Laptop or desktop as main computer

[geForce]

I have a laptop already, but it's a clunky Core2Duo laptop. Still functional though. I also have a desktop too, but that's an even older Pentium D, but also still functional. Plus, I have an Android tablet.

I'm looking to replace either my laptop or my desktop as my main computer. If I get a new laptop, then I'll probably be getting rid of both my old desktop and laptop and have some sort of docking solution when I want to use my laptop on a desk. If I get a new desktop, I could get rid of my old desktop and use my old laptop for portable stuff.

Laptop won't be as powerful (it CAN be, but it'll cost more) but it's more portable and versatile.
Desktop will be more powerful and customizable/upgradeable, but obviously not as portable.

[nature boy]

i think the obvious question would be what are you going to be using it for?
if you're gaming, then of course desktop. if you're just going to lightly surf/check email/play solitaire, then use your tablet.
if you're going to do heavy surfing on flash-heavy websites (i.e. pr0n) and need a little privacy, then get a laptop.

i'm finding that with my tablet, i use a computer (desktop or laptop) much less. the only time i ever boot up my laptop now is to prepare for sundays (we use my laptop for the powerpoint every sunday) or if i want to download something (i can do that on my tablet, but i don't have enough storage for that stuff), and i only use a desktop at work.

i'd say desktop because it's more powerful, unless you really need portable power (if you plan on travelling and needing that kind of power for whatever). otherwise have a desktop for home and your tablet for travel. however, given the options that you gave, you already would use your laptop for travel, so you might as well just get a desktop.

either case, can i have your old desktop? haha. (fr srs)

[joel]

my guess is that in terms of power you are looking for something roughly mid-ranged. something that you can do work or game around from time to time. how big is budget a concern?

if you want to spend ~500, and already have a suitable monitor, i'd go desktop. with 500 budget you'd have no problem getting a desktop that should last you until you start kicking yourself about the next "latest, greatest" (whether its 3d/touch/holodeck/etc...)

if you have ~1000 budget or don't have an existing monitor to use(since that monitor would cost at least 100-200 new), i'd go with a laptop. portability never gets old. especially if there's a chance you need to work in different locations. since you may be doing some tel-commuting, i think portability is pretty handy.

if you find you take your laptop/work with you a little too much and need help restraining yourself, then a desktop is a pretty good way of forcing you to leave your work or games at your desk.

while i don't own a tablet, i still wouldn't consider it a work productivity device. for me it would just be too cumbersome or weak to really get any work done on it.

[nature boy]

oh yeah, i forgot you're going to be working from home now. get a desktop. then remote your desktop from tablet when on the road. then get work to pay for it all.

[geForce]

My company provides a laptop for me for work. The company laptop of course is locked down though, so I can't install anything and it also monitors my usage, so surfing pr()n will raise some red flags.

For power, I can get a laptop that has sufficient power for gaming, that's not a problem. The main reason that I'd want to get desktop over a laptop is that you can upgrade a desktop. That being the case, you can add nominal amounts of money to a desktop to make it last longer. When a laptop gets outdated, you can't upgrade it... you just have to live it until you're ready to buy a completely new one again.

The reason I want to get a laptop is that I do appreciate the portability of it... like being able to watch TV and be on the computer at the same time, or bringing it on trips, etc. I do have my old laptop that is perfectly capable of doing that, but if I get a new laptop, then I can get rid of both my old laptop and desktop and consolidate and reduce clutter.

[joel]

when i reference "work" i don't necessarily mean, your primary source of employment. i just mean stuff that you need to get done on a computer besides gaming.

it could just be email, social network stuff, d/l things, doing powerpoints for worship, doing spreadsheets for personal budgets, taxes, hockey pools,etc... all that stuff that you don't want to mix with your "job work" computer, but need to get done.

as for the nominal amounts to upgrade a desktop. i don't necessarily agree. if you look at intel over the past 6 years or so, you've had at least 4 different cpu sockets for the different generation of processors. new cpu/mb combo is going to be roughly half the cost of the box. add to that the slightly less frequent, but ever changing bus formats or RAM formats on MB, if you are looking to upgrade a component say every ~5 years or so, there's a good chance you may need to buy a whole new box anyway. how many times in the history of your Pentium D desktop, did you upgrade the CPU/MB/Video?

[Duncan]

you could turn your old desktop into a server or a dedicated machine for your tv... that what i did with my old desktop

[nature boy]

i thought i have your old desktop, with your old justin bieber wallpaper still on it.

[Duncan]

that was alicia's old desktop... mine's under my tv running 16/7

[nature boy]

oh yeah, alicia's old desktop with your justin bieber wallpaper still on it.

[geForce]

[geForce]

[Duncan]

[nature boy]

he already has a tablet for that stuff though.

i find that having a desktop (like joel said) forces me to keep things in once place. when i leave it, then i leave my work as well. a laptop can be taken anywhere (including the toilet), so work will follow as well.

[Wetundies]

I use my phone when i'm on the road, and a desktop at home. Don't use the laptops at home, even so the wife has 3.