Towers/Desktops versus Laptops

[techieMoe]

Recently my brother and I were digging through some of our collective computer gear trying to determine what (if anything) we could stand to part with. One of the items we ended up donating was an old (but not ancient) desktop tower computer I'd built right after college.

I originally built it for the singular purpose of playing Doom 3 and Oblivion. It served that purpose well but I haven't touched it in several years, nor the monitor and wireless keyboard/mouse combo that I used with it.

I've personally moved away from desktops since my gaming fix is well satisfied by game consoles (Xbox 360, Wii, PS1/PS2/PS3) these days. I primarily use my laptop for browsing and managing my eBook collections, which doesn't require any serious firepower. Even if I did still want to dust off Oblivion, my current (3-year-old) Dell laptop has plenty of horsepower for it.

My question is, aside from those of us who just like to have control over each and every component that goes into a computer (nothing wrong with that), are desktops still the dominant life form among computer users, or have more powerful and compact laptops become the standard? What do you all use?

[Etna]

No machine in this world can replicate the feeling of typing away on a full-sized keyboard wired up to

1) a decent desktop tower that
2) has standardized hardware components which can be easily replaced within hours
3) packs a proper 3D graphics card which in turn,
4) is connected to a proper 19" or above monitor that allows for comfortable and proper viewing positions
5) and is easily a heck lot more powerful than a laptop for half the cost of the latter.

[elija]

I chose Desktop / Tower as that's what I use mostly (and at the moment) but my lappies get a lot of use also.

[oz]

For various reasons, I've never been able to embrace wireless connections of any type so have never purchased a lappy, although that might change if prices keep coming down. Believe it or not, I actually enjoy being totally away from computers now and then, so not lagging a laptop around with me all the time helps greatly to achieve that desire.

Speaking of not liking to lag wireless devices around, even my mobile phone stays on the dresser at home far more than 99% of the time... and turned OFF I might add. It would really be smart to cancel the service on the darned thing, but I do like having it for occasional long trips.

[hazel]

2 second-hand towers (one full size, one a mini). Does anyone here remember box computers? The box was square and fairly flat; you put it on your desk and the monitor went on top of it.

[oz]

Does anyone here remember box computers? The box was square and fairly flat; you put it on your desk and the monitor went on top of it.

I believe that is where the term "desktop" actually came from, but not sure.

[Manko10]

I fully agree with Etna.
I like Notebooks, that's beyond question but only for being portable. For all other purposes I prefer tower PCs.
But I'm also very demanding with Notebooks therefore a Notebook I'm satisfied with is twice as expensive as a good self-assembles tower PC is. I hate cheap Notebooks and Netbooks and there are some well-known South Korean companies I would never buy a computer from. Their computers are good for many people but I personally hate them.

[Freston]

I bought my first laptop some ten years ago, when they where still very expensive, and the thought at the time was to make them as strong as possible, so it's also very heavy. And it still works

I've gotten better iron since then, but it's a laptop again. I don't take it with me all that often, I just like that I don't have to dedicate a piece of the room to it. When I don't want to be behind the computer, it disappears in a drawer and it's out of sight out of mind.

That said, a desktop is better when you're behind it for a while. Ergonomically, laptops are *evil*

[techieMoe]

That said, a desktop is better when you're behind it for a while. Ergonomically, laptops are *evil*

I have to agree with that. I love my ergo keyboard and mouse.

[Manko10]

Yep, so do I.