Sunday 9 October 2011

Computers - A Desktop or Laptop

Almost every home in the civilised world that can afford it possesses either a desktop or a laptop computer. It is very likely that those households that do not possess a home computer in one form or another would certainly like to invest in one.
As alluded to above, there are basically two types of home computer (this also applies to computers that are used in the business world). The desktop computer is so described because conventionally it is put to use on a desk. It comprises a tower or box, where the computer hardware, such as the hard drive, the central processing unit and the motherboard are located, a visual display unit, or screen, a keyboard and a mouse. The latter three are attached to the computer box either by cable or, in some cases, by a wireless connection.
The laptop is so described because, by reason of its size, it is possible to operate it whilst it is positioned on the user’s lap. This has become something of a misnomer in recent years with the growing popularity of the laptop and it is also known, perhaps more accurately, as a portable computer or a notebook. For the purposes of this article we will stick with the generic and original name of laptop. The laptop comes pretty much in one piece, the main case containing the computer hardware, the screen and the keyboard all being one part of the same piece of machinery.
The laptop also has its own in-built mouse pad, although some people prefer to use an external mouse, connected either by USB cable or wirelessly. If you are looking to invest in the acquisition of a new computer, which of these two alternatives you ultimately decide to buy ought to be determined by whatever are your own particular computing needs.
However, there are some fairly obvious general tips that may ultimately help you in arriving at the right decision before you embark upon your purchase. We will now examine these on an individual basis before coming to a conclusion.
Ease of Set Up
It would be an exaggeration to say that it is difficult to set up a desktop computer once you have bought it. However, it is correct, as stated above, that the computer comes in four separate parts, the tower, the screen, the keyboard and the mouse, If you add other peripherals, such as a printer, which most people require nowadays there are quite a few pieced of hardware to put together. The explosion in computing does mean that not all people who buy one are technically inclined. The laptop, coming, as it does, in only one piece is far more simple to get going. All you need to do is take it out of the box, charge up the batters and away you go. There is no awkward locating of sockets and cables or setting up of wireless connections and for those who don’t want to read a set of instructions regarding to how to set up a desktop computer, a laptop is probably the choice for them.

Dimensions It goes without saying that the laptop computer is significantly smaller than its desktop counterpart and, therefore, correspondingly less demanding of space in your home. If you have only a small room for your computer or, alternatively, you live in a flat or a bedsit you are likely to be unable to find room for a large work station. In those circumstances, once again, a laptop would appear to be the more appropriate choice of computer.

Removeability If you believe that you are likely to wish to transport your personal computer with you when you leave your home, either because you are going on a holiday or short break for leisure purposes or, more likely because you are someone whose employment requires them to go on regular business trips or to attend business conferences (whether this is to retrieve your email or engage in internet commerce transactions such as internet banking or using one of the online foreign exchange websites) a laptop is the only feasible answer to your problems.


There are three reasons for this. The first and most obvious is the relative sizes of the two pieces of machinery. It would simply be impractical to attempt to take a desktop computer away with you on a trip. Another valid reason is that the desktop does not have its own power source, needing to be plugged into the mains supply. If there is no mains supply available the desktop is redundant. Conversely, the laptop has its own power source, in the form of a battery. As long as the battery is charged the laptop can be used regardless of the lack of any mains connection. Finally all modern laptops have an inbuilt wireless network adaptor, allowing the user to connect to available wireless networks. Desktop computers almost invariably will require a wired connection, which would not be of much use if you are trying to access the internet in a public location, such as an airport.

Performance Specifications
In the main, it is likely that you will discover that, largely as a consequence of the greater size of its components, the desktop is likely to perform better than a similarly priced laptop. The differential is, however, becoming less palpable and the performance of most modern laptops is easily sufficiently good to please most home computer users. However, if you are into real high specification hardware, with top quality graphics and the ability to ruin complex gaming programmes for example, you are probably going to come to the conclusion that the desktop computer is marginally more suited to your needs.
Screen
As with most of the other differences between the desktop and the laptop, the screen, or display, of the desktop is likely to be bigger. Indeed, it is possible to upgrade the screen pf a desktop computer to a bigger and better one quite easily. The thin film transistors screen of the desktop is well suited to running flashy graphic displays and vivid gaming images. Whilst the laptop screens have become bigger in recent year, this has tended, naturally, to result in an increase in the overall dimensions and weight of the machine.
This in turn, impinges on the portability of the unit, which may be the primary reason for its acquisition.
On balance, if the visual display provided to you by a personal computer is high on your list of priorities when seeking to buy one, the desktop is probably going to be your preferred choice.

Conclusion
Of course, the first type of computer to hit the market was the desktop computer. In that sense, it has had a considerable head start over the laptop. It continues to have the advantage of size – the advantage being in terms of the ability to fit the various computer components into its body.
However, laptop computers are, without doubt, swiftly making up for lost time against their desktop counterpart. The performance of laptop computers is improving exponentially, so it is likely that in comparing the two types of computer in the future, the issue of performance is likely to become more narrow than it is perhaps at present. Because it does tend to cost more to produce smaller components, price is likely to continue to be on the side of the desktop computer. In the final analysis, it is likely to boil down to the issue of whether you want your new computer to be portable or not.
Therefore, if you are thinking of buying a computer that you can take with you when you leave your home, then undoubtedly you should elect for the laptop. If, on the other hand, you have neither the need nor the inclination to take your computer with you when you leave the workstation, then a desktop will probably represent the best value, both in terms of cost and performance.
The most important thing to do is to access as many of the computer price comparison and review websites to compare the best computer deals.
There are many cheap computers available online. The only way to ensure that you get the best deal on your desktop or laptop is to shop around. 

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