The world we thought we knew is evolving, and if there’s one thing we can take from this pandemic fallout, it’s our ability to adapt to any given situation and still continue to work and thrive in every way, shape, or form possible. Of course, the impact of this global pandemic is far from over, and we’re still feeling the repercussions to this day, but we also can’t forget to acknowledge our achievement in adapting and utilizing technology to make ends meet.
Specifically, we want to touch base with the increasing need for devices like phones and computers, and while they were important even back then, they’ve become even more essential today. However, this rising need now brings us to the standstill of finding out which device would fair better. So, we’ll be answering this question; which one is better, a laptop or desktop?
Portability Used To Be A “No Brainer”
Arguably, one of the main selling points of a laptop was its portability, and whether you’re a college student, real estate agent, or just your average guy who needs something to play with the buddies, laptops used to be the “no brainer” option. Sure, the compromise was a generally weaker system, but it wasn’t that bad, and it made the cut for almost everything you need. However, the advantage of portability no longers works the same way today.
- We Don’t Leave Home As Often: Number one, a lot of us don’t need to leave home as often anymore. Most, if not all, people are already working from home due to health protocols and social distancing guidelines, which means you wouldn’t need a portable device as much. In fact, you can get by with just a reliable virtual phone number, and you could handle all of your work and responsibilities from a single device. Plus, you won’t be going anywhere else anytime soon apart from moving back and forth between the bedroom and kitchen.
- You Can Afford The Extra Space: Number two, alongside the feature of portability, was compactness, something a lot of laptop manufacturers aggressively try to achieve to make the device more comfortable to bring around. However, you don’t necessarily need to have a compact laptop at home because you have all the extra space to use. And, unless you live in a really tiny apartment, a compact device just doesn’t come off as an essential feature anymore.
Cost Constraints: Understanding Price To Performance Ratio
A cornerstone for the laptop vs. desktop showdown has always been the cost constraint of each device, getting the most performance for your money and maximizing benefit with the least expenses. And, while desktops are technically more capable in a lot of areas, recent developments in the market show a lot of prices going awry, such as the RTX 3000-series and Radeon 6000-series cards. So, it’s become the wild west of searching for the best deals and scrambling whatever discounts you can find.
- Significant Strides In Technology: If you’re any bit updated with any of Intel, Nvidia, or AMD’s recent developments in the past year, then you’ll know that we’ve made significant strides in technology. As a result, most components have seen a drastic rise in performance, with even mobile processors and mobile graphics cards not falling behind. Things that were beyond the capacity of a laptop are now doable today, and desktop components have only become even stronger. So, it plays out to the favor of both.
- The “Convenience” Argument: Another main selling point of the laptop vs. getting a desktop was the convenience. You don’t need to set anything up or bother with plugging the right things together, you just press a button, and you have a fully-working system right before you. However, there are loads of comprehensive and beginner-friendly tutorials online that break apart the “convenience” argument. Plus, a lot of the more recent desktop components have also become easier to handle and build.
- Enabling Your Hobbies & Interests: Likewise, owning and using a laptop or desktop isn’t just about getting work done for the day or being productive. It’s also about having fun and enabling your hobbies & interests. And, generally, using a desktop wins out in most cases because it’s a lot more powerful, and you can connect anything to it from an audio interface, pen displays, and so much more. In contrast, laptops feature the same level of connectivity, which means buying extra hubs and wires.
Is Having Both A Good Idea?
Realistically, it’s recommended to have both since you can’t account for every single situation because there are advantages to each device. However, money is a big issue given the current pandemic and, unless you have a stable job or extra savings, most people only have the stimulus check. So, we still advise making the wiser choice of going with one.
Verdict: Desktops Take The Number One Spot
Overall, after weighing the pros and cons of each device, we can definitely see that desktops edge out by a large margin and take the number one spot. So, if you’re still stuck thinking about which device you need to get; we strongly recommend learning about what PC you will need!