I made this thread because I used to be a diehard Desktop user, but with the advent of wireless mice(?) which (nowadays) have incredibly small USB receiver devices removed my major complaint about laptops (touch pads). Also I don't have internet anymore so my Desktop was rendered useless in that respect.

I haven't really gotten into the whole DIY with computers yet, so the tendency that laptops have of being less customizable and upgradeable wasn't really a factor in my decision.

So which do you think is better and why?

Use whatever criteria you feel like when making your decision.

(I chose laptops btw. Although once I get internet again that will most likely change)

Being in college, it's pretty much necessary for me to be able to carry my computer with me. That's the big thing. Plus, I can already do pretty much anything I would have been doing with a desktop on my laptop, short of some higher-end gaming. But I'm not crushed.

I'm firmly in the desktop camp - I don't have a problem with laptops but they too pricy if you want something that can handle games well. They're also too prone to overheating in my experience.

Desktops. Cheaper, upgradable, customizable, and easier to fix.

But in general, I like to have one of each on hand.

This. Maybe when I get a house off-campus in a couple years I'll build a desktop.

Laptops have always been more convenient for me, short of gaming and battery life.

during college, laptops were my favorite because i could take them with me and play games while waiting for my next class to start... now that college is over desktops are my favorite

Desktop. Almost infinitely upgradeable and cheaper. Might as well get a netbook and install Linux on it.

Desktops, because:

• I can have a custom build and assemble it myself.
  
  
• Laptops with specs good enough to handle modern games are much pricier than a desktop which would perform far better than those laptops (at least if it's a custom build).
  
  
• Desktops have more upgradable hardware components. For laptops you can usually add more RAM and an occasional laptop will let you upgrade its graphics card and hard disk - that's it.
  
  
• Desktops are much easier to maintain, i.e. remove the dust which inevitably builds up inside it over time. Some laptops are easier to open up than others, but even then it's much more difficult to remove accumulated dust from every part of it.

Desktops: none of my reasons are especially novel, just the usual stuff like being cheaper, more robust, easier to upgrade/fix/etc, more ergonomic and so on. But I guess another major reason is that I have no need of a laptop since I'm not a big fan of going anywhere. If I travelled at all, I may have a different opinion. But I don't.

I don't do much graphics-intensive gaming, and I like internet access on trips, so laptop for me.

I was, for a time, leaning towards laptops, since a few years back their entry barrier had dropped significantly and they had closed the performance margin between them and desktops, too. But then touchscreen phones happened, and my trivial mobile needs (email, internet, casual games) are sometimes even better handled by my Android phone than they would be by a much larger laptop. The only big thing it doesn't do terribly well is type, and that's only an issue for me when it comes to word processing or spreadsheets. So...

Desktops. Quite firmly. Laptops just don't have as many uses for me as they used to.

Desktop too, same reasons many have already mentionned. Customisation, cheaper, easier to clean... I bought my desktop more than five years ago... the only original parts are the case, HDD and dvd drivers/burners. Over the years, I think I saved lots of money just upgrading. Now, I'm eyeing SSDs but I might need to make a major upgrade before (mobo, CPU) and let prices drop a little more.
I used a laptop in my days for school which was perfect. No need to have a powerful laptop for word editors... Still have it, gathering dust somewhere. I have an Ipod so my "travelling needs" are this way satisfied, it's enough for what I do.

For performance I would always choose a desktop. My desktop would kill any game out there. But I do carry http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834157503&cm_re=HP_4520s-_-34-157-503-_-Product laptop whenever I go anywhere because of its CPU and long battery life when I need to use a PC in class. I also use my Droid very often. (Rooted Liquid Gingerbread 1.5)

Desktop for anything hardware-intensive. Gaming, rendering, encoding, etc. A laptop is good at one thing, and that is being portable. A good laptop should have good battery life, and should sacrifice performance for it. The only mobile computing the VAST majority of people need is browsing, viewing media, and word processing, which a cheap, low-power laptop can do.

Desktops. Cheaper, much more customizable, much much more powerful, easier to fix, more reliable and all around better.

In my mind laptops's only benefit is mobility but I do admit it's a major one so IMO having both is the way to go.

Um. I use Desktops if I am doing serious development (Where multiple large screens are good) and laptops when I want to be sociable or take it on the train or whatever. I would use them for totally different things

I really want a laptop.

I prefer laptops, but have a hard time justifying the price I'd need to pay to get the performance I'd like. Smaller form factor and portability are nice, as well as being able to hook it up to an external monitor for gaming and such (would almost be required since 13" or so is my limit on screen size, though not ideal for gaming).

Chances are I'll just make a fairly powerful mATX desktop once we see how Bulldozer does, depending on motherboard options. Get more powerful hardware and my smaller form factor at much better prices.

Desktops x 1000

I get soooo annoyed at how often people (primarily at work) tell me to help them pick a laptop out for them. Why? Because I know for a fact that they spend 99% of their time leaving it plugged in (and have the dead batteries to prove it). They don't really need a laptop, but are rather in love with the idea of the laptop.

Recently I decided to completely forgo the passive help on laptop buying I've been giving people. Instead I am going to do what the following will demonstrate:

Person: "Hey, I need a laptop. Help me pick one out"

me: "Why a laptop? You just keep it charged in anyways."

Person: "I like to be able to do stuff while being mobile"

me: "You know, you have a smart phone. That's what it is designed for. You also have a tablet. You have a desktop for your content creation and all these gadgets for your consumption. It's silly for you to get a laptop. Laptops don't fit in the current post-PC world*. Get a desktop and then use your smart phone/tablet for on the go. If you REALLY want to have a keyboard, get the Asus Eee Pad that's coming out at the end of the month"

I seriously hate how obstinent people are about getting laptops for no good reason

* Note: I don't honestly believe laptops have no place in the Post-PC world, but I do feel it's silly for most people, especially the people who fit the description I described, to have a laptop. Most people don't actually create on the go, mobile computing is by-and-large consumption and as such laptops make little sense.

Laptops are fine, as long as we're not talking about gaming laptops.

If I ever got a laptop, it would be an efficient one that could run simple things like roguelikes, 2D platformers, point and click adventures, and maybe some older 3D games like Morrowind. I don't want a gaming laptop that will drain its battery every hour and set my lap on fire, while being expensive and still running the games poorly.

Who needs a laptop when you have all of the power of a http://hackedgadgets.com/wp-content/desktop_portable_computer.jpg at your fingertips?

Warning:
May cause extreme shoulder pains, spine deformation, paralysis, and/or death. Keep out of reach of children, teens, and advlts aged 0-∞.

advlts aged 8 are my favourite advlts.

Couldn't agree more :thumbsup:

To calm down a bit, some people really just don't have the space for a desktop computer, believe it or not. In those cases a laptop is obviously far more convenient even though it's going to be used as a desktop computer. Besides, most laptops when plugged in can work with battery removed.