Would you buy a desktop or a laptop computer & wha... - Page 4

Jordan2 · ‎03-16-2010

@Silver Lining I'm not tech savvy so take what I say with a grain of salt! I have never owned a desktop, always a laptop. A desktop doesn't interest me, I like being in different rooms in my house, or taking it with me. I bought a Samsung Chromebook Pro about a year and a half ago, very disappointed in it. I have had it repaired twice, I would never buy another one. I am currently in the market for the new iPad Air 2019, I'm waiting for Best Buy to get more in.

sunshine45 · ‎03-09-2010

could not live without a laptop.

i can live without a desktop.

my preferred brand is HP. i have had good luck with those that i have had.

i do like the laptops with a larger screen.

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"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." - Albert Einstein

KaySD · ‎08-16-2016

For myself, I have found that since I started using my iPad so much, my need for a laptop has nearly disappeared. So my next buy will be a desktop, for the large monitor. If I were traveling for business, however, I'd probably do a laptop. I'm an Apple user except at work, and wouldn't buy any other brand for myself. They're always top quality and they work pretty much seamlessly together, which makes updates and configurations and all that sort of thing nearly effortless. When there's a hiccup, the Apple techs are very helpful. These are just my personal preferences, and not for everyone!

gardenman · ‎03-09-2010

An option to consider with a desktop is building it yourself. And no, it's not that hard. I've built my last few desktops myself and have ended up with very good computers. There are countless instructional videos on how to build one and following them step by step won't let you down. By building it yourself you can select top rated components with proven reliability. (Many name brand computers use components with one or two star ratings. Nothing that goes into one of my builds gets less than four stars.) You don't save money on the first build, but if you get good components you can still reuse them eight to ten years later on the next build. I rebuilt mine two years ago, new motherboard, cpu, memory, an ssd, and upgraded to Windows 10, for less than $400 by reusing many of the old components (case, case fans, hard drives, power supply, dvd drive, etc.) If they aren't broken, it's kind of silly to replace them.

The biggest issue you'll run into building a computer yourself is deciding which components to buy. It's very easy to fall into the "it's only" trap where the next step up motherboard, cpu, videocard, etc. is "it's only $20 more for this one." Then of course the one a step better than that is just $20 more and so on. Before long your six hundred dollar computer is a two thousand dollar computer. I try to set a maximum budget for each component then hold myself to that budget and not go over.

I simply won't buy another prebuilt desktop computer knowing what I know now. They tend to be undercooled, underpowered, and made with less reliable components. Their job is to make computers as inexpensively as possible and sell them for as much profit as possible. To do so, they tend to buy lesser quality parts and skimp and save wherever they can. And truth be told, you can buy four and five star rated motherboards for $50 and up, so you don't really have to skimp on quality.

It's something else to consider if you want a good desktop computer.

Fly!!! Eagles!!! Fly!!!

violann · ‎03-10-2010

We are Apple all the way, since a previous experience with a major bells-and-whistles Dell laptop, a few 5 hour screaming matches between me and a “technical expert” by the name of “Joe Smith” who whispered single directions to me in cruelly fractured fragments of English and screamed through the phone if I did not execute his requests perfectly after the first hearing.

NOPE, ever again! Apple, pricey but doable and functional, even for not tech me.

Heading for a new Apple laptop SOON, because or previous Mac laptop is OVER TEN YEARS OLD, and still wheezing along!

Skyegirl21 · ‎03-20-2010

NOT an HP. My last HP ( granted, it is >7 yrs old now) had a jumpy keyboard (characters would show up hat I didn’t press constantly messing up my text) and it could NOT be fixed, totally made me nuts...

apple1964 · ‎08-07-2013

I have a office in my home and I would buy a laptop cause I love them and because they take up less space then I desk top. I have a HP and a Acer computers. Happy shopping!

FrostyBabe1 · ‎05-09-2016

After years of frustration with Windows and Dell products at work, I became an Apple user when I purchased a MacBook Pro laptop in 2011 and I'll never go back. All the "oh, but it's so hard to learn to use them" nonsense is just that - nonsense. There wasn't ANY "learning curve". I keep the OS updated, and it's still working great. I don't usually travel with it though. I have a second generation iPad Air for travel. I did purchase a cover for it that has a keyboard, but I have hardly used it. When my current laptop needs to be replaced, I'll likely opt for a MacBook Air.

~The more someone needs to brag about how wonderful, special, successful, wealthy or important they are, the greater the likelihood that it isn't true. ~

Ainhisg · ‎03-09-2010

@KaySD wrote:
For myself, I have found that since I started using my iPad so much, my need for a laptop has nearly disappeared. So my next buy will be a desktop, for the large monitor. If I were traveling for business, however, I'd probably do a laptop. I'm an Apple user except at work, and wouldn't buy any other brand for myself. They're always top quality and they work pretty much seamlessly together, which makes updates and configurations and all that sort of thing nearly effortless. When there's a hiccup, the Apple techs are very helpful. These are just my personal preferences, and not for everyone!

I could have written @KaySD 's post as I feel the exact same way! I'm actually in my home office right now typing on my MacBook Pro that I use as a desktop, because when I bought it, I didn't have an iPad. Since buying an iPad, I relegated my laptop here to the office, and when it dies (is 4 years old and showing no signs of that), I will get a Mac desktop and use my iPad elsewhere.

Venezia · ‎03-09-2010

@Silver Lining- Funny you should ask! I have both a laptop and a desktop - both HP. In fact, we have three desktops in use currently, all HP and one "retired" because it only had Windows 7 on it.

We would never have a Dell, nothing but trouble with them long ago.

And here's a current true story: My sister-in-law just bought a new desktop from Dell. I have no idea why she went back to them. However, the shipping was delayed, she had problems setting it up, the help desk wasn't much help at all.

The computer died after 3 days! She called them to report it and they kept her on the phone for nearly two hours "diagnosing" the issues. Then they said they would send her the "parts" she needed to repair it herself!

She is 77 years old, battling cancer and was never technically adept anyway. Thankfully, she read them the riot act and they agreed to send her a new desktop and a label to return the dead one.

Buy a Dell??? Not in this world or the next. (I'm currently typing on my five-year-old, still-in-perfect-condition HP Envy bought from Sam's Club.)

ETA: I also have a 17" HP laptop bought from Sam's. Still in perfect working order, only issue was the battery wearing out after 8 years.