|
|
|
5 Stress Reducing Computer Tips
For most entrepreneurs computers are an intrical part of our business. An entrepreneur can not afford for their computer to be inoperable even for a minute. Implement some of these quick and affordable computer tips to keep your computer healthy...
Are You A Pc Gamer And Want The Best Out Of Your Graphics Card?
Introduction
In this article you will learn how to get the most out of your graphics card by installing new drivers and tweaking Windows. The guide is based around Windows XP Professional Edition but you can use the same guide to tweak other...
Important Steps to Protect your Computer from Hurricanes
Having lived in West Central Florida for the past 15 years, I’ve been given some insight into the sometimes scary reality of Mother Nature. This past summer I’ve had the displeasure of meeting four characters, first hand...Charley, Frances, Jeanne...
User Friendliness: Do Computers Have to be Clinical and Boring?
While sleeping through a lecture recently I roused for just long enough to catch the lecturer saying that "Error messages should not try to be funny or amusing, they should be clear and concise". This got me thinking about the ever-elusive goal of...
VOIP QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, has grown in popularity recently and with that rise in popularity has come a number of common misconceptions and confusion. Global Value Conncet ( http://globalvalueconnect.com ) has complied this simple...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Laptop or Desktop - which computer to choose?
Traditionally, laptop computers were bought by people who had to
be able to take their computer with them when they left the
office, such as the salesman visiting a customer. It always used
to be the case that buying portability meant a trade-off in
terms of power and functionality, so desktop machines were the
preferred option for those who didn't have to travel.
Is this still a genuine trade-off, however? It's time to
re-examine the assumptions to see if they are still true.
Laptops are more expensive than desktops
While this is still true, the price differential is less than it
once was, and may not be an overriding factor any longer. On the
other hand, if you require a docking station, monitor, keyboard
and mouse for use when you're in the office, the extra cost will
be substantial.
Laptops have smaller, low definition screens
Once upon a time the laptop user had to be content with peering
at a small screen, with poor resolution, and which was only
visible when viewed straight on. Today's high resolution TFT
displays are easily the equivalent of CRTs, to the extent that
more and more desktop users are choosing them because they take
up so little desk space. Furthermore, a 15" laptop screen has
the equivalent real-estate of a 17" monitor.
Laptop users must struggle with small keyboards, and a
joystick or touchpad instead of a mouse.
To some extent this is still true, although modern touchpad
systems are so easy to use compared to those of a few years ago.
With a docking station, you can use a full sized keyboard and a
normal mouse when you are in the office, and get the best of
both worlds.
Laptop memory and disk sizes are limited
While it's still true that laptops have smaller disks and memory
than desktops, the incredible advance in miniaturisation means
that even the smallest laptop has disk and memory much larger
than the best equipped desktop
of a few years ago. Unless you
expect to store a lot of photographs, or do video editing, any
laptop will have more than sufficient space.
It's hard to expand laptop hardware
This is still true, but paradoxically it doesn't matter! Once
upon a time, adding a new device or peripheral often meant
opening up your computer to install an expansion card. Nowadays,
technologies such as USB and Firewire mean that all that is
required is to plug your new device in. In this respect,
desktops have lost their advantage.
Laptops are difficult to upgrade.
This is true. In order to pack a lot of power into a small
space, manufacturers use proprietary hardware and custom
connectors. If you expect to want to upgrade your disk, add
extra memory, or even replace the motherboard, a desktop is
still the best choice. Many users, however, would never do these
things, so for them the distinction is unimportant.
Laptop data doesn't get backed up
Because laptops are typically taken home at night, they are not
connected to the office network, so it is impossible for the IT
department to include them in overnight backups. It is important
that proper procedures are put in place to ensure that important
data is replicated onto a server at regular intervals.
Laptops are easier to steal
Unfortunately this will always be true, a portable device,
removed from the security of the office, is an easy target for
thieves.
In conclusion, the distinction between desktop and laptop is
still there, but it is not so important as it once was. If
mobility and flexibility are important for you, it is no longer
necessary to sacrifice functionality and ease of use.
About the author:
Simon Johnson has been working with computers since the days of
the first mainframes. He is a freelance journalist and the
webmaster for Better
Laptops
|
|
|
|
|
|