Choosing a Computer - Part 2
Desktop vs. Laptop vs. Tablet
If you do not have the space for a dedicated desk for your computer you will have to choose a laptop. You may also choose a laptop because you want portability - to be able to work in your garden or on a trip. But do not purchase a laptop because, as a salesman may tell you, 'everybody gets one'. Note that in general laptops and desktops are comparably priced (early 2012).
Negatives for laptops
- Very limited connectivity (3 USB connections if you are lucky, and they are on the side and back)
- Ultrabooks (in particular) do not have a DVD drive
- Cannot be expanded, and industry standard parts cannot be used to repair them
- Small screen (typical 15" as against typical 23" for desktop, or 1:2.4 area ratio)
- Limited battery life (typical 4-7 hours) after which you will need to be tethered to a power point (and you will need to carry a bulky charger)
- Cramped and limited keyboard
- Touchpad pointing interface which is not a good replacement for a mouse
- Limited speakers (you cannot get great sound from a tiny speaker)
Often laptop users find they need to get a plug-in mouse, keyboard, even a screen - which uses up almost all the USB connections - you still have a printer and DVD drive to find holes for! By the time you add external speakers you have as static a unit as a desktop!
Negatives for desktops
- Needs to be connected up for use or relocation (but all the connections are colour-coded)
- Not easily portable
- All-in-one desktops (where the system box is built into the screen) have some of the disadvantages of laptops such as limited connectivity and non-standard parts
Tablets are a separate kind of system; unless you use computers purely for keeping in contact with associates they are an additional system, not a replacement for a desktop/laptop. You will be using a touchscreen for a keyboard, so you cannot touch-type; and you have an even smaller screen, so you cannot multi-task.