The question of laptop over desktop is very common with most people thinking of buying a new computer for their home or business. The idea of being mobile and able to take your computer and files with you wherever you go is attractive. People like the idea of being able to use their laptop anywhere they go.
While this is a benefit of a laptop, most laptops are never used anywhere but in the office. So the question has to be asked if it is necessary to have a laptop at all.
If you are a person who works in multiple locations or travels often, then a laptop is necessary to meet your position's needs. After this primary benefit, the arguments for a laptop weaken significantly.
Desktops are more powerful
If you look at a desktop and a laptop with similar specs, the desktop will run better. This is because a desktop has full-sized parts. Since the parts for the laptop are smaller, something has to be sacrificed to shrink the component's size. According to Benchmarks, a website that measures a computer's performance, computers that have identical specs on paper show a significant difference in performance between the laptop and desktop. That difference can be as much as 25% in favor of the desktop.
Another difference between a desktop and a laptop with similar specs is that the desktop will be significantly cheaper than the laptop alternative. While prices of business desktops remain affordable, with some models as inexpensive as a few hundred dollars, a similar laptop can cost closer to $800, and if you require a computer with additional processing power or graphics ability, your price can rise well above a thousand dollars. While you can also spend quite a bit on high-end desktops, the desktop will always be cheaper and more powerful when you compare computers of equal specs.
Laptops are also more expensive to fix. They are also far more challenging to repair if there is a problem. Desktops are extremely easy to repair if something goes wrong, and they are easy to upgrade to improve performance if necessary. As noted, laptop parts are much smaller, leaving them more vulnerable to issues such as breaking if the laptop is dropped. Small parts also require more heat dissipation as they tend to run hotter than full-sized parts. If the heat is not adequately moved away from the laptop, parts can quickly fail.
With the modular aspect of a desktop computer, almost any part can easily be removed and replaced without sending the computer back to the manufacturer for repairs. We often repair computers onsite (or in our offices to maintain social distancing due to COVID), and a computer can be back in production in a matter of hours.
Laptops require an authorized repair center's services since even the process of adding or replacing memory or a broken keyboard can require that the laptop be disassembled. We even had a case where our authorized repair center had to send the laptop back to the manufacturer in China for a laptop to be fully repaired. It took six weeks for the laptop to be returned. The issue was nothing more than a defective keyboard—six weeks to replace a part that cost less than $50.
For some people, there is a requirement for mobility. For companies that choose to buy desktops instead of laptops, their cost savings could be enough to afford the purchase of a lower-end laptop or even a tablet that can be fully utilized as a mobile alternative in many cases.
The idea of a laptop is attractive for many, but when it comes down to it, for most people, going with the lower-cost alternative of a desktop is the better way to go.
If you have any questions about desktops or laptops, please do not hesitate to call.