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I am a huge fan of desktops. I love the big monitors that you can get that really make it easier to see what you are doing. With a laptop you are limited to 17", I believe. And, yes, I know that you can hook up a monitor to a laptop but what is the point? With a desktop you have the best options available *except* portability. So, if you aren't needing to take it anywhere, that is definitely the choice I would make.
Do you see yourself needing another desktop if you already have a laptop? What value would an additional computer bring to you?
Yes, I'm currently on my 17" laptop, dual core i3 with 8GB and it will handle about anything.........
..... but it is still lacking in many aspects, as it has a 5400 RPM drive, less than optimal keyboard, dual and larger monitors, more robust optical drive, has only SD card slot, so my CF cards can't be accessed.
Sure I can plug in a bunch of external devices, keyboard, mouse, drives, monitor but then I have mis-matched monitors vs. a pair of matched 24" monitors.
I also have a small car and a full sized pickup. Each has it advantages and disadvantages, and I benefit from having both.
It has only 3-4 GB left on the hard drive and only 512 of ram so I would like to replace it with "something". I need it to surf, email, run iTunes and photo software, but no gaming and minimal movie watching.
We have a mini and a laptop, so I am not sure which way to go.
Any ideas out there? Thanks.
If you have a mini (desktop) and a laptop you have enough experience to answer your own question. Given your requirements, it's more about personal preference than anything else. The only other option would be a tablet, which is not what you asked. I don't see what insight you're looking for that you don't already know.
The fastest PCs are still desktops. They will always have more processing power than a laptop because they have no size or power supply constraints. They are likely to be more reliable because they are built heavier and don't get moved around. As already noted they are expandable, especially home built systems.
I have a laptop and use it all the time. But my desktop is where I edit video, sort photos, or manage my music collection. It is faster, has a better keyboard, and two monitors.
I am a huge fan of desktops. I love the big monitors that you can get that really make it easier to see what you are doing. With a laptop you are limited to 17", I believe. And, yes, I know that you can hook up a monitor to a laptop but what is the point?
The point is that you can have portability and a large monitor. The point is that you can reap the benefits of the energy efficiency of a laptop without sacrifice for the average PC user.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson
With a desktop you have the best options available *except* portability. So, if you aren't needing to take it anywhere, that is definitely the choice I would make.
20yrsinBranson
The only options that you don't have with a laptop are special-purpose computing (games, video editing, etc) and expandability (multiple drives, PCIE cards, etc).
Yes, I'm currently on my 17" laptop, dual core i3 with 8GB and it will handle about anything.........
..... but it is still lacking in many aspects, as it has a 5400 RPM drive, less than optimal keyboard, dual and larger monitors, more robust optical drive, has only SD card slot, so my CF cards can't be accessed.
Sure I can plug in a bunch of external devices, keyboard, mouse, drives, monitor but then I have mis-matched monitors vs. a pair of matched 24" monitors.
I also have a small car and a full sized pickup. Each has it advantages and disadvantages, and I benefit from having both.
Are you confusing yourself with the OP? The question was directed towards the OP since the OP is wondering whether it's worth getting another desktop if he already has a laptop.
Was wondering if frequent posters here felt desktops were obsolete, as I stated.
Don't have a mini desktop, have a mini (netbook).
As others have states, they certainly are not obsolete. However, in most cases, the average user is best served by a laptop.
Desktops are still very much applicable for users that need the fastest processing power and the most expansion options. Desktops are here to stay for a while.
Are you confusing yourself with the OP? The question was directed towards the OP since the OP is wondering whether it's worth getting another desktop if he already has a laptop.
No, I was trying to point out there are two sides to everything.
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