Desktop or notebook?

Shawn Knight

Posts: 15,280   +192
Staff member

As far as technology trends go, I’m a bit of an outlier. Despite the continued shift to a mobile-first society led by smartphones, tablets and hybrid notebooks (and by best attempts to jump on that bandwagon), I simply can’t let go of my trusty desktop.

This week’s open forum is simple – do you prefer a desktop or notebook? Or what do you use more often and under what scenarios? Each platform has its advantages and shortcomings but if you could only choose one, which would it be? Let us know in the comments section below!

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To work seriously I use my desktop PC, but I'm right now looking for a good notebook to do light work on the go, any suggestion perhaps that doesn't break the bank?
 
Have not owned a desktop in 6 years now.

Not saying that I do not want to but a laptop just saves more space.
Plus I moved around a lot.
 
Most certainly a desktop.

I find it highly unlikely; if someone had a choice of both in front of them, they would choose the notebook.
 
I have both, but my laptop is used 90% of the time. My desktop is only used to play windows games, which is pretty much GOG games by this point. If I could get a laptop with skylake's GT4e gpu, the desktop's days may be numbered.
 
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Depends on what I want to do.

Desktop: when I want to game or edit some video. 5K monitor is hard to beat.
Macbook: when I need quick access to documents/print stuff or desktop is unavailable.
Windows tablet hybrid: when I want to do some RDP related tinkering or sort something out on the go.
 
Depends on what I want to do.

Desktop: when I want to game or edit some video. 5K monitor is hard to beat.
Macbook: when I need quick access to documents/print stuff or desktop is unavailable.
Windows tablet hybrid: when I want to do some RDP related tinkering or sort something out on the go.

It doesn't depend on what you want to do... The question wasn't which do you prefer, it was if you could only choose one, which would it be.
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Still stuck in the dark ages here: Mark me down as a desktop user because like a lot of enthusiasts I still like to build my own machines.
 
I recently retired my desktop. Only using a laptop for everyting computer-related. Core i7-2670QM with plenty RAM and SSD is quite enough for all my tasks including videoediting. Using separate keyboard and mouse, though. My trusty mobile phone is used for everyday mail/surf/banking and so on...
 
Desktop, no question about it. I haven't found a use for notebooks/laptops since I retired and before that I only used one occasionally. My Android phone is good enough for all my mobile computing needs.
Desktops are far superior in every regard as far as I'm concerned, portability notwithstanding obviously.
 
My work laptop has a proper mouse, full-size keyboard and 1920 monitor - but I so much prefer my own desktop (more grunt, storage, upgrade-ability, etc).
 
Seriously... what's the point of laptops anymore? I use my desktop PC's for everything, and if I'm on the go, there's a thing called smartphone. I've never felt comfortable typing on a laptop, and they're no good for gaming, so they're pretty much useless to me. All these shiny, flat laptops are nothing more than jewelry for hipsters to show off their geek fetish at starbucks. Real men use desktop computers! :D
 
I only have desktops. I have nothing against laptops but I don't have one.
 
Really surprised at all the desktop users here. Im of the impression that this discussion is more about evolution as you get older....

I was always a desktop die hard in my 20's, however into my 30's I find myself not playing as many games anymore and laptops were more convenient.

Granted laptops are limited for upgrading, but remember that docking stations and large monitors, can replicate the desktop experience.... so for me laptops all the way :)
 
To work seriously I use my desktop PC, but I'm right now looking for a good notebook to do light work on the go, any suggestion perhaps that doesn't break the bank?

The Asus Zenbook UX305LA is one of the best "bang for the buck" systems I've seen this year. $750 for a 13.3" ultrabook with a (Broadwell) Core i5, 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD is fantastic.
 
Depends on what I want to do.

Desktop: when I want to game or edit some video. 5K monitor is hard to beat.
Macbook: when I need quick access to documents/print stuff or desktop is unavailable.
Windows tablet hybrid: when I want to do some RDP related tinkering or sort something out on the go.

It doesn't depend on what you want to do... The question wasn't which do you prefer, it was if you could only choose one, which would it be.
...................................................

Still stuck in the dark ages here: Mark me down as a desktop user because like a lot of enthusiasts I still like to build my own machines.

Actually, two of the three questions posed in this article are as follows:

"Do you prefer a desktop or notebook? Or what do you use more often and under what scenarios?"
 
1. Desktop. More hardware flexibility, more power.
2. Laptop. I use it primarily for writing, trading, and programming.
3. Laptop. I can take an appropriately equipped laptop wherever I need and be productive under most conditions. Desktops don't offer that flexibility, which I occasionally require.
 
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