Is having a desktop still worth it?

[SuperMiguel]

Do you guys think that having a desktop still worth it?? For like a student or a non gamer user, they can do everything they need on a laptop... do you guys see a point on having a laptop and a desktop??

 

[neonblingbling]

There are a couple functions that a desktop would be better suited for (in my case).

File server. I have a RAID 5 setup with four 1.5TB drives. Before, I had a two bay enclosure that I could connect with eSATA to my laptop. It was ok, but definitely not as convenient as having one biiiiig drive (with redundancy to boot) on the network.

Multiple Monitors. Yes, most laptops have a VGA/HDMI/DVI/DP etc to connect an external monitor. However, I want to connect more than just one. It's not as easy as throwing in another cheap card... Either you pay $$$ for the Matrox dual/tripplehead cards, or you have to use low-performance USB->VGA/DVI adapters that are not as cheap as some video cards ($13.50 8400 anyone?). I might actually try one of USB adapters, so will report back in about that...

Brute power. On occasion, I still need/want brute CPU power. My laptop is decent, but probably nothing compared to a current quad. Even if I had a quad in this laptop, battery life will go down the drain, defeating the whole mobility advantage laptops have over desktops.


However, many of my friends do not have the same needs as me. I think it might be because they don't know what they're missing out on, and they survive just fine without it.

 

[Bobnova]

For a student that doesn't game and doesn't need raw computing power (be it CPU or GPU), HDD size is really the only issue, and laptop drives are quite large these days.
The main downside to a laptop IMO is that if/when something fails inside, you're in a world of trouble. In a desktop if something fails you can swap out that part and be up and running again, in a laptop.... If you're lucky enough to figure out what failed, you're still most likely replacing the highly expensive motherboard.

Plus of course, being portable means you can drop it

 

[SuperMiguel]

how about if the desktop is an imac? still worth it?

 

[killem2]

Unless laptops in general can live longer than a desktop and preform the same for the cost I would love to have one.

 

[Dapman02]

how about if the desktop is an imac? still worth it?

Not really
I bought a macbook a month ago, and while i LOVE the hardware, OSX is boring IMHO

Why no go for matx build with a monitor

 

[Xtreme Barton]

if you like to be mobile than a laptop is great .. nice to be able to go anywhere in the house and sit a computer on your lap .. i do think desktops are a bit more fun to play with though .. overclocking, gaming, etc, etc .. just do pro's and cons for your situation

 

[Bobnova]

I love having a netbook and a desktop, it's a good combo.
In a perfect world i'd have all three, a netbook, a desktop, and a high end laptop (portable gaming). Oh and an iphone and an internet-to-go-tablet thingie, too.
And a watch that projects a holographic world in full 3d.

 

[deadlysyn]

I would have to say that it really depends on what the computer is used for. There are a lot of things I do with my desktop that would be torture to do on a laptop. For one thing, Folding@Home. This is something that just produces more Points Per Day (PPD) with faster quads and dedicated GPU's. I also look at the fact that the HDD is a bottleneck in a laptop. Another thing is that parts are much easier to replace in a desktop.

If the mobility is needed, or they aren't too concerned with video encoding, folding, or other CPU, GPU, or HDD intensive things, a laptop should be more than enough. The majority of people that I know of pretty much just use them for word processing, email, surfing the net, and simple things like that. For those type of tasks, a laptop will do them just fine, and in some cases, even a netbook may be plenty.

 

[watchthisspace]

I love having a netbook and a desktop, it's a good combo.
In a perfect world i'd have all three, a netbook, a desktop, and a high end laptop (portable gaming). Oh and an iphone and an internet-to-go-tablet thingie, too.
And a watch that projects a holographic world in full 3d.

Same boat here, I find the netbook+desktop combo AND iPhone is perfect combo for my needs, although I'd rather a slightler larger laptop (Probably a Macbook)

 

[SuperMiguel]

i got an imac about 3/4 days ago and i have only used it once the first day.. all the other days i just used my mbp... i think i should just get an external monitor and return this imac... its very pretty but kinda useless to me..

 

[UnseenMenace]

Ive got a 15 and 17 Alienware Laptop and a AW Area 51 and I do not play games.. I can live without my desktop and use it a lot less than my laptops
(also have a netbook which is great)

I can't live without my NAS, 15inch Laptop and Playground Web Server

 

[neonblingbling]

i got an imac about 3/4 days ago and i have only used it once the first day.. all the other days i just used my mbp... i think i should just get an external monitor and return this imac... its very pretty but kinda useless to me..

In that situation (iMac), yes I would say just stick with the MBP, since an iMac is just a laptop without the built in keyboard.

 

[TheGreySpectre]

Yes.

explanation: parts a cheaper, especially space. multiple monitors are easier to setup. less risk of it getting stolen, bigger monitors easily available.

I suppose you could fix the space issue and monitor issue by plugging a crapton of stuff into a laptop, I have done that before, but that point it is no longer quite as portable when you have 12 cables plugged into your laptop.

 

[Mikef1r3]

Even to this day I've had no real necessity for a laptop. I've always been running with Desktops and every where i go i have access to a computer, all i bring around with me is a 32 gb usb drive that has all i need. Recently my GF bought a Gaming laptop for $700 damn good laptop for the money and it made me think about portability and workload. The only thing I've thought of buying is a netbook for cheap just to stream movies or do some surfing while im lounging around the house. Laptops = more expensive for less performance vs desktops. Desktops get more bang for your buck you just cant take it with you

 

[VinnyTAMU]

Except for a few titles I have no longer game on a PC. So other than my HTPC and server, a traditional desktop/workstation is not needed.

 

[madhatter256]

You only get a laptop for portability.

Desktops last longer because they can be repaired easily than a laptop and upgraded rather than replaced.

I've been using the same PC case since I bought it back in 2004.

 

[RoC1909]

I definitely feel that having a desktop PC is worth it. But, as with anything. It all depends on the type of user. If a person is more of the "mobile" type and needs to have access to applications / power / connectivity that cannot be gotten from a smartphone, then by all means, a laptop will be the way to go. If they are more like me though that does pretty much all his "computer stuff" at home or at work, then a desktop.

These are just a few of many variables that come into play when deciding on what type of system to get. I am still on that fence in a lot of ways but slowly, I find myself leaning more toward getting a desktop.

 

[Zerius]

Its just too hard to install all the same programs and sync the same files on two computers IMO, therefore for a student (speaking as a student) I find it much more useful to have one main computer such as a laptop that I can connect to an external monitor and do most of the things on, and when I need to go I can unplug it and take it with me (to meetings and coffeeshops)

 

[x30Jx]

Not really
I bought a macbook a month ago, and while i LOVE the hardware, OSX is boring IMHO

Why no go for matx build with a monitor

Yeah, OS X is boring. I guess at heart, I like something that keeps me on my toes with random shutdowns, kernel failures, updates, and sudden compatibility issues.



Honestly, an OS should be boring. It should do the same thing every day until YOU change it.

whatever.

/hijack.