nice huge screen, lots of RAM.
    perfect for gaming.

    but i do see that laptops are convenient.
    can take em anywhere.
    but i don't go anywhere lol.